INTRODUCTION

In 1996 Ishu my son sent a book of memories for my birthday gift. I tried to fill it but was restrained by the space provided and decided that I should write my autobiography one day. After we retired in December 2002, I and my husband travelled extensively and enjoyed the sights and scenes on this beautiful planet. It was a learning experience to visit the different people and cultures. During these trips I maintained a journal for some of the trips. I thought it will be good to assemble our travel experiences in a book and include some pictures. One thing I realized during these travels is one need not be very rich to see the world, but with careful planning and budgeting everyone who has a passion to travel can see this beautiful world.

In 1970 both of us came from India to the United States in pursuit of higher studies. We migrated from an economically developing country to a technologically well developed country. Common between the two countries is that both countries are large democracies in the world. My experiences of migrating to a new country where I live today can make a good story to write my autobiography that also includes my childhood, education and family background and my thoughts and convictions. An autobiography not only provides a unique outlook that helps to establish a family identity and foundation that can influence the members of the family for ages to come, but also be a valuable experience for others to emulate as well as avoid the thorns of the rose bush while plucking the beautiful and fragrant blooms.

I realize when the memories of the past are reflected after some time it is bound to be viewed with the current experience. As I was seventy five years old this September 22, 2017 and we just celebrated our golden jubilee on December 11, 2017 I thought it is the proper time to publish these memoirs in early 2018. First question to my mind is if I publish this book who will be the readers? Since this is not a fiction or a mystery but my life experiences in a foreign country and our extensive travels I envision many people migrating to different countries to make a living and travel different corners of the globe will be a good audience. Another group of people I intend to focus are the commuters to have a light reading while traveling and understand how a middle class family can realize their dreams. I imagine with my doctorate in education and dual master's in biology, my educational background should be useful to any working mother around the globe in developing her endeavors not only in higher education, but also be able to emulate my experience to combine being a successful home-maker as well as a professional. Women who join the workforce at mid-career after a lapse of a decade or more feel they are at the "short-end-of-a-stick". This is precisely what I had to encounter when I decided to go back to work after a decade, in addition to being confronted with alien culture and different professional norms.

Initially I thought of calling this book "Reflections" since it is covering my life experiences. Then I thought the title "Around the Globe", or "From East to West". But when I saw a rose bush in front of my house full of blooms with green leaves mingled with invisible thorns I felt like comparing the gift of life that God has given to a rosebush. If we look at our life filled with challenges and blessings each day and compare to the thorns and blooms of a rose bush I felt it is right to call this biography "Rose Bush".

I was born in 1942 in the state of Andhra Pradesh, South India. I had completed my education and graduated with a B.Sc. (Honors), Master's degree, worked for five years as a lecturer in a local College. I met my husband and got married in 1967 and moved to North India. After marriage we lived in the state of Utter Pradesh for two years where he worked as Town Planner. The culture, climate and landscape of North India were in stark contrast to that of South India I grew up. We left the country along with our 17 month old baby for USA on December 31, 1969 with $75 spending cash for family of three approved by the Reserve bank of India. We were fully aware of this transcontinental journey to Western civilization and demands of adjustments to our living routine. We arrived in New York on January 3, 1970 and lived in Pittsburgh, PA, from 1970 to 1988 where we had our son born on February 4, 1970. We worked hard in Pittsburgh and our efforts were paid off. That became the launch pad for our later years of life in the southern belt. We both graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, both our children graduated from high school after which we both moved down to south and settled in Jackson, Mississippi. Both of us enjoyed our work here and retired in December 2002 and continue to live here. We had lot of friends and visitors from work and community and continue to enjoy their association. Primarily this autobiography is the life story of a transplanted family with lessons learned as part of the experiences, emphasizing my life's journey through changes in time and society with influence of two cultures in different settings.

CULTURE SHOCK

2.1 SOUTH TO NORTH

We left Vijayawada and the train reached Jhansi station at 2 AM after one and half days. Our first stop in north India was Jhansi city where Mrs. Jain's parents lived. Mr. Jain senior came to receive us at the station. We spent a whole day at Jhansi with Mr. & Mrs. Jain. We visited his brother's shop during the day and left by afternoon. We reached Kanpur station after midnight. KR's two good friends Dr N.K. Jain and Mr. Girish Mathur came to the station to receive us. In the middle of the night we went to Dr Jain's house to meet Mrs. Jain and we reached the apartment in the cantonment area where KR lived. It was so cold and there was a cook that made terrible food. The kitchen was away from the main house and we had to eat whatever the cook brought us. I started adjusting to the new life in North India. Everything was different from what I was used to. It was very cold, people speak a different language, accustomed to a different cuisine altogether. My first impression of North India - there was a clear gap between poor and rich and an absolute absence of middle class population, unlike in South India. After three weeks of our stay in the Cantonment area KR was given a newly built quarters in the Motizheel area in the city. This area was more lively and had contact with the outside world. We lived in an upstairs apartment and observed that everyone in Kanpur lived outside during the day in warm sun and moved into the house by night. Normally the houses are not heated and people used a small heater to warm up the room. There were four apartments in each building with parking garages in the back. Everyone had small children going to schools. KR was busy with office and...