This photograph just blew me away.
Think about it. How often do we acknowledge the folks who clean our homes, offices, cities or those who do other ‘menial’ jobs.
Was browsing Quora today when I came across this question, “How do Indians feel when they go back to live in India after living in US for 5+ years?“. Below is my answer reproduced …Take it with a pinch of sugar:)
Rreading a book on the pavements of New York on a warm summer day – Just one of the things that you can’t really do in India.
From my answer to a question on Quora.
Here is a word of advice for all NRI’s who are looking to move back to India.
“If you are looking to move to India because you are bored of your job in the US or feel there are more opportunities here, then DON’T move back”
I moved to Gurgaon 6 months back and its been a mix of pleasure and pain 
Its dusty, dirty, noisy, crowded, humid with crappy roads, even more crappier condos etc etc..you get the drift.
If you want to live in a condo like you lived in the US, it will cost you atleast a lakh per month
Most service providers and handymen will not be on time and will even be very blase about it.
Shopping for good quality veggies and fruits is a pain.
The fine line between a weekday and the weekend usually blurs.
Maids and cooks are supposed to be a convenience but they are usually a pain in the neck because you gotta supervise them and keep an eye on them.
Options for weekend breaks are very limited.
If Google Maps says you will reach a place in 6 hours, it will take anywhere between 10-16hours.
Sports facilities are pretty limited and the ones that are available are pretty expensive.
The gyms here are crappy and are usually in the basement of some house nearby. There are good ones but usually very far from where you live and the commute is just not worth it.
5kms of travel is like 25 miles of travel here.
If you have been out of India for more than 3+ years, and have not been here in the last 3 years, you will get THE STICKER SHOCK of your life when you get back.
Stuff has become frightfully expensive…some examples include petrol, wine, fine dining, movie tickets etc etc.
Basically, everything is available here but at a price. You can almost duplicate your US lifestyle but the cost will be directly similar to what it was in the US. The only difference will be a drop in your salary (And this is if you were living in NYC or SFO. If you are living in Dallas or somewhere in the midwest in a $800/2BR apartment, the fun will be even more)
Well, that’s the bad part.
Now to the good parts even though they may seem a bit vague
Its home and I feel more ‘alive’ here.
The food somehow tastes better.
There is a notional sense of freedom (like zipping on the expressway at midnight without worrying about a cop car on your back)
Its been almost 10 day since i moved back to India and a majority of that time has been spent house hunting. Its been harder than i thought it would be and the end doesnt seem to be near either.
Its been interesting however and here are some observations over the last 10 days:
1.) The heat is not as bad as i thought it would be. I guess if you come with an expectation of stepping into a burning oven but are greeted by stray showers and a pleasant breeze, 105 F doesnt feel that bad.
2.) Traffic is still a bitch and everyone is in a mad rush to get somewhere. While there is chaos in Gurgaon, its an absolute pleasure to drive in Delhi (thanks to the infrastructure buildup on account of the CWG games)
3.) The larger the car, the larger the chance that its driver will violate traffic rules (read, drive on the other side of the road, cut you off, no blinkers, and attempt to get into any space they can find to get ahead. )
4.) Most SUV’s seem to be owned by politicians or their ilk
5.) Stuff has become incredibly expensive. (e.g. a coconut on the roadside costs Rs 25, a plate of momos at Galleria market – Rs 70, etc etc)
6.) Craigslist does not work here for finding an apartment. There are 3 major real estate portals and almost all have the same format and listings by the same agents…almost none of the owners post on their own and nobody posts any pictures of the apartments. You have to go through a bevy of agents to find an apartment.
7.) The definition of a ‘good’ apartment varies from agent to agent and the decent ones are ridiculously priced( e.g Rs 35,000 for a 2 BHK in Richmond Park)
8.) The ‘good’ apartment complexes have ‘clubs’ – where there is a pool but it is usually non functional and a gym which is a small room with a few treadmills and some exercise equipment – And this is for a complex which has a couple of hundred apartments.
9.) 3G speeds on my phone remind me of the dial up era ( and i thought ATT was slow in NYC )
10.) The malls are a circus on the weekends and all the eateries seem to be doing brisk business
11.) Its easy to get used to a morning routine of chai and newspapers (the physical kind. Yes, newspapers are still alive and kicking and doing really well unlike the NYTimes)
12.) The amount of dust is unbelievable on account of the constant construction going on everywhere.
13.) FM radio stations are dime a dozen and they all seem to go on a commercial break at the same time (which can be quite irritating)
14.) The food somehow tastes better…e.g. the papayas are amazing here
15.) There are a large number of BMW’s and Audi’s on the road…and mercs seem to have become common place.
