Is it worth living in the United States as an Indian immigrant, with so many limitations in terms of immigration and business? India and the US do not share good bilateral relations with Indian citizens, either.
I’ve not lived in the US but have been there for several short stays. Based on the below points, one can decide which place suits them better.There is hardly any labor in US. Everyone does most manual work themselves. This is a good thing.Roads are wide and people have great lane discipline. Driving here is easier.People are warm and welcoming. There is also great diversity.Its so clean and tidy everywhere. People don’t litter, spit etc.Lots of trees and less pollution.Safe, very little racism and equal society.Better salary standards and work quality in most cases.All the above sounds great. The photos on Facebook look awesome. People may brag that they are in the most developed nation in the world.BUT… The below are also true especially for someone coming from IndiaLonelinessThe first thing anyone coming from India realizes is that India is so LIVELY. Here they would feel lonely, roads are empty, nobody walks and its deadly quiet all over. Its like suddenly the world is in mute mode.So if you have no family/friends, think twice or you may end up in depression.SpiritualityIndia, with all its chaos feels spiritual. US has no chaos, but it feels like something is missing. Life would feel monotonous, robotic and materialistic.India has that special vibe and its colorful - that would be missing here.FoodThere is a great number of Indian restaurants here. However it cannot beat food in India at least in terms of sheer variety.You may miss street food like pani poori or even Indian chai.Family rootsIf you have a deep family bonding and have roots and/or quite inclined to Indian culture, US would turn out to be a bummer.If you want your kids to grow up the Indian way, better leave early. If not, just accept their American way of living. If neither, they might be stressed/confused.Times when you would miss India the mostWhen you fall sick. The more serious the illness, more you would miss India. The very thought that you have concerned people around would give you some relief.Festivals - No matter what, (Indian) festivals’ celebration is not the same or no where close here as compared to India.Family get together/occasion in India.
Advice on moving out from parents house? bad relationship?
I think that fixing your relationship with your parents should take the front seat right now. If you have not done this already, I would suggest that you speak with your parents privately and tell them how you feel. Tell them that, from your perspective, you see them doting on your sister while you feel that they see you as a failure. Ask them to explain to you why they feel that community college is best for you at this time. I have to tell you that I did the same thing with my son only because he was barely passing in high school and I thought it would be better for him to receive his first college experience in a smaller setting to make sure that he would be successful. Maybe your parents have the same feelings, but since you say you're a straight A student, I'm not sure why they would think that way. Anyway, the important thing here is that you bring your feelings out in the open in a calm, respectable manner (no yelling or whining) and start some open, honest communication with your parents. Good luck to you, my dear.
How do Indians feel when they go back to live in India after living in US for 5+ years?
Here is a word of advice for all NRI's who are looking to move back to India."If you are looking to move to India because you are bored of your job in the US or feel there are more opportunities here, then DON'T move back"I moved to Gurgaon 6 months back and its been a mix of pleasure and pain :)Its dusty, dirty, noisy, crowded, humid with crappy roads, even more crappier condos etc etc..you get the drift.If you want to live in a condo like you lived in the US, it will cost you atleast a lakh per month :)Most service providers and handymen will not be on time and will even be very blase about it.Shopping for good quality veggies and fruits is a pain.The fine line between a weekday and the weekend usually blurs.Maids and cooks are supposed to be a convenience but they are usually a pain in the neck because you gotta supervise them and keep an eye on them.Options for weekend breaks are very limited.If Google Maps says you will reach a place in 6 hours, it will take anywhere between 10-16hours.Sports facilities are pretty limited and the ones that are available are pretty expensive.The gyms here are crappy and are usually in the basement of some house nearby. There are good ones but usually very far from where you live and the commute is just not worth it.5kms of travel is like 25 miles of travel here.If you have been out of India for more than 3+ years, and have not been here in the last 3 years, you will get THE STICKER SHOCK of your life when you get back.Stuff has become frightfully expensive...some examples include petrol, wine, fine dining, movie tickets etc etc.Basically, everything is available here but at a price. You can almost duplicate your US lifestyle but the cost will be directly similar to what it was in the US. The only difference will be a drop in your salary (And this is if you were living in NYC or SFO. If you are living in Dallas or somewhere in the midwest in a $800/2BR apartment, the fun will be even more)Well, that's the bad part.Now to the good parts even though they may seem a bit vague :)Its home and I feel more 'alive' here.The food somehow tastes better.There is a notional sense of freedom (like zipping on the expressway at midnight without worrying about a cop car on your back)
I feel like I dont belong anymore. That there is no substance to the world I live in.?
It is not true my friend. Perhaps you are just discovering things which have no substance, but there are things which have substance, if you do not know yet, perhaps the experiences you go through will lead you to the refreshing spring of living water. Your spirit has substance. There must be something in your life, you knew that it had substance. Remind yourself on it and draw from that. Sometimes we waste so much time with superficialities and this is what you might see on tv and you just go through an awakening. Why don't you read Man's Search for Meaning from Viktor Frankl? He discovered the depths of human substance during the hardest times people had ever endured. This will give you some guidance perhaps. Good luck anyway and you are not weird, you just go through some inner realisation and awakening. This is a good thing!