I am the daughter of a German mother and an Indian father, and was born in Dresden, in what was then East Germany. My birthday, October 7th, was also the Tag der Republik, and according to my mother I was born just as a marching band went by the hospital.

My mother had petitioned to emigrate out of East Germany soon after the wall was built since my father lived and worked in the West. It took about 11 years before we were allowed to do so which is when we immigrated to India. I was one year old. I was fortunate that my parents spoke German at home, which allowed me to grow up bi-lingual. Although I learned and heard the local language (Kannada) around me all the time, I cannot speak it.