| A New York couple now living and working in New Delhi, India - that's Jenny and Dave. See what they have to say about what it's like to live as two American expats in this bustling South Asian city. |
 Jenny |
-Where were you born?
-In which country and city are you living now?
-Are you living alone or with your family?
-How long have you been living in India?
Since November 2007.-What is your age?
30 and 31.
-When did you come up with the idea of living in India?
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
-How do you make your living in India? Do you have any type of income generated?
We work.
Dave came to India through his work in America. It took Jenny two months to get a job. Via word of mouth was the best technique in getting job leads.
-Do you speak Hindi and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Of course! On weekends we like to see new sights in India and also do a fair bit of relaxing. We stay in touch with our family with e-mails, calling on Skype and Facebook. Being away for birthdays and holidays is the toughest part of living abroad.-Do you have other plans for the future?
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We rent. We pay a higher price because we are foreigners and because it's a very western apartment. We pay around $1,000 for a 2 bedroom in South Delhi.-What is the cost of living in India?
Housing will be expensive for foreigners, but food and transportation is very cheap. You can also get a maid or a driver for very little.-What do you think about the Indians?
Unlike most countries in the world, Indians love Americans. We have made a lot of friends and enjoy our daily interaction with locals temendously.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in India?
Positives - the excitement of always being a tourist
Negatives - missing family and friends. Trying to negotiate local bureaucracies.
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in India?
Keeping an open mind and not being judgemental is extremely helpful when living in any country.-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about India?
Safety in India
Hello: I am planning to come to Delhi for three months (12 January departing U.S.) - much more interesting than going to Florida for the winter by far. I am, as others are, somewhat worried about the political climate in India - terrorism for one. Do you believe it is safe for Americans to come to India at this time? cliodaryl@comcast.net Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Daryl in Michigan
Dear Jenny and Dave, My name
Dear Jenny and Dave,
My name is Lisan Vermeer. I'm a Master student Business Administration at the University of Nijmegen in The Netherlands, and I'm currently writing my Master Thesis for the Master International Management. This thesis is about the training Dutch expats received (or not) before they were leaving to India, in order to determine an optimal training method and content for expats leaving for India. When this optimal training method is determined, expats leaving for India will be better prepared, which makes life in India easier for them.
For this purpose I'm looking for Dutch expats living in India who want to help me with my research. I would like to interview them for about 30 minutes about their experiences with pre-departure training, the Indian context and culture, and the challenges they encountered regarding the Indian context and culture. I will hold these interviews via phone or skype. Of course the participants get the results of my research, which might help the company they're working for to decrease the failure rate of expat assignments.
Unfortunately, it turns out to be very difficult to get in touch with Dutch expats living in India. Since you are living there, I was hoping that you know some Dutch expats, and that you want to help me to get in touch with them. It would really help me; I need them in order to continue with my thesis.
So if you want to help me, and if you know Dutch expatriates living in India, would you please contact me at lisan_vermeer@hotmail.com? It would really help me a lot!!
Lisan Vermeer
maybe you could advise me
hey, im getting married and my fiance has asked me to move to India for at least 2 years my hindi is very very bad and im a bit wrried as to what i would do there and how i would spend my time.. so you have any sugestions?? let me know please, thanks!!!
indhi.
Where would you move to?
Where would you move to? Hopefully to a city, because living in the rural areas would be really really tough. Have you visited before? We had a wonderful time living in Delhi, but we had bad moments too. I think it's very important to *want* to be there so you can overlook the bad parts. Living in Delhi, we didn't need to speak Hindi fluently to get by. You should definitely plan on staying busy finding work or volunteering. I'd hate to just sit around for 2 years!