When my husband and I announced our
Australia move in the family it wasn't exactly a happy affair.
Nobody rose up to congratulate us, neither
did we hear any claps or cheers. No triumphant air punches either --
expressions that totally belied how we felt inside our hearts.
The bone of contention was that Prashant
was having to resign from the cosy comfort of a well-paying Mumbai job and find
ways to eke out a l
The good thing was that at least one of us
had a job so that could take care of us even if Prashant took a little longer
than expected to get on a company's rolls.
Indeed, that was a big risk, given
Australia has a relatively smaller jobs market for journalists, the country is
staring at a fading mining boom, one that powered its economy for more than a
decade and amid some concerns about racism.
But chance we had to take. You don't really
take life risks when you turn 50, do you? And so, in the middle of March, amid
tears of farewell, we bade our goodbyes to close families and friends and
landed on foreign shores, jet lagged.
My initial impression was of a country with
very warm and friendly people, an easy place to settle down.
My company had taken care of all
relocation-related stuff, including our flight bookings, visas for us both,
shipping our furniture and a temporary accomodation for a month during which
time we had to search our own rented place.
As a result, the first month was easy - we
were living in the heart of Sydney, about 10 mins walk from my office and
across the world famous Sydney harbour.
For Prashant, it was a much-needed break
from the busy Mumbai life and corporate work pressures. For me, it was a relief
from the endless hours of travel on Mumbai's local train.
Sydney is beautiful in March. Temperatures
skirt around 18 degrees, it's mostly sunny and the air almost always has a waft
of strong coffee aroma, thanks to the hundres of cafes lining the city's
busiest streets.
Although we were a bit taken aback by the
high cost of living (remember, I was still spending my Indian rupees then) we
had become regulars at the cafes that served freshly baked, delicious cakes
with a regular coffee of choice for A$5.
In the months that followed, I would learn
to bake so we had a running stock of apple cinnamon cakes and fresh banana
breads at all times at home. Cooking didn't seem the boring chore anymore and
thanks to youtube and Tarla Dalal I would gradually become what my dad calls a
"paak-shastri" or a culinary expert.
Of course, the quality of food -- which is
unparralled -- helps. We would find out later that a lot of the vegetables and
dairy we buy everyday is sold as "premium" products in other Asian
markets, including China.
Not to forget, the beaches are
breathtakingly beautiful. We did a 6-km walk from the famous Bondi beach to a
lesser known Coogee beach and didn't even feel tired at the end of it! (That we
woke up with muscle aches the next morning is another story.)
Surfing and just plain swimming in the
clean blue Aussie waters are probably the most enjoyed sport here, after of
course Rugby and "footie".
On the flip side, work life is more busy
than I had ever imagined and I am working harder than I ever did in Mumbai. I
have to wake up early and given that I prefer my late-riser status, that's the
biggest adjustment I have made!
Prashant did not face much difficulty in
finding a job, although he wasn't exactly scouting out for one in the initial 2
months. A couple freelance assignments came his way, although they were few and
far between, but eventually he was in a situation where he had to choose
between at least two offers.
That was quite a luxury given that the job
market is not quite rosy -- Australia's unemployment came in unexpectedly weak
in July and the jobless rate jumped to its highest in almost 12 years.
So, while after about four months of not
having a full-time work we were at our wits end, ultimately being in a
problem-of-plenty situation was indeed desirable.
We are now waiting for the summers so we
can spend more time on the beaches. We've already hosted our first guests and
probably did a not-too-bad job of it. Our second test is just a few weeks away
and we are looking forward to it.
Staying abroad also makes you more
patriotic, you start loving things about your country that you hated earlier, you
share the great things about India with foreigners -- the yummy food, the
cottons and the art.
I have already shared a few Indian food
recipes with corporate executives in Sydney who loved the cuisine and wanted to
try out at home. Another executive I met at a media dinner recently was
interested in Indian classical dance and music events in Sydney.
Foreigners don't stop short of
complimenting my colorful bags and shoes, all of which are totally made in
India. It's a great feeling to be an ambassador to your country and humbling to
see how easily accepted you are in a foreign land.
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