Quality of life : It is the term used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies.
The term "Quality of life" is often confused with the "standards of living".
Why am I suddenly so concerned about quality of life???
Well for you to understand that let me give you some background information.
I am from India and I came here to for my graduate studies. I also want to give my professional credentials a boost so I want to work here for a year or two before I move back to India.
Most the people I meet here from India, would say that they want to go back to India but after a few years and according to the r2i forums the year a person returns back to India is (X+1) where X being the current year usually.
Well this blog entry here today is not about r2i, though I will write about it in near future.
So I have a whole lot of extended family members who have come to the US of A, anticipating that they would eventually move back but ended up settling down here. Everyone comes here for their Graduate studies then want to get some job experience, meanwhile they get married and its time to pop out babies. When they start planning their kids, their whole life flashes in front of their eyes. They forget everything, the happy childhood surrounded by family, playing in the galli (streets), waiting to watch English movies, trying to understand the American accent. All they remember is the planning to go to the US, cramming up words for GRE verbal, dreading the TOEFL speaking section, putting all financials together for Visa Interview and realizing how much their parents worked hard, vowing to earn money in the land of opportunity to make sure parents are comfortable, standing outside the consulate in a line waiting for your turn for visa, getting to the US, waiting in the immigration line at the port of entry and then they wonder if they should put their kids through everything they went through. Then at that point decide that they want their kids to have a US citizenship. During this period we go from F1 visa to OPT , OPT to OPT extension , then H1B, Green Card, US citizenship.
So like I said before I have lot of extended family members staying in the US for long time now.
Recently when I was talking to a relative who had returned from a three-week annual vacation from India, I asked him "How is Madras?". This question of mine was filled wit h nostalgia since I had not been home for more than a year and half and I miss home. The answer I get is, "The place is a dump. I don't know how people live there? It rained only a few inches but the roads were flooded, sewage mixed with rain water flowed on two the roads. But, people were not concerned they just walked through it. The government doesn't do anything even if it has money. Everyone is corrupt and no one cares. There is no Quality of Life."
His words got me thinking about what exactly is Quality of Life? Do standards of living define quality of life? According to Derek Gregory and his colleagues in "Quality of Life" Dictionary of Human Geography, " Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standards of living, which are primarily based on income. Instead, standard indicators of the quality of life include not only wealth and employment but also the built environment, physical and mental health, education, recreation and leisure time and social belonging. "
What one should understand is that there would never be a sense of social belonging if you travel half the way across the world and try to embrace the cultures of a country you barely understand.
I think no matter where you are the quality of life improves drastically if you have your loved ones close enough to share both you fortunes and misfortunes. By close enough I mean on any "crappy day" I should be able to call and say, "Hey I am coming over today or now. I need some TLC (Tender Loving Care)". Or on any exceptionally bright day, go over and have a party to celebrate love and life.
I don't know why this post is taking this long for me to write. I guess I will have to revisit the concept of "Quality of Life". I am missing the coherency of thought and it is spoiling the "Quality of the Post"
Signing off
M
The term "Quality of life" is often confused with the "standards of living".
Why am I suddenly so concerned about quality of life???
Well for you to understand that let me give you some background information.
I am from India and I came here to for my graduate studies. I also want to give my professional credentials a boost so I want to work here for a year or two before I move back to India.
Most the people I meet here from India, would say that they want to go back to India but after a few years and according to the r2i forums the year a person returns back to India is (X+1) where X being the current year usually.
Well this blog entry here today is not about r2i, though I will write about it in near future.
So I have a whole lot of extended family members who have come to the US of A, anticipating that they would eventually move back but ended up settling down here. Everyone comes here for their Graduate studies then want to get some job experience, meanwhile they get married and its time to pop out babies. When they start planning their kids, their whole life flashes in front of their eyes. They forget everything, the happy childhood surrounded by family, playing in the galli (streets), waiting to watch English movies, trying to understand the American accent. All they remember is the planning to go to the US, cramming up words for GRE verbal, dreading the TOEFL speaking section, putting all financials together for Visa Interview and realizing how much their parents worked hard, vowing to earn money in the land of opportunity to make sure parents are comfortable, standing outside the consulate in a line waiting for your turn for visa, getting to the US, waiting in the immigration line at the port of entry and then they wonder if they should put their kids through everything they went through. Then at that point decide that they want their kids to have a US citizenship. During this period we go from F1 visa to OPT , OPT to OPT extension , then H1B, Green Card, US citizenship.
So like I said before I have lot of extended family members staying in the US for long time now.
Recently when I was talking to a relative who had returned from a three-week annual vacation from India, I asked him "How is Madras?". This question of mine was filled wit h nostalgia since I had not been home for more than a year and half and I miss home. The answer I get is, "The place is a dump. I don't know how people live there? It rained only a few inches but the roads were flooded, sewage mixed with rain water flowed on two the roads. But, people were not concerned they just walked through it. The government doesn't do anything even if it has money. Everyone is corrupt and no one cares. There is no Quality of Life."
His words got me thinking about what exactly is Quality of Life? Do standards of living define quality of life? According to Derek Gregory and his colleagues in "Quality of Life" Dictionary of Human Geography, " Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standards of living, which are primarily based on income. Instead, standard indicators of the quality of life include not only wealth and employment but also the built environment, physical and mental health, education, recreation and leisure time and social belonging. "
What one should understand is that there would never be a sense of social belonging if you travel half the way across the world and try to embrace the cultures of a country you barely understand.
I think no matter where you are the quality of life improves drastically if you have your loved ones close enough to share both you fortunes and misfortunes. By close enough I mean on any "crappy day" I should be able to call and say, "Hey I am coming over today or now. I need some TLC (Tender Loving Care)". Or on any exceptionally bright day, go over and have a party to celebrate love and life.
I don't know why this post is taking this long for me to write. I guess I will have to revisit the concept of "Quality of Life". I am missing the coherency of thought and it is spoiling the "Quality of the Post"
Signing off
M
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