So, what does it feel like coming back to live and work in India (or more specifically, Delhi) after 10 years?
Normal? Exciting? Exhilarating? Strange? Puzzling? Shocking?
I would say it is a bit of everything.....and more.
But before I explain why, a bit of the background for those who don't know.
For the last 10 years, United Kingdom has been home to me and my wife. It was there that we set up our first home together and it was there that our daughter was born.
We visited India at least once every year, but it was more as a tourist than someone living here. We were taking time off work, while everyone else was leading their regular life.
Each visit highlighted each visit reminded us how separate our lives have become from people who we used to be best mates with. Apart from a handful of friends, most of our time in India was spent in the company of our parents or siblings.
That is the India our little daughter has seen. Each trip has been an endless series of introductions to numerous "Daadis" (Grandmas), "Babas" (Grandpas), "Naanis" (Grannies), "Buas" (Dad's sisters), "Mamas" (Mum's brothers) "Mausis" (Mum's sisters) and their offsprings.
Just to set the record straight, there aren't that many parents or siblings I or my wife have. My parents live in a housing society where people have long-standing associations and are treated as part of the family.
To a little one, used to first name associations, trying to work out why both genuine and fake (okay, make-believe!) Grandpas were called the same thing must have been puzzling. No wonder all that she would remember - after each of these trips - was that she had visited "Eendeea" and a few names that stuck.
For me and my wife, there was always a strong desire to come and work in India. So, when the opportunity presented itself in July 2009, I and my wife laboured over whether to take it up or not. Our biggest concern was for the little one. "Will we be forcing our choice on her? How will she cope with this change? Will she miss her friends at the nursery? Will she find new friends in Delhi? What kind of school should we send her to?"
Even after the decision was made, we took time to tell her that we will be moving to India for a year.
To our shock, she took it rather well. Within days, all her mates and the nursery staff knew of the move.
Even her favourite "Cooker" (the nursery chef) got to hear her "I am going to Eendeea......I am going to Eendeea" recitation.
Planning the move took nearly two months - most of it sorting out official paperwork and arrangements to ship some of our stuff.
We used the time to research two key questions facing us. Where do we stay in Delhi? And does this place have decent schools reasonably close by?
The first thing we reached out to was the internet. And it was soon obvious that like pornographers, estate agents have taken whole-heartedly to the internet.
After all, that's where the money is. The expats aren't walking the streets and into estate agents' office. They are treading the information highway and will pay a premium to anybody who can show the way.
So, armed with an email address, a mobile number and some good contacts in desirable neighbourhoods - a lot of people have become estate agents. And they are savvy enough to post the same property every day to make sure it features prominently on property-related websites.....even emerging ones like Craiglist (yes, it is relatively new in India)
To us, Nizamuddin East seemed a like good area - green, spacious and very close to work in Connaught place. It also had Delhi Public School, Modern School, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya and Air Force Bal Bharati in the catchment area.
So, guided by the assuring arm of Sage Internet, I made contact with an Estate Agent who had advertised a few properties in the area. To my carefully crafted email, came a single-line email - "What is your budget?"
When I told him the budget, he doubled that up as the going rent in the area. I wrote back, "You must be joking! Best of luck finding the person who will pay you that kind of money"
His response was immediate - "If you get something in your budget, let me know!"
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