Sunday, October 21

SABG-Live in Kochi Chronicle


1. Where are you presently located? What are you doing there?

We live in Muscat , Oman , ...by  profession i am a house wife but you can  add labels of  freelance journalist/Poet/columnist to  my name  as well
2. Where in Kerala are you from? How long has it been since you left India?
 I  belong to kottayam, Devalokam,   ever since  marriage  1989 i  left kerala  to Delhi and  later  by  1992 i   migrated to  gulf, to Qatar and  after  17 years in 2007  to  Oman
3. Could you tell me the story of how it all came about, from your childhood dreams to what you are now.
i have  had a normal childhood like any other  kid,but  a picnic as my dad was in bank , we used to   shift  from place to place  every  3 years.   my mother was a school teacher.  Childhood was  full of  friends and  class mates  and  i still keep in touch  with them  all  from  my  class  1  even at this age of  46.Got married to my childhood friend, who still remain my  friend than a husband, so does not impose any authority on me. That which  helped me to  come across  writing which i enjoyed  even  after having  3 kids and with the  incoming of  internet i  spread out my wings into  blog and  later to  small write ups in local  magazines and  later to manorama news papers. Plus i was mad  veracious  reader and book collector  which i i am still is Being a  freelancer i could  experiment a  lot, and  having a masters  degree in English Literature , i was comfortable  with  malayalam  which was  curriculum  i completed my  schooling. Later i found  an  aunt, my dads sister  who has published   2 book in the  late 50 's and passed away in the later  60's  which was an added  inspiration when i started  writing and  publishing  poetry. i did  2 Malayalam  poetry book and  1 in English. I have many more dreams to  full fill  but  i have   climbed  many step toward my  dreams  .   Malayalam  Literary Society conducted a competition among the  freelancers and journalist for the best  features and  reports for which Sapna Anu B. George  won the  best  features. 5001  Rs and a  plaque is the award. Her  article published in Kanyaka(Magalam Group) on "Bar dancers in Gulf won the award for the best  article. The atrocities and lifestyle of these bar dancers was written  and clear peep into the lifestyle of these women are depicted in this  article. Sapna is an NRI for the past  18 years  through Qatar and  Oman.
 My Poetry books/Articles  has  been awarded few times, Malayalam  Literery Society conducated a competion among the  freelancers and journalist for the  won the  best  features article published in Kanyaka(Magalam Group) on "Bar dancers in Gulf . The artocities and lifestyle of these bar dancers was wriiten  and clear peep into the lifestyle of thes women are depicted in this  article. My English poetry  was listed by manorama  as the best books to by in  2012   July.
4. Can you mention the challenges of working abroad? And the achievements you have made despite that (this is needed in the feature, to highlight how Malayalis are doing well abroad ) -

Working abroad is a necessity of life in a  total  adverse climate from what we are used to. A mad rush back home, in scorching heat of  40 to  45 degree, where the  lunch  can be waiting to be heated .A sandwich,  self made, mostly  with peanut butter or  with handy veggies that need not much cutting and cooking, like a tomato, cabbage, lettuce or cucumber, with a slice of salami or  ready to  be heated rice and  curry. Some parents have no other option but have a packed lunch also to be dropped while they pick and drop their kid home. Desperation/ Shortcoming of being a working parent....alas!! Heated food, mostly eaten in front of the TV (
an  except from my own  article about  kids  in gulf.) In spite of  all this  hazards and negativity  people  still migrate to  gulf  in large no's.
5. How would you compare your hometown with the place you stay at? How do you think Kerala can improve?

The cleaning of environment, the  surrounding  we live in , is something  we can also  copy and  adapt. The garbage  collection, sewage treatments projects are something  we  should  start  now  before its too late. Here if a  road is  build with 20 years  ahead  plan. In our land its still  competition of  ministers than the  betterment of society and   people.coming  in june  july  for  holiday, was a  nightmare now,  about  food and  environment.We can  make improvements  and  changes , but  our country and local  area are  like  crabs in a jar, one  crab will never allow  another  one to  get out or  move out of the jar. 
6. Is your family with you?
  i live here with my  3 teenage kids(Shiksha,Dikshith & Dakshin) and  husband, Biju Titty George

7. And yes, your full name so I wont spell it wrong :-)Sapna Anu B. George



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