The normal sequence of events when Important Things Happen is that my friends and I would react to whatever it was and then share views on it afterwards. Yet there are areas that do not directly impact upon us and so we just never discuss it. Examples are Darfur, fires in CA, how the euro changes in value to the dollar, and polar bears (outside the new movie "The Golden Compass"). But over the years, I've realized there are things that interest me for which my friends have no interest because there is no obvious impact upon them. This country that lies on the other side of the world from me causes this interest that I have. Whether it's cricket games, news on movie stars, events surround famous places I've been, or big changes in the government, I feel some draw towards it that the people I meet and talk to in the US never will, with the exception of other people like me.
I don't see it as a negative, it's just how it is. As I sit here listening to Musharraf's Hindi/Urdu voice coming out of my speakers, barely able to understand half of it when concentrating on it yet listening carefully, I realize it's just another difference between myself and people (and this country) with whom I share my life. If we all shared the same experiences we might grow closer, but it could also lead towards Sameness. So instead it's up to me to inform my American friends of things that happen to be important to me that they might not have given a second thought to. Maybe it's the differences that make our relationships richer.
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