Clinical research: From laboratory to life

Published in DH Education, July 29, 2010

A student who has a BSc, BPharm, MBBS or BDS degree can apply for an MSc in clinical research, writes Sriranjitha Jeurkar
 
It’s not just the doctor who plays a role in treating those who are sick, and help them get better. Every drug that is prescribed — even if it something as simple as an aspirin —  reaches the patient only after an enormous amount of money, time, effort and manpower has been put into it to make sure that it is effective, safe and fit for human consumption. If you want to help improve medical treatment and healthcare, then clinical research could be the field for you.Clinical research is the branch of medicine that determines the safety and effectiveness of medication, medical devices, diagnostic products and treatment for human use. It includes the study of new drugs, devices, vaccines,and other tools used to improve healthcare and medical treatment. Most of these trials are conducted before the medicine is released into the market, and also after the launch of the product, to monitor the efficacy and side-effects.

Since these drug trials involve the participation of human subjects, there are several scientific, medical, ethical and legal guidelines that need to be followed to make sure that the subjects participating in the trials get maximum benefit and safety.

Market scenario

All new vaccines, diagnostic products, medical devices, biotechnology products are considered new drugs, and have to undergo rigorous testing before they are launched. “Clinical trials are important since they help to predict the biological effects and toxicity of a new drug which cannot be directly extrapolated to humans due to species differences. The only way to know the actual effects of a drug in human beings is through trials. Well- designed trials, conducted based on sound scientific principles and standards (Good Clinical Practice), generate good quality data for interpretation and regulatory approval,” says Shiv Raman Dugal, Chairman, Institute of Clinical Research India (ICRI).

In India now, there is a demand for researchers, with companies conducting a majority of trials here. According to J Sudhir Pai, Managing Director of the Lotus Clinical Research Academy, the Indian market for clinical trials is growing at approximately 30 per cent annually. “India’s scientific pool, improving medical infrastructure and cost competitiveness is increasing its influence and positioning in the global scenario,” he adds.

Eligibility

Any student who has a BSc, B Pharm, MBBS or BDS degree can sign up for an MSc in clinical research.

Those with a degree in pharmacy, medicine, life sciences, biotechnology and bio-sciences have an advantage. Many institutes that offer courses in clinical research have screening tests and interviews to select their students. Students who complete their degrees from recognised institutes stand to earn between Rs 1.5-3 lakh as they start out. For those with a Master’s degree and relevant work experience, the starting salary is likely to be higher. The annual increments are in the range of 25-30 per cent, and there is plenty of scope for growth. “Clinical research is an industry where experience counts, thus the longer you are in this field; higher the salary you can expect,” explains Shiv Raman Dugal.

Research associate to manager

The most common entry-level position is that of a Clinical Research Associate (CRA). The CRA is responsible for planning and implementing all activities that are needed to monitor clinical trials, and ensure that good clinical practices are followed. The CRA also assists in preparing presentations.

A Biostatician performs statistical programming, and design and analysis for clinical trial projects. He/she will also have to co-ordinate, provide statistical analysis, summaries and reports of studies.

A Clinical Research Manager supervises the design and writing of protocols, case report forms and informed consent forms for clinical trials.

There are other positions too, such as Clinical Research Coordinator, Business Develop-ment Manager, Clinical Research Investigator, Clinical Data Manager etc.
Students can also be placed with IT firms which are now venturing into clinical data management, medical writing and biostatistics.

Bright prospects

According to a recent report, the Clinical Research Industry in India is expected to touch Rs 5,000 crore by 2010, and will generate employment for 50,000 people in the next few years.

This also is one of the few industries not affected by recession or economic slump. Many pharmaceutical and clinical research organisations are increasingly choosing countries like India to conduct their clinical trials.

Those with a degree in clinical research have several options. But those in the industry say that the fulfil-ment is what makes them tick.

Courses and institutes

There are several institutes in India which have courses in Clinical Research.

*ICRI, which has campuses in Delhi, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Dehradun, offers a two-year, full-time Master’s course in Clinical Research with an MBA, MSc in Clinical Research, a one-year part time PG Diploma in Clinical Research, and a PhD in Clinical Research. The institute also has several diploma courses at the UG-level, including those for doctors and nurses.

*Lotus Clinical Research Academy, Bangalore, in association with Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi offers MPharm in Clinical Research and MS in Clinical Research and Pharmacovigilance.

*The Bombay College of Pharmacy offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral programmes of study in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

*Cliniminds Academy for Clinical Research Training & anagement offers various courses at the PG-level.

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Click and connect: How to fund your education

Published in DH Education, July 22, 2010

 

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How to fund your education
Sriranjitha Jeurkar, July 22
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
CLICK & CONNECT: Students can now apply online for a loan and fill in forms on a website. Within 24 hours, they will receive an e-mail informing them whether they are eligible for the financial assistance, writes Sriranjitha Jeurkar
 
Do you need a bank loan for your education, but find yourself stymied because you have no collateral? Are you tired of running around, filling up stacks of forms and arranging for documents without assistance? Are you applying for a short-term course and can’t find a bank that will lend you the money? Do you want someone who will help you with the process of applying for a loan and arranging for funds? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, don’t fret.Credila, a non-banking financial organisation, can arrange for your loan if you’re pursuing your undergraduate or graduate studies; if the course is short-term or long-term; and for courses in India or abroad.

The promoters of Credila hit upon this idea when they realised that students of a medical school run by them were unable to procure loans; this led them to research the education loan industry, and they discovered that for every hundred students who apply for the loan, there are 80 who don’t end up getting any financial aid. In some cases, the applications are rejected because the student’s family has no proof of income; in some cases, because they have no property to put up as collateral security. In some cases, the loans were sanctioned on paper, but the students got no money.

Criteria for disbursement

Credila, which started disbursing loans two years ago and is now a division of HDFC, aims to help applicants who cannot conform to certain bank norms. The company assesses the student’s application on several factors: his or her past educational records, and the type of institute the student plans to attend; the co-borrower’s credit worthiness; and the collateral.

According to bank rules, any loan of more than Rs 4 lakh is given only on the basis of 100 per cent collateral, but here, the company makes an exception for students depending on their academic background and potential. Unlike the case in other loans, those applying for a loan with Credila do not have to visit the branch.

Students can apply online for a loan, fill in some forms on the website and provide the necessary information.

Within 24 hours, the applicant will receive an e-mail telling him/her whether he/she is eligible for the financial assistance.

