Just One Thing with Sudha Balagopal

Sudha Balagopal’s February issue flash “Things I Can’t Tell Amma” is a blast from the past—1981, to be exact. Here’s just one thing from Sudha about what inspired her to write it:

“When I arrived in this country, international phone calls were expensive. I did write letters, but they took ten days to get home and another ten days for me to receive a response.

The phone companies had a tiered rate policy, which meant phone calls cost less (relatively speaking) at certain times. Some companies charged less during weekends and after 11 p.m. at night. As a grad student, I'd wait for the weekends to call home, rationing my limited resources for phone calls.

And this is where my story sprang from, the yearning to hear my loved ones' voices.

Today, communication is instant, you can email, text, call or video-chat any time. What a contrast a few decades can bring about.”