[Penny Lane]

Posted: 2009-04-08 23:34:09+05:30 IST
Washington: In an effort to retain the best foreign talent in the
country, a bill has been introduced in the US Congress, which if
passed, would give direct “permanent residency” to overseas PhD
students, including from India.

As such these foreign students would be exempted from applying for
H-1B visas or other work visas to stay and work in the United States.
However, not all PhD would be eligible for the popular “Green Card”.

As per the bill introduced by Jeff Flake, Republican Congressman from
Arizona, only those foreign nationals having completed PhDs in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) would be eligible to
directly apply. If passed, the Stopping Trained in America PhDs from
Leaving the Economy (STAPLE) Act (HR 1791), would end up benefiting
the Indians and Chinese the most, as students from these two countries
account for a majority of the PhD students in the United States.

The bill also say that such PhD holders be exempted from the numerical
quota of H-1B visas.



--

I think I had a stirring of emotion while seeing the news on the board of studyabroad on forum.

It gives me a recall about what happened 2 years ago, when I just finished the compulsory military service. I was browsing on the internet, searching for jobs, vacancies, and industrial news. Then a window flashed in.

"Congratulations! You are the 999,999th client who clicks on this link!!"
"Follow the instruction to complete the procedure, you have a chance to win a green card!!"



Okay, everyone knows what it is, and it is not the first time I saw the advertisement appears to get more clicks or hits on its page. But I did follow the link to do next steps, filled out every blank or any data needed, then I forgot it. The anxiety and panic about unemployment hustled me into the next room. Any response? I almost forsaked the use to yahoo's e-mail account...spams.


Frankly speaking, I don't think "luck" means a lot at any crucial moment in my life, not even than the useless aids. I don't like the lifestyle full of pursuit of capitalism, fortune and wealth, reputation, class. To overcome personal weakness to grow up is much more meaningful. But it just revealed the mood and attitude I had in the period. Regardless the lack of the identity (SSN), education, occupation, language skills, the only thing grabbed in my hands was hope and a piece of dreams, no matter how tiny it was.



Just like the male black widow, feels obliged to treat himself as a tribute, a sacrificial offering to his spouse.
















在留學版看到文章的時候，心忍不住抽痛了一下。



突然想起兩年多前，剛退伍時做過的一件事。


正在網路上投履歷，看國內外財金新聞找產業動態時，突然彈出一個視窗
"恭喜您！成為第999,999位造訪本網站的尊客！"
"請按此處申請綠卡"



對，明眼人都知道，基本上這很明顯是騙點閱數或基本資料的。但我真的用發抖的手點了進去，然後一項一項把資料填完。在那之後呢？有任何期望嗎？其實寫完就忘了，因為馬上陷入找工作等就業的焦慮中。這個微小的盼望，從來就只在心中。有回應嗎？基本上，yahoo信箱後來也因為垃圾信太多所以棄守了。



基本上我從不認為人在關鍵時刻靠的是好運氣，如果有，那就是恩典。這種光用手肘看也心知肚明的彈出型廣告...算了。我一向不太喜歡充滿著追求財富，博取美名，社會地位，爭取認同等目的性很強的人生，能夠看到自己重視的人的笑容，是我最快樂的時候。。但持續克服自己的弱點，倒是非常重要且必要的，而社會也往往會給這樣的人更多的機會。我相信恩典也是。


只是這個舉動恰巧說明了當時的心境。完全沒考慮身分，學歷，職業能力，語言，連社會安全號碼都沒有。就只是想要緊緊抓住手上每朵雲，每個美夢的片段，年輕的自己。




像是把自己送到配偶嘴邊的公蜘蛛，義無反顧。