Voices of America

A maiden trip to any country is not without its curiosities and anticipation; my US trip wasn’t either.

Couple of weeks before my journey, an interesting slice of history caught my attention about United States link with India. In the heat of World War II, when India’s own struggle for Independence was reaching its inflection point, Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR) had attempted more than once to persuade Churchill to commit to self-government of colonies post-war, and with reference to India in particular.

For some more context from history, FDR and Churchill had issued a joint declaration called the Atlantic Charter in August 1941, which was a statement of “common principles” towards the war aims. FDR’s nudge to Churchill for India’s freedom was under the agreed principles – peoples right to self-determination. The Atlantic Charter was one of the foundation stone to modern United Nations.

As my flight touched down on JFK, the excitement did have some historic fervour. The cloudy skies on Manhattan that Sunday evening packed a gentle chill in the air. 

The rain-washed United Nations building next morning looked sharp and purposeful. It stands as an affirmation that we have to live with our identities, ethnicities, cultures and differences, bound with a common resolve for peace, deterrence and respect for human life. 

Over the next 10 days and across 5 cities, it was a panorama of images, sounds and impressions.

Uber – as employment exchange and the stories

Hopping between my business meetings and airports, Uber drivers not only ferried me but served great conversations that ranged from life to career, politics and religion.

First, Uber has effect as source of supplementary income, only income, to serving the need for occupation.

I had a Black lady who worked as an auditor, but enjoyed taking breaks as Uber driver meeting people and of course making some money. As she drove between long distances in Washington, across the Capitol Hill, Washington Monument and the several museums and US Govt. Departments, the conversation steered to the inequality that exists between Black and White America, on Obama’s immutable legacy and how she doesn’t enjoy watching news any more, thanks to Trump’s tweets that America wakes up to and debates full day.

The driver in Phoenix was sombre being laid off from a bank where he worked over 15 years, and had until recently led a large team that worked in helping the bank save itself from mortgage related delinquencies. The department is doing well and did not need a large or, senior staff, so he was asked to leave. As I looked at the evening sun out of my window, our conversation was punctuated with occasional silence. The newspaper in my bag still had an article on US unemployment at multi-decade low.

I was curious to ask the elderly driver dropping me to Phoenix airport, what got him behind the wheels. “My daughter signed me up 2 years ago. She said, “Dad, you gotta do something.” So, here I am.”

“Gotta do something!”

He repeated with nonchalance.

One of the drivers in San Francisco (SFO) hailed from Jerusalem and missed home.

“I am unable to afford San Francisco, but cannot go home. My wife is also working and we are trying to give our kids a better life.”  

Another a student of Design in a SFO university from the East Coast, supplemented his savings driving Uber. 

“Design is everywhere; from the User Interface (UI) of phones to buildings and ports.” He was listening to a popular program on radio where the host invites celebrities and gets them to share about their personal journey to success. We talked little after the initial exchange; I soaked up the highway dotted with trees and the summer dried grass on hills from Santa Clara to Cupertino, while my driver remained loyal to his quest on radio.

Intriguingly, my driver back to the hotel from my meeting was a Chinese student who pursued Design! She drove fast and seemed more troubled with the idea of having her course getting over in 1 year, than finding out what next.

My last ride to LA airport before the trip back home, left me puzzled and amazed. The driver shared about his Mexican origin and being a commercial pilot for over a decade, when he got drawn into Opera singing. He gave up his career as pilot, and took to Opera singing in his late forties. He had set up a small studio, practiced the traditional singing method and was searching for a master to improve his singing skills. He idolised Luciano Pavarotti, gave me a sample of his singing and talked about the profound effect of Indian spirituality on his singing!

"I am trying to achieve a state where my body, my voice becomes only a transmission of music from the soul.”  

He had read Swami Yogananda, had his photo in the car and was eager to visit India, being aware of some of the holy places. 

Almost all these people had questions about India, but I ended up being the more curious. 

There is much more to life than what runs in our heads, aspirations and To-do lists.

Heads I win, tails it must be rigged

As an outsider consuming on news articles and commentaries on Trump, I needed some on-ground attestation; luckily, one doesn’t have to try too hard.

From what I had captured in my article “ReadingTrump” (January, 2017) not much has changed. However, new disruptions continue to be part of Trump’s menu.

While still there, the news of Trump disinviting Philadelphia Eagles for a White House event marking their victory in 2018 Super Bowl created enough criticism. The G7 Summit debacle at Quebec, Canada and Trump’s undiplomatic handling of key allies followed. The media and political experts had not satiated themselves enough, when the high profile meeting with Kim Jong Un and Trump washed away the stains of G7 disappointment.

The tweets keep the country on tenterhooks.

A discussion with a fellow traveller on the 5 hour flight from Washington, left an interesting twist to the controversy around alleged Russian interference in 2016 US Elections. He said, what if it turned out true that Russia had interfered: those who had claimed interference were Democrats/Hillary supporters or, undecided voters who exercised last minute preference get vindicated. If they and the larger US citizens come to question the sanctity around the election process of world’s most powerful and influential democracy, their faith in the institution may get eroded, which is advantage Russia. It is better to let Trump have his term.

The liberal America that espouses multicultural values is grappling with immigration and H-1B visa confining hiring decisions. The conservatives valuing free market, less government are perplexed with new tariff wars, while cheering the lower corporate tax rate and incentives for fund repatriation available to US corporations carrying liquidity in overseas subsidiaries.

The Trump position on anything that derides his actions as fake news, has created new challenges in fair and transparent reporting. His strategy on foreign trade policy that any country gaining from foreign trade with America is undermining American jobs and industry, plays well to his support base while creating new risks on global trade. There is Trump paranoia, and that’s his interesting creation.

A handshake to remember

On the Sunday prior to my trip back home, I left my hotel room for a walk down the Powell Street, SFO. As I waited for the traffic signal to indicate Walk, an elderly couple stood beside me and smiled.

“Are you from India?” the elderly gentleman wearing a Beret cap asked.

“Yes, I am”

The light turned to Walk, and he held my hand as I walked them down to other side.

“India is large fascinating country.” He continued, while his wife with her wrinkles gave adequate frown.

“Sir, are you from San Francisco?” I asked.

“No, we are French but we have lived here for last thirty years.” His wife interjected, to be part of our conversation.

His hands were shaking, but his eyes were all lit up to our roadside conversation. His wife requested me to hold his hand, while she can pick some grocery from a store across the road.

“I would have loved to visit India. Your Prime Minister Modi is doing a good job. Your country is big and very diverse. Look at us here, we are getting killed every day with guns in the hands of our own men.”

I read the sadness from the spate of killings of young children and inconclusive gun control legislation.

His wife was back, and she quickly thanked for taking care of her husband. We knew we had to go our own respective ways; on the surface of time, we had our coordinates together for that few moments.

I shook their hands and took back this postcard of memory.