As a young carefree girl, I was convinced that life passes by with joy and laughter filling our days. However, adult life is different, bringing in seriousness and sobriety as we face change and challenges, which help us improve as individuals and emerge stronger.
I stepped beyond Indian shores for the first time in 1993, and leaving my comfort zone, I struggled to settle down and make a happy life for myself and my family in a country that had just come out of socialism. This was in the erstwhile Czechoslovakia, and we set foot on the newly formed capital, Bratislava, of the new country, the Slovak Republic. Not knowing a soul there, nor a word of their language, the first year was tough. But survive we did, and that is when I realized, that if we all share our experiences and the knowledge we gain about a place, it gets so much easier for others. Eventually, human society must benefit and we can all do better by getting valuable lessons from others.
Singapore, Kolkata and Bangkok, my next destinations, were much easier, but here too, there was so much that I learnt and loved to pass on. When a new comer is welcomed by someone living there, it brings unmatched comfort, and the outstretched helping hand provides security, that there is someone to turn to, if there is ever a need.
It thus became my motto to reach out to every newcomer I met, to welcome them into my home and share with them, all that I knew, be it schools, shopping, sightseeing or even a patient ear to listen to their problems. This was something that I missed out on, since there weren’t too many to give me that comfort.
Yangon is my 7th home in 27 years of married life, and perhaps a tougher place in many ways. My first year of struggles is a thing past, but there is a fervent desire to spare every other entrant into this country, whatever problems I faced, by sharing with them and helping them learn…or if nothing else, give them information that may prove helpful.
This is what has made me start this blog, in which I am sharing my experiences, writing about my beliefs and perspectives, all of which are giving me an opportunity to write. As a freelance writer, I have contributed to magazines in India, Slovakia, Singapore and Thailand, and written articles for websites. My love for the English language, and poor attempts at poetry, offer solace and help vent my innermost feelings….and help me do what I enjoy most…put down words…with a vain hope that they are not wasted, but read.