The applicant is informed about the documents that have to be submitted, and any queries are answered over the telephone. When the applicant’s documents are ready, a representative of Credila picks up the documents. The applicant gets a conditional sanction within 15 days.

Successful applicants will receive 100 per cent of their tuition fee and up to 75 per cent of their living expenses. This also means that students do not always need to have the margin money in their accounts before the loan is sanctioned.

Students who are travelling abroad can also borrow the money for their travel expenses.
The rate of interest begins at 9.75 per cent and can vary from case to case, depending on co-borrower, the college the student plans to attend, and the collateral being put up. Loans are also given to working professionals who want to attend short-term, weekend or evening courses.

Innovative and accessible

“We have noticed that most education loan defaulters do so because they are placed abroad, and it becomes a hassle for them to visit the branch where the loan was taken, and pay it every month. To make sure this doesn’t happen, we offer online repayment of the loan,” says Dinesh Gehlot, Assistant Vice President, Credila.

In case of genuine problems like unemployment, or family crises, the organisation extends the time loan term on humanitarian grounds. The organisation now plans to create a platform with recruiters to help students get a job, and enable them to repay the loan amount. For more information, log on to www. credila.com.

Highlights

* Home delivery and pick-up of documents
* Online transactions for repayment; online status tracking available
* Co-borrower need not always be a blood relative; extended family and friends can be the co-borrowers in some cases
* Applicant does not need an account with Credila to obtain a loan
* Loans can be arranged even in absence of collateral
* Rate of Interest varies from 9.75 per cent to 12.25 per cent depending on the co-borrower, collateral and the institute the student plans to attend
* Loans given to working professionals for short-term/ evening courses
* Maximum tenure can be up to 120 months

 

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Could you ever top this?

Published in Deccan Herald’s Living supplement, 4 July, 2010

WOW before the VOWS Should a marriage proposal be a grand romantic gesture or a spur-of-the-moment move? Young couples share tips on popping the question with Sriranjitha Jeurkar

 

Tom Cruise asked Kate Holmes atop the Eiffel Tower; Hrithik Roshan popped the question to Susanne by slipping a ring into her coffee cup; Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai’s special moment came when they were at JFK Airport;  Shah Rukh Khan looked all over Bombay, found Gauri on a beach, where he asked her the question…yes, we’re talking about marriage proposals.

Most women have probably dreamt about hearing the four magic words: ‘will you marry me?’ and fantasised about how they would like their man to ask them the question. Some would prefer a lavish, extravagant gesture, while some others would prefer to be asked over a private, romantic evening.

Danielle’s story is probably every girl’s dream come true. She had been dating Naveen for five years. And two days before her sister’s wedding, busy as she was, she didn’t suspect a thing when Naveen asked her out to dinner. “In fact, I was so busy and I didn’t want to go, but Naveen convinced me,” she recalls. She did agree to meet him eventually, only to be irritated by the fact that he seemed to be on the phone throughout. Later, by about midnight, Naveen suggested they go out for a stroll on the beach.

“There was bright light coming from one corner, and there were many people gathered around it. I walked towards it, and saw that there were a lot of candles arrenged to say ‘Dan, will you marry me?’. I turned around to look at Naveen, and saw he had a ring in hand, asking me the same question,” she says.

Her husband Naveen says that it was a spur-of-the-moment thought that made him set up an elaborate proposal. “I had decided to propose, but I also wanted my proposal to be unusual and impressive. I was driving around, looking for a ring when I thought about it.”

Of course it wasn’t easy. With not much advance planning, Naveen found out that he needed help; luckily two of his friends agreed to help light the candles — 200 of them. At the last moment, they figured out that they didn’t have enough, and had to go looking for candles at 11 pm! They also had to deal with curious onlookers, and the wind that kept blowing the candles out.

“Sometimes, surprises don’t need a lot of planning, hard work or big money… and this was one of those! She just wasn’t set up to expect anything and that’s what made it even more priceless! She seemed like the happiest person on the planet and that’s what made it totally worth it. I was happy that it came together quickly and was quite original. I became quite a hero for a while, especially with her family. People still talk about it to this day,” he grins.

For Danielle, it was the most special moment in her entire life. “I had tears in my eyes. It was very overwhelming. I could see that the candles kept going out, and they had to keep relighting them…must have been a lot of work. They had used 229 candles, and I still have one of them.”

No…or do you mean yes?

Naveen acted on a spur-of-the-moment idea and worked on it to make it a grand, romantic gesture. Most women believe that their significant other should go all out to create such a moment that both of them can remember as being, officially, the beginning of their relationship.

But the definition of ‘special’ varies. In many cases, the partner has to plan the surprise carefully, considering what the other person would like. “I was commitment-phobic, and in my case,  if I’d seen a ring, I would have fled,” says Swetha, a media professional from Chennai.

So, the first time her boyfriend Ganesh proposed to her, she turned him down because she suspected he was kidding. A week later, she had to go to his city, where he took her out shopping. Later, he took her to a coffee shop, where proposed to her again. This time, he assured her that he was not trying to pressurise her into a commitment; rather, that he was willing to wait till she came to a decision. This did the trick, and Swetha found herself thinking about what he said. Ten days later, when they met in her city, she was ready; she turned down a foreign assignment, to marry him a few months later.

Keep it private or make it grand?

While Ganesh agrees that the proposer should spare no effort in making it a special ‘occasion’, he has a tip: “There should be a personal touch. What we see in the movies is not always the best way to propose!”

There’s one rule to be followed: keep in mind your partner’s beliefs and preferences. Take the case of Ruhi and Amar. Amar had to propose to Ruhi thrice before she said ‘yes’ all because he didn’t do it the way she liked! “The first two times, he said, ‘Will you marry me?’ We had been best friends for years, and I wanted to see more spark, more confidence!”

Finally, one afternoon, he sent her an SMS, ‘I’ve decided to marry you.Period’. “I’d said no twice, so this time, I guess, he decided for both of us,” chuckles Ruhi.

Virtual proposal

With SMS proposals in vogue, can internet proposals be far behind? Another person who received a curt no to his question — this time, on the net — was Pratham. His girlfriend Gauri says she was taken aback when he asked her, on chat, to marry him. “To this day, I tell anyone that if he was in front of me at the time, I would have beaten him black and blue,” she says. But Pratham convinced Gauri that he was serious and brought her around to saying ‘yes’.

Gauri says the abruptness of the question took her by surprise. “We were chatting about labour issues in 17th Century England when he typed in  ‘I want to marry you, Will you marry me? What do u say?’ No ‘I love you’ or any such preface.. nothing.”

