Are we really happy?

My recent post about my being so happy in Oulu and why I would not change my base for anything, certainly brought in a lot of email.

Many asked me whether I was really happy as all my family, other than my wife and youngest son, are outside Finland!

Actually, Annikki's closest family members, two of her sisters, are all in Finland. Annikki would not like to move far from them. Even while in India, she talked to her sister, who lives outside Helsinki, almost daily.

So I thought to myself that, with so many family members and friends, classmates, settled all around the world, how many are really happy to be where they are?

Some have married and settled down. They make frequent trips back to their homeland to see their friends and relatives. But on a day-to-day basis, are they happy where they are?

I had the wonderful news that Joanna and the three kids, Samu (13), Daniel (6) and Maria (2) will join us this Easter. (Hope asha was also coming with them!)

We will get a chance to look after the kids while Joanna does her studies. her finals are not many weeks away.

But the sheer pleasure of having them back "home" as this is their home we are looking after, makes me shout with unbridled joy.

Is there anyone shouting with joy when Annikki and I visit India?

Yes, everybody is nice and hospitable, but we are still outsiders there, as 26 years away from "home" has meant that we have drifted apart. The old adage "Out of sight, out of mind" certainly rings true, although the second one "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" was also demonstrated very visibly during our 2 month Bharat Darshan.