I feel about 60% Danish because I have lived here for the longest. I like being in Denmark, my future is here. I also like living in Sønderborg, it is nice and quiet, compared to Sri Lanka that is, and I like that. My religion is Hinduism. Sometimes I go to the temple in Aabenraa. I grew up with it and I have stuck to it. I just want a quiet life.
I was 14 when I came to Denmark in 1999. I travelled here by myself. I lived in an asylum centre for six months, all on my own for the first three days. I wept, because I didn’t know about anything, but then a Sri Lankan girl arrived. I had to learn so much, and the food was completely different, but I liked being there, and got a lot of friends. I still keep in touch with some of them. These days I work as a taxi driver. I like being a taxi driver, you meet so many different people. I remember the war, we would often flee, sometimes when at school and a bomber flew over. So we ran and lay down on the ground. There were a lot of casualties.
We also had to flee our childhood home in 1995-96, and the only thing we took with us were some clothes, however, later we did return to the house. While fleeing we stayed at schools and in temples. When I came to Denmark I just wanted my life to be nice and quiet.
31 / single / taxi driver / Sønderborg / Tamil from Sri Lanka / came to Denmark in 1999 / residence permit in 2000