Hari Ramakrishnan [HR]: Hello, so name’s Hari Ramakrishnan and this is with Project Desh, and I’m interviewing – could I just ask for your names please.

Jagdish [J]: Jagdish [Inaudible 00:00:09].

HR: and –

Chadha [C]: Chadha, C-h-a-d-h-a.

HR: C-h-a-d-h-a, nice to meet you both, so how did you come to Bristol, or specifically to the Asian Day Centre?

C: [Inaudible 00:00:24]. Four years [inaudible 00:00:29] I am coming this [inaudible 00:00:33] country, two year this country, this I am. ’83.

J: [Takes telephone call].

C: Married, [inaudible 00:00:44] I stay. Put it all together I [inaudible 00:00:51] two, three – one and a half I am stay this home.

HR: Yeah.

C: I – a little bit, I am [inaudible 00:01:07] six year [inaudible 00:01:10] working.

HR: Yeah.

C: [Inaudible 00:01:14] finish, more other job I am two year, one year and [inaudible 00:01:24] company, [inaudible 00:01:25] come back. Five year, six year the same, [inaudible 00:01:31].

HR: Ah that’s – because I was born in Libya, then moved to Chennai, moved to England, moved back to Chennai, then moved to England again, so I can see it’s –

C: Yeah.

HR: Great in its own ways, and different in other ways as well, and how about you as well.

J: Born and bred in England.

HR: In Bristol, or have you moved around?

J: No, Doncaster, Yorkshire.

HR: Doncaster, I’ve been there.

J: Yeah.

HR: A couple of times, there’s like a music festival that goes on at the race track.

J: Race track, yeah.

HR: No, sorry, that’s Donnington, is that in Doncaster?

J: Doncaster Racecourse.

HR: Yeah, might be Doncaster as well.

J: Big racecourse [inaudible 00:02:08].

HR: So when did you come to Bristol?

J: I am in Bristol 1969.

HR: 1969, so how long were you in Doncaster?

J: I was nine when I left Doncaster.

HR: So till then you came to Bristol?

J: Came to Bristol, yeah, there was only mines those days, there wasn’t much work about for dad, so that’s why he come down because his sister used to live there, that’s when he moved down here.

HR: And do you work for First Bus, is that –

J: No, no, no.

HR: Just that [inaudible 00:02:38].

J: Asian Day Centre can’t afford to get me one of these [all laugh], my son works in bus company so [inaudible 00:02:45].

HR: Yeah.

J: And by law you’ve got to wear it, when I get the bus up you see, yeah.

HR: I see.

J: That’s the reason.

HR: So how have you found the day centre itself, because there’s not many places like this that I’ve seen before in –

J: No, it’s all right, it’s all right here, I usually get a full bus today, but people – the lot of flu going about today.

HR: Yeah, I heard.

J: And there’s a few phoned me up that they can’t make it today, otherwise nice, nice to have a nice good time.

HR: How many people are usually here then?

J: [Inaudible 00:03:16].

C: Altogether sixty people all together.

HR: Sixty?

C: Sometimes – today thirty, sixty per –

HR: Hmm.

C: I didn’t.

J: Like it’s about thirty-six today.

C: Probably twenty, twenty-five [inaudible 00:03:32], so that’s all right, same.

J: It varies.

C: So [inaudible 00:03:35] start.

HR: And is it usually – how long have you known the people who come here as well?

J: I’ve been working here ten years.

HR: You’ve been working here ten years?

J: Yeah.

C: No, yeah, ten, eleven, twelve.

J: [Inaudible 00:03:48].

C: Yeah, [inaudible 00:03:49].

J: [Inaudible 00:03:50] about 12 years he’s been working here.

HR: And then the same people always here like you then as well?

C: Yeah, yeah.

J: Yeah, yeah.

HR: So it’s really nice.

C: This lady [inaudible 00:03:57] twenty year they said, this lady working, twenty year, long time.

HR: Twenty years.

C: First time [inaudible 00:04:05] that was long time. Will start, [inaudible 00:04:12]. Yeah, is it twenty years this is starting?

J: Day centre going for twenty years he’s saying.

C: Yeah.

HR: Yeah, that’s good, and it’s been valuable to you would you say?

J: Yeah, because we only live down the road we do, and it’s all right for us, walking distance for us.

HR: Yeah, thankfully Easton has got a [inaudible 00:04:32].

J: Yeah.

HR: [Inaudible 00:04:34] population.

