Winds of Change

Soon after our marriage Ramu mooted the idea of going abroad to work in either the USA or England or any other place. He said he was tired of slogging away at government jobs and badly needed a change. So we wrote to various organisations around the globe including some universities and research institutes, but to no avail. It was when my cousin, Chandru, wrote to Dr. Robert Ferber, who headed the Survey Research Laboratory [SRL] at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, [his family had been Chandru's host family when he was studying there] that we got a positive reply.

SRL, wrote Dr. Ferber, could offer me a position and he was sure Ramu could get one after coming over. The next part of the letter was to us most hilarious while reassuring. He said that all research assistants [R.A.s] had to take at least one course each semester, and suggested that I take a ¾ time assistantship and take one course the first semester as I might be the only earning member at first, but that I could move down to a 2/3 time one from the second and more courses since by that time Ramu would certainly get some assignment. How we laughed at these fractions! In India, we had never heard of 2/3 time and ¾ time - even the idea of part-time jobs were then unknown!

Ferber had also meticulously worked out a budget based upon ¾ time pay for an R.A. at that time.It came to about 350 $ p.m. After the basic household expenses and possible health costs, he had left us about 10$ for recreation and entertainment! When we landed in Urbana, we found his estimates pretty accurate as befitted a premier economist. His predictions were vindicated more than fully, as our vegetarianism helped us manage even lower food costs than expected.

We made our preparations to leave in time for the 1968 fall semester. Ramu took a two year leave of absence without pay. The major problem was hard currency. In those days, the RBI allowed us only $ 250, upon a deposit of the equivalent rupees in certain specified banks. The deposit was reclaimable only after the $250 was sent back to India by wire transfer! Another Rs. 200 worth or about 8 $ per person in foreign exchange was obtainable at the airport after checking in! We managed to get another 50$ through a friend. So, altogether we had $ 316 only to tide us over for the first month after travel costs - and this was about the same amount as Ferber had predicted as our monthly need. Yet, never having been abroad before [if one does not count my Ceylon trip], we were eager to see a bit of Europe en route. Who knew if we would have another chance! Luckily, Diana, our new sister-in-law, worked in a travel agency and she was able to swing three stopovers at airlines' expense in Rome, Geneva and Paris, while in London, we were to stay at the Indian YMCA at a nominal cost.