For expats living in India, the ride comes with bumps, finds out Akhil Kadidal
Tired and weary groups shuffle into the towering, banana yellow building on a busy Friday afternoon.
The sound of voices in the cramped front lobby are strange, a mixture of French spoken in African accents, English in European accents and an indecipherable union of a hundred accents and tongues thrown in together. A Kannada-speaking policeman straddles an assault rifle and seems tired of the voices around him.
Most of the people are young, well below 45, and nearly all carry some trace of foreign fashion. The building is the Bangalore branch office of the Government of India's Foreign Regional Registration Offices (FRRO), located on Indiranagar's Double Road. The individuals are members of Bangalore's expanding expat community who have come to renew visas or become officially registered with the Government. Nearly half are westerners; others are Africans, Middle Easterners and Asians.
Some argue with government staff, accusing officials of incompetence and rudeness. Others look worried, and still others seem resigned to wait for the bureaucratic red tape to unwind.
Those who have visited the guarded offices in the upper floor seem happy. Most will have to return, for being a registered, legal visitor in India is no easy thing. It is a long process, filled with unending forms and police clearances. But for many the difficult regulations are a necessary inconvenience to be endured.
"I came to India even though I had heard many negative things about it," said Iria Iglesias, an intern from Spain who recently renewed her visa for another six months. "I love it here because of the different cultures. When a person comes here, they are struck by how people try to be friendly, even though there is the stress of big-city life."
Roger Sebakwiye, from Rwanda, added that he chose India not only for its affordable education but for the chance to experience its culture. "India is a much more developed country than Rwanda and I was happy to come here. What is incredible is that there are so many ideologies, because though India has many religions and people, it is a lesson to the world on how to remain united," he said.
Iria and Roger are typical of the new generation of foreigners who have come to India to complete their education and gain work experience before returning home. Roger, who will go home in a year, is confident that everything that he has learned will help him find a good job in the future. For him and the rest, the lure is simple: jobs are easier to find in India's burgeoning economy. Plus, for non-native English speakers, there is the added advantage of improving language skills.
Eastern attraction
Expatriates largely come to India for economic reasons but others profess to being drawn by its mythical character. This quixotic quality has cut across distance most cogently through film and literature.
For Larissa Wohn, a German citizen employed in Whitefield, interest in India blossomed after reading Arvind Adiga's The White Tiger.
"The book was brutal and gave a rather bad view on India," she said. "But since that moment, the interest in India was there. I wanted to come and see if India is really like that. If there really is such a big difference between the rich and poor, and if what the book told me was true."
But Larissa had to mentally prepare herself for the task of living here. "Three people I talked to about India only told me bad things, so I had a bad image," she said. "They told me that auto drivers always charge foreigners too much money; that all the streets are dirty, that it rains all day and that people try to rip you off all the time. The first two days after I arrived, I was shocked at the garbage, about the different ideas of hygiene and at all the people staring at me. But soon I became used to it and started to see the beauty of the area, of my apartment and about the people."
But Larissa's complaint about different conditions and a lack of hygiene are hardly uncommon. For many, the reality of India does not correspond with readings or movies.
Manal Hamem, an expat from Baghdad, who came to India with her two children to escape sectarian violence in Iraq, said that she had watched Bollywood movies to understand the country's customs. "But it is clear that the movies are quite different from real life," she said, with a wry smile.
Eventually, most visitors undergo a sort of hedonic adaptation, the 1971 theory that human beings inevitably choose to return to a point of happiness, no matter how severe their situation. Stephan Stutterheim, a young German entrepreneur and businessman who has visited India five times over the last year and a half, said that coming to Bangalore now often feels like coming home.
"Bangalore is an enigmatic city because of its contrasts. On one side, it is cosmopolitan with really huge companies and fantastic buildings, but on the other hand, incredibly conservative, with people dedicated to their jobs and family," he said.
Like most people, Stephan adjusted. At his home in Berlin, he frequently had trouble sleeping because of traffic noise. A few weeks of living in India, however, amidst the constant noises of street life, he has no trouble sleeping in Berlin. "What I learned in India was that people can adapt, and to situations that they previously thought were impossible," he said.