C: [Inaudible 00:04:35].

HR: Yeah. And have you lived in that home always, or –

J: [Inaudible 00:04:43].

C: Yeah, my home, my – this is my – no more [inaudible 00:04:49].

HR: Yeah [all laugh].

C: My –

HR: So in terms of what it’s brought with you here, is there anything you’ve seen that – ‘cos you were born here, right?

J: Hmm.

HR: In Doncaster.

J: Hmm.

HR: You was born in [inaudible 00:05:08], in – so when you bring it all together is it – are there any particular things that you see or that you cherish that it’s come with you, either just being in England itself, or in specifically in day centre?

J: Specifically here, in here really.

HR: Like what are those things that you can recognise from back home?

C: [Inaudible 00:05:28].

J: [Inaudible 00:05:29].

C: [Inaudible 00:05:31].

HR: Sorry?

C: [Inaudible 00:05:34].

HR: You were born in India?

C: Yeah, yeah, [inaudible 00:05:37].

HR: Oh sorry I –

C: Yeah.

HR: Misunderstood there.

C: [Inaudible 00:05:40].

J: He enjoys coming here, different clients, different culture, you know?

HR: Yeah, so it’s not necessarily just that it’s from your culture, it’s because there’s so many people from different places together.

C: Yeah.

J: So many, yeah.

C: Yeah.

HR: So is there anything you do to sort of –

C: My passport hold British, my passport.

HR: Yeah, I just switched over citizenship this past year, so I am officially confused.

J: British.

HR: In a sense. But is there anything you sort of bring with you, or you like to watch as well about things in India, or either if you visit home often or in terms of film or music?

J: Yes, he’s going next month he’s going back home.

HR: You’re going next month?

J: Next month [inaudible 00:06:23].

C: Yes, I am going.

J: Six weeks holidays, six weeks holiday.

C: Six weeks to visit date, well 12th [inaudible 00:06:30].

J: 12th of March his flight is.

C: Flight, March, six week.

HR: And when was the last time?

J: Last year, [inaudible 00:06:38]?

C: Yeah, yes, [inaudible 00:06:41].

J: Every year he goes.

C: One year.

HR: So it’s regular.

J: Every year.

HR: And is there a set pattern you have of what you do there or do you just go out there?

J: [Inaudible 00:06:47].

C: My brother [inaudible 00:06:50].

J: To go farmer with.

C: Farm, yeah, I am – environment, yeah [laughs].

J: [Inaudible 00:06:59].

C: [Inaudible 00:07:01].

J: Hmm, one brother, he has two brothers in India.

HR: Yeah.

C: [Inaudible 00:07:09].

HR: So I went to London for a little time, and when I went there I saw like [inaudible 00:07:18] which is the exact same one that I saw back in Chennai, like up the street from my old house, so one thing I know about this place that people love a lot as well is the food, right?

C: Hmm.

J: [Takes telephone call].

HR: So how do you feel about 1) the food they serve here, in terms of – one second.

C: All right.

[Break in recording]

HR: Sorry, just resuming the recording because the translator had to leave because of his telephone.

C: [Inaudible 00:07:45] all right [laughs].

HR: Yeah, this should work okay as far as now, we’ll just hope it – we’ll just get through it, so is there any particular – in terms of entertainment, so like films, song, is there anything that you still listen to either from back then that you still listen to now, any artists, any movies, or anything like that?

C: Yeah.

HR: What are they, or what would they be?

C: Movie?

HR: Movies, songs, anything.

C: Anything, [inaudible 00:08:17].

HR: Ah you play [inaudible 00:08:18]?

C: Yeah, [inaudible 00:08:19].

HR: No way.

C: Yeah, just by Chelsea Road, there’s –

HR: Hmm-hmm, yeah.

C: [Inaudible 00:08:23] left side. This [inaudible 00:08:31].

HR: Yeah, ah right.

C: [Inaudible 00:08:34].

HR: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

C: [Inaudible 00:08:37]. They – that’s why [inaudible 00:08:39] my brother [inaudible 00:08:42].

HR: Do you play here at all?

C: Yeah, I play.

J: At the temple.

HR: Oh yeah.

J: At the temple.

HR: But do – does any – either do they go to the temple or do they any time have music performances even in the day centre?

J: We had a festival here last Tuesday.

HR: Oh yeah.

J: What do you call it, [inaudible 00:09:01].

C: [Inaudible 00:09:03].

