America: love it or leave it

America: It’s a country made by hard work. It’s a country of immigrants. It’s a country of law. A few individuals or a few American leaders may falter from time to time, but that is not America.

Some try to exploit America’s compassion and other niceties. Where on earth one can be an illegal and have the audacity to demonstrate publicly? Where on earth one can go into another country and have the audacity to rewrite their national anthem?

The rest of the world’s immigrants come, become American, speak English, and proudly sing the national anthem of their adopted country. However, you think you are different. You do not have to assimilate. You do not have to speak the language of the land. How would you like if China took over your country, changed your national anthem, and started demanding Chinese language in your country? You come to my house uninvited, then you want to take over my house and if I do not agree with you, you think I am being inconsiderate.

America is not forcing anyone to come here. If you come, be grateful to the country where you make a living, try to assimilate, abide by the law of the land; above all don’t slap the hand that feeds you. I am a naturalized citizen from a non-English speaking country. I am proud of my heritage and I am also proud to be an American.

You should be proud of your heritage. However, if you want America to embrace you, you must show that you are willing to embrace America too. Do not try to destroy the very fabric of America made by past immigrants over 200+ years through back breaking hard work.

Not much to post

After the Bihu last weekend, I went to an offshore platform on Tuesday morning. The water depth was 500+ feet and the water was perfect blue. A chopper hauled us (3) back and forth from shore. Then I flew back from New Orleans (The Big Easy is slowly coming back to life). New Orleans has a mayoral race. The question is will it be a black or a white. Katrina changed Big Easy politics too.

By the time I got home, I had a headache, a sore throat, and I was miserable. I am not sure what caused it (was it too much fun in the sun at Bihu celebration, was it from screaming while conducting the sporting events, was it allergy, did I catch something from some one). I am slowly recovering. So, no more running or biking this weekend for me.

Talked to our daughters, received email from Tammy in Kenya (she is returning home this summer), cleaned Tigger's litter box many times (funny thing is he goes right after I clean it).

It's a beautiful day outside, but I am stuck inside. Well, there has to be a balance. Too much fun last weekend and too little to do this weekend. That's life!

Two memorable weekends

The last two weekends have been hectic. However, every bit was worth it. First we witnessed a wonderful wedding of Joe and Mary at El Paso. We have known Joe since his childhood. He is the son of two close friends of ours. Joe met Mary at the med school and both are recent graduates. Mary is from El Paso.

On April 8, Saturday morning we flew into El Paso, checked into a room at the hotel. Unfortunately, they only had a smoking room at the time which neither my wife nor I liked. However, we decided to put up with it for a few hours of the night. We quickly got dressed for the Church wedding. A chartered trolley hauled us to the church across town. As we rode, we could see poor side just to the left (south) of us on the other side of a wire fence known as Mexico. There was a border security patrol car driving up and down along side the fence. Yes, to those on the other side, the promise land was a few "long insurmountable" yards away.

The wedding was brief and conducted extremely well by a black female preacher. It was a very welcoming sight to me. Joe and Mary took their vows, kissed each other, and became husband & wife for better and for worse. Then we rode back to the hotel for a grand dinner. The ballroom was full. After dinner, they cut the cake, danced to music and we retired to bed pretty late.

I got up early next morning to ensure that the set up for the Hindu ceremony planned for that morning was ready on time. It was gorgeously decorated with all kinds of flower arrangement. To me these Hispanic woman decorators were artists. The priest arrived and set up the "stuff" needed for the ritual. We had to frantically look for a few little things (like a little honey, a few hundred dollar bills, a place ("man dap" - we found a hard tool box and covered it with nice cloth) to set his tray of offerings). Finally it all came together. The groom arrived at the door of the ballroom where bride’s mom welcomed him and the Assamese women did the traditional welcome as well. The bride (Mary) looked marvelous in an authentic Assamese dress and traditional ornaments. The priest conducted the ceremony and tried to explain in English (with his heavy accent) to his American audience. While doing so, he went a little overboard. All in all it was a wonderful ceremony.

As soon as it was over, we rushed to the airport to catch our flight back. We arrived home around 8:00 PM. Poor Tigger was home alone for one night. He was glad to see us. Next morning, it was back to work and the week went by fast.

Last Friday, April 14 was a day off for Good Friday. It was also my wife's birthday. The night before, after my wife went to bed, I quietly set a birthday card and the gifts I had purchased a couple of weeks ago at the breakfast table for my wife to see in the morning. Our younger daughter had sent a couple pictures of flowers (including Cherry blossom) from Tokyo to her older sister in San Francisco. She had those developed, framed, and mailed to my wife (which had arrived on time). I also later brought a small birthday cake. So. It was a quite birthday celebration amongst just two of us. I hope it was good day for her. Our older daughter called (from Chicago) to wish her a happy birthday and to wish all of us "Happy Bihu". The daughter in Tokyo did not forget it either. She had offered a silk "Bihuan" to her Japanese teacher explaining this Assamese New Year and the Bihu tradition. We found that out only from her "blog" site.