Another expat who acclimatized so well that she now runs a successful business in the City is Ema Trinidad, the owner of Soft N Supple, a luxury spa in Indiranagar.
Ema, originally from the Philippines, has been in India for five years. She had come for a trade show but decided to stay on. "When I came to India, I discovered that was a huge market, with tremendous opportunity," she said.
Initially looking to open her spa in Mumbai, Ema soon balked at the idea. "Then I came to Bangalore, and fell in love with the weather and the climate. It is a growing city with a cosmopolitan spirit and also offered the perfect ambience for my spa, as there are many tree-lined streets here," she said.
But Ema, who has also done business in Dubai and Singapore, remains staggered by the opportunity here. Often, she carries a notebook to record business ideas from things she observes in everyday life. Recently, when the soles of a favourite shoe needed repair, she realised that local shoe-smiths often aggravated the damage.
"So it went down in the notebook," she said, with a small laugh. "In the Philippines, there is a wonderful chain of stores called Mr Quickie which repairs damaged footwear.
Here there is nothing similar and it poses a great business opportunity."
But India continues to be a love-hate relationship for international residents. For expats sent here by companies, India can be an exotic space that halts outside the walls of their gated communities. Maintained by company accounts that not only pay rent, but also school fees for their children and other expenses, their standard of living becomes even higher than in the west.
Few westerners have dreamed of a life in which you have your own maid, your own driver, and a gardener. Here there is a luxury to their life which they would not have normal access to if they were back at home, and in fact most don't want to leave, explained one expat entrepreneur.
For others coming here on their own, the added value of home currency is an attractive feature. "Everything is cheaper here, from food, to accommodation, to products," said Stephan. "Foreigners are able to afford things here that can be denied to us at home, and in many ways, one can live like a king here."
But for Belyse Ingabire, a pharmacy student from the African country of Rwanda, life has rough edges. As a student, she has little access to the corporate wealth or the insular life-style that most western professionals and their families enjoy in Bangalore.
"The city is not at all clean," she said. "Also, many people seem to have a mind which is not right. They especially seem to regard Africans as different, as if we do not belong here."
Another student, Mazin Abdelrahim, from conflict-torn Central Sudan, who studies medicine in Bangalore, complained of frequent prejudice. When attempting to take a bus to a nearby destination, he was ejected by the conductor for not having proper change.
"I even offered to give him all my money," Mazin said. "But here in India, they do not understand us, and obviously the situation can become difficult as misunderstandings develop which makes people angry and threatening."
Twine Cosmas, also from Rwanda, spoke of being harassed by the police whenever he rode his motorcycle.
"Often the police grabs you and demands money," he said. "Also, if there is an accident and even if it is a minor thing or if the other person has caused it, as soon as the people discover that you are from Africa, it becomes your fault. But for all the bad things that have happened there is much good, it is still a beautiful country."
Belyse also praised the kindness of many Bangaloreans which has often counteracted the negative behaviour of others. "I get much support from my neighbours and my Indian friends, so I have been able to adjust. Because of this I do not feel homesick at all," she said.
Mazin is also proud to be in India despite the challenges he has faced. In June 2011, he participated in a 10 kilometre marathon, reaching 197th place out of 5,000 competitors.
He is also happy to continue his education in a safe environment and displayed college pride when speaking about his varsity team which recently won the soccer champions for the third time in a row during the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Science sports meet.
But to live here, nearly all expats agreed that a tremendous reservoir of patience is needed. "A person needs to have a compelling reason to live in India because most things are a struggle," said Ema, who also manages the Bangalore Expat Circle. "For example, garbage is such a problem, but if everyone cleaned the space in front of their homes or shops, it would help."
But as Iria explained, "Even with traffic being chaotic and being exhausted by bargaining for everything or seeing animals running wild in the streets, or having ants at your place and cold water in the taps — sometimes these are just small annoyances. In the big picture, it is worth the final price of being able to experience this country."
"There is no one line to describe India," Ema added. "For a person to understand India, you have to live with it, because there is no other way."
Ema, who also attributes most of her success to India, revealed that most ordinary expats are grateful to be here. "Most of us came here with little and started with little and it has been a long road, but we all look forward to the future and see where we and this country go, together," she said.
