Beginning of Life in the UK : Chapter 04 :: Download
Dr Mohendra Irengbam *
Visitor (Late) Dr Mutum Somarendro. Margaret & our children Anita and Neil by the seaside town of Scarborough of the famous hippy song: ‘Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Remember me to one who lives there. She once was a true love of mine’.
Part 04
In the previous chapter I gave a broad account of why and how I came to the UK. In the middle of this story, I am faced with a challenge as great as writing about my intense personal feelings, thoughts, and insights. I have written many books, but they have been rather robot-like.
Writing this piece with a plethora of emotions is quite daunting. My disposition that I felt I had to be better than most, prevailed upon me to give myself a fair crack of the whip. The determination was as stubborn as an English bull terrier dog. This personality trait which was passed on to me by both inheritance and environment, remained dominant throughout my entire life. I never played second fiddle, nor did I ever lose my self-esteem. I was not going to do that at that point of my career or ever.
Unlike most Indian doctors, I did not come here to find a job and to domicile. It was the zeitgeist of the time in the late 1950s for Indian doctors to avail of the opportunity the British Consulate was offering. In my case, it was a crude clash of self and personality structure with time and the prevailing circumstances. I had a few choices to advance my career. Perspective or the way I looked at life. I kept my mind open.
Eventually, I chose the one that would be self-supporting. So, keeping pedagogical dogma aside, and with enough personal conviction to recognise my gut instinct, one fine morning, I left home for Calcutta with
a hurriedly packed tattered suitcase, en route to London. Sister Nienglen (from Churachandpur), who used to be my ward Sister at Civil Hospital in Imphal, came to see me off along with a host of my relatives.
Download the entire Chapter 04 of this book here
* Dr Mohendra Irengbam wrote this article for e-pao.net
The writer can be contacted at irengbammsingh(AT)gmail(DOT)com
This article was webcasted on May 28 2023 .
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