It all started a few months ago when an opportunity came up at work to be seconded to our office in Kolkata. The role is to work with our offshore delivery centre to implement some new services, develop the team and help run the operations more efficiently. Having spent the best part of my working career helping my clients manage their tax affairs, this seemed like a good change from the daily grind. The role will be challenging. From what I am told (and have deduced from watching the short lived somewhat politically incorrect TV show Outsourced), the cultural barriers will be a challenge for my ABC (Australian Born Chinese) wired mind to break through.
From a personal perspective, there will be more than a few challenges with spending 3 months in India.
Some say Chinese are the most racist people in the world - not only against other races but also against the various permutations of Chinese people (think South East Asia). When telling friends and family about the move, I have been greeted with "Is that by choice…or….?" So, it's not surprising that I am not the most politically correct person around - it's in my DNA!
I'm not a fan of Indian cuisine. The other night, Jordan (my husband) was reflecting on a date we had near the beginning of our relationship and reflected that I was a bit of a "food snob". For the record, I don't think I am a food snob - I just have particular preferences - it's not always Dom or Wagyu.
Whilst my little inner city apartment is a shoebox, the thought of staying in a hotel for 3 months without fresh air and blue skies, missing the beach and summer bbqs has resulted in me noting little things in my everyday life with "We won't have that in Kolkata."
But I look forward to the next adventure.
2013 has already been a pretty adventurous year so far. Jordan and I got married in January, we've settled into a new apartment together and are starting to pack it up. Our visas are sorted, our flights booked, apartment (nearly) let.
I hope you will enjoy coming on this journey with me. With 15 days left, it's the final countdown!
