There
is a famous legend about the creation of
Goa. It is said that Lord Parshurama, the sixth reincarnation of Lord
Vishnu, bowed seven arrows from the Sahyadris to push back the sea
and create a stretch of land for himself. This land, Goa, is a place
of sublime tranquillity to many. The sea, sand and shore, together
define the picturesque serenity of the place. The beauty is infused
with culture, be it in the form of a balcao of a nostalgic Portuguese
house, a temple dedicated to the most respected of deities, or the
toiling of the local farmers in the field. Goa is indeed a splendour
to all who reside in or visit this place. But what about those who
decide to take it all a step further and leave their hometowns to
build their careers in our land? Do they get what they gambled for?
Or is the reality of the situation such that working in Goa is not so
different after all.
M
K Shrivastav is an optometrist who always wanted to travel and
discover new destinations. On completing his degree, his family
encouraged him to stay back and practice his craft in his hometown,
Lucknow. He did just that before finally finding the time to take a
vacation; that’s when he made a trip to Goa. The trip was surreal,
and as he left, he considered the idea of finding employment in Goa
itself so that he could experience more of it. So he went back home,
submitted his resignation and returned to Goa.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
“Goa
is a paradise,” he says. “I worked there for two years and I can
say that I enjoyed every moment of it. In Lucknow, I worked in a
hospital that required me to be working at the oddest of timings. In
Goa, I opted to be an optometrist at a retail eyewear store. Besides
working in a different section of my profession, it also gave me
comfortable timings so that I could do all that I wanted to in the
evening and on the weekends.” To make the most of the Goan
experience, he would spend his weekends riding along the coastal
region. “It’s so peaceful,” he asserts. The breeze blowing in
his face, the food at a popular shack in Baga, and the music of the
nightlife scene, these are the memories he cherishes the most. He has
now moved to Delhi for better career prospects.
“Initially,
when I had just moved to Goa, I was excited because I thought I would
have all the time in the world to explore it,” says Nisha Aggarwal,
a young lady born and raised in Rajasthan. She works as a front
office executive at a prominent five star resort in South Goa. Nisha
had the option of either moving to Bangalore or coming to Goa, and
for obvious reasons, she chose Goa. But working here hasn’t spanned
out the way she thought it would. “I rarely get the time off from
work. And when I do, I either rest or go out for dinner. I still have
much to see when it comes to the natural beauty of this state.” She
concludes. Well, one thing is assured, whether they come, or whether
they go, the love for Goa and its splendid beauty lives on.