Pratham argues that he was being spontaneous! On a serious note, he adds that he had given the proposal serious thought.

Things can go wrong

If you’re planning to pop the question, be prepared for things going wrong. Or if you’re expecting a proposal, be careful and attentive.

Deepthi, a software engineer from Bangalore, speaks from experience. “It was my birthday. My boyfriend Sanjeev arrived with a small jewel box in his hand. Upset that Sanjeev had not attended my midnight birthday party, I was rather cool with him. When I saw him with the box in hand, I was expecting a formal proposal, so I kept saying ‘yes, yes, yes’! It turned out that he was just wishing me a happy birthday! I was so embarrassed!”

Sanjeev, of course, claims that it was an engagement ring all right. “Once, she slipped the ring on, it would mean she’d accepted the unspoken proposal,” he says. “We’ve been married six months and I  tease her about the incident to this day,” he says.

The perfect proposal

The perfect proposal isn’t easy to plan; and like in some of these stories, the big moment can just be ruined if you forget to take into account your partner’s point of view. Don’t forget to make this experience a special one; most women agree that while they wouldn’t mind being proposed to in private, the man should make that extra effort to add that personal touch, and make the woman want to say ‘yes’.

And for all you men out there, if the idea of proposing marriage gives you the jitters, take heart from the story of a young man who was extremely nervous, and couldn’t bring himself to ask his girl the all-important question. His future mother-in-law had to bail him out by proposing on his behalf. The man was none other than Edmund Hilary, conqueror of the Everest!

Do’s and Don’ts

* If you’re unsure about the answer, keep it low-key. The YouTube video of a man who asked his girlfriend to marry him on court during the halftime session of an NBA game, only to be humiliated by her rejection, is still doing the rounds. Making it grand and public will not only make you tense, but it also puts a lot of pressure on the girl, to say ‘yes’.

*  Take into account what she would like; if she’s a private person, then she wouldn’t appreciate being proposed to in the middle of a restaurant. If she likes extravagance and grand gestures, she’s more likely to appreciate it.

*  Keep in mind whether she would want to pick a ring, or would like you to choose one yourself. If you need help choosing, take along her mother or friend — someone who knows her tastes well.

*  Be creative, but be simple. If you’re the nervous sort, you don’t want to keep making complicated arrangements which will make you even more tense.

*  Do your homework. Before proposing, talk to her and see whether she wants to spend her future with you; discuss marriage and plans for the future. But keep the proposal a surprise, there’s nothing like it!

*  If you think it’ll make you nervous, practise what you’re going to say beforehand, so you won’t be at a loss for words.

*  Don’t just say, ‘Will you marry me?’ Tell her why you want her to.

*  She may be surprised by your proposal, and not say ‘yes’ immediately. Give her some time to think about it, and be prepared to wait.

The best proposals

Sigh! Here are some of the most romantic proposals.

* Singer Seal flew Heidi Klum to the Canadian rockies by helicopter; he’d arranged for an igloo to be built specially for the occasion, and it had a bed, food and champagne. That’s where he asked her to marry him.

*  David Arquette proposed to Courteney Cox (of FRIENDS fame) on a beach in Florida. Arquette had arranged to have fireworks go off above them as he asked her the question.

*  In one of the rare girl-asks-boy cases, singer Pink proposed to her boyfriend Carey Hart, a motor racer, at one of his races, by holding up a ‘Will you marry me’ sign as he drove past; the next time he passed by, she’d added, ‘I’m serious’. He dropped out of the race, went to her, and said ‘yes’.

*  Music Executive Jordan Bratman wanted to make the proposal as special as possible for his girlfriend Cristina Aguilera — he arranged for rose petals, balloons and gifts in their hotel room. Each gift had an accompanying poem addressed to Aguilera. The final gift was — of course — an engagement ring.

…and the most bizarre!

The internet is full of tales of people who have proposed marriage differently — and we don’t mean that in a good way! Here are some of the strangest.

* A man from Raleigh, NC, popped the question to his girlfriend in front of his dead brother’s casket  because he said that his brother would have liked very much if he got married!

*  A blogger from the United States writes about how a man approached her and told her he wanted to marry her because he had ‘reviewed the attributes’ of the women he knew, and she had the highest score. Needless to say, she turned him down.

* A couple who were vacationing in Hawaii decided to go snorkelling. The man decided to pop the question, ring and all, when they were underwater. The excited girlfriend swallowed a lot of water, and her boyfriend had to rescue her from drowning!

*  A man from Oregon set himself on fire, jumped into a pool, and then asked his girlfriend to marry him.

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Novel by nature

 Published in Deccan Herald’s She supplement, 11 July 2010
It was almost by accident that Tania Khosla entered the field of graphic design. She had originally enrolled for a course in the liberal arts, intending to study Economics or Computer Science.  However, when she took some art classes, she realised that was where her heart lay. “After that, I began spending time in the art studio, pretending that I was an economics major, but ultimately graduated in fine art,” she says. But it was when she got involved with a literary magazine that she realized her true calling. “I became the editor and creative director. I figured out that I enjoyed the experience of content and design.”

An internship she did at the Guggenheim Museum further convinced her that this was where her future lay. She then pursued her graduate degree at Yale, and then came to India to set up her own design firm. Tania, who originally hailed from Kolkata, found her next choice easy — she chose to set up her business, TSK Design, in Bangalore in 1997. “Bangalore was burgeoning then. There were lots of work opportunities. The crowd was young and cosmopolitan, and the weather was great. In those days, it was less congested than the other cities in India,” she recalls.

That said, it wasn’t too easy to set up a graphic design firm in India, at a time when most people thought design was synonymous with advertising. Tania says she had to frequently explain to people that while graphic design was rather similar to advertising in some respects, it was poles apart when it came to some others. The other challenge lay in hiring people for her firm; few schools had graphic design courses, and the quality of graduates was not great. So she decided to teach at Srishti, and follow a ‘teach them and hire them’ policy.

Exciting times

With the markets opening up, companies slowly realised the need to  get more professional, international branding. “The difficulty and the excitement lay in the context. It was exciting to be able to turn around the image of companies that had existed in the country for a long time, and project them as being world-class,” she says.

Today, as an established designer, there are some things the 40-year-old is particular about, and these have probably been the major contributors to her success: she refuses to take on too many projects at a time; does thorough design development, research and analysis before getting into the designing aspect; and refuses projects with clients who want her to hurry through the process.

