As the 'Noughties' come to an end in a few days, giving way to the 'twenty-tens', there has been a deluge of 'best of/worst of the decade' articles in the mainstream media. Looking over one such list today, it stuck me that the Noughties decade does indeed mark a couple of significant milestones in my life.
The first one is, it is literally the first decade of "Prakash Murthy"!
I got my name legally changed to Prakash Muthy at the end of 1999, after being N. Prakash in school records, and Namagundlu Prakash in my first passport. If possible, I would prefer to go just by my first name, like some of the rockstars :-) The original name in the passport started to become an embarrassment during my first visit to US in 1998, and very soon it became one other thing I hated about myself. During a 3-4 month break from career during 1999, took time to get my name legally changed in India. It was a simple procedure though - had to file an affidavit in the court, and then put out advertisements in a couple of newspapers announcing the name change.
Some anthropological study would probably have a better explanation about why significant portion of the population in Karnataka state - specifically those in the southern part of the state - have the habit of naming their kids with initials, and with no proper last name. Nevertheless, that is something that has annoyed and embarrassed me no end. And these days I do make some efforts to ensure that a new-born among my relatives back home does get named properly before their birth certificate is made.
The second major mile-stone the 2000s decade commemorates is my shifting from India to United States - from living with my parents for the most part, to leaving the nest and making it on my own in the wide world! After about 6-8 months of working towards shifting my career base from India to US, I finally arrived in New York in the early part of June 2000. And have been here ever since. While there have been moments when I have come very close to calling it quits and heading back to India, overall I have done well here in the United States and am well on my way to build something remarkable with my being in New York.
Looking back at the decade reflectively, I am proud of the things I have accomplished, the goals I aimed at, what I didn't accomplished, the risks I took, the risks I did not take, the experiences I let myself into, and where I have ended up. There were heartbreaks. There were triumphs. There were periods of desolation and drifting. There were periods of furious energy and enthusiasm.
Overall, it has been a memorable and satisfying decade. The 2000s decade would be a decade when "I grew up"!
Looking forward to the next decade and the rest of 21st Century with quiet confidence, hope, and excitement.
The first one is, it is literally the first decade of "Prakash Murthy"!
I got my name legally changed to Prakash Muthy at the end of 1999, after being N. Prakash in school records, and Namagundlu Prakash in my first passport. If possible, I would prefer to go just by my first name, like some of the rockstars :-) The original name in the passport started to become an embarrassment during my first visit to US in 1998, and very soon it became one other thing I hated about myself. During a 3-4 month break from career during 1999, took time to get my name legally changed in India. It was a simple procedure though - had to file an affidavit in the court, and then put out advertisements in a couple of newspapers announcing the name change.
Some anthropological study would probably have a better explanation about why significant portion of the population in Karnataka state - specifically those in the southern part of the state - have the habit of naming their kids with initials, and with no proper last name. Nevertheless, that is something that has annoyed and embarrassed me no end. And these days I do make some efforts to ensure that a new-born among my relatives back home does get named properly before their birth certificate is made.
The second major mile-stone the 2000s decade commemorates is my shifting from India to United States - from living with my parents for the most part, to leaving the nest and making it on my own in the wide world! After about 6-8 months of working towards shifting my career base from India to US, I finally arrived in New York in the early part of June 2000. And have been here ever since. While there have been moments when I have come very close to calling it quits and heading back to India, overall I have done well here in the United States and am well on my way to build something remarkable with my being in New York.
Looking back at the decade reflectively, I am proud of the things I have accomplished, the goals I aimed at, what I didn't accomplished, the risks I took, the risks I did not take, the experiences I let myself into, and where I have ended up. There were heartbreaks. There were triumphs. There were periods of desolation and drifting. There were periods of furious energy and enthusiasm.
Overall, it has been a memorable and satisfying decade. The 2000s decade would be a decade when "I grew up"!
Looking forward to the next decade and the rest of 21st Century with quiet confidence, hope, and excitement.
1 comment:
Interesting to know about your name change. I too have no last name and did not take the effort to legally change my name.
Congratulations on completing a decade in U S of A.
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