Maxine Silva from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada came to Bengaluru in 2012. She came here to volunteer with an NGO and has made this city her home.
She considers herself lucky to be able delve deeply into the culture here and describes it as a journey of self-discovery.
Maxine, who was born in Ryde Isle of Wight, England, grew up in Canada and was in New Jersey, USA for a few years.
“Exposure to different people helped in knowing the world closer and accepting people and cultures more closely” she says.
Her parents (her mother is from Britain and father from Canada) added to her exposure to diverse traditions. Being a Canadian and British citizen, Maxine says home is Halifax for her. “My father was in the Canadian Navy, thus we moved around a lot, mostly in Eastern Canada. It was a learning experience as I learnt to adapt to different situations easily. This brought in me a broader interest for people and made me a stronger person,” she says.
Shedding light on her life in Halifax, she says, “ A majority of the people there are from Scotland and England. We have a strong fishing industry there.”
Peggy’s Cove is one of the most known tourist spots there, she adds. During her stint in Halifax, where she worked as a X-ray technologist, she met a lot of Indians, which slowly contributed to her fascination towards the country. “All my life I
have been deeply connected to India and now I understand why,” she says with a smile.
Having lived in the US for a few decades, Maxine got a chance to meet people from different places.
“I did a lot of NGO work in the USA which lead to my meetings with former US President Ronald Reagan, the Pope and prominent film stars. My journey to India started from my move to Bali. Also, during my stay in Canada, an astrologer told me that I needed to move out.”
Maxine looked for an NGO in Bali to work with before she moved to India, a few years later. “I visited India during my time in Bali and made friends with a young girl from Punjab via Facebook, who promised to take me on a pilgrimage. I flew in to India and visited her family. I stayed with them for a while and then I found a volunteering job in India,” she details.
A strong urge deep within brought her to this country. “People ask me why I am here and I tell them that I am just following my heart. I have lived in Delhi, which triggered me to write poetry. Now I am in the process of putting a book down — ‘A Poet’s Portrait’. It will include my poetry, paintings and snippets from my life, which are inspired by my stay here,” she says.
Bengaluru happened to her because she loved the cosmopolitan and accepting nature of the city.
“The city holds a special place in my heart. The culture, traditions and everything here are just endearing. I have a ‘puja’ room in my house and I am deeply influenced by the people I have seen here,” she says.
Her favourite places here include ‘Sherlock’s Cafe’ in Fraser Town. “The food there is just like food back home. I would recommend it to all expatriates who like to eat quality food at reasonable price. Their pizza is the best I have had in the country. It’s also a great place to just relax and write,” she says.
Maxine also loves visiting ‘Ambara’ and ‘Urban Solace - Cafe for the Soul’.
She also loves indulging in spicy Indian food. Though she is used to English-Scottish-Irish-influenced food, ‘dal’ and ‘chapathi’ are her favourites. “Back home we used to have a lot of sandwiches, eggs, toasts and salads. Now, my cook makes Indian food with a lot of love and I enjoy it throughly,” says Maxine.
She is convinced that she is home now. “The city has influenced me so much in terms of food, clothes and more,that I feel I am an Indian. If one follows the signs and feels at peace, that is where one should be. Bengaluru is that for me,” she says.
She adds that she has learnt to be grateful for everything in life that she has received during her stay here.
“I wrote a ‘poem’ called ‘Notice me’, which is about noticing people who are in the background. This is how deeply the city has left its effect on me.”
The city holds in itself magical stories and experiences, vouches Maxine.
“I love the infectious energy of the city. I strongly feel that I am where I should be,” she says.