Memoirs of an Immigrant

This is my story, the memoirs of an ordinary man who has lived an extraordinary life. It is a story, divided into chapters. This series of small narratives starts in the beginning of the century and crosses decades and oceans. It is a story of an immigrant. The first part takes place in Indonesia, starting with the loss of my mother upon my birth and ending with our departure, with my wife and three year old son, to Brazil in the sixties. As well as presenting a narrative of events of my personal life - my childhood, my struggles as a teenager, the time in the army, meeting and marrying my wife - the text offers a rich insight into traditions, customs, and the socio-historical panorama of the day. The beginning is an account of an omen that preceded my father's birth and, consequently, affected my own life. Later, one encounters shamans, lantern festivals, and lion dances. The journey across the oceans, from Indonesia to Brazil, the hardships and, enormous distances, marks the transition to the second part. Equally fast-paced, yet rich in detail, the short narrative focuses initially on the difficulties of living in a strange country, the birth of the children and their education. The story shows my struggles and how I have overcome them. Like life in a nutshell, the memoir appeals to the personal as well as to the universal.