Now that i think about it, living in America can really spoil you.
Despite all this, i seem to be strangely at peace with myself. While it can get frustrating at times, it definitely does feel more alive here to be out and about. Lets hope this optimism continues
P.S: Regarding the title of this post, its because that genuinely seems to be the case. The ‘rich’ have the power to influence and improve the overall external conditions but they seem to be perfectly content living inside their gated colonies and air conditioned cars while the roads crumble, trash lies everywhere and the common man carries on.
My first job lasted 5 months. The second one lasted 3 months. After that, I decided not to get a job and instead start out on my own(Had started a design/ad agency). That lasted for 2 months and I was back to a third job at Cognizant. I promised myself that I would stick to it for at least 2 years.
Today, that promise has come true 2.5 times . Today is the day I complete 5 years at Cognizant.
It was on the 17th of April 2006 that I joined Cognizant at Bangalore…and its been a fun ride to the US so far…the pace of work and growth has been so rapid that five years seem to have gone by in the proverbial blink of an eye.
Its time now for another change. Leaving Cognizant and moving back to India at the end of this month to start out on my own. Lets hope though, this time around it lasts a bit longer than 2 months.
Incase you are curious, here is what I am thinking of next.
Just realised that a month has already gone by in 2011 and I hadn’t posted anything ‘new’ in the New Year.
A few weeks ago, had gone to Central Park after a snowstorm. Compared to what its like in spring and summer, the transformation was amazing…yet, there were quite a number of folks out and about…jogging, skiing, walking their dogs, sledging with their kids, and yes, there was this one guy who was taking a nap on one of the benches…i guess only in NYC would somebody take a nap in the freezing outdoors even though it was sunny(but still very very cold).
Check out some of the other pics here
Every time I come to india, it feels like coming to a different place. well almost.
One thing which has changed drastically is the Delhi airport.
To cut a long story short, it rocks.
Right from ample counters at immigration, to spacious baggage handling facilities, organized taxi and car lanes and clean restrooms, the whole place has a very ‘international’ feel with a very positive vibe.
And something else that caught my attention was the demeanor of the housekeeping staff. It was heartening to see smart young women go about doing their stuff and that too in supervisory roles.
While it’s def better planned and executed compared to the Bangalore and Hyderabad airports, there are a couple of shortcoming’s.
The entire gate area is covered in a gold/brown colored carpet with some random patterns. while it maybe easy to clean, its def an eyesore.
Auto rickshaws are not allowed at the airport. Not really sure why but it could have something to do with “security”.
And I guess there is a price to be paid for all the development which makes the food slightly expensive.
Yes, the tiny muffins that you see below cost Rs 100 each.
Even though I saw it very late at night and midday (and hence missed the peak morning hour chaos) I am pretty sure it works pretty well all day.
Overall, a pleasant surprise and kudos the the GMR group for doing a great job.
The first can be a matter of circumstance and may or may not be up to you.
The second is definitely up to you.
Very few of us are lucky enough to get both My good friend Andre Fanthome seems to be one of them
Image via
While walking around NYC, we came across this group of ‘posters’. They seem to have been posted by a group called ‘Concerned New Yorkers’
The basic aim seems to be to gather informal feedback if the mosque/community center should be built…and a majority of the people think it should be.
I guess its one of those things which happen ‘only in New York’.
Interesting comments though.
More pictures here:
New York is an amazing city. By night, it gets even more interesting.
So instead of sitting all night in a bar on a friday night, we (Esther, Roma and I ) decided to do some ‘Night Photography’.
After dinner at Cowgirl (which had amazing pulled pork but horrible BBQ ribs) on Hudson st, we spent the next hour or so walking down Bleeker, 8 th Avenue, and ultimately finishing up at 6th and 14th.
Here are some of the pics below… and yes, I did take a picture of a man peeing into a telephone booth. Unbelievable, but i guess its a ‘new yorkish’ thing to do
Most gyms have ’tissue wipes’ for wiping the treadmill / elliptical trainer clean after you are done using them.
Most people don’t bother using them and usually walk off.
Today, the guy on the elliptical finished a few minutes before me and was pottering around as his wife was still on the treadmill. He had ofcourse not bothered to wipe it clean.
After I was done, I wiped up my elliptical and moved to the weights area. The guy had seen me doing it, and i was wondering what he would do next.
Surprise !! He got some wipes and wiped his machine. He obviously was not a regular ‘wiper’ because it was already a good ten minutes since he had finished so I assume he did it because he saw me doing it.
I guess most folks dont do the ‘right’ stuff because either they are too lazy about it or it just doesnt strike them…(another example which is very aptly explained in this awesome ad here.)
So if you want some things to change, lead by example
