“You are so lucky, you will go abroad in no time”.
Yet, even after almost 7 years of work in the most prominent IT – R&D industry, my passport was still afresh. But by then, I too had no awareness or intentions to travel abroad; was completely happy working for my passion and having good time with family and friends. Ignorance is always a bliss!
But suddenly there was a crucial period, I went-in shortage of my close friends, one after the other all my friends in the Software Industry had started travelling abroad; Send-off parties and get-togethers became a weekly routine.
At one point, I had more and more friends in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut than in Chennai! But I tried to remain undisturbed, at home. But people around me did not leave.
Whenever I end-up in a situation to say that “I have never been outside India”, I used to get comments that range from funny to outrageous, crazy to disgusting, hurtful to astonishment.
“What, I can’t believe, are you so dump?”
“Oh dear! You’re lacking in some political skills, you should learn to work smartly and impress your manager”.
“Threaten your manager with resignation if he doesn’t send you onsite”.
And some encyclopedia “uncles” - fathers of my friends, friends of my father, neighbor and house owner uncles said:
“You know my son/relative ABC? The moment he joined the company XYZ, they realized his potential and he was beseeched to join the workforce at US. I tell you, these multinationals have an eye for talent.” - Which means I am a complete idiot, does not have any potential even to think about going abroad!
I was a getting an assortment of free advises every day, though I did not ask for. This is not just my story; most of the Indian software professionals go through the same.
This may sound very silly, but in today’s scenario, going abroad has become more of a level-statement today rather than a necessity.
Indian societies are still stuck in a web of unreasonable judgements wherein comparisons take center stage. For some Indians, it is this mindset thatsows the first seeds of thought to go abroad.
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