When I Asked Where Are You From?

Summary

Gurpreet Dhariwal recounts a memorable interaction with Andrew Goss, a new friend from Leicester, England, who provided a rich and detailed response to the simple question, "Where are you from?"

Abstract

Gurpreet Dhariwal, the author of "My Soul Rants," shares her enriching experience with a new friend, Andrew Goss, whom she met through Facebook. When she inquired about his hometown, expecting a straightforward answer, Andrew instead offered a vivid description of Leicester, a city in the heart of England, steeped in history and culture. He highlighted its notable residents, including writers, musicians, comedians, and the Attenborough brothers, as well as its significance in English history as the resting place of King Richard III. Gurpreet was inspired by Andrew's comprehensive answer, reflecting on how she would respond more profoundly when asked about her own origins. The article also invites readers to explore more of Gurpreet's work and connect

And if you are still awake after that… Have a fab evening

London 2017, Picture by Author

I have earned great friends this year and one of them is Andrew Goss. I came across his profile via Facebook. We became friends after a few weeks. I didn’t know that he was an author too. I am going to read his book “The Humanitarian” soon.

He keeps on texting me great messages often telling me about his side of the world too but what amazed me when I asked him where are you from? I was just expecting a single word mentioning the name of the place but he responded to me with something that left me stunned.

I am sharing word to word how he described his life and world.

Hello Gurpreet,

Hope you’re having a good day 🙂 …I live right in the center of England in a small city called Leicester.

Famous sons and daughters include writers Joe Orton and Sue Townsend, musicians Kasabian and John Deacon from Queen, comedians Graham Chapman (Monty Python) and Rachel Parris, and Sir David Attenborough (BBC broadcaster and naturalist) and his brother Sir Richard Attenborough, the actor and movie director. His biggest movie was probably ‘Gandhi’ (you may not know any of these 🙄). It’s a historic Roman city, which in medieval times hosted royalty at its castle, including Richard III. He was the last king English killed in battle, nearby, which heralded the start of the Tudor period (Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, etc.).

We are about as far from the coast as you can get in England, bordering Nottinghamshire (famous for Robin Hood) and William Shakespeare (Warwickshire), fellow Midlander's 🙂

We are about 100 miles north of London.

Leicester a very liberal and cosmopolitan city with a history of socialism in its politics.

And if you are still awake after that… have a fab evening

Andy Goss

His reply changed my perspective on when someone would ask me where do I live? I am going to come with lots of experiences and thrill than just saying “I am from India”.

How do you find his response? I would care to know :)

When I Asked Where Are You From?

And if you are still awake after that… Have a fab evening

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