Her meticulousness and insistence on thorough research has seen her win many awards including the Better Interiors Excellence Award for Graphics Designer of the Year (2007) and the Bradbury Thompson Memorial Prize for Excellence in Graphic Design (1996). She has exhibited her work at several prestigious shows and galleries across the world.
Her firm has also designed a typeface called Curry — a combination of Devanagari script and the Latin Uncial, which is designed as if written with a reed pen.

This typeface has been showcased at Experimenta Design Lisbon, an exhibition that showcases experimental works of art.

Striking a fine balance

There aren’t too many working women who can claim to have struck the right balance between work and family — Tania is one of the lucky few. She is a hands-on mother of two who makes sure that her children’s lunches are packed and they are dropped to school and she picks them up from the bus stop when they return. “It’s not very easy to arrive at such a balance,” she admits. “I’ve been overwrought and super stressed out, dealing with home matters at office, and office work at home. I would be too distracted, and could pay attention to neither.”

The trick, she says, is in compartmentalising her time and ensuring that she gives her hundred per cent to whatever she does at the moment. So if she’s packing lunchboxes and sending her children off to school early in the morning, she’s working steadily till they’re back from school, and making sure she doesn’t attend to any personal matters or phone calls till she leaves at four. At four, she picks up her children from the bus stop and spends her time with them till they go to bed. Late evenings and nights are spent working from home.

Of course, having a support system in place helps. “My husband is probably my biggest support. We make sure that there is always one parent with the kids, when the other has to go out of town,” she says.

Tania takes pride in the fact that her best work has come from her collaborations with her husband, architect Sandeep. This, because they know each other’s working styles. “We make no bones about telling each other something may not work.  But the risk is that we bring work home, and the compartmentalisation blurs a little. When we were building our new home, Sandeep told me, you’re the worst client ever, because I was so particular,” she chuckles. “But now, the house is finished, and it truly expresses our personalities and the way we live.”

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‘Give the girls a fighting chance’

 
MAKING ROOM FOR CHANGE John Wood believes change starts with educated children.World change starts with educated children. That is the belief that Room to Read — a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting education — was founded upon.

Room to Read recently tied up with the third edition of the Indian Premier League. How has the tie-up helped?

Our partnership with the Indian Premier League (IPL) has special significance because it  enabled us to bring the issue of illiteracy to the forefront of the national consciousness. With IPL’s backing, we are challenging the captive audience of cricket-lovers around the world to recognise the gravity of the issues India faces around literacy. We hope to inspire them to get involved to empower the true beneficiaries of this partnership — the millions of children in India who have a right to a high-quality education.

What are the challenges faced by Room to Read in India? How do you tackle these challenges?

Of the world’s illiterate people, approximately 35 per cent live in India, and, unless drastic measures are taken to address the issue, it’s estimated that by 2020 that figure will skyrocket to over 50 per cent. What’s more, there is a serious gender disparity in education.  Our team in India is working towards strengthening the Union government’s efforts to meet its goal of providing quality elementary education for all children.  In addition, we hire local staff who are personally vested in their nation’s educational progress and we empower them to make key programmatic decisions within their country.

India’s primary education system faces many problems — high dropout rate, lack of infrastructure, and teaching staff, etc. There are also different languages each region. How will these be tackled?

While there are indeed several challenges to working in a country like India, we continuously evolve our programming to address the needs of each country. We also understand the complexity of working in a multi-lingual, pluralistic country like India — which is why we introduced our Local Language Publishing programme in India, in 2005.
The books we publish are written by local authors and illustrated by local artists to ensure the content is culturally relevant and in a language they are familiar with.

One of RTR’s aims is gender equality in education. In India, particularly in the rural areas, education for the girl child is not really a priority. How can this situation be improved?

Studies have shown that when a girl is educated there is a direct link to a range of positive outcomes, including decreased child and maternal mortality rates; increased eventual wages; improvement of child nutrition and overall family health; and increased likelihood of educating the next generation.  That’s why our Girls’ Education program aims to keep girls in school by covering the direct costs of school attendance  — school fees, textbooks, uniforms, and other school supplies — as well as contributing to transportation, room and board, immunisations, medical check-ups, and tutoring. We provide mentoring and life skills training that are designed to provide the support the girls need to continue their schooling and negotiate key life decisions beyond the classroom.

Despite the diversity of cultures in which we work, there seems to be one universal truth — parents want the best for their children. We are seeing definite progress toward engaging parents and communities in recognising the value of educating girls. Take for example our project in Alwar, where our intervention has influenced a Muslim community to take pride in sending their girls to schools. In fact, the first girl in that village to reach Grade 9 is one of our scholars.

What are the organisation’s plans in India?

We know there is an immense need for our work within India and Karnataka is high on the list. We have identified Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as our next priority; but this will be in a phased manner, as it depends on the availability of funding to sustain our programs in these states.
 
There are already many NGOs that work in the education sector. How do RTR’s efforts differ from theirs?

We are run like a business, and that really sets us apart. We are extremely cautious and transparent about how our funds are deployed, and we maintain an efficient overhead to ensure that at least 80 per cent of our funding goes directly to our work. Our model has proven to be scalable and sustainable, which means we are able to impact more children at a faster rate and long-term.

What is RTR’s plan for India over the next few years?

By the end of 2010, Room to Read in India aims to establish 850 more libraries, add 700 more girls to our Girls’ Education program (bringing the total number to over 2,700), and publish 18 new titles, including two new languages: Chhattisgarhi and Jharkhandi.

India is at the forefront of the expansion of our programmes to include working with teachers on enhancing reading instruction in the classroom. Additionally, we will expand our work in girls’ education. What all this means is that future generations of children in India will have doors of opportunity open to them that otherwise would not exist without the benefit of an education.

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Equal opportunity for all

Published in Deccan Herald’s Education Supplement,

LEVEL PLAYING FIELD  The MoU between Dayananda Sagar Institutions and TeamLease is aimed at giving all students an equal chance at recruitment. Dayananda Sagar Institutions, Bangalore and TeamLease Solutions, a professional placement agency, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding, through which TeamLease will facilitate placements at the college. Companies for the campus recruitment process at Dayananda Sagar will now be brought in by TeamLease.

The MoU is aimed at giving all students an equal chance at recruitment — irrespective of whether they have performed well in their exams.

The emphasis is also on placing students who have scored below 65 per cent, and would otherwise find it difficult to get a job during campus placements. “The idea is to help get jobs for students who have not scored so well in their exams,” says Mrudula P, Manager (Sourcing), TeamLease.

