Time begins to fly in moments of happiness: Amit Kunadia

I have learnt integrity and always try to improve myself
more and more in that.

About:

I am Amit Kunadia. Born of a teacher father and a stay-at-home mom, I spent most of my time so far in a village, Mota Devaliya, in the district of Amreli. Cultivated a passion for the Queen’s language at the age of 10 when English, as a subject, was introduced in my class(5^th Std.).  Completed schooling and graduation, the latter in Amreli in Pratap Rai Art’s with English as main subject. When in college, I was the only student to have read through the original text books as against ready made exam oriented material. After a chequered career in tuition classes for a year in my village itself, I left the village for Ahmedabad at my cousin’s strong insistence on 20^th May 2007.

Amit Kunadia

Having tried various tuition classes and ultimately discontinuing with them one after another, I found myself almost jobless within four months of arrival in the to-be-metro city. As a result, mental agony grew within. A sense of insecurity pervaded the whole being. ‘What next’,.. ‘what next’.. series  of questions began to hammer upon mind. Those days were very painful. Then one day, God designed my visit to Gandhi Ashram where I went with a purpose to give a friend of mine a tour of that place. Then started a different phase of my life. That visit proved instrumental in continuing my stay in Ahmedabad till this day.

Currently, working with a cousin in his private company that is in the business of maintaining mobile towers in Baroda zone.

My Interview – My Life

Q: Welcome to Speakbindas.com. Let’s start with your childhood. Where were you born and raised? Any fond memories from your childhood that you cherish even today?

Ans.: I was born and brought up in the village of Mota Devaliya which falls in the district of Amreli. Well, no fond memories as such. I used to be regarded as a phenomenally brilliant student in my class right uptil 10^th.

Q: As a child, you carried any special talent or art?

Ans.: I was very bad at painting. But they said my memory was very sharp. I could memorize copious amount of notes.

Q: What nickname/s you have/had so far?

Ans.: ‘Gando’. It means ‘naughty’. I earned this appellation in my childhood and continued to wield it till I entered college. Even today, when I go to my native village, friends often jokingly address me with that name; to my enjoyment!

Q: What education you acquired? How was it in sense of troubles? Whether you could complete the same easy way or faced the financial issues? If yes, how you overcame the same?

Ans.: I completed my graduation. There were no troubles regarding the financial aspect as father could well afford to provide me with whatever was required.

Q: Who was/were your best friend/s during your school/highschool times?  Are you still in touch with them?

Ans.: The list will run up to quite five or six. I am in touch with almost all of them.

Q: What was your favorite subject of study?

Ans.: English, indisputably!

Q: What was your favorite sport?

Ans.:  Well, cricket.

Q: Any teacher that you still remember as particularly influential?

Ans.: Yes, P.M. Goti, who taught us Chemistry. Such a high regard students used to have for him that upon his appearing in the school ground they would rush to him to greet him, and some even touched his feet.

Q: What was the first job/profession/business you started working for after completing your education?

Ans.: Set up my own tuition classes in my village, and simultaneously worked as an English teacher in a private school in the village.

Q: Are you popular in your friend circle or say your community for some art /specialty/talent you have? If yes, tell us about it.

Ans.: A difficult question to answer! Well, it is not for any art I am popular in my friend circle. I think it is my likable nature that may account for my popularity among friends.

Q: In addition to being paid money, how else has your career created value in your life?

Ans.:  I have learnt integrity and always try to improve myself more and more in that.

Q: What is your most significant accomplishment as a professional/businessman/employee?

Ans.:  Not any particular worth mentioning so far.

Amit Kunadia

Q: What does the word “family” mean to you? Who are in your family? Tell us about your family life.

Ans.:  The word ‘family’ itself speaks volume! I don’t think there could be a synonym for it which equally effectively represents the sense that is imparted from the word ‘family’. I have my parents, my wife, a brother and a very beautiful niece in my family.

Q: According to you what should be the role of a man and a woman in family life?

Ans.:  Both should understand their duties well. Nothing beyond that.

Q: What is your definition of “happiness”?

Ans.:  Happiness is something that doesn’t let you realize the passage of time. Time begins to fly in moments of happiness.

Q: What is your most memorable travel experience?

Ans.:  Whenever I go to my native place in an S.T. which may sometimes be so crowded as not to have a single sit vacant and hardly any room to stand comfortably, I enjoy a lot.

Q: If you were re-born as an animal, what would you want to be?

Ans.: A lion. For in Vibhuti Yoga, the Lord says that He is a lion in animals.

Q: Do you think life in villages or small towns is more peaceful than in big cities?

Ans.: Absolutely, yes. It is way more peaceful in villages than in big cities.

Q: Do you believe in God? Do you believe in rebirth?

Ans.: Yes, I believe in both.

Q: Are you happy with present system of education? What changes you aspire to see in it?

Ans.:  Not much happy. I want to see the system purged of cruel professionalism.

Q: What do you think about corruption amongst politicians/bureaucrats?

Ans.:  Every age has seen corruption in its politicians and bureaucrats. Whatever people do towards eliminating it help the existing society.

Q: What are your hobbies?

Ans.:  I have a hobby. Reading!

Q: What do you read? In other words, are you into reading? If yes, share your favorite books.

Ans.:  My interests regarding reading are eclectic. Though my favorite books are quite a few, but yet if I were to single out one, I would mention ‘The Cry And The Covenant’ by Morton Thompson which I read in a compressed form in ‘Reader’ Digest’ collection.

Q: What was the happiest moment of your life?

Ans.: Those moments are often repeated. Whenever I succeed in making my parents smile with joy, I feel the happiest.

Q: What was the gloomiest moment of your life?

Ans:  When my family failed, despite their sincere efforts, to prevent my elder brother’s divorce, I felt very bad!

Q: Say, you are sponsored to travel to 3 world destinations, where you need not to worry about costs for food, hotel or anything. Which destinations would you pick up, and why? Would you like to take someone along with you? If yes, whom?

Ans.: First and foremost, I would love to go to Pondicheri along with my parents to visit Sri Aurobindo’s ashram. Then may come Gokul, Mathura and Vrindavan!

Q: Are you into watching movies? If yes, which fills your list of favorites ones?

Ans.: Yes, I do watch movies. There are, again, quite a few. To name one in particular, I like DDLJ very much.

Q: What are some words or phrases you use most?

Ans.: Lately I have been in the habit of using ‘shri hari’ or ‘shantam papam’ at the end of a light topic or argument to give it a humorous note.

Q: What image about you, you want to create in other people’s mind?

Ans.:  I want to sound sincere, humble and loving.

Q: What would be the one thing you would change about yourself?

Ans.: An ugly part of my nature!

Q: What is your deepest fear?

Ans.:  Fear of, I am ashamed to confess, failing.

Q: If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

Ans.: Gandhiji!

Q: What’s your favorite food?

Ans.: Almost any food prepared by my mother, and lately also some prepared by my newly wedded wife.

Q: What’s your take on the technological advancement these days? Does it make people’s life simple or complicated?

Ans.:  Every technology that brings about something good may also be a curse in disguise.

Q: What’s your overall perception of life?

Ans: Well, life can be beautiful and ugly while seen from different mental statuses and vantage points.

Q: Any special message you would like to share with people you know as well everyone else? This question is question-less question. That means, if you have something inside you that you really wish to tell but couldn’t be covered in above questions, you can share it ALL here.

Ans.: Quite some questions I answered above were of such a nature that they called for a detailed elaboration. Due to the linguistic and space related limitations, I may have not been able to answer them to my satisfaction. Just that!