Tired and weary groups shuffle into the towering, banana yellow building on a busy Friday afternoon.
The sound of voices in the cramped front lobby are strange, a mixture of French spoken in African accents, English in European accents and an indecipherable union of a hundred accents and tongues thrown in together. A Kannada-speaking policeman straddles an assault rifle and seems tired of the voices around him.
Most of the people are young, well below 45, and nearly all carry some trace of foreign fashion. The building is the Bangalore branch office of the Government of India's Foreign Regional Registration Offices (FRRO), located on Indiranagar's Double Road. The individuals are members of Bangalore's expanding expat community who have come to renew visas or become officially registered with the Government. Nearly half are westerners; others are Africans, Middle Easterners and Asians.
Some argue with government staff, accusing officials of incompetence and rudeness. Others look worried, and still others seem resigned to wait for the bureaucratic red tape to unwind.
Those who have visited the guarded offices in the upper floor seem happy. Most will have to return, for being a registered, legal visitor in India is no easy thing. It is a long process, filled with unending forms and police clearances. But for many the difficult regulations are a necessary inconvenience to be endured.
"I came to India even though I had heard many negative things about it," said Iria Iglesias, an intern from Spain who recently renewed her visa for another six months. "I love it here because of the different cultures. When a person comes here, they are struck by how people try to be friendly, even though there is the stress of big-city life."
Roger Sebakwiye, from Rwanda, added that he chose India not only for its affordable education but for the chance to experience its culture. "India is a much more developed country than Rwanda and I was happy to come here. What is incredible is that there are so many ideologies, because though India has many religions and people, it is a lesson to the world on how to remain united," he said.
Iria and Roger are typical of the new generation of foreigners who have come to India to complete their education and gain work experience before returning home. Roger, who will go home in a year, is confident that everything that he has learned will help him find a good job in the future. For him and the rest, the lure is simple: jobs are easier to find in India's burgeoning economy. Plus, for non-native English speakers, there is the added advantage of improving language skills.
Eastern attraction
Expatriates largely come to India for economic reasons but others profess to being drawn by its mythical character. This quixotic quality has cut across distance most cogently through film and literature.
For Larissa Wohn, a German citizen employed in Whitefield, interest in India blossomed after reading Arvind Adiga's The White Tiger.
"The book was brutal and gave a rather bad view on India," she said. "But since that moment, the interest in India was there. I wanted to come and see if India is really like that. If there really is such a big difference between the rich and poor, and if what the book told me was true."
But Larissa had to mentally prepare herself for the task of living here. "Three people I talked to about India only told me bad things, so I had a bad image," she said. "They told me that auto drivers always charge foreigners too much money; that all the streets are dirty, that it rains all day and that people try to rip you off all the time. The first two days after I arrived, I was shocked at the garbage, about the different ideas of hygiene and at all the people staring at me. But soon I became used to it and started to see the beauty of the area, of my apartment and about the people."
But Larissa's complaint about different conditions and a lack of hygiene are hardly uncommon. For many, the reality of India does not correspond with readings or movies.
Manal Hamem, an expat from Baghdad, who came to India with her two children to escape sectarian violence in Iraq, said that she had watched Bollywood movies to understand the country's customs. "But it is clear that the movies are quite different from real life," she said, with a wry smile.
Eventually, most visitors undergo a sort of hedonic adaptation, the 1971 theory that human beings inevitably choose to return to a point of happiness, no matter how severe their situation. Stephan Stutterheim, a young German entrepreneur and businessman who has visited India five times over the last year and a half, said that coming to Bangalore now often feels like coming home.
"Bangalore is an enigmatic city because of its contrasts. On one side, it is cosmopolitan with really huge companies and fantastic buildings, but on the other hand, incredibly conservative, with people dedicated to their jobs and family," he said.
Like most people, Stephan adjusted. At his home in Berlin, he frequently had trouble sleeping because of traffic noise. A few weeks of living in India, however, amidst the constant noises of street life, he has no trouble sleeping in Berlin. "What I learned in India was that people can adapt, and to situations that they previously thought were impossible," he said.