The process follows a method slightly different to the normal placement procedure. Grades are not revealed to prospective employers right at the beginning. Instead, the grades of the students are given to the recruiter only after candidates are shortlisted.
“Initially, the client meets the student and matches him or her with the job. This is done first, then the grades are shared, mostly as a record,” Mrudula explains.

The management of Dayananda Sagar feels that such a tie-up is beneficial to students, particularly those who have not scored very high in the examinations. “There are many students who are intelligent and smart but may not have scored the cut off percentage specified by certain employers. We want to help such students get jobs. Another advantage of a tie-up with professional placement agency is that many employers will simultaneously be present on campus and students get the opportunity to be tested and evaluated by many employers,” says  Prof B Thyagaraja, Director of HR, QA & Placement.

As many as 850 students participated in a job fair organised by TeamLease on the DSI campus recently. Online and written tests were administered, and interviews conducted. The institution is confident of getting a good response from the recruiters. The management says that the tie-up will help them achieve 100 per cent placement, which can be a tough task otherwise.

TeamLease has conducted similar campus recruitment processes in MBA colleges in Varanasi and Orissa.

“The college is at an advantage because we have a good reach — we have many clients looking to recruit young people. We’ve already built a rapport with our clients, so co-ordinating is easier,” says Mrudula.

Companies like Volkswagen, Mphasis BPO, IBM Daksh, JVS Electronics and Permeative Technologies participated in recruitment process.

 “The DSI management has set itself a target of 100 per cent placement of its students and hence sought the support of TeamLease Services. TeamLease has an all India presence and a large clientele, many of whom may not insist on 65 per cent marks scored, but focus more on ‘on-ground’ assessment and actual performance of the student,” adds Prof Thyagaraja.

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Sensory overload? They’re lovin’ it

Published in Deccan Herald’s Living Supplement, 15 May 2010

These days, when Rudolf Eichele cooks for close friends, he likes to try new combinations: fries served with dal makhni, or dosas stuffed with ham and cheese. These are just a few of the dishes Eichele — a German national who is now the Executive Chef at the Leela Palace Kempinski, Bangalore — has been inspired to create by the country he now lives in. “I also make tomato shorba, and serve it with rice and chicken tikka. At first, my friends used to think it was very strange, but all these recipes have been received very well,” he says.

Eichele’s Indo-Western recipes best tell the story of a person who is German by birth, but feels quite at home in India. The combination is unconventional, strange, and startlingly apt.

Eichele is one of the many expatriates who have chosen to work in India — some are here to explore the country, some for ‘new experiences’ and some others, to learn more the country of their origin. The fact that the recession hasn’t hit India as badly as it has the Western countries also seems to be an important factor — like it was for Vir Kashyap, a person of Indian origin, who was born in Dubai and has lived in several countries, including Canada, Spain and the United States. “This is a place that has high growth and many business opportunities. It’s exciting to be here; the growth is not slow or quiet, like it is in the United States now. Though I have never lived in India, I am of Indian origin, so I felt it would be advantageous to live here,” he says.

Many expats say that the announcement of their decision to move to India fetched them unfavourable responses at first. Kashyap, who is now the COO for the babajobs.com portal in Bangalore, remembers how his friends tried to convince him that it was not a good idea. “I got these responses from people who had been to India over 20 years ago, and who didn’t have a good idea of what the country is like now. But that’s what they believe India is like,” he recalls.

Rienke van  Niewland, a social scientist from Holland who moved here with her husband two-and-a-half years ago, remembers that her friends reacted negatively. “They said, why do you want to go there, it’s smelly, crowded and backward. Which of course, for parts it is, but they have never experienced the other side of India.”

Culture curry

The one thing most expats say that no amount of research and information could prepare them for is the sheer number of people in India. Tom Murphy and his family first visited India in 2006 before deciding to move here. He remembers his first impressions of India: “We were struck by the huge number of people here.”

Bombay-born German national Andrew Hendrian, who returned to India with his family after living abroad for 27 years, says that his wife (who is German) had a tough time getting used to seeing a huge number of people, even in small spaces. “That is the biggest culture shock. And in fact, even though I am from India, I was taken aback when I returned here. I remember the last time I went to Germany on work, and I wanted to ask someone directions to the nearest restaurant. I had to wait twenty whole minutes for someone to come by. In India, that would never happen,” he says.

Life in a new country comes with its own adjustments;  some adapt more easily but others take more time. The Murphys (who moved to India with their kids, who were then aged 4 years, 2 years and 18 months old) say that they took only three months to completely settle into their new lives. “And now that we are back in Minneapolis, we miss our Indian friends and family everyday!”

Expats, whose workplaces co-ordinate their move, find that it’s a smooth ride; others, who have to arrange things for themselves, find that it’s not so easy. “There is no timing here. You can never ask why, when or how things will happen. Things can go very fast, or they can go very slow. You have to be very patient and hopeful- that is the key,” says Jean Michel Jasserand, a Frenchman who has set up an Italian restaurant in Bangalore.
In many cases, it is the women who find it harder to settle in, as they move from a liberal to a conservative society. Dave Prager, one of the authors of Our Delhi Struggle, a popular expatriate blog, says that soon after they began living in India, his wife learned the importance of using scarves, not just to protect her mouth from the fumes or her head from the sun, but to protect her chest from the eyes of staring men.

It’s different!

Rienke van Niewland recalls an incident that occurred when  she first went out wearing shorts. “All the people on the road were either laughing, or staring at me. So I stopped dressing that way.” She also says her frank ways of speaking were not always appreciated. “There are times when I thought I was straightforward, but the other person thought I was aggressive. This kind of directness is not appreciated. But here, I’ve noticed, people don’t mind asking questions about one’s salary, rent, children, etc — in the Netherlands, we believe that these things are very private, and discussed only with very close friends!”

Unlike the stereotyped, snooty expatriate who comes to India only to take refuge in the comforts of an airconditioned apartment, venturing out only when absolutely necessary, these expatriates are determined to soak in as much of India as possible during their stay here.

Rienke has travelled all over the country — the number of states she has visited in the last two years is probably more than the average Indian does in his or her lifetime — and enjoys capturing the “Real India” on her SLR camera. “India offers wonderful
opportunities for me to practice my photography — the landscapes, temples and festivals are a photographer’s paradise. Most people also don’t mind if you take photographs of them. It’s great,” she says, gesturing to the framed photographs that decorate the wall of her living and dining rooms.

