paradise by the laptop lights

It's quiet. All I hear are birds... peaceful. Crows, parrots, pigeons, kites... all flying by the ocean. Sometimes you can even hear donkeys. The occasional dog barking. But it's quiet - here in our little paradise by the sea.

Boy do I have a lot to fill in :)

I'm not just a business travelor anymore. Once upon a time I was sent by a company to India. It was an adventure. I made friends, had an incredible time at work and found myself feeling more at home than I felt in the country I'd been living for years. But the company didn't like me getting so comfy comfy with the employees - I think firangs are supposed to keep their distance and not develop the kind of friendships that I could not help but make. It was a growing process for all of us, me, my friends, and the company. Inevitably we all lost something... but I gained so much and I never looked back. I fell in love with India, and with an Indian, and I had to stay. So.. the company and I, after 10 long years, parted ways and I moved from one side of the planet to the other. My home :)

I'm sad I didnt get to cover all the amazing times I had in the blog. Some of the company's management on both sides of the world didnt like it and I stopped as I felt so winded by that judgement of my personal space. I actually wrote a whole piece about it at the time... but I didnt post it as I knew it would make things harder for me at work. There were lots of idealistic hopes it might start up conversations about freedom of speech in blogger circles etc... but when the fight gets personal like that it isnt as easy as it seems.

But now it's all past and I have moved on. Life is wonderful. I am with the man I love, my cats are here from the US... we have a great apartment, and life is settling into a pattern of simple pleasures and wide eyed wonder. It was all different coming back after shutting up shop in LA. I had to relearn India again. Relearn to love it in a way. I'm in a new part of the city I didnt know. I felt disoriented. Even though it was paradise - our apartment looks out over the Arabian Sea.. one block up - I was in unfamiliar territory and further from friends. And some friends have moved to Hyderabad too, so there was such a sense of change... nothing was as before. I had so much to get used to. Plus adjusting to leaving a job I was used to - software I loved etc. Even if the position just wasnt right anymore it is hard to leave something that had once been good and a pipeline that worked so well.

The first days and weeks I look back on like I was emerging from an egg... like Mork and his spaceship! Building up our apartment from scratch was a challenge. I hadnt done that for years... and I felt a little helpless as I was recovering from all the sickness I had in LA (the joys of fibromyalgia!) and Gagan had to do so much. But now we have furniture and my stuff has arrived from LA (all 60 boxes... mostly books!) and it feels like a lovely home. Right now the sun is setting.. it leaves a warm red glow in the living room and our bedroom. The cats sit on the back of the couch basking in the heat... their eyes closing contentedly. They have all their favourite toys and baskets here - life is good for an Adamson furry!