Hi there,
Sorry that I did not wish you for new year as I was hyper excited writing my first blog. Happy New Year to all of you there, somewhere, everywhere. Being far away, even from the country I and the islands belong to, I mean India, and coming to terms with living here was another excuse, am kind of in a pleasantly woozy state of mind even after completing two years here. It is a different world out here friend! Am now living in a place whose capital and biggest town Port Blair is much, much smaller than the smallest suburbs of the Maximum City I once lived in. In fact, on the ground floor of Atur Apartments, behind Radio Club, close to the Nariman House, Colaba, Mumbai. Whew! Memories and all!

It was kind of amusing as my wife noticed it first. The word-Mainland. I had visited a Chinese restaurant in Mumbai named Mainland China, but what was this Mainland that people talked about? It took some time and a more than a few conversation set pieces to realize India that I came from was Mainland. This too was India, but island India. It was a strange but ok feeling, that I was becoming a part of an island culture and people. Welcome to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.

I became a little philosophical thinking that I was now in a lush green peaceful quarantine surrounded by the Sea, Bengalis, Tamils, Telegus, Punjabis, Gujaratis, Jharkhandis, Malayalis, Uttar Pradeshis, Marathis and people from almost all parts of Mainland India. And Burmese (Myanmarese) and Nepalese too. Blend with the exotic indigenous Negrito tribes of Jarawas, Onges, Sentinalese, Great Andamanese, and Mongloid Nicobaris and Shompens, I was SOMWHERE mate! The peaceful coexistence and laid back lifestyle here with the compulsory afternoon siesta oared me into a thinking mode. I realized, I was closer to Thailand and Myanmar than my own country. I was slowly mingling with Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and all assorted religions and their tributary sects, who lived in almost perfect harmony.

Only two months before I decided to pack and come here, I had visited the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (October 2006). On my way back I looked down from my airplane window, felt the islands were urging me not to go away. Was I seeing my late mother’s moist eyes, as I packed to leave for my boarding school for the first time, way back in 1974? I made a decision. Full and Final.

I had looked down at her and said, ”I will be back!”