Jasserrand, who has been in Bangalore for eight years now,  loves his dosas, uthappams and North Indian food, which he indulges in at least thrice a week. He admits he thoroughly enjoys Bollywood movies like Monsoon Wedding and Dhoom. “I watch a Bollywood movie at least once a month,” he says. And this year, he’s done something new: watched a cricket match for the first time in his eight years in India. “I had never watched a cricket match before. This year, I watched the IPL and followed the Bangalore team. I need to watch a bit more, though, to understand all the rules,” he adds.

Whether it is watching Bollywood movies, trying out roadside pani puri, or travelling to the “real India”, these expatriates are having the complete experience.

Tom Murphy, chronicling his Bangalore experiences on his blog The Loud Americans, writes: “Every day is an adventure. Going to work or school or the grocery store can be a sensory overload of new smells, sights and adventures. We have seen donkeys riding in rickshaws, the word ‘chicken’ spelled in 10 different ways, potholes that look like small craters, blue blue skies and green green palm trees. We have also see one of the seven wonders of the world, some of the worst poverty imaginable, visited two other continents (not to mention seven new countries), countless temples, ruins and ancient cultural locations. The diversity of experience here is so rich, it’s unbelievable.”

Vir Kashyap probably echoes the sentiments of most expats when he says, “It’s hard to put your finger on what exactly it is, but this is such an exciting country to be in. When I go back home, it feels empty. Once you get used to India, the weather, the people and the constant noise, nothing else seems so exciting.”

Andrew Hendrian
Nationality: German
Resident of: Bangalore, since 2009

Why India: We’ve only been here 16 months, and we’ve already taken four holidays with our kids!  During my other postings, we would go on vacation once a year. Here, there is so much to see, so much to do. Many of my expatriate friends who were here earlier are pleading with their companies to send them back.

The adjustment: My wife, as a German, is used to driving on the autobahn. Here, she refuses to drive. She tells me that if she drives, she will either end up getting killed, or kill someone. But the moment we go back to Germany, the first thing she does is to rent a car and hit the road.

The experience: This year we celebrated Holi for the first time. My wife and children enjoyed the whole thing. And my wife tells me: if you had holidays for all the festivals celebrated in India, then I’d be very happy, because you’d hardly go to work!

Bengt Johansson
Nationality: Swedish
Resident of: Bangalore, since 2004

The adjustment: India is a country with a lot of people and it can feel very crowded and noisy at times. I still struggle to accept people that jump red lights or jump the line. I find this extremely disrespectful, but since everyone does it, you’ll end up having very high blood pressure trying to fix it. As a Scandinavian, I was also very uncomfortable with all the service and support you get. We’re used to doing literally everything ourselves since this kind of help is very expensive in Northern Europe.

The experience: I see funny episodes every day and there is such much scope for misunderstandings, even between locals, that it never ceases to amaze me. I had once visited the southern parts of Tamil Nadu and we went to a very local restaurant. They tried to warn me about the spicy food, which I took great offense to and told them to challenge me. The chef must have thought I was up for the challenge and probably collected all the spices of Southern India and cooked it into the food. I was numb for days and even my Indian travel companions had to throw in the towel.

Tom Murphy
Nationality: American
Resident of: Bangalore from July 2006 to January 2009

The adjustment: Family time in the United States is centred around the family having a meal together at the end of the day to relate their experiences. In India, the opposite is true: the working spouse does not get home until late in the evening, when the children are in bed. So, we had our family time in the morning, during breakfast.

The experience: We made a conscious decision to immerse ourselves into the culture and surroundings. So, we did not feel out of place. We adapted to the new living situation in about three months. We then felt like we had been in India forever and were able to navigate through the different cultures and languages.

John Luth
Nationality: American
Resident of: Gurgaon since January 2010

The adjustment: The most difficult adjustment has been not driving. Though I have access to transportation and a car whenever I need, it’s an adjustment to have to rely on another person for that transportation. In the US, only the super wealthy have drivers, so I often hear comments from home about how nice it must be to have someone to drive you around.

However, I really miss being able to go to my garage, hop in my car, and run a quick errand by myself.

The experience: When we were here in 2005, we were on our way to the Cochin airport. A caravan of buses passed by – it was taking the Pakistan cricket team to the airport. Our driver decided to slide in behind them and follow them all the way. I asked him if he thought it was a good idea, and he said, “Yes, of course, we’ll get there faster.” What I viewed as a potential security issue, he saw as a faster means to get us where we needed to be. Not surprisingly, we had no reason to worry!

Rudolf Eichele
Nationality: German
Resident of: Bangalore, since 2009

The adjustment: I work with a lot of chefs from Tamil Nadu. I try to pick up their language. If I say “ille ille”, they have a hearty laugh.

The experience: Not too many people get an opportunity to even vacation here. I’ve got a great chance to work and live here. When I leave, I can confidently say that I saw India, and I know India.

Alexander Moore

Nationality: Australian
Resident of: Bangalore, since 2008

Initial impressions: We come from an Australian premium resort town with a cap on its population – which is completely the opposite of what we see here. The tallest buildings back home were just three-storeyed. In India, though, it’s totally different!

The adjustment: Getting things done can be difficult. Even buying food here takes so much time. In Australia, when we had a party for ten, we would go to a single place and buy the food, drinks and other supplies. Here, we have to go to ten different places…

The experience: I was invited to a wedding, where at least 5,000 people had been invited. In Australia, you invite 20 or 30 people, have dinner with them and send them on their way. The budget for the wedding we attended here would have easily run a small country!

Rienke van Niewland
Nationality: Dutch
Residents of: Bangalore, since 2008

The adjustment: I’ve noticed that people here believe that it’s very important to get married young and have kids soon. In the West it’s okay if you’re older and single, or if you don’t have any children.

Also I find it difficult to understand the concept of arranged marriages. And Indian weddings have many pujas, with all the fire!

The experience: This happened when I was volunteering with an NGO. We were having lunch, and I wasn’t used to eating with my hands. I looked around and tried to do it the way the others were. The kids saw that I was doing it differently and began to laugh at me. Finally, an eight-year-old kid taught me how to eat with my hands!

Elizabeth Roussel
Nationality: French
Resident of: Delhi

The adjustment: I read a lot of novels about India, saw a lot of Bollywood movies, took advice from my Indian friends, so was quite well prepared to this life in India. It was not so hard to adjust.

The experience: I am learning Hindi, to help me have a better understanding of the culture as well and it’s so helpful in my daily life. When I speak Hindi, many smiles blossom on lips!

Vir Kashyap
Nationality: American
Resident of: Bangalore

The adjustment: It’s more difficult to be fully independent here. My Hindi is limited. Just moving around is difficult, because things shut down early, and restaurants close before midnight. There is a general lack of spaces, there aren’t enough places for you to just hang out in – but that’s developing.

