First impressions

Yellow taxi in Kolkata

We left Sydney 2 weeks ago now and after a short transit through Singapore (where we managed to pick up our Changi Airport vouchers and spend them on an iPad cover) we boarded our flight to Kolkata. I think it was then that I realised that we would really be going to India as apart from us, everyone on the flight was Indian. Later when we arrived in Kolkata, we realised that this wasn't the case as we saw a group of students from an Auckland high school on an "India Immersion" trip.

Ferries transporting goods between Kolkata and Howrah

My first impression of Kolkata is that it reminds me of Vietnam or Cambodia - sort of developed, but really old skool at the same time. The yellow taxis, policemen at intersections directing traffic with led paddles that light up as red and green all seem like they are from another era. There is a real buzz and hive of activity as people rush around and a sense of organised chaos in everything from ordering food at a restaurant, purchasing something in a shopping centre, or hailing down a taxi. 

Metro linking Kolkata Airport with the city Metro system

There is construction happening everywhere you look - motorways, apartments, hotels, office towers and shopping centres. What surprises me is how manual everything is. The bamboo scaffolding is tied up by workers scaling heights. The building materials are piled into large metal basis balanced precariously on workers heads and transported from truck to site. Occupational Health and