It's been four months since we packed up from Los Angeles and made our way to Bangalore. How our life has changed is indescribable. Before moving to Bangalore, our Indian friends noted that we will need the following to stay in Bangalore - a maid and a driver, and perhaps a nanny and a cook too. As foreigners we were advised to live in a area called Whitefield in a gated community. My immediate reply was "No way"! Not us, we are not your typical expats.
The reality is... living in India is a whole another beast! For one thing, the pollution in Bangalore is horrendous - the car/bus/auto-rickshaw fumes, people spitting out of car windows and men standing on sidewalks urinating, not to mention the constant honking and filthy water and sludge from leaking sewers…you get the picture. And in fact, nothing is open before 10am, most after 10, so even if I want to zip around to get some groceries, shops don't open before 10. By that time traffic is in full force. A 10min trip can turn into 45min+ idling on the road. Did I mention Bangalore roads and drivers? I'll save that for another post. All said and done, we have made a life in Bangalore.
Whitefield is an area in the eastern part of Bangalore where most of the global technology companies are located. The place is filled with tech parks left and right. Hence the area is filled with expats from the US, Europe as well as NRIs (Non-Resident Indians, or at least Indians who used to be NRIs and are now RIs). There are many services that cater specifically to the people who live here. I have found a great fish monger, a organic green grocer and a deli with imported cheese and cured meats. I especially love the Korean restaurant, Arirang in Kammanhalli that has great food in a home country setting. This restaurant also has imported goods from Korea, and best of all, they make and deliver fresh tofu and kimchee and many other Korean food items to my house once a week! Having such familiarities has been a pleasant surprise.
I joined Oversea's Women's Club, http://www.owcbangalore.org/. There are 800+ members, a great network of expats who are based in Bangalore, some permanent and some temporary. The helping hands, feet and ears of this 800 strong group has helped me tremendously to get my life started here and embraced me as a part of their family and friends. This group has been around for 15+ years and is running at full speed with numerous charity groups, playgroups for children, mothers-to-be group, cooking classes, travel programs, yoga group, book club, many cultural events, and so many options to fit anyone's bill. Having such a support system is great!
With all the exciting discoveries, at times...India is hard to face. It is too real and at the same time, it is unreal. It's in your face, it's loud, it's smelly, it's colorful, it's mind-numbing, it's incomprehensible, it's salty, it's oily, it's wet, it's sticky, it's slow, it's complicated, it's chaotic, it's exhausting, it's dusty, it's congested, it's unpredictable, it's wild, it's unapologetic, it's unruly, it's uncompromising, it's dangerous, it's abrupt and it's more than I can describe!
For now, Bangalore is home. A bittersweet home.