The experience:  The work-life balance here is great. People work six days a week, but also have a good amount of time to spend with their family. People here have deeper connections.

Dave P & Jenny S
Nationality: American
Residents of: Delhi

Why India:The food! Our dreams were cumin-scented back in New York City. When the opportunity came to live in the land of the food we loved so much, we jumped at it.
The adjustment: Little things really got to us at first. We spent many fruitless days trying to figure out where to buy superglue, believe it or not.

The experience: We learned a modest amount of really bad Hindi. We would practice with strangers by saying things like, “Mera naam Dave hoon. Ab guessa hai? India subzi acha hai!” They would always laugh and then talk to us in English. And, of course, we learned some very nice  swearwords. Without a doubt, we’d do it all over again. We can’t wait for our visit in September.

These days, when Rudolf Eichele cooks for close friends, he likes to try new combinations: fries served with dal makhni, or dosas stuffed with ham and cheese. These are just a few of the dishes Eichele — a German national who is now the Executive Chef at the Leela Palace Kempinski, Bangalore — has been inspired to create by the country he now lives in. “I also make tomato shorba, and serve it with rice and chicken tikka. At first, my friends used to think it was very strange, but all these recipes have been received very well,” he says.

Eichele’s Indo-Western recipes best tell the story of a person who is German by birth, but feels quite at home in India. The combination is unconventional, strange, and startlingly apt.

Eichele is one of the many expatriates who have chosen to work in India — some are here to explore the country, some for ‘new experiences’ and some others, to learn more the country of their origin. The fact that the recession hasn’t hit India as badly as it has the Western countries also seems to be an important factor — like it was for Vir Kashyap, a person of Indian origin, who was born in Dubai and has lived in several countries, including Canada, Spain and the United States. “This is a place that has high growth and many business opportunities. It’s exciting to be here; the growth is not slow or quiet, like it is in the United States now. Though I have never lived in India, I am of Indian origin, so I felt it would be advantageous to live here,” he says.

Many expats say that the announcement of their decision to move to India fetched them unfavourable responses at first. Kashyap, who is now the COO for the babajobs.com portal in Bangalore, remembers how his friends tried to convince him that it was not a good idea. “I got these responses from people who had been to India over 20 years ago, and who didn’t have a good idea of what the country is like now. But that’s what they believe India is like,” he recalls.

Rienke van  Niewland, a social scientist from Holland who moved here with her husband two-and-a-half years ago, remembers that her friends reacted negatively. “They said, why do you want to go there, it’s smelly, crowded and backward. Which of course, for parts it is, but they have never experienced the other side of India.”

Culture curry

The one thing most expats say that no amount of research and information could prepare them for is the sheer number of people in India. Tom Murphy and his family first visited India in 2006 before deciding to move here. He remembers his first impressions of India: “We were struck by the huge number of people here.”

Bombay-born German national Andrew Hendrian, who returned to India with his family after living abroad for 27 years, says that his wife (who is German) had a tough time getting used to seeing a huge number of people, even in small spaces. “That is the biggest culture shock. And in fact, even though I am from India, I was taken aback when I returned here. I remember the last time I went to Germany on work, and I wanted to ask someone directions to the nearest restaurant. I had to wait twenty whole minutes for someone to come by. In India, that would never happen,” he says.

Life in a new country comes with its own adjustments;  some adapt more easily but others take more time. The Murphys (who moved to India with their kids, who were then aged 4 years, 2 years and 18 months old) say that they took only three months to completely settle into their new lives. “And now that we are back in Minneapolis, we miss our Indian friends and family everyday!”

Expats, whose workplaces co-ordinate their move, find that it’s a smooth ride; others, who have to arrange things for themselves, find that it’s not so easy. “There is no timing here. You can never ask why, when or how things will happen. Things can go very fast, or they can go very slow. You have to be very patient and hopeful- that is the key,” says Jean Michel Jasserand, a Frenchman who has set up an Italian restaurant in Bangalore.
In many cases, it is the women who find it harder to settle in, as they move from a liberal to a conservative society. Dave Prager, one of the authors of Our Delhi Struggle, a popular expatriate blog, says that soon after they began living in India, his wife learned the importance of using scarves, not just to protect her mouth from the fumes or her head from the sun, but to protect her chest from the eyes of staring men.

It’s different!

Rienke van Niewland recalls an incident that occurred when  she first went out wearing shorts. “All the people on the road were either laughing, or staring at me. So I stopped dressing that way.” She also says her frank ways of speaking were not always appreciated. “There are times when I thought I was straightforward, but the other person thought I was aggressive. This kind of directness is not appreciated. But here, I’ve noticed, people don’t mind asking questions about one’s salary, rent, children, etc — in the Netherlands, we believe that these things are very private, and discussed only with very close friends!”

Unlike the stereotyped, snooty expatriate who comes to India only to take refuge in the comforts of an airconditioned apartment, venturing out only when absolutely necessary, these expatriates are determined to soak in as much of India as possible during their stay here.

Rienke has travelled all over the country — the number of states she has visited in the last two years is probably more than the average Indian does in his or her lifetime — and enjoys capturing the “Real India” on her SLR camera. “India offers wonderful
opportunities for me to practice my photography — the landscapes, temples and festivals are a photographer’s paradise. Most people also don’t mind if you take photographs of them. It’s great,” she says, gesturing to the framed photographs that decorate the wall of her living and dining rooms.

Jasserrand, who has been in Bangalore for eight years now,  loves his dosas, uthappams and North Indian food, which he indulges in at least thrice a week. He admits he thoroughly enjoys Bollywood movies like Monsoon Wedding and Dhoom. “I watch a Bollywood movie at least once a month,” he says. And this year, he’s done something new: watched a cricket match for the first time in his eight years in India. “I had never watched a cricket match before. This year, I watched the IPL and followed the Bangalore team. I need to watch a bit more, though, to understand all the rules,” he adds.

Whether it is watching Bollywood movies, trying out roadside pani puri, or travelling to the “real India”, these expatriates are having the complete experience.

Tom Murphy, chronicling his Bangalore experiences on his blog The Loud Americans, writes: “Every day is an adventure. Going to work or school or the grocery store can be a sensory overload of new smells, sights and adventures. We have seen donkeys riding in rickshaws, the word ‘chicken’ spelled in 10 different ways, potholes that look like small craters, blue blue skies and green green palm trees. We have also see one of the seven wonders of the world, some of the worst poverty imaginable, visited two other continents (not to mention seven new countries), countless temples, ruins and ancient cultural locations. The diversity of experience here is so rich, it’s unbelievable.”

