Tags:
Journalism of Courage
If home is where you are most comfortable then Pune fits the bill for Mohammed Eid. A student who came to Pune from his native Saudi Arabia nine years ago, Eid has had a smooth run in the city.
8220;I was originally to study in Mumbai, but decided to stay on in Pune after finding many students from my country already here. I had no problem adjusting,8221; he says. Besides more familiar faces, the Pune education system which he finds very similar to the one back home, decided it for Eid. 8220;The cut off percentage in Saudi Arabia for computer studies is far too high at 95 per cent. All I could secure was 81 per cent. So I decided to come to India to pursue a bachelor8217;s degree in computer science.8221; After graduating with this degree from Poona College, Eid decided to get a diploma in software development from a computer training firm.
Eid did face some unpleasantness in his early dealings with shopkeepers in the city. 8220;When they came to know that I was new to the city, some cheated me.8221; But Eid, now a seasoned hand at dealing with them, has put all that behind him. 8220;I like spending time in the quiet, green area of Koregaon Park and the hills in Kondhwa. I have been to other parts of the country like Srinagar, which is beautiful, but I still prefer Pune which is a nice place to stay in,8221; he says. The only blot on the landscape for Eid seems to be the rising pollution level. 8220;In 1991, the air here was so much cleaner,8221; he remembers. Pune has been such a pleasant experience that Eid, who now plans to start work as a real estate agent, has also managed to convince a few friends from his home country to come here.
