>> ing happiness possible.
>
> For decades I have insisted that happiness is inside the head, between
> one's ears.
>
> Over 20 years ago when I used to live in the UK I found Indians who had
> achieved their dream of leading a wealthy life abroad lamenting that
> they wanted to go back to India. There were whiny and unhappy.
>
> I was planning on going back to India anyway, but did not want to regret
> that I did not try something that I could have done. I had decided
> against the US simply because I had medical qualifications from India
> and the UK and had no intention of requalifying in the US at an age when
> I could be teaching my "teachers" something.
>
> I decided to check out Canada. For me the "checking out" route meant
> buying a practice and what was available was a practice in the town of
> Wadena (pop 1000), Saskatchewan.I visited Bangalore briefly before going
> to Canada. In Bangalore I happened to meet the mother of a young man
> living in Saskatoon who instantly (and very kindly) arranged for me to
> use his home as base while I checked out Wadena, 60 odd miles away. She
> spoke glowingly of her son and his wife. They had double of everything.
> Two cars. Two TVs. Two whatnots. Four bathrooms. This was 1989.
>
> In February 1989 I flew out to Toronto and thence to Saskatoon. I flew
> Wardair that served their food in Wedgwood crockery, and went out of
> business in a year or so. The temperature in Saskatoon was -20
> centigrade. My breath was freezing on my moustache. People who parked
> cars at the airport did not turn off their engines. Cheap oil. The
> couple I stayed with were very warm and hospitable. But they lamented
> that they wanted to be back in India. Look outside they said. 5 feet of
> snow.
>
> Wadena had two hotels. One was called Hotel Motel where I got a room and
> spent a night. The mayor who had heard that a doctor was visiting came
> up in the morning and had breakfast with me. He was very friendly and
> genuinely welcoming. He drove me around that little town in his pick up
> truck. I asked him what there was to do in town, and he told me that I
> could go moose hunting on his estate and indicated that there were snow
> scooters I could use. I had visions of telling my wife to pick up the
> rifle and go moose hunting because I was held up at the clinic and that
> I would join her later.
>
> Canada was not the place for me. I returned to India the next year.
> People in India were amazed that I was idiot enough to return to India
> after having "made it" in the west. I told them that I had been living
> in the north of England and had suffered a nervous breakdown. The
> previous summer I had seen a bright light in the sky that scared me
> witless leading to the breakdown. When I recovered people told me that
> the light was actually the sun. I had not seen the sun for 2 years in
> the north of England and had forgotten about it. Scary innit?
>
> Happiness is in one's head. There is a digitized 8 mm home movie of me
> as a 4 year old child carrying a toy gun. I still love shooting. There
> is something compellingly satisfying about pulling a little lever
> attached to a pipe in front of you and seeing a Coke can explode dozens
> of yards away. I have received warning letters from the Society for
> Prevention of Cruelty to Tin cans. But what do I care? Happiness is
> doing things that you feel like doing. Things that relax you and keep
> your mind empty like that recently perforated Coke can.
>
> shiv
>
>
Lovely writing, Shiv.
