Welcome home

I love being an Anglo Indian. I love that I grew up in the 80s, in Perambur. Growing up Anglo Indian didn't feel different, it was the only thing I knew, I love the culture I was born into.

Growing up in Perambur, you could wander the streets and always be in the vicinity of an Anglo Indian home that knew who you were, knew your parents, and possibly attended the same school.

My friends and classmates were my neighbours. My best friend lived in the house behind me. It was almost like The Truman Show. I was content with little world.

My dad, worked on the Railways. The trains were our lifeblood. Perambur Loco Works, the station was the first station dad got to on the way to work and was the last one back home. It was only a 5 minute walk.

School was a 10 minute walk if you weren't distracted. 1 rupee got you a three pack of biscuits, some kamrakats, and you got change back for ice cream during interval.

Older kids walked an extra 5 minutes to a bus stop where you'd meet more Anglo Indian kids heading off to school.

It was a beautiful, small world.

Today, this has been torn apart. I have to sit in an aluminum tube and jet through the skies at 700 miles per hour for 20 hours to see remnants of this once small world. My story isn't unique. Thousands of Anglo Indians continue to widen their world and spread out - either nationally or internationally.

Most, I assume, would always find their dingy home on a dirty street to be home. Probably with the same potholes they remember from their childhood. When our Rangasayee home with that red-tiled roof leaked, we would bring out the chatties and buckets and cozy up in the driest room.

My hope for Pepperwater is to be that place, to have some semblance of home. Facebook is fantastic, but in a digital world, we yet feel dispersed. With Pepperwater, I hope we can be digitally home. Something more familiar.

With all that said, I hope you find your people, enjoy your time on here, help others enjoy their time, and I hope the podcasts are enlightening and entertaining.

Welcome home, my friend.