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personal life
• As with shifting to any new place, expect to find yourself
suddenly friendless and lonely for the first few years. It
takes time to make good friends.
• "Involvement" of family, and extended family in your life
will be higher than you expected. To anyone who has
spent over five years in the US, this will seem like an intrusion
of privacy. This will bother you, (especially the
wife, if you're a couple). US is a nice safe distance away
from the in-laws. Coming back to India removes that layer
of protection. This can be the biggest change in lifestyle.
Takes at least two or three years to get used to.
opinion
• overall, I find that life here is more varied and more interesting.
I found life in the US to be too cut and dry,
too regimented — all cities are similar (compared to how
different Indian cities are). Most interactions follow set
patterns. (Maybe it simply boils down to the fact that I
grew up here, and hence I'll be most comfortable with this
way of life.) In any case, I'm very happy with the decision
of moving here.
footnote 1
This is a little anecdote to give an idea of how India works efficiently
in some areas. on my second day in Pune, I went to
a random shop down the street looking to buy a mobile phone
(instrument + service). The shop-owner told me that I need a
proof-of-residence, which I obviously did not have. He did not
want to let go of a customer for such a minor reason, so he
started exploring options:
56
Do you have parents who live here?
no.
Do you have any other relatives, an uncle perhaps?
no, but mother-in-law's brother does live here.
Ok, will he be willing to give an affidavit to the effect that he
knows you and vouches for you?