Intro - The Landing

Most articles you read are written about desi FOBs in the USA. All of you might have laughed at, and secretly related to, incidents like ordering the first sandwich from Subway, mistaking the pepperoni on a pizza for a slice of tomato, listening patiently to a telemarketer on the phone for half an hour - only to subscribe to "Home Improvement and Gardening Techniques" for two years.

Here’s an interesting twist to the saga. How about writing as a non-desi in Apna Desh? Most things we take for granted in India are easily forgotten once you step into the Americas. Here’s my perspective of what a non-desi will find a novelty when he steps into the wonderland that is India.

The first thing I noticed when I got off the plane is that airport services have come a long way since the past 5-6 years. I don’t know what people keep complaining about regarding inordinate delays in customs and immigration. I was out of Chennai Airport within 15-20 minutes of getting off an international flight, inspite of having a laptop, 2 cameras and 3 swords in my possession. In fact, it took me 3 hours to get out of Bangkok Airport because of visa processing delays. Boy, am I glad to be back home again!