Travelling Abroad to Study? Here Are Some Tips
A mother’s packing skills - short-term duress and long-term remedy for homesickness!
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Traveling abroad to study or work is never easy. Moving to a new culture, climate and currency take a toll on the sturdiest of individuals. It is at these times that the magical packing skills of moms everywhere become invaluable.
Yes, that ability to use every cubic inch of space in a suitcase without causing it to spontaneously explode is every mother’s forte.
Why Indian Mothers Believe Masala Packets Are a Show of Love
Recent records indicate that there are approximately 100,000 Indian students in higher education programmes in the US (and growing at a swift pace too). I was on my way to join that multitude. Which is why, of course, mommy dearest had started planning the contents of my suitcase at least two months ahead of departure. The chief worry for her and the rest of the establishment was, what food I would eat there.
“You can’t have their junk food everyday! You have to cook!” I was thus forced to pack many, many packets of all-purpose masalas despite my protests that I would hardly have the time to cook for myself and that most of this stuff was available quite freely in Indian stores. This was summarily dismissed with,“But all of this is cheaper in India! Save dollars!”
After the masala fortifications, family packs of maggi (before they were declared illegal) and Bikaneri sev were also forced on me.
“You can’t cook the moment you land! What if you get hungry?” Tins of rasgulle, jars of motichur laddoos and barfis were also suggested. I pulled the weight card and wriggled out of these (I am quite hefty, you see).
The Shabbier You Are, the Smarter You Must Be
Once food was addressed, clothing requirements were visited. The drip feed of Bollywood songs set in Switzerland have somehow caused our previous generation to think that any flight headed westwards is bound to land in a frozen tundra, where five layers of winterwear are a must. I tried to tell them that my city was located a fair distance south in the States where I’d require less than two jackets a winter, but of course my protests went unheeded.
Winterwear aside, most parents fail to realise that college students (especially in the sciences) survive primarily on free t-shirts and intramural handouts. In fact, if my years of living abroad has taught me anything it’s that people on campuses greatly appreciate slovenliness of appearance; the shabbier you are, the smarter you must be. Case in point? One of my professors comes to teach on a skateboard wearing mismatched socks and a cowboy hat that he thinks brings him good luck. He is also a genius!
Pudin Hara and Volini Could Be Godsends in the US!
The most important thing one can carry from India on his or her way to the US is medicine. It is a major flaw in the American healthcare system that most medicines there (even off-the-counter types) are impossibly expensive. I had to buy an anti-histamine once due to an outbreak of hives and had to shell out $40 after insurance; a similar drug would cost Rs. 50 in India.
I had brought the usual motley lot of medicines on my first trip here (Pudin Hara, Volini, etc.) but decided wisely to take back more the next time around. Clothes and food don’t cost as much in the US, but healthcare is a significant burden on the average international student.
I have learnt over time to cherish the thought and attention given to me by my loved ones. Nothing surpasses the feeling of being unconditionally loved when you are continents away. Mommy dearest has already started planning for my next trip back to the US, spices, socks and all. Extra baggage be damned!
(The writer is a doctoral student and teaching assistant in the American MidWest. When he isn’t running away from his students, he’s running from tornadoes.)
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