A Hometown Away from Home...
It's been a while since I've blogged. Graduating can be quite an effort, and now that I've moved into my new job, and settled down, I might get some more time for this. So, I've moved to California, and left Pittsburgh behind. Most people would agree that this is a "move for the better", but strangely enough, I don't feel so!
So, I come from a beach province in India called Goa. For those of you who recognize the name, you know it is the party destination in India and one of the top ones in Asia. But that's what it is to you. To me, Goa is something else. To me, it is the small beachside school where I learnt the alphabet, the little riverside market where my Mom bought vegetables, the street amongst the array of buildings where I played cricket.
It's a bit strange. For instance, when young Brooklyn Beckham sees Victoria Beckham, he doesn't say "Hey look, Posh Spice!". He probably says "Hey look, Mommy!". That's what hometowns are like - like Mom. It doesn't matter what they look like to the world, they mean the world to you.
My attachment to Pittsburgh is much the same. To you, dear reader, it may be the erstwhile steel city or even the home of the Steelers, but to me, it is Neville Street and Henry Street. It is Forbes Avenue and Atwood Street. It's Craig Street Coffee; it's CMU. It's where I learnt a penny from a dime, a nickel from a quarter. It is where I set foot in the US. In September of this year, my career will come a full circle; lot of dreams and hard work will see fruition. And Pittsburgh has an immeasurable contribution in this. For it is where the transformation took place... from a person wondering what to do, to a person happy with what he's doing.
So what if it's not as cool and hep as New York? Or as cultural as Chicago. Or as happening as San Francisco. It doesn't matter, because for me, it's my hometown away from home; it's... like Mommy!
So, I come from a beach province in India called Goa. For those of you who recognize the name, you know it is the party destination in India and one of the top ones in Asia. But that's what it is to you. To me, Goa is something else. To me, it is the small beachside school where I learnt the alphabet, the little riverside market where my Mom bought vegetables, the street amongst the array of buildings where I played cricket.
It's a bit strange. For instance, when young Brooklyn Beckham sees Victoria Beckham, he doesn't say "Hey look, Posh Spice!". He probably says "Hey look, Mommy!". That's what hometowns are like - like Mom. It doesn't matter what they look like to the world, they mean the world to you.
My attachment to Pittsburgh is much the same. To you, dear reader, it may be the erstwhile steel city or even the home of the Steelers, but to me, it is Neville Street and Henry Street. It is Forbes Avenue and Atwood Street. It's Craig Street Coffee; it's CMU. It's where I learnt a penny from a dime, a nickel from a quarter. It is where I set foot in the US. In September of this year, my career will come a full circle; lot of dreams and hard work will see fruition. And Pittsburgh has an immeasurable contribution in this. For it is where the transformation took place... from a person wondering what to do, to a person happy with what he's doing.
So what if it's not as cool and hep as New York? Or as cultural as Chicago. Or as happening as San Francisco. It doesn't matter, because for me, it's my hometown away from home; it's... like Mommy!
posted by Rahul Iyer at 1:44 AM
2 Comments:
This post is so true.B eing from Goa myself, I cant figure out why people think its only about partying and boozing if you live there!
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