KOCHI: My husband Ajit and I, along with our children Adrian and Audrey, who are originally from Bengaluru, migrated from Scotland to Australia in 2008 in search of a better work-life balance.
We were quickly welcomed into the local school community and embraced by the local church family.
We sought the services of a relocation agent who helped us find a comfortable rental property, got our children involved in a number of extracurricular activities which included swimming, karate, tennis, football, basketball, music lessons and dance.
Having such a wide range of extra-curricular activities, we soon got exposed to a wide variety of families from different sections of society.We had no problems integrating into the Australian society as we were able to learn from the locals as much as we were appreciated for our contributions.
We are currently co-owners of our medical practice in Victoria and have 12 doctors on board. We are also sponsored for a local soccer club, cricket team and cancer organisation raising funds for our community.
We offer scholarships to a local dance school to promising students.
We have come to realise that integration happens with intent. Embracing the new culture without rejecting our own values and culture has helped us to adjust to our life in Australia.
(Dr Alfeen Varghese is a general practitioner as well as a motivational speaker)