Things I Learned About Me (August 2011 - August 2013 )

- The years of absolute learning and silent absence from this blog

The two years I lived in the US as a wife, as a resident, as a learner, as an artist, as a silent watcher of who I am, and who I'd become. Those times were all about rapid learnings - quiet and silent as a feather falling from the sky. Too hard to catch and put into words, and too many to jot down as significant.

However, I am thinking, that I must write about some of them. Put them down here for posterity sake. Something, my father would be proud of - cause he believed and advocated the pen-ink formula and followed it. Here is a three part series - the first being myths I believe about myself to be true. Second, things I discovered about myself. And third, who I am as a spouse, partner, sweetheart and how's mine.

So, here is the first part of the series -  Sam Myths (Some Myths) - Things I honestly believed about myself to be true

Myth: I am confident, and quite sure that I know North America from all the north american advertisers and customers I've worked with in my 4 years of career.

Truth: Honestly, it took me a long time to get out and accept that I did not. Only when I accepted it, did I open up to the culture, the market and the people. I had to over come this to really accept that a 9-9 job is not enough to know a country, or culture.

What Worked For Me: While visiting a country, do take your experiences along, the stories you have heard along, borrowed/hallowed experiences of others along, but I must take it only until my bags reach the country - be ready to revisit them, recycle them and really be open to things - and be ready to revisit your judgements and insecurities - to truly enjoy the experience.



Myth: That I am going to fit in from day One!
Honestly, I've grown up watching American sitcoms, listening and crooning top songs with my favorite American pop stars, Watching American love stories unfold in front of my old TV, following American Academy awards and movie stars, speaking American English, working with an American company, and American colleagues - how hard can it be?

Truth: How hard can it be to fit in? Very Hard. very hard because I went with the approach that I had already seen it all, and done it all. Too bad for me - I was in for a shocker! America is all that on the glossy TV/Movie/Starry shows. But America is a lot more. Infact, this is a reminder to me to never forget that any country/place I visit has a lot more than what is captured or shown.

What Worked For Me:Well, some very hard reality and conversations with people who really saw through my pretense (and I am grateful for that). I felt a dire need from within to be authentic and have authentic relationship and make honest conversations with people. Nothing like what I'd seen in F.R.I.E.N.D.S, HIMYM, GA, Prison Break or whatever other sitcom I'd been following or whatever other book/authors I'd been reading. A lot of good chiding and humor, humility, good faith and a need to be accepted as 'myself'.