Now I live in India - Wish or Reality

Today is Dec 3, 2007; we relocated on Sept 10, 2007. Total of 85 days living in reality-India, before which we spent almost 8 months Wishing-India.

Question: Was wishing a happier period than living in India?

Almost every day of the last 80 days, I have been meaning to write this entry, but never managed to do it for various reasons: one being I am still not in a stable position of taking a stand between India and US. Like you have bad days and good days, I have India days and US days, and so far US days are outnumbering the India days, which I think should settle down in another couple of months; at least that is what I hope for myself.

My life in simplicity comprises of home, office and in transit. Writing about home first, as office and in-transit, would take up another whole direction.

Home would again be my family, friends and the house which I call and make my home. Family hit me big, without realization. My parents live in Port Blair, Andaman Nicobar Islands, my mom is working and they can come only in mid-Dec to meet me. When we relocated back to India, I wanted it to be like being back with my family, in my home; but I was left alone, talking on phone everyday did not help. I wanted their presence in my home, I wanted them to take the harsh edge of relocation out of my life. Anyways, the longing continues, they will be coming on Dec 14, than I will be at home in India.

Second part of home is where you live, your locality, your house, your neighbours, and most importantly your maid. We live in Defence Colony, Indiranagar, Bangalore. Beautiful neighbourhood. We pay this huge rent to do evening walks and get jealous looking at the beautiful bungalows in the center of the city. Tree lined quite streets, very clean roads, expensive cars, people watching....sums up to be one of the best neighbourhoods of Bangalore. Unfortunately, you can't afford to own anything here. Although our apartment building is more than 20 years old with its quirks, we have forgiven it, given the convenience of walking to top end restaurants and boutiques.

Neighbours are a learning process, we are hopeful on this aspect. One thing that can top-off your experience in India is essentially MAID, you cannot live with them and you can not absolutely live without them. They are the new ruling class. Depending on the locality their rates vary, and they are a catch and soon will be a rarity in India. After a turbulent week, my maid walked into my house, destiny plays a big role in maid-hunting. She was amazing, and I was surprised and blessed: we talk in English, she does not need instructions, and she cooks well.

In India, wait before drawing conclusions, lesson learnt from my maid. Maids are maids, you have to tell them, they will sometimes be great and almost always cut corners: I fail to accept this phenomenon.

Third part of home is the in-between service industry: like phone, internet, white-goods like refrigerator, washing machine etc., and finally handyman to do the tasks from electrical, plumbing, carpentry. This bit frustrates you and also puts you in awe of the convenience of this industry. Pay the money, and you will have a phone & internet, at your disposal within hours of landing in India. Try getting a permanent connection, and you will be looped around several forms and passport sized photographs, to make it fraud-proof. Patience is a virtue which pays off very highly in India. Broadband, cellphone from Airtel is great, service exceptional, although has its glitches....come on I can forgive it too.

Refrigerators and washing machine, great buy, decent price, good models to select from, no complains from that section. Home delivery is free, demonstrations are free...very service oriented market, only wish the service quality would be great.

Handyman to do anything, can be found...lets us become very lazy...but you would waste all your resources guiding that handyman.

That covers the home front, .... frustrations and satisfactions ... which one outweighs: or do you start settling for less because you are getting it in India. This would be the worst excuse for me in work, home and life in totality to start expecting and dreaming less, only because now I am in India. This is the excuse I have already heard more than a few times in my 85 day span of living in India.

I am in India, not to be happy with average lifestyle, not to be happy with just a job, not to be happy with being here and accepting the excuses, not to be happy about just my family...but being able to change all of the above. I am giving my 100% to everything, even my wish to live in India, why can't my expectation be 100%. Things will stabilize in due course, but will I give up on myself, or will I start seeing the change in things around me?