A.R. Rahman's Journey to the Oscars - International Indian

INDIAN AMERICANSth16ANNI V ERSARYto make themselves visible as hard workers hopingthey will not be put aside when the crunch hits theirparticular job. Those on work visas and green cardspray ardently that they will not be affected. V Mohan,a retired computer executive decided to return toChennai with his wife for two years as he foundthat he could not afford to pay health insurance forhimself and his wife. His part time job did not coverhealth benefits. He hopes to return when his wifequalifies for Medicare because he wants to be nearhis daughters who live here. The Khans from Poonawho have been living here for four years, say they,will be forced to move back to India, move in withparents and start anew. Thankfully the children aresmall and they will adjust easily. But how will wetake the transition? Will we find jobs?”Indian businesses in Artesia or Little India, a milelong stretch of hyped boutiques, jewellery, and grocerystores, threading parlors, and restaurants are reelingunder the harsh reality of a desperate economy. Themerchants are hoping that the Obama government willmake sweeping changes and get their business on aneven keel. Otherwise they fear they will have to findalternative means of livelihood. Quite a few shopshave already downed shutters and weekends that sawa vibrant and steady stream of shoppers not only fromIndia but other nationalities are now listless placeswith shops offering huge discounts and other highend businesses luring customers with luxury watcheslike Piaget, Chopard and Cartierin order to entice their upscaleclients.Cutting down on expenses,plowing back profits and beingpositive should be the criteriasay some of the businessowners. “Customers only buyessentials, and do not go onshopping sprees like before,”says a fabric store owner whodoes not want to be named. Butas far as travel was concerned,air tickets to India sold out!Economy fallout or not, Indianssimply have to go back to India.Beauty salons are hurtingtoo. Hema, my threading ladysays business has fallen rapidly. People do not comefor threading regularly preferring to tweeze at home,and facials are considered too much of a luxury.Forget about massages,” she says wryly. I have seennotices in salons with special promotions,: Buy oneget one free facial, Hair cut free with hair coloringand coupons offered for future appointments.Only the bridal shops were busy as marriages keephappening even during a spiraling economy.The signs of tough times are everywhere.Restaurant tables around chic spots are empty,Gourmet magazine even offered a recipe calledThe Depression Special. At a time when the pricesof groceries makes you wince, many families aresaving money by not frequenting restaurants andinstead learning how to cook. Most working familieshave depended on Lean Cuisine packaged meals,or pizzas, or happy meals, but with tight budgetscooking up a meal at home and eating leftoversbecomes very appealing. Some folks are growingtheir own tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, beets, herbsand potatoes in their back garden. Inexpensiveingredients are purchased and people eat simply.Young couples like Kartik and Meena are movingin with their parents as the mortgages are too highor the rents today are not affordable. Three and fourcar families are carpooling and giving up their cars.People are even abandoning their pet cats and dogsas dog and cat food are pricey items. Shelters are fullof cats, dogs and even guinea pigs.During the winter holiday season, Los AngelesTimes ran a column of home made gifts. Instead ofsending a turkey to those you held dear, or expensivegift cards, and pashmina shawls, the author advisedgift senders to bake muffins or even breadsticks.Wrap them in parchmentpaper and tied with a bowshe urged. I bet lots of folksfollowed up on it. I hardlysaw any festive greetingcards in shops. Everyonewas emailing their wishesand there were plenty offree websites offering theirdesigns. My neighbors sentbottles of jam while anotherpicked up Thai chilies,submerged them in winevinegar, garlic and thymeand gifted it to her colleague.One thing we all learnedwas to be frugal, and cutback on parties; hey, evenour street, which usuallylit up like Disneyland hada muted display of lights.As the ethicist BruceWeinstein said, ”Its okay tobe a tightwad. You shouldn’tspend what you don’t have.”On New Years Day, wewent to the mountains for alittle peace, and quiet. Theone lane steep mountain roadwas like a frenzied mall.Everywhere, families werepiled into pickups, trucks, cars, bikes, and vans. I guessno one wanted to spend money on New Year partiesand preferred to spend an afternoon in the quiet naturesurroundings. We turned back not wanting to driveamidst traffic and drove into a side road embracedby forests, ravines and a stunning landscape. Thisis where Pamela Anderson lives, I was told by mycousin Dominic as he pointed out a lonely house on amountain. Further down were dozens of magnificenthomes, brand new, empty and unsold. It was like aghost community. Lonely, abandoned and lifeless, thestructures of homes stood like sentinels over a desertedlandscape, mirroring the despair and emptiness ofmillions hurting all over the country.Yes it’s a chorus of bad economic news. Mycousin Hemalatha Souri Parsons who lives inLondon and Californiaand is experiencing thefallout in both countries,says “pray”. We are doingthat more earnestly thanever. My husband and Ihave already lost a fewthousand dollars fromthe 401 K debacle andpray that the remainderof our savings will notdisappear. More peopleare going to churches,temples and mosques. Allthe recession horrors willforce us to spend moretime with our families,make us step back anddespise our consumeristculture, encourage usto recycle, make us livewithin our means andnot be greedy capitalists.A University Professorof English pointed outthat in the 1930’s JamesAgee, Nathaniel West,and Henry Roth producedgreat literature. ”The GreatDepression was one of thegreat creative periods ofour time,”he said. Try telling this to the hundredsof journalists who lost their jobs at Los AngelesTimes and Chicago Tribune. It is a trying time andwe have to rise to meet the challenge and learn notto live and die by Wall Street fortunes. Keep thefaith I urge everyone, we shall overcome.Prem Souri Kishore is a freelancewriter based in Los Angeles66The International IndianThe International Indian 67