By Alifiya Khan Essa Marilyne Duhaime, 33, Bellydance instructor, Pune on her journey from Canada to India. Tell us about yourself: I am from Quebec City, the French capital of Canada, but I have been in Pune for the last seven years. I run the Diva Bellydance Academy as well as a dance troupe that performs in India and abroad. What got you here? I never thought I would come to this part of the world. I had just graduated, winter was coming and I wanted to travel. I had backpacked through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. By 18, I had visited France, Turkey, Greece, USA and parts of Canada. An Egyptian friend of mine offered me to move to Toronto to open a bellydance academy. But I was looking for a new adventure and a new language and culture to discover. I got an offer to perform in Pune. Once I came here, I fell in love with the endless opportunities, the culture, heat, diversity, food and people, and never left. What do you like about Pune and about India? I came to India for warmth, because back home, the weather is really cold. I also love how this city supports entrepreneurs. Despite being a foreign woman who is not fluent in the local language, I have always felt safe in Pune. Moreover, here you can afford to have helps for almost all things. I’d have to be a millionaire for that in Canada. I also met my French partner Ludovic Navarro here. He loves India, so we are here to stay. Has Pune changed you? I have learnt to speak a bit of Hindi and Marathi, enough to get by, but not enough to have a conversation. I have become a fabulous bargainer. My Indian friends complain that they don’t get as good a deal when they try. I have also learned to cook a few Indian dishes such as dal, butter chicken and palak paneer. I have become more flexible, definitely more patient.
