I shifted from Mumbai, India, where I was making my livelihood as a private consulting pediatrician and newborn specialist for the previous 24 years to make a little more money to meet expenses for my daughters' upcoming professional education/marriages and for a comfortable retirement - to work for the Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in November 2011.
While my patients and their care-takers had an image of a somewhat strict, uncompromising but humane doctor (with some inbuilt frustrations secondary to an unsatisfying income), my children saw me as a loving father with a short temper and some degree of stubbornness balanced by my keen interest in the many good things of life, and my better half thought I had "failed" as I had thus far been unable to meet her expectations, I saw myself as a mix of all these perceptions of others, PLUS a lot more: by nature, I am a narcissist. I love myself, faults, defects and all. I saw myself as God's gift to mankind. Well, not all that much, but to some extent, as He has blessed me with a sharp intellect, a humane temperament and an inner love of mankind.
Thus, I was definitely a misfit in many of the social interactions I had with others during my 50 years on this planet before I made this move to Saudi Arabia.
After coming here, I learned fast. I am, after nearly 1.5 years in the Kingdom, a lot more proficient in spoken Arabic, a lot more pious, a lot more understanding of the weaknesses I have and also the ones that others have. I have trained myself to desist from being malicious or from hurting others by pointing out their mistakes or criticising them for their very minor and inconsequential errors. Mind you, this change has not happened overnight. I have had issues with many people, least of all my own professional colleagues. I have tempered down, though, and as of now, I can say that I have hardly a handful of people who DO NOT wish to talk to me or interact with me socially. In fact, I have at least 50 people who appreciate me, who praise me and who admire my tenacity, my knowledge and my all-round understanding of the affairs of men.
If you are reading this, I request you to add your comments and/or your own experience in the face of external change. Thank you.
While my patients and their care-takers had an image of a somewhat strict, uncompromising but humane doctor (with some inbuilt frustrations secondary to an unsatisfying income), my children saw me as a loving father with a short temper and some degree of stubbornness balanced by my keen interest in the many good things of life, and my better half thought I had "failed" as I had thus far been unable to meet her expectations, I saw myself as a mix of all these perceptions of others, PLUS a lot more: by nature, I am a narcissist. I love myself, faults, defects and all. I saw myself as God's gift to mankind. Well, not all that much, but to some extent, as He has blessed me with a sharp intellect, a humane temperament and an inner love of mankind.
Thus, I was definitely a misfit in many of the social interactions I had with others during my 50 years on this planet before I made this move to Saudi Arabia.
After coming here, I learned fast. I am, after nearly 1.5 years in the Kingdom, a lot more proficient in spoken Arabic, a lot more pious, a lot more understanding of the weaknesses I have and also the ones that others have. I have trained myself to desist from being malicious or from hurting others by pointing out their mistakes or criticising them for their very minor and inconsequential errors. Mind you, this change has not happened overnight. I have had issues with many people, least of all my own professional colleagues. I have tempered down, though, and as of now, I can say that I have hardly a handful of people who DO NOT wish to talk to me or interact with me socially. In fact, I have at least 50 people who appreciate me, who praise me and who admire my tenacity, my knowledge and my all-round understanding of the affairs of men.
If you are reading this, I request you to add your comments and/or your own experience in the face of external change. Thank you.
