My Return to India (R2I) story > R2I Chapter 6
The first month after we returned ‘back home’ went in a whirl of re-familiarizing ourselves with the life here while settling in and a bit of socializing. Cousins, uncles, aunts and neighbors would stop by to greet us and also inquire on dad. The greetings would include the clichéd “this is a great decision. Glad you are around to do it” along with offers of help in navigating the system and logistics.
Little Vijay was smothered in attention, enjoying the hustle-bustle of life in Bangalore. He began spending most of the time with grandpa and grandma, giving Suja and me some time to focus on the basics of settling in.
Paperwork follows life
We had lived out of the country for nearly two decades and
although I had a PAN card and an Indian Driving license valid for 20 years, we realized
that the immediate need was to apply for an Aadhaar card, which was now a
mandatory document in India, almost as important as a Social Security number in
the US.
There was a bit of ambiguity over application of Aadhaar for
foreigners. Suja and I are American, albeit with an OCI that allows us to live
in India indefinitely. I tried searching online if foreigners were eligible for
an Aadhaar and the responses were nebulous and I decided to re-review the
official FAQ and it clearly stated that “Aadhaar is not a proof of Indian
citizenship, and is issued to all taxpayers and residents.” The process of
applying for it was rather straightforward. We just needed a proof of address
and photo ID. My Indian driving license served both requirements, and Suja,
Vijay and I were able to effortlessly apply for an Adhaar card at a local
service center and the cards arrived home in the mail in about 30 days.
Armed with an Aadhaar, I began updating my local bank accounts and got a local cellphone SIM for Suja and me, and other documents began to follow.
Cost of living – remember not to convert
New expats traveling from India to foreign lands instinctively
convert the price of items to their base currency. A dollar is nearly 75 rupees
and this constant conversion churns through the mind while one uses a baseline
to compare with. This gets a bit more intricate when one also must convert from
imperial to metric. For instance, a gallon of milk at the local supermarket in
Greensboro was about $3.29 and a gallon of gas (petrol) is about $3.5. Quick
mental math: how much is this in liters, and eventually rupees? Over a period
of time, the expatriates learn to stop converting the basics, but to use local
baseline while shopping.
On returning back, Suja and I had to quickly re-learn the
baseline in Indian units and rupees. For example, mom was paying about Rs 40
per liter of milk and Petrol was about 68 rupees a liter. A lunch at a sit-down
restaurant was about Rs 300 per thali and a plate of Idlis at the local
darshini was about Rs 30. On converting, some of the expenses like eating out
felt ‘cheap,’ while the price of petrol or milk were on par with what you would
pay in the west.
At home, Suja put together a list of things to refurbish or
upgrade. I added a list of furnishing and equipment for my home-office to the
list and armed with it, I began shopping online. a few simple searches on
Google showed listings from Amazon and Flipkart, a homegrown eCommerce giant
that was partly owned by Walmart.
The price of a new LCD TV, newer models of refrigerators and
washer dryers and other household gadgets were all comparable, but about 20-25%
more than prices you would pay during a sale in the US. No wonder my friend Raja
had opted to have their household gadgets shipped to India. Of course, the
items bought in India would still be in a local warranty and could be serviced
and supported here.
In 2017, the concept of work-from-home was rather novel in
India. While my parents were glad I had relocated back to live with them, they
were a bit unsure of how I was going to work and pursue my career. I ordered a
high-speed internet connection that supplemented the DSL line my dad used with
the phone line. When it came to high-speed WIFI and broadband connections,
India had leapfrogged the technology divide. Fiber connection from providers
like ACT and Airtel were easily available and the sales technicians were eager
and willing to get me wired. The service was cheaper and more efficient than
the Time Warner connection I had back in Greensboro.
One of the most common refrains one hears from desis in the
west is the easy and affordable access to domestic help in India. Not so in
contemporary India as Suja quickly discovered. A few weeks after we moved,
mom’s old maid gave a notice saying she had to move to her hometown. Suja began
looking for a new maid trying to get referrals from the old one and from
neighbors. Most maids had a common refrain – “you have a big house, and it is a
lot of work.” These folks were used to spending about an hour doing the dishes
and sweeping and moping small flats or around 7-800 square feet. Ours was a
larger house with a front yard and a carport that had to be swept in addition.
After a churn of a couple of maids, Suja finally found one that negotiated
about twice what mom had been paying the old one – over 5000 Rupees – for a few
hours work every day.
While Suja was busy with this, my project was similar -
finding a reliable driver who would be around to take us to run errands. My
dad’s old Maruti was lying unused and he asked me to use it after having it
serviced.
During my trips back to India, I would take my dad’s car for
a drive around the neighborhood and for shopping or running errands. The switch
from sitting on the left side and driving on the Right side of the road to
driving on the Left side would take a couple of days during my trips back to
India.
I took the Maruti out for a spin and to get it serviced at
the local shop. The insistent honking, zigzagging of bikes and scooters and
cars cutting in and out felt a bit jarring for an hour or two before my muscle
memory kicked in. The traffic had certainly got denser with a lot more cars and
bikes on the roads, and the millennial Indian drivers hadn’t improved on the
road sense. Roads hadn’t widened to keep pace with the increase in traffic
density. On the other hand, cars and bikes parked on most roads lead to further
contraction in motorable area.
While I liked the thrill and adventure of navigating the
Maruti along Bangalore’s roads, I wasn’t ready for it to be a part of my daily
routine. I had enough variables to deal with while taking on the stress of
driving.
I asked around my neighborhood and was referred to Raju, a
local lad who had got his diving license a few years earlier. Raju was a young
and enthusiastic driver willing to zig-zag in traffic. More experienced drivers
were asking for an arm or a leg and most of them were angling for a ride-share
gig with Ola or Uber. Raju was willing to work half-day shift, which suited my
needs. He would come by 9 in the morning and leave by 4 PM.
Those with kids may also be interested in the section on schooling for NRI kids returning to India
What does this mean to you?
The first few months of settling in will lay the foundation of your return-to-India experience. While settling in, you may have to apply for an Indian identity (Aadhaar card), driving license and other documents, but while working on the logistics, paperwork and other aspects, you also need to make sure your immediate family – spouse and kids also begin to feel at home.
There is a wide choice in urban metro cities when it comes to schooling options for kids and you may have to apply to a few schools, and to try to get a recommendation from an existing parent
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