January 2000
Love my new job in Silicon Valley. My salary is 30% higher!
I have stock options! The temperature outside is 65F in
winter! California is the best place on earth!!! I love
America !! Sure glad I moved out here. America is Paradise.
February
Still looking for an apartment. Freeways everywhere to
take you places. Love California!
March
Found a 1-bedroom apartment for $1900/mo. California is
a bit more expensive than I thought. Life is good in US.
April
Gas hit $2.29/gal. Somebody stole the gas from my car.
That sucks...
May
A small earthquake! And this is what everyone was so worried
about ? Almost didn't feel it.
June
A wild forest fire and a mud slide near LA. Who cares,
that is far away from me!
July
A big earthquake... Spent 4 hours in my bathtub. Boy,
that was scary. Glad we didn't have no stinking earthquakes
where I grew up.
August
Drought! They turn on the water once a day. This sucks
big time ! Somebody stole the water from my car's radiator.
Why did I come to California?
September
Decided to buy a house. Found a 2-bedroom fixer-upper
for $800K. Borrowed against my stock options for down
payment. Freeway traffic is worse. Today it took nearly
two hours to get to and from work...each way.
October
My startup fired 90% of the work force, including me.
The stock lost 98% of its value. My options are underwater.
November
Had to sell my house. Couldn't make the payments. Found
a studio apartment for $2300/mo. The traffic is unbearable.
December
Problems with electricity. They turn the electricity off
several times a day. It's called "rolling blackouts."
Somebody stole my car battery...what do I do now?
January 2001
I'm typing this, stuck in an elevator, in complete darkness.
The battery in my laptop is dying. Silicon Valley is no
more. Angry hordes of former dot-commers are looting in
the dark. It was fun while it lasted.
February
Trying hard to get H1B Sponsorer. No body is ready to
sponsor me. Everybody says they will sponsor me once if
I get project. Interviews are happening but no result,
or no budget or Project is on hold.
March
No money to pay rent, car loan and cell phone bills, managed
to pay bills with creditcards. Took some cash advance
from creditcard companies and bought ticket to India.
Taking new creditcards as lot of promotions and every
creditcard company wants to give me creditcard. So why
not take it.
April
Did lot of shopping with creditcards, the day of my returning
home came, I went to airport and called car finance company
to repossess their car parked at the airport as I could
not repay any more. I put the phone down before they could
tell me anything. Sat down in the aircraft and what a
relief.
May
Back in Hyderabad. Sent resume with US in BOLD letters
and went job hunting. Couple of companies who had advertised
for jobs wrote in BOLD "Applicants with US Experience
will NOT be considered for this position."
June
No job. Getting frustrated. This morning I woke up with
a very fresh and clear mind. I have decided to do what
my father asked to do six years back...take care of them
and take care of the buffaloes in our village!