J: Like Valentine’s wasn’t it last week?

HR: Oh yeah.

J: Yeah.

C: [Inaudible 00:09:06].

J: Entertainment and cinema here.

C: [Inaudible 00:09:10] Sunday, every day my [inaudible 00:09:13].

HR: Okay.

C: Food and music, and altogether.

HR: Everything?

C: Oh yeah.

J: He cooked nice food last week, beautiful.

HR: Oh you cook it as well?

C: Yeah, chef.

J: Beautiful chef last week.

C: [Laughs].

HR: What do you cook?

C: Yes, cook.

J: [Inaudible 00:09:26].

C: [Inaudible 00:09:28].

J: [Inaudible 00:09:30].

C: [Inaudible 00:09:31].

HR: Oh.

C: [Inaudible 00:09:32].

J: Rice.

HR: Best [inaudible 00:09:39].

C: I cooked [inaudible 00:09:41].

HR: Yeah.

J: [Inaudible 00:09:47] menu.

C: [Inaudible 00:09:49].

HR: Okay.

C: Today.

HR: I might have to come, start coming on a Sunday.

C: All right, thank you [laughs].

J: So every Sunday, so everyone is welcome.

HR: Yeah, and the one just next door there, yeah.

J: There, yeah, not next door, down the road.

HR: Oh down the road, Chelsea Road.

J: That’s [inaudible 00:10:04].

HR: That’s [inaudible 00:10:05].

J: [Inaudible 00:10:05] yeah.

[00:10:05]

HR: Oh yeah.

J: That’s down Chelsea Road, you see the big [inaudible 00:10:08].

HR: Yeah, yeah, so the Gurdwara?

J: That’s right, yeah.

HR: Yeah. And I was just trying to ask him, so he – do you – are there any other people who play instruments with you or is it just a double act?

J: [Inaudible 00:10:24].

C: Yes.

J: The main priest, he plays.

HR: All right.

J: He plays [inaudible 00:10:28].

C: [Inaudible 00:10:30] new one, this [inaudible 00:10:32], you know, prayer.

HR: Yeah.

C: This one [inaudible 00:10:34] I play, my brother play, you play [inaudible 00:10:48] [laughs], any people.

HR: So anyone who wants to just comes?

C: Yeah.

HR: Nice. And do you ever – I was trying to ask in terms of like films or movies or songs that he still might listen to from beforehand.

J: He watches film.

C: Yeah.

J: [Inaudible 00:11:03].

C: Any film [inaudible 00:11:08], I am – you music, boom, boom, boom, [inaudible 00:11:12], long.

HR: Oh right.

C: Music [inaudible 00:11:19], boom, boom, boom. [Inaudible 00:11:25] yeah [all laugh], [inaudible 00:11:27]. Just music, different, that this din, din, din, din, but the – but [inaudible 00:11:35].

HR: Oh yeah.

C: [Inaudible 00:11:53] no, little bit sound, [inaudible 00:11:56] speak.

HR: Oh okay, yeah, yeah.

C: [Inaudible 00:12:00].

HR: You’d think a sixty inch TV would have a big powerful speaker.

C: Yeah [laughs].

HR: So do you watch the movies for the music or do you watch it for story?

C: Yeah, story.

HR: You watch it for the story?

C: Yeah, picture [inaudible 00:12:27], too much picture, now laptop altogether.

HR: Yeah, yeah.

C: [Inaudible 00:12:32].

HR: On YouTube and – [inaudible 00:12:35]?

C: Yeah, yeah, sometimes really little bit small, too much film [inaudible 00:12:42] [laughs].

HR: Yeah, yeah, and start shaking and –

C: [Inaudible 00:12:45] film start [all laugh]. [Inaudible 00:12:52] different, different, [inaudible 00:12:56].

HR: And you as well, as in do you still watch [inaudible 00:13:01]?

J: I don’t watch, I don’t watch.

C: [Inaudible 00:13:02].

J: [Inaudible 00:13:04] for cooking now.

HR: Sorry.

J: Time for cooking chapatis.

HR: Oh do you have to leave?

C: Yeah.

HR: Oh okay, sorry.

C: All right, thank you [laughs]. [Inaudible 00:13:15] [laughs], okay, thank you.

HR: [Inaudible 00:13:18].

J: I’ve got another five minutes.

HR: You’ve got to go as well soon?

J: Yeah, yeah.

HR: All right, I’ll just stop.