Another expat who acclimatized so well that she now runs a successful business in the City is Ema Trinidad, the owner of Soft N Supple, a luxury spa in Indiranagar.
Ema, originally from the Philippines, has been in India for five years. She had come for a trade show but decided to stay on. "When I came to India, I discovered that was a huge market, with tremendous opportunity," she said.
Initially looking to open her spa in Mumbai, Ema soon balked at the idea. "Then I came to Bangalore, and fell in love with the weather and the climate. It is a growing city with a cosmopolitan spirit and also offered the perfect ambience for my spa, as there are many tree-lined streets here," she said.
But Ema, who has also done business in Dubai and Singapore, remains staggered by the opportunity here. Often, she carries a notebook to record business ideas from things she observes in everyday life. Recently, when the soles of a favourite shoe needed repair, she realised that local shoe-smiths often aggravated the damage.
"So it went down in the notebook," she said, with a small laugh. "In the Philippines, there is a wonderful chain of stores called Mr Quickie which repairs damaged footwear.
Here there is nothing similar and it poses a great business opportunity."
But India continues to be a love-hate relationship for international residents. For expats sent here by companies, India can be an exotic space that halts outside the walls of their gated communities. Maintained by company accounts that not only pay rent, but also school fees for their children and other expenses, their standard of living becomes even higher than in the west.
Few westerners have dreamed of a life in which you have your own maid, your own driver, and a gardener. Here there is a luxury to their life which they would not have normal access to if they were back at home, and in fact most don't want to leave, explained one expat entrepreneur.
For others coming here on their own, the added value of home currency is an attractive feature. "Everything is cheaper here, from food, to accommodation, to products," said Stephan. "Foreigners are able to afford things here that can be denied to us at home, and in many ways, one can live like a king here."
But for Belyse Ingabire, a pharmacy student from the African country of Rwanda, life has rough edges. As a student, she has little access to the corporate wealth or the insular life-style that most western professionals and their families enjoy in Bangalore.
"The city is not at all clean," she said. "Also, many people seem to have a mind which is not right. They especially seem to regard Africans as different, as if we do not belong here."
Another student, Mazin Abdelrahim, from conflict-torn Central Sudan, who studies medicine in Bangalore, complained of frequent prejudice. When attempting to take a bus to a nearby destination, he was ejected by the conductor for not having proper change.
"I even offered to give him all my money," Mazin said. "But here in India, they do not understand us, and obviously the situation can become difficult as misunderstandings develop which makes people angry and threatening."
Twine Cosmas, also from Rwanda, spoke of being harassed by the police whenever he rode his motorcycle.
"Often the police grabs you and demands money," he said. "Also, if there is an accident and even if it is a minor thing or if the other person has caused it, as soon as the people discover that you are from Africa, it becomes your fault. But for all the bad things that have happened there is much good, it is still a beautiful country."
Belyse also praised the kindness of many Bangaloreans which has often counteracted the negative behaviour of others. "I get much support from my neighbours and my Indian friends, so I have been able to adjust. Because of this I do not feel homesick at all," she said.
Mazin is also proud to be in India despite the challenges he has faced. In June 2011, he participated in a 10 kilometre marathon, reaching 197th place out of 5,000 competitors.
He is also happy to continue his education in a safe environment and displayed college pride when speaking about his varsity team which recently won the soccer champions for the third time in a row during the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Science sports meet.
But to live here, nearly all expats agreed that a tremendous reservoir of patience is needed. "A person needs to have a compelling reason to live in India because most things are a struggle," said Ema, who also manages the Bangalore Expat Circle. "For example, garbage is such a problem, but if everyone cleaned the space in front of their homes or shops, it would help."
But as Iria explained, "Even with traffic being chaotic and being exhausted by bargaining for everything or seeing animals running wild in the streets, or having ants at your place and cold water in the taps — sometimes these are just small annoyances. In the big picture, it is worth the final price of being able to experience this country."
"There is no one line to describe India," Ema added. "For a person to understand India, you have to live with it, because there is no other way."
Ema, who also attributes most of her success to India, revealed that most ordinary expats are grateful to be here. "Most of us came here with little and started with little and it has been a long road, but we all look forward to the future and see where we and this country go, together," she said.