Yesterday was our Bihu celebration. It started with me getting to the park at 8:00 AM. Before people started arriving I had the two flags (US and a home made Bihu Flag) set up. The rope for tug-of-war stretched out. People arrived. There was tea with traditional Assamese snacks. Then we all stood around the flags and sang the opening ceremonial song. The Bihu began with Easter egg hunt for the kids, followed by 1-mile walk/run and other events like 1-legged race, 3-legged race, musical chair, tug-of-war, etc. and ended with a game of egg-toss. The most fun part was the tug-of-war. We also had a fantastic barbeque lunch. At the end of the day event there was an award ceremony. The children were ecstatic to receive trophies. Everyone received something. After all it was Bihu time, a time of giving, blessing, and having fun.

We rushed home to get ready for the evening cultural program. It started with an excellent talk by renowned journalist Sanjoy Hazarika about migration and insurgency in the northeast. We also had a sumptuous dinner (catered) outdoor (just outside the hall). The weather was a perfect Bihu weather with nice breeze. Obviously, Bihu is not a Bihu without Bihu dance and music. People sang and danced until we had to vacate the room. Thus came the end of our Bihu celebration till this time next year.

Tomorrow is Monday. I fly to an offshore oilrig. I too have to work for a living and continue to oil that American industrial machinery.

It's Bihu time

With spring comes the cuckoo bird. "Palash" blossoms and Orchids bloom in the land of the Red River and the Blue Hills. Boys and girls dance to Bihu tunes. Love fills the air. A brand new year arrives on the banks of the Red River.


And a young man sings to his beloved:

"I climb over the hills and mountains
But it is difficult to climb a creeper
I can tame a furious elephant
But it is difficult to woo your love!"

Living under $1 or $2 a day

SOURCE: http://earthtrends.wri.org/povlinks/country.php
Based on consumption

Living on.....<$1.....<$2
Nigeria............70%.......91%
Zambia...........64%.......87%
Rwanda..........36%.......85%
Bangladesh.....36%.......83%
India...............35%.......80%
Mozambique....38%.......78%
Pakistan..........13%.......66%
Kenya.............23%.......59%


But LIFE IS GOOD for some
and they want more

Out of Africa : Rain in Kisumu

Excerpts from an email of a young woman volunteering in Africa:

"My dearest - uncle,
I am interviewing mothers about their delivery experiences and I listen to them tell me about their babies dying or about delivering on the pavement of the hospital because the nurses have chased them away. it's so sad. i just listen because I don’t know what to say. But they don't need me to say anything. And so many of them struggle on, grieve, and then lift their head and keep on going. They are truly amazing.

There are two great kids that greet me every day in my neighborhood. One is named Young and he is two or a little younger. He sees me on the road and shouts my name. and then i hug him and throw him in the air, kiss him until he giggles and giggles and then let him run along and play with the other kids. oh he is so precious. And then there is Eddie who is about 13. he comes home every day from school and takes care of his little sister, Florence. She cries and cries when it is time to take a bath and he just bathes her while she cries, and touches her gently, and never yells. oh, Eddie. he is wonderful.

It has been raining quite a bit here in Kisumu, which is nice. It helps the drought quite a bit. but it is lovely. when it rains, it storms. and all of the lights go out and we just sit around together and tell stories with the family. i wish we had more power outages in America where we could just sit and tell stories.
- love to you - uncle"

It's Spring Time

Cherry Blossom in Tokyo

There is no Cherry Blossom in Humble, Texas. But the earth is absolutely green. A view of the golf course behind our house. "Rough" is green, "Green" is greener.


It's Azalea time in Texas










It's "Palash" blossom time in Assam

















With "Kapou Phool" and Bihu Festival, love is in the air.

The Land of Immigrants

I am an immigrant like many before and after me. I am proud to be an American. I fully understand people wanting or trying to come to America to better their future. I am also concerned about the humanitarian aspects of migration (legal or illegal). It hurts me to see anyone die in a desert, in the Rio Grande, or in the open ocean risking his or her life for a better future in America. I realize that there needs to be a solution to the illegal immigrants' issue. I also do not want to see immigrants being exploited by businesses.

However, what really upsets me is that only in America the illegal immigrants can come out and demonstrate publicly. Some one even had a Mexican flag flying on a flagpole at a school in Houston. This is absurd. America is not forcing anyone to come here (except during the dark days of slavery, but America is continually trying to right the wrong). If one's allegiance is to another flag, then he or she should go back. One must be grateful to a country for giving his or her livelihood.

I am also for learning as many languages as one can or for providing opportunities to learn languages. If for 200+ years all these diverse population could manage with the English language, why should our Hispanic Americans be any different? The moment America opts for another language, what moral right it will have not to offer the same to hundreds of other languages of other immigrants?

I am all for taking pride in one's roots howsoever humble. There are special occasions when one may even fly the flag of their native country along side the US flag or celebrate their heritage. However, at the end we are all Americans, not black, white, brown, or other types of hyphenated Americans. We must protest or express grievances of any wrong doing, real or perceived, in a proper way within the constitutional safeguard and freedom.

God Bless America.