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 2000 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 of 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 credit cards as
  lot of promotions and every credit card company
  wants to give me credit card. So why not take it.

 April Did lot of shopping with credit cards, the
  day of my returning to home has come, I went to
  airport and called Car Finance Co (DCU) to repossess
   their car which is parked in airport as I cannot
   pay loan any more. I put the phone down before they
  were about to tell something. Sat down in the flight
  and what a relief.

May Back in Hyderabad, Sent resume with US in
  Bold letters and went job hunting. Couple of
  companies who advertised for jobs has clearly written
in Bold letters "Applicants with US Experience will NOT
be considered for this position"

June No job. Getting frustrated. Today morning I
  woke up and my mind is very fresh. I have decided to do
  what my father asked to do 6 Years back i.e to take
  care of them and take care of the family business
  in my village !!