Finding a place to fit in and making a mark in one’s small world is always a task. For Kenji and Rina Maki, it was their shift to India that marked something special in their lives. Hailing from Chikusa-Ku, Nagoya, Japan, Kenji moved to the city in July 2015 to be the sales and marketing branch manager at Yazaki India Private Limited. He was later joined by his wife Rina and dog Peepee the following year.
The first two months, Rina went for English coaching classes. She says, “Though I have learnt English in high school, the pronunciation is different and people talk very fast here. I also have a private English teacher who helps me improve.”
And how does Kenji communicate with her colleagues? He confidently says, “I survive because I have guts. It’s very important that one is strong-headed, especially when you are living out of your comfort zone. I’m lucky that my colleagues and friends correct my English when wrong.” “The Indian clothes are very pretty. I want to learn how to sew and make clothes on my own. I also want to learn to cook Indian dishes,” adds Rina. Though the couple visits restaurants here and tries out different cuisines, Japanese food is still their staple. Kenji says, “Rina has a whole stock of Japanese ingredients from home that we often use to cook at home.”
“But I like using vegetables like okra and tomato for my cooking. I think they are very fresh and clean here,” says Rina. Ask them what the favourite restaurants are and Rina says, “We do go out a lot and have tried different cuisines, but I think the best Indian food is what is prepared at home. We find the spice and the oil content lesser when prepared at home.”
During Kenji’s free time, he likes going to the gym, swimming and playing golf. On Sunday evenings, the couple is usually hosting dinner parties for their friends. Rina has visited Cubbon Park, Bull Temple and Shivajinagar so far. “The first time I went to Shivajinagar, it was a very scary experience. It was so crowded and people were moving very fast. I thought I would never go back there. But I took the courage to go there again and it was much better. The local market there is very interesting,” she shares.
When Kenji first moved here, he would often have Pepsi and Coca-Cola in the morning. He later changed that habit when his driver asked him not to have it. “I now make sure I have tender coconut water every morning instead of unhealthy drinks. It keeps me refreshed for the rest of the day,” he says. In the past year, the couple has travelled to Hampi, Chennai and Puducherry. They hope to visit Hyderabad, Kerala, Coorg and Agra next year.
Kenji says, “It’s difficult to take off and plan a holiday because of my work. I have a responsibility to my customers, so their schedules are mine. But we do travel when we have a long weekend.” The couple has been married for the last five years. They in fact met through friends.
“We are from Nagoya which is one of the largest cities in Japan. The people there are very career driven. One of the things that we are famous for is the dish made with ‘miso’. It’s absolutely delicious,” smiles Rina.
Many believe that Japanese are very polite and patient when talking to others. Ask the couple if they ever get irritated and Kenji says, “There are times when Indians don’t understand us. We know that this is not our home and the culture and lifestyle are different here. We are trying to learn what makes India the country it is. For example, I asked a colleague of mine why all Indians have moustaches and I learnt that it was the culture. Similarly, it would be nice if others also made an attempt to understand our culture as well.”
But the couple has always been lucky to have good people around them. Rina says, “When we moved to our apartment, our house owner was very sweet to hold a ‘puja’ for us. I find people here are generally sweet and helpful.” They are still unsure as to how much longer they will stay in the city but they are making the most of it. Kenji says, “My purpose of coming to India was to work. But I want more things for Rina to experience. The process of living here and understanding the culture is very important to me.”