Rana – Milford
“We are from India and the peace and the tranquillity that we’re all are searching for, a good piece of land, nice and safe, is what brought us here.
I feel like Auckland, especially North Shore, is quite friendly. They are open to new people, new faces, strangers like us. So I like the openness and friendliness without any bias or what do you call it? Ah, prior frame of mind. They are just willing to accept people. That’s what makes you happy, makes you welcome, and we are happy to be here.
I think Indians you’ll find in any part of the world, everywhere you go. So there’s a lot of Indian community here, and they have regular get-togethers, social, religious events too like cultural events.
We just become a part of [the community] and we try to mould into and pick up other people’s things, participate in other festivals and other cultural events. That makes us connected. It’s very nice. It gives you a different way of life, shows you a different perspective all together. The entire world is so split into other races, other religion, countries. Human nature just keeps on dividing ourselves and making us more miserable, but it would be great if we just take ourselves as humankind. We are all walking with the same two feet, and same physiological and psychological needs, but still we try to make ourselves so different.
It would be great if we can continue [having] Auckland as a good and open space. If we can continue having that it would be great.
I’ve still not come across somebody telling me, ‘hey you why are you here’, or ‘why have you been here?’ Thankfully for us, I’ve still not personally experienced it. So in a way I’m lucky enough and I would like not to see this anymore. I would hope my kids don’t see it, too. I would rather embrace ourselves as one good humankind, mankind. It would be nice.
I feel proud. It’s not about one moment or one event. Each day, you take up small things in your life, what your kids do and how they perform. Thankfully, my son who is doing very well, he’s a distance runner, and he had a great report academically. So I’m very happy and very proud of him. I wish that he continues doing what he’s doing, and as a mum that’s all you ask for. Small things in life make you happy and proud; small events.
Be good to others, like the way you want yourself to be treated. Take small steps, be nice, be open, be willing to accept others in small ways. I’m not a big shot, I’m not a big personality, I’m not big in any area, but I’m a common woman, who walks the day in and day out. I can do small things which can make a difference in other people’s lives, something that is better, something which can help him or her in some way. That would be great if I can do that.
What would I do? If I see a stranger walking and he seems lost or if I can help him, if I can give him a piece of information which can guide him, I would be happy.”
