My journey to a foreign country to study and work.
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Author: Christina Jacob
The idea of experiencing a new country was one of those things which excited me when in my early teens. Having read and heard a lot about life abroad from friends and relatives, I somehow knew that I would explore some place myself too. It was a time when many people wanted to go to countries looking for greener pastures, and in the latter years this became a trend.
My knowledge and my prophecy was beginning to come true when my dad, one day bumped across this ad which said, ‘Study and work abroad in countries Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. Contact St. Joseph’s consultants ‘ , with the Consultant’s address and contact numbers at the bottom ! My father being one of those people who appreciated the idea of going to a different country to make a bright future, did not delay to quickly communicate all about this ad to me. And this happened when I was trying to finalise a decision whether to join the IIPM’s for a MBA course to which I was shortlisted. So I was on crossroads , having to decide which road to take. Whether to venture to a new country or accept an offer waiting in the country itself. I decided to try the first option, as you can see, that going abroad was on of my dreams I was looking forward to. But I had never dared to dream of ‘ studying ’ in a different country when I could get quality education in my country as well, and even at a lower cost. After much contemplation and thought, my father decided to call up the consultant and get all the information he could. The man at the other end was a kind gentleman with a very warm disposition, unlike some who look to grab students , and pack them up to foreign countries promising them a bright future, not ignoring the fact that there are many fraudulent cases.
After few telephonic talks, we met the consultant and my dad was very pleased with this venture and was ready to fund me through ! Needless to say, this meant giving away his hard earned income and savings of his entire career , to give me a good future. I think I was one of those luckiest people to have parents who sacrificed for me, to follow my own dreams. The consultant referred to Ireland, to be one of the best places I could opt for to study and work. We agreed to this, and things started to move in this direction. Lot of work had to be now done and my brilliant dad was constantly working, in helping me out in this. A student loan had to be applied from the bank, and documents had to made ready. I then got an admission for a MBA into one of the colleges in the capital city of Ireland, which is Dublin .
Few months passed by, and my documents were all ready to be sent to Delhi for the visa application to the Irish embassy. After they were sent, I began to eagerly wait to get my visa sanctioned. A couple of months rolled away , it did not come, and yet another month went by ,with no news from the Irish embassy. My parents started to become anxious and were calling my Consultant sir almost every alternate day to enquire on my visa status. My hope was sinking, as the words of my consultant started to ring in my ears, that there was no guarantee that the visa should be approved, as it is the decision of the foreign embassy, and that they have many parameters to consider before saying yes to an application.
Days went by with my future seeming bleak to my eyes , when all of a sudden a telephone call , brought the news, that set my feet to dancing! I realised that , Delay was not Denial, and hence the answer to my prayers had come . My visa was approved and I was now ready to fly with two other guys who were also going to the same college I was going to. I cannot forget the first time I got into an airport and took my first plane journey. I was just ecstatic. My wait was over and I bid a tearful farewell to my dearest parents, who were very happy but also quite anxious at the same time . We got our luggage checked in and received our boarding passes which were four in total for each person, as we had to change few flights to our destination.
With a confidence on God who never fails , I began my journey to Ireland . To a land known for its scenic beauty, greenery, pristine lakes, beaconing mountains, valleys and romantic countrysides ! But most importantly , to a country which was one of the fastest growing economies in Europe , thus assuring us a bright future. I had to gird myself up, to face the challenges and hurdles ahead. The only thing I had was Faith – faith that all will go well. The journey was very comfortable with lovely food and drinks being served before us.
We finally reached our dream destination after a winding journey . There were few Indian students waiting in the Dublin airport, sent by our Consultant, to receive us, to our accommodation. I had now migrated to this new country , to live and experience a brand new culture and way of life – a tingling experience. Our new friends did not welcome us like our people and friends in India, I mean like the traditional warm welcome where they ask and enquire fondly, all about us , rather they were quite business like with a not-much-time-to waste attitude. Well, It was not right for me as well to demand for more. While being taken in the taxi, we began to enquire and catch a glimpse of this country we will be living in.
The taxi stopped in front of a beautiful house. The roads were spotless clean aligned with nice dustbins on the side, we saw Irish folks , some staring at us and others smartly clad, walking their way off to their offices and workplaces. We hopped off the taxi towards that beautiful house and unloaded our luggage. After a couple of days’ rest , our host friends began to talk to us about life there. We were expected to be quick learners since there was a lot of homework to be done before we plunged into our college and part- time jobs. Starting from learning how to operate the household gadgets to transport and traffic rules , and as to how and how not to talk to a local person and a stranger , we had to learn it all . The day to join college approached, and we were introduced to our international teachers and colleagues and also to the curriculum and campus. We were quite excited and we did not know what to expect next, as the system was different than ours. The first striking thing was the informal atmosphere in the college, where I could not actually differentiate a professor and a student . Coming from a moderately conservative family I did not expect and also appreciate such an approach at that time . The professsors were addressed to , just by their names . Though this culture is seen in some cities in India as well, I was never exposed nor aware of it earlier. I gradually began to blend into this system though I found it disrespectful.
Days passed by and we started our job search along with our classes. Thankfully , me and my friends got our part-time jobs in a reputed garment store as sales assistants and cashiers. We discovered that the Irish people were very friendly , and did treat their foreigners with care. Their was freedom everywhere in this country with every individual given the right to a better living and lifestyle, which sadly is not much seen in our land. I quickly made lovely friends and colleagues in college and workplace . Surprisingly, Dublin was a busy city, containing people of many nationalities, from almost every part of the globe who came there for work , study or for business purposes. So my friends and acquaintances were from China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Mauritius , Phillipines, Africa, Yemen and people of every color ! There was nothing more I could ask for. An all in one place experience !
Thus I began my journey in the country of Ireland where I lived for 2 years and later moved to the UK to work for a year and half. And my experiences in both these countries working and studying were nothing less than the best.
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Comments:
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Interesting personal story. In terms of a rating, I would think you can tone up the style and language to be a little more serious. The way it is presented, it appears too casual and a little amateurish in some places.