Rupsa Neogy
| Town/City | Canberra |
|---|---|
| First name | Rupsa |
| Last name | Neogy |
| Country of Origin | India |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 2002 |
| Submitted by | Rupsa Neogy |
Story
My Story of Migration to Australia
I am one of those lucky ones who has had an opportunity to travel in Australia. I never dreamed I would live to this country. When I landed in Canberra in August it was a very windy and cold day. I remembered that I was shivering because all my jumpers were inside my baggage which made me realize that I am in the southern hemisphere! A long way from home!
It was very challenging in the beginning. Everywhere I went and what I saw was new to me, it was a new culture to me. I took me a while to get used to being here and I kept looking for similarities with my old life. I had trouble adjusting, making friends and of course finding a job in this new socio-cultural world I had arrived in. I did not have enough money to start with though I enrolled in uni for further education hoping that it might help in my establishing a career in the future. At uni I had even more exposure to this new life as I met all sorts of people, tried to understand the accent, the multiculturalism and the new educational environment.
Today as a Australian citizen I want to convey my gratitude to this nation with its rich cultural heritage and egalitarian society. From my experience I think that Australia is an wonderful country to live in. It offers a better quality of life, advanced health services and law and order.I am proud to have migrated to Australia which gave me independence as a woman, self-confidence, trust, respect and friendship.
I talked about Australia, its culture and my life here to my family and friends who are living far away from Australia. They always delighted and surprised and want to hear more. My parents love to visit me here irrespective of the cultural and language barrier and different social customs.
I think migration to Australia is not an end but a beginning of another chapter in my life. I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life in Australia – awaking up with warm sunlight, having porridge for brekky, driving safely to work, spending time with mates in ‘Happy Hours’, having ‘my shout’ and coming back home on a frosty night with a great sense of accomplishment and happiness in being Australian!
Rupsa Neogy