User:Kayana
From The Peopling of Astoria, Queens
From Mumbai to New York
Moving to New York has been one of the most exciting and at the same time, one of the hardest moments in my life. After living in Mumbai for almost 15 years, the sudden relocation wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. There were days before the we moved when I questioned why we were moving, why we were leaving “our” city, why we had to leave behind everyone we loved. Yet at other times, the new possibilities and new opportunities were enough to fill me with happiness. It was a mixed and contradicting feeling that I never anticipated or understood. Initially, I never thought I would miss Mumbai. But soon after and even now I realized that I do and always will, but I love New York now.
I grew up in Mumbai, one of the biggest cities in India. Although Mumbai isn’t the capital of India, it is one of the most important cities and life in Mumbai is much like it is here-faced paced and busy. In 2004 I moved to NYC with my parents and brother. My father was transferred from his office in Mumbai to NY and so we moved with him. When I received the news of the imminent transfer, my joy knew no bounds. I was very happy in Mumbai, with my family and friends. Yet at 15, I felt that life anywhere else would be much easier. Since I was moving with my family, the decision to relocate and start a new life was relatively easy.
Accordingly we moved to New York, in July 2004. It has been almost three years since then and I have gone back to Mumbai five times. The frequent traveling back and forth has made settling down and getting used to the new country and new surroundings a lot easier for all of us. Since we have a large extended family that we were very close to in Mumbai, the frequent visits are always a pleasure. In addition with communication being so easy now a days due to the Internet and easy access to international telephone facilities, most of the time I don’t even notice the physical distance between the two cities. In addition, since NY has a large population of Indians, there is an easy availability of India groceries and other items that we have been used to in Mumbai.
Although in NY, we don’t miss Indian cuisine or anything else Indian, what we do miss very much is our family. My maternal grandmother lives in Mumbai, along with my aunts and uncles and cousins who also live there and their absence is what gravitates us most towards Mumbai. My parents were never as enthusiastic as my brother and I were about moving. For the most part their attitude still hasn’t changed much and they prefer living in Mumbai simply because it is where they grew up, and where their family and friends live. Yet they realize that life in Mumbai is hard with the ever-growing population and as a result increasing competition in the work force and on the contrary even though life in NY may be equally fast and strenuous there is a hope for more and better opportunities than there is “back home”. The other important reason why my parents in particular miss Mumbai is because there aren’t any Zoroastrian temples here in NY although there are some prayer halls, and my father always talks about how incomplete it feels without the monthly visits to the fire temple.
I miss Mumbai too, not only because it’s where I grew up but also because it is a wonderful city to live in: lively and always on the move much like NY. I do not miss it as much as my parents because from the very beginning I was excited about and open to a new life elsewhere. In many ways I was welcoming the possibility of immense change in my life which they weren’t. Having lived and studied here, now for almost three years, I see an obvious difference in the quality of life. I’ve realized and learnt to appreciate this system of education because it encourages and fosters learning through practical work rather than a mere “learning” only to perform on an exam and forget it all later. I’ve also realized that there is far more potential here for a bright and prosperous future here than I would have had in Mumbai.
This moving experience nonetheless hasn’t been easy for any of us. Adjusting to a new place, learning new ways, adapting to the society, and most importantly making new friends and acquaintances are all tasks that take time and a conscious effort. Yet, for the most part the experience has been worthwhile and memorable. I know I have lost some things due to the relocation, and severed some relationships, yet I’ve build new ones, learned new things and in all of this we have found a unique and fulfilling satisfaction.