From techie to truck driver in Silicon Valley. From tea broker to techie in Bangalore. The wave of jobs heading offshore causes wrenching loss -- and produces enticing gains.

Some people give up on tech, but other fired techies are steeled by adversity.

In Bangalore the job-gainers are proud of their upward climb and eager to keep on advancing, echoing sentiments of the American Dream.

At VMoksha in Bangalore, Sohraib Italia, 41, has made a steep climb up the economic ladder. His father was the chief financial officer of a jute products manufacturer. He now earns five times as much as his father did a generation ago.

Michael Huston, 59, thought his job at Hewlett-Packard in Cupertino was safe. ... Home Depot told him he was overqualified.

Ravi Trivedi, 29, works full time for HP in Bangalore. Though both of his parents are professors at famous universities, Trivedi earns more than their paychecks combined.