Behind every life, there’s a story ... Sivakumar Senthamaraikannan’s is interesting.

Taste 141’s 29-year-old head chef came to Bermuda in 2007. Nearly four years ago he had a daughter and married her mother, Natalie Rego Sousa, the love of his life.

His parents weren’t exactly overjoyed.

Siva is from Trichy. It’s a district in Tamil Nadu, a state that lies in the southern part of India.

Arranged marriages are traditional in that part of the world.

When Siva told his parents he was marrying someone of his own choosing and they would soon have a baby, “My mom cried,” he said. “She’s still crying.”

His father was more pragmatic.

“My dad said, ‘That’s your life. If you’ve really fallen in love, if you’re choosing a lifelong partner who’s going to live with you for the rest of your life, then you should do it.’

“I was the type of boy who always did what was expected of me. I had a good reputation in my village. So it was very shocking for them when I fell in love with a woman in Bermuda and wanted to marry her.”

Siva and Natalie married in August of 2011. Their daughter, Samiya Nevaeh Senthamaraikannan, will be four in July.

Fortunately for his parents, his siblings weren’t as radical.

His brother, a chef at La Trattoria, travelled home for his arranged marriage last year.

His personal details and picture were registered with a matrimony agency only after his parents consulted the appropriate zodiac signs.

As part of the process, parents “pay a six-month or year membership and the agency will keep updating their profile”, Siva explained.

The agent contacts the parents if they have someone who is interested in their child.

The families talk only if they like the profile they see. Only after that do they meet — the male’s family will travel to the female’s family to talk.

“I like how it happens here,” Siva said. “Here, they fall in love. They’re not worried about your finances, if you have a car, a nice house.

“I’m not saying it’s bad [what’s done in India] but that’s sometimes what happens. Here, a doctor can marry a streetsweeper. I like that culture.”

Siva worked around the world and then joined Norwegian Cruise Lines, which led him to Bermuda. He got to chatting with someone while sightseeing in Hamilton. That person suggested he sign up with an employment agency.

He was hired in March 2007 to work for Crow Lane Bakery as a baker and pastry chef. He met the woman who would become his wife, that same month.

He moved on to various posts — at Beau Rivage, the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, Red Steakhouse and Tribe Road Kitchen — until he joined Taste in January.

“Of course in culinary school they teach the fundamental basics but every time I worked in a different place I worked a different section and I worked a different type of restaurant — French, Italian ... that’s the way I learned different foods,” he said.

“And of course, I have Indian food coming from my blood. I can handle any crowd now.”

For him, one of the best things about living in Bermuda is that he’s able to indulge in his many interests.

While living in India, Siva became fascinated with Indian folk dancing, fashion and yoga.

“Whatever I do I give it 100-per-cent attention. Every time I got the day off, I was going to dance class. I would love to teach that here. If you’ve seen Slumdog Millionaire, you know the kind of dancing I mean; there’s a little bit of hip hop involved.”

Yoga...and the Regiment

Although he left the folk dancing at home, Siva brought the yoga with him to Bermuda. He regularly practises and at one point was offering classes as part of Government’s Community Education and Development Programme. His real thrill, though, is that he was able to sign up for the Bermuda Regiment.

“On Independence Day and Republic Day, they do a parade in India,” he said. “They do a drill, and it’s a wonderful sight to see. Unfortunately I didn’t get the opportunity to join there but once I found out I could join here I said, ‘Why not try for it?’. I love it. I love the way they teach me how to handle the weapon and also that they have ranks and you have to respect the various hierarchy.

“But it’s not just that. Learning is like an ocean, there is no limit. I keep learning new things that will help me a lot socially and in my professional life. Now I have a beautiful family. I feel like Bermuda is my home country now. I’m proud of my country and my family.”

Siva also loves the food he’s creating at Taste 141. The bar is open all day; the restaurant is open from 7am until 3pm. Tapas is served from 5.30pm. Truffle fries and flat breads were on the list of staples.

“Whatever you were doing in 1980, in 2015 it won’t work out,” he said. “There’s a lot of competition. People want different foods, different tastes.

“Being a chef is all about timing. I always tell [my staff] that when you’re cooking food you have to be happy — no stress. That will definitely reflect in your food. I tell chefs to be happy and the customer will be happy. I feel it when I do the yoga. It’s helped me lots when I’m busy so I don’t get stressed.”

Taste 141 is offering a five-course wine pairing dinner at 6.30pm on March 24. The meal will cost $120 per person plus gratuities. To reserve seating telephone 292-0777.