AVB Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Looks like my shooting may be restricted for a while! I've been asked (well sort of told) to relocate to India (Delhi) for a couple of years. I've been an expat in other countries before (Singapore and HK) so have experience of being an expat and I visit India every three months but there is a big difference between Singapore/HK and India and also a big difference betwen visting a country and living in it. Anybody else on here lived in India? What was you experience? Would you do it again? Cheers Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr W Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Good luck, 2 weeks was enough for me, god I was ill, (eye of the needle and all that). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlistairB Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Same here, been a few times and always come back considerably lighter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raja Clavata Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 I spent 7 hours in Delhi yesterday without incident Nearly 24 hours in Chennai now, so far so good Personally I would have thought food is less of an issue for long term living here compared to other things like the heat, humidity and shocking traffic jams. I am planning on shedding a few pounds whilst here but am hoping that is through appetitie reduction due to the malaria tablets rather than anything sinister. ATB Raja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 went to goa afew years back, it was just like yarmouth only hotter.. streets covered in dog poo, and full of foreigners.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 its alright if you like curries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyr8 Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 you can live like a lord for your duration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raja Clavata Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 Well I'm still here. I understand Delhi is even more crowded than Chennai (not sure how it can be but there you go). I've now gone beyond the horror of the traffic /driving habits and am actually finding it amusing. Only seen one accident so far and that was minor. I had a full blown Keralan lunch in an establishment where I was the only non-Indian. Pretty good. In answer to your own question; given you have done the ex-pat ting and visit India on a regular basis I would have thought you are far better placed to answer your own question compared to the vat majority on here. FWIW - I'd pick somewhere like Nairobi way ahead of Chennai. There could be an opportunity for me to become a semi-permenant resident here but it ain't gonna happen 'cos the company would not pay the package I'd require to compensate for all the negatives. The air quality here is VERY poor. The traffic is ridiculous. My colleagues are very courteous but the general public are pretty darn rude. Looking forward to getting on the beach tomorrow and getting some rays and chilling. Maybe have a different view after that! BR Raja - the non-resident non-indian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted May 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 I'm not sure about living like a lord! You have that expectation don't you (I certainly did initially) but I have just been shown what my package would be. Housing allowance works out at £4,600 pm. Now you'd think that would be a mansion in India wouldn't you? I could get a pretty good place in the UK for £4,600 pm but no it looks like (looking on t'internet) it'll get you a decent 4 bed condo but not a reasonably sized house. It seems that the prices in Delhi are forced up by all of the diplomats. We've decide to go on a look/see trip in two weeks time to see the housing and schools first hand and then it'll be decision time. It may be I'll go on my own and commute back every month like a lot of guys who do time offshore etc. Can't be that bad can it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
100milesaway Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 On my first trip out there , i was advised by the stewardess not to use the loo's after the first hour on the plane. This was when the air sterwards used to do potty training on the videos. (I'm not joking). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verminator69 Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 Remember and put the toilet paper in the fridge. Good luck...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raja Clavata Posted May 15, 2010 Report Share Posted May 15, 2010 AVB, I'd assumed you had no kids or they had grown up. I would certainly not subject my kids to India long term. A month during the summer holidays to teach them a few lessons about life? - yes, perhaps, but not long term. I asked my colleagues here and they tell me the traffic in Delhi is even worse than Chennai, **** knows how that could be so but anyway, based on that I'd suggest you live within 5km of place of work maximum. A colleague here lives 20km away and I did the journey today and even on a Saturday it was ridiculous! ATB Raja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted June 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 AVB,I'd assumed you had no kids or they had grown up. I would certainly not subject my kids to India long term. A month during the summer holidays to teach them a few lessons about life? - yes, perhaps, but not long term. I asked my colleagues here and they tell me the traffic in Delhi is even worse than Chennai, **** knows how that could be so but anyway, based on that I'd suggest you live within 5km of place of work maximum. A colleague here lives 20km away and I did the journey today and even on a Saturday it was ridiculous! ATB Raja Well it look like it is on. Look/see trip went OK and wife thought it wasn't as bad as she had feared. Children were fine, liked the schools. Heat was difficult (48 degrees) but relatively low humidity so OK in the shade or in the pool! Have had to renegotiate housing allowance as the only place acceptable to my wife was above my allowance. My boss has accepted that. Traffic varies from OK to terrible. Just depends on time of day or whether a cow is walking down the highway! I'll be within 5Km of work so commute will be fine although the children will have a 40minute commute by bus. The school is up in the hills where the air quality is better so it compensates for the travel time. Interesting that you wouldn't subject your children to India Raja. IMHO I think Children benefit most from these kind of experiences. Opens their eyes to the world and makes them more balanced. As long as you keep their feet on the ground and don't let them get above themselves what with live in staff, driver, club membership etc. I have seen some snotty and spoilt expat kids (but they would probably be like that in 'real' life) but the majority are well balanced. Now I just need to find out about shooting in or around Delhi. It looks like shooting of any animal is illegal so I will be limited to clays. Haven't found anything on tinternet yet but there must be something around what with the Commonwealth Games in October (although you wouldn't believe it if you saw the amount of work to be done. I suspect our 2012 facilities are more advanced) and I thought that India were keen on Trap shooting (isn't the Olympic champion an Indian?) Just paid my year syndicate membership here though so will need to try to get back occasionally to take advantage of it! Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJN Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 AVB NRAI (National Rifle Assocation India) mentioend here :- http://indiansforguns.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&p=91834 good place to start !. M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlosdesilva Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 And to think i used to winge if i had to over night in Manchester!To have to up sticks and live in another country for a couple of years sounds quite an adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted June 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 And to think i used to winge if i had to over night in Manchester!To have to up sticks and live in another country for a couple of years sounds quite an adventure. Adventure yes. Also frightening. I'm starting to get palpitations thinking about it. We did it before before we had children (I had children from my first marriage but they stayed with the ex) and that was scary enough initially. The closer you get to departure date the scarier it gets. The thing is you think you are the only person in the world doing it but in reality there a thousands of people who do it. From all walks of life and background. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raja Clavata Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Andrew, I think I already stated short term exposure for the kids, yes, good experience for them but not long term (we are all different). Plus I guess I know it'd be a complete no no as far as the wife is concerned (I do listen to her sometimes). In your last post you also mention additional burden / worry with the kids? Stay on target mate I'm sure it'll be fine Please keep us posted, especially in regard to your experiences when you are out there. Best regards Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight32 Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 I'm not sure about living like a lord! You have that expectation don't you (I certainly did initially) but I have just been shown what my package would be. Housing allowance works out at £4,600 pm. Now you'd think that would be a mansion in India wouldn't you? I could get a pretty good place in the UK for £4,600 pm but no it looks like (looking on t'internet) it'll get you a decent 4 bed condo but not a reasonably sized house. It seems that the prices in Delhi are forced up by all of the diplomats. We've decide to go on a look/see trip in two weeks time to see the housing and schools first hand and then it'll be decision time. It may be I'll go on my own and commute back every month like a lot of guys who do time offshore etc. Can't be that bad can it? I was never in Delhi, but spent 5 months a few years ago on a Hydro project up country. I have to say there was some real poverty, and until some sort of decent subsistance and facilites were sorted out for us I spent 90% of the time ill. Sanitation and just about everthing else was pretty grim. I could have gone back on other jobs there over the years but alway gave it a wide berth. I think with your relocation it will be fine, as it seems take into consideration of your families welfare. Regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashbiker Posted October 3, 2010 Report Share Posted October 3, 2010 Get connected and you would love the place! The pace with which things are happening there, that's where people would be going to in the next decade! Watch this: ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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