The United States of America, Land of
Technology . Or , in other words, the land where we don’t sweat. In the eyes of
a non-citizen, the country entices the newbie with all the cushioning that one
needs , to live a life of super comfort and convenience . Nearly everything is
automated , such that the humans’ hands are restricted to just tapping the
switches on-off. As much tantalizing this posh lifestyle is , of all the things
an Asian would notice and be alarmed is that, they don’t sweat any more. The
concept of ceiling fans, table fans, which are such a common sight in homes all
around, is actually an “optional” commodity here. All places, from restaurants
, from homes to offices one gets enveloped in a carefully maintained air
conditioning , such that the sweat pores in the body would have retired to
eternal hibernation . Nearly all essential human activities are supplemented by
technology enabled set ups . One would conclude that , people here must have a
really really important task to do,
to use up all the time they save from being assisted by these devices. From
brushing teeth using battery operated toothbrushes ,to easy-to-use dish washers
and hand dryers and tissue dispensers, it is funny that the rate at which human
civilization is improving here is that we don’t need to even operate switches
and simply just wave a hand here like magicians do. Everything is so organized
and set in order . Everyone seems to conduct themselves in a common agreed set
of disciplinary standard that everyone respects. The etiquette at the
restrooms and elevators, even at the waffle machines are impressive , so much
so ,”excuse me , I am sorry” is almost an ice breaker - conversation initiator
here. People behind the wheels , are largely aware of how jumping a red light
or the stop sign can drown them financially through fines . It is not a joke,
to see a mother and son drive their own cars here , one behind the other, and
still have a solid gap between them on the road, even though they can easily
exchange burgers through the window. One might conclude, that each person puts
an invisible pressure on each other here, to behave in a certain manner, and
the pressure to “not be the one who didn’t follow rules” is apparently yet
invisibly on a large majority here. In a way, that is impressive. From buses
and trains carrying cycles , to escalators carrying a trolley full of goods
down the rope in IKEA, from the single button fancy drinking water fountains and
hand sanitizers stationed at random places , from a smorgasbord of impressive
food outlets with delicious processed foods to fitness enthusiasts jogging in
sweat pants in the side walks, from the
lack of hand faucets in lavatories to bathtubs sitting beside each other , from
the palpable tense in everyone’s minds if the person behind is going to blow up
the whole place to ultra strict law enforcements , the place will never fail to
seduce with all it’s ironical contradictions , the new unsuspecting soul who got propelled in a flight over the oceans
to land in this beautiful federation of a totally different set of homo sapiens
to be in a set of trance, thanks to the tentacles of human driven magic
machinery that drives this whole place . Life in the US , is indeed an
invisible marriage, blessed by a wave of hand that gave them the benison – “ I
now pronounce you Man And Machine” …..
