JOIN USAt home in many worlds
Incidentally, Hyde, who also has his roots here, has been discovering. More about a nation and its people.
“Globalisation is happening here,” he points out at the opening of the British coffee chain Costa.
“Bangalore is a very easy place to live with its open and cosmopolitan lifestyle, with its strong business community and its good social networking.”
Hyde, who has been here for three years, has been primarily focusing on Karnataka. His travels through the State have taken him to Chikmagalur and Shimoga as well. Suffice to say he has come back impressed.
Drawing parallels on India and Britain with its multi-cultural and multi-racial society, he says, “There is already a strong cultural exchange between the two countries, a historical connection.” He elaborates on the creative flow from India to Britain, in every field including films. “Apart from the business and cultural exchange, there has been knowledge exchange going on as well,” he informs.
“There are a number of Indian-origin people in Britain. The cuisine there has been revolutionised by Indian food. The two nations have well-mixed, blended connections, particularly in the last 20 years,” he explains.
In the contemporary education scenario, youngsters going for higher education abroad is a matter of debate. Does he have any advice?
“UK is a welcoming society, proud of its diversity. Studying there helps in building cross-cultural connections. One has to think about the future, so choose education routes to match it. However, don’t take it as an excuse to move there. That is a problem. For a student, the motive should be to study,’’ he says.
Looking back at an illustrious career, Hyde says, “The biggest thing is it gives the ability to see the world. Not everybody gets an opportunity to do that. It has helped me in understanding all cultures. More than me, it has had a positive effect on my children. They have lived in four different cultures.”
Many nations and people later, which would he pick as the most memorable posting? “It would be easy to say Bangalore. I have one more year here. The India you see from the UK is different from what you see when you are here. The depth of culture and diversity is apparent. This is a continent of almost different nationalities.”
Anupama Ramakrishnan