The Beginning Of American Life

By the October of 2009 my life was set. Classes used to begin in the morning and finish at evenings. As October came around the weather started getting colder and chillier. This was new for me, Pune is cold but nothing compared to USA. An advise for new students, Do not buy winter jacket in India. They are of no use for USA winters. So buy a good one in USA. The cooking turns were getting regular. We had found a laundry near Mobil gas station. Rather the laundry was owned by this gas station. This was a new thing for me. I had never seen so many washing machines and driers lined up at any place. To me it is a part of being a common American. Even in the living places there will always be laundry for the use of everyone. Just insert some coins and wash your own clothes. This laundry had benches inside so one can read or watch movie or listen to songs comfortably while the cleaning goes on. Now, about the gas station, I always felt that this gas station should have been called a general store first and then a gas station. It had everything from clothes washing powder to Australian wine and from White Castle to chicken wings. I had so many good memories of this gas station. Just to mention a few, it was the first place where I got the taste of American colloquial conversations, when the lady at the counter asked ‘how are you hun (honey)?’ It was very strange for me. As the days went by, we made friends at this gas station who would sometimes give us discounts.

I was learning about different aspects of American life. The holidays, the points of interests their views about Indians etc. I was aware of the stupid behavior of some of the Indians, so tried my utmost best to behave. Some times it happened that I behaved more properly than Americans themselves! I got to know that Americans drink coffee like we Indians drink tea. That brings me to the early October when I met my first American friend who letter on became my sister Heather Stoffel. I still remember the first time I met Heather. I was at the library, trying to get a cup of coffee. To my surprise there were 6 to 8 different types of coffee. Till then I only knew only two types, Nescafe and brewed coffee. I was just standing there looking at them, reading the labels. A skinny white girl went pass by and took some coffee. I gathered some courage (I was a shy person when it came to unknown girls, especially in USA, I used to think, they might take it in a wrong way that a stranger Indian guy is trying to talk etc etc Later on I gave up this wrong thought) and asked that girl.
‘Excuse me’
‘Yes’ she,
‘Can you help me to get some coffee please? I am new here and don’t know which one of them should I take’ me
‘Sure.. do you like the strong one?’ she
‘Not so strong’ me
‘Okay then, I will recommend to make a mixture of Hazelnut and Vanilla cream’ she,
‘Okay thank you’ me.

That’s how we met and since then we are good friends and I am grateful that she considers me as her brother. Life was going great. One change in the academic life which hit me hard in future was the attendance and homework. Anyone who has studied in India (at least of my generation and older) knows how unimportant both these things are. I had taken Introduction To Complex Variables (which many think was not a great choice, but I have mentioned about my mistake of getting on the subject selection late in The New Beginnings) Vibrations I and Principle and Practices of Computer Aided Design (taught by Dr Ming Leu, who later on became my adviser during my research work) For all of them attendance and homework were important and unfortunately I must confess that I did not take them seriously. I will talk about the consequences in later chapters.

I was enjoying my life to fullest. I had met Kunal Naik, Sagar Thatte, Sudarshan Govindrajan (who later became my roommates and very good friends). From my school days I had limited but interesting friends circle. Contrast to my friends I was less interactive with other students. Which is not a good thing if you want to have an advise or help. In September I got a pleasant shock, Gaurav Argade, Saumya and my friend Pratik Shah used to arrange Ganpati Arti during Ganpati days. By end of October I had arranged to get a phone number, till then I was using Dial 91 (most affordable one). Another prime difference between India and USA is the internet. In India having an internet connection was used to be luxury for common people. I remember when getting download limit of 2gb was the best thing one can afford at that time. But, in USA internet is almost taken for granted. One has to pay once then you can download/stream as much as you can. There is not limit and the speed is way faster than I had ever seen. Even if tell these features to an Indian even today, he will amazed and probably won’t believe. Computer gamers will get it when I say 16 people can play CS 1.6 at a time without any lag! I used to call my parents and Anway Pimpalkhare, Ojas Ghate and Kaustubh Fadnis in between. Leach was going alright.

I have nothing against girls but it was (may still is) general feeling among guys that girls in other Universities were more beautiful and attractive. This was the feeling of not only the Indian guys but also of the American guys about American girls! I do remember an incidence I won’t give the names of the people involved for obvious reasons. One day A and B with who I became friend, asked me to accompany them to an apartment. When I asked about it, they gave me the reason that some new students have just arrived yesterday and are living in C’s apartment. I personally was not interested in this whole stuff but, still I agreed to go. I could see why they were so keen. When they met those new students I cannot explain how disappointed they were. Not because new students were not pretty but because the reputation of University was not going to improve as long as they were going to stay in Rolla as students. Even today I laugh whenever I recall that incidence.

As November came on the doorstep another new thing came in front ‘Daylight Saving’. Almost no one in India knew at that time what it is. I still remember that I was awake to see what happens to the computer clock! I think many of the international students have done that. More amazing thing was that, on that day you get one extra hour! This is completely alien thought to an Indian. Weather kept on becoming colder. Me and Heather started going to bars together. One day she introduced me to April. Heather and April are the craziest yet nicest girls I had ever met till then. My second American Friend. Sumant had bought an Electric Guitar and we used to jam with it late night. It was fun time. Then came Thanks Giving. I understood its real meaning later on. But, I was happy to get 3-4 days of holidays. We went to Ozark’s Mall. It’s the biggest shopping mall near Rolla. It is funny, because, after Thanksgiving almost everyone seems to be wearing similar fashioned T-shirts. University looked crowded and happening. I bought my first digital camera which I should say exploited in next 3-4 years. I used to play pool. Late night small time tea parties were in full swing. I was a free bird, no one tell me what to do and where to go. After the thanks giving I experienced snowfall first time ever in my life. Only my fellows can understand that feeling.

It was beginning of my American Life !