A recent report says more and more British citizens are opting to live abroad. Among the causes for this are said to be good pay, warmer climate and better quality of life. Australia, Spain, France, US, etc, are popular destinations. But even if one opts for an Asian country, say India, the British pound or the US dollar goes far. For just as little as $ 500 a month one can live rather comfortably in an Asian country!!!
“For decades it has been the dream of millions, but for an increasing number of Britons it is becoming a reality. New figures show the number of people leaving the country to start a new life abroad has reached record levels, with almost 600 emigrating every day, reports The Independent.
“…207,000 UK nationals left the country for good last year in search of a better quality of life. The figures were hailed as proof that Britain in the 21st century has become a global hub for the mass movement of people, with record numbers moving in and out of the country.”
It would be interesting to know how many Americans would like to live abroad…even for a few months. It always helps to travel, if one can, in an alien place/climate, and the world then does not look so threatening. A first hand experience of the world makes one more confident and less susceptible to the propaganda machines that work overtime even in one’s own country.
The first time I left India was in 1975 when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had declared a state of internal emrgency imposing press censorship. I was then working as a journalist for The Statesman, a fearless and indepedent newspaper which until 1964 had editors fom England, in New Delhi and felt quite claustrophobic.
With just eight US dollars in my pocket I left for London one day after taking leave without pay from my newspaper. Luckily for me, the head of the eastern services of the BBC at the Bush House was Alfred Evan Charlton, former editor of The Statesman in Calcutta/New Delhi. He was of great help and I started freelancing for the BBC, and earned enough to travel to Canada and France and stay for a longish period there. Later, I took up an year-long assignment with a Saudi newspaper in Jeddah and Riyadh.
What I am trying to say is that when one’s own country starts becoming somewhat claustrophobic, it is always better to start exploring the possibility of moving out, even for a few months if not for a year or more. And then return when the situation improves…totally refreshed and having a better worldview…and also with higher toleration level. Good for everyone’s health and happiness!!!
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.