Vir Kashyap probably echoes the sentiments of most expats when he says, “It’s hard to put your finger on what exactly it is, but this is such an exciting country to be in. When I go back home, it feels empty. Once you get used to India, the weather, the people and the constant noise, nothing else seems so exciting.”

Andrew Hendrian
Nationality: German
Resident of: Bangalore, since 2009

Why India: We’ve only been here 16 months, and we’ve already taken four holidays with our kids!  During my other postings, we would go on vacation once a year. Here, there is so much to see, so much to do. Many of my expatriate friends who were here earlier are pleading with their companies to send them back.

The adjustment: My wife, as a German, is used to driving on the autobahn. Here, she refuses to drive. She tells me that if she drives, she will either end up getting killed, or kill someone. But the moment we go back to Germany, the first thing she does is to rent a car and hit the road.

The experience: This year we celebrated Holi for the first time. My wife and children enjoyed the whole thing. And my wife tells me: if you had holidays for all the festivals celebrated in India, then I’d be very happy, because you’d hardly go to work!

Bengt Johansson
Nationality: Swedish
Resident of: Bangalore, since 2004

The adjustment: India is a country with a lot of people and it can feel very crowded and noisy at times. I still struggle to accept people that jump red lights or jump the line. I find this extremely disrespectful, but since everyone does it, you’ll end up having very high blood pressure trying to fix it. As a Scandinavian, I was also very uncomfortable with all the service and support you get. We’re used to doing literally everything ourselves since this kind of help is very expensive in Northern Europe.

The experience: I see funny episodes every day and there is such much scope for misunderstandings, even between locals, that it never ceases to amaze me. I had once visited the southern parts of Tamil Nadu and we went to a very local restaurant. They tried to warn me about the spicy food, which I took great offense to and told them to challenge me. The chef must have thought I was up for the challenge and probably collected all the spices of Southern India and cooked it into the food. I was numb for days and even my Indian travel companions had to throw in the towel.

Tom Murphy
Nationality: American
Resident of: Bangalore from July 2006 to January 2009

The adjustment: Family time in the United States is centred around the family having a meal together at the end of the day to relate their experiences. In India, the opposite is true: the working spouse does not get home until late in the evening, when the children are in bed. So, we had our family time in the morning, during breakfast.

The experience: We made a conscious decision to immerse ourselves into the culture and surroundings. So, we did not feel out of place. We adapted to the new living situation in about three months. We then felt like we had been in India forever and were able to navigate through the different cultures and languages.

John Luth
Nationality: American
Resident of: Gurgaon since January 2010

The adjustment: The most difficult adjustment has been not driving. Though I have access to transportation and a car whenever I need, it’s an adjustment to have to rely on another person for that transportation. In the US, only the super wealthy have drivers, so I often hear comments from home about how nice it must be to have someone to drive you around.

However, I really miss being able to go to my garage, hop in my car, and run a quick errand by myself.

The experience: When we were here in 2005, we were on our way to the Cochin airport. A caravan of buses passed by – it was taking the Pakistan cricket team to the airport. Our driver decided to slide in behind them and follow them all the way. I asked him if he thought it was a good idea, and he said, “Yes, of course, we’ll get there faster.” What I viewed as a potential security issue, he saw as a faster means to get us where we needed to be. Not surprisingly, we had no reason to worry!

Rudolf Eichele
Nationality: German
Resident of: Bangalore, since 2009

The adjustment: I work with a lot of chefs from Tamil Nadu. I try to pick up their language. If I say “ille ille”, they have a hearty laugh.

The experience: Not too many people get an opportunity to even vacation here. I’ve got a great chance to work and live here. When I leave, I can confidently say that I saw India, and I know India.

Alexander Moore

Nationality: Australian
Resident of: Bangalore, since 2008

Initial impressions: We come from an Australian premium resort town with a cap on its population – which is completely the opposite of what we see here. The tallest buildings back home were just three-storeyed. In India, though, it’s totally different!

The adjustment: Getting things done can be difficult. Even buying food here takes so much time. In Australia, when we had a party for ten, we would go to a single place and buy the food, drinks and other supplies. Here, we have to go to ten different places…

The experience: I was invited to a wedding, where at least 5,000 people had been invited. In Australia, you invite 20 or 30 people, have dinner with them and send them on their way. The budget for the wedding we attended here would have easily run a small country!

Rienke van Niewland
Nationality: Dutch
Residents of: Bangalore, since 2008

The adjustment: I’ve noticed that people here believe that it’s very important to get married young and have kids soon. In the West it’s okay if you’re older and single, or if you don’t have any children.

Also I find it difficult to understand the concept of arranged marriages. And Indian weddings have many pujas, with all the fire!

The experience: This happened when I was volunteering with an NGO. We were having lunch, and I wasn’t used to eating with my hands. I looked around and tried to do it the way the others were. The kids saw that I was doing it differently and began to laugh at me. Finally, an eight-year-old kid taught me how to eat with my hands!

Elizabeth Roussel
Nationality: French
Resident of: Delhi

The adjustment: I read a lot of novels about India, saw a lot of Bollywood movies, took advice from my Indian friends, so was quite well prepared to this life in India. It was not so hard to adjust.

The experience: I am learning Hindi, to help me have a better understanding of the culture as well and it’s so helpful in my daily life. When I speak Hindi, many smiles blossom on lips!

Vir Kashyap
Nationality: American
Resident of: Bangalore

The adjustment: It’s more difficult to be fully independent here. My Hindi is limited. Just moving around is difficult, because things shut down early, and restaurants close before midnight. There is a general lack of spaces, there aren’t enough places for you to just hang out in – but that’s developing.

The experience:  The work-life balance here is great. People work six days a week, but also have a good amount of time to spend with their family. People here have deeper connections.

Dave P & Jenny S
Nationality: American
Residents of: Delhi

Why India:The food! Our dreams were cumin-scented back in New York City. When the opportunity came to live in the land of the food we loved so much, we jumped at it.
The adjustment: Little things really got to us at first. We spent many fruitless days trying to figure out where to buy superglue, believe it or not.

The experience: We learned a modest amount of really bad Hindi. We would practice with strangers by saying things like, “Mera naam Dave hoon. Ab guessa hai? India subzi acha hai!” They would always laugh and then talk to us in English. And, of course, we learned some very nice  swearwords. Without a doubt, we’d do it all over again. We can’t wait for our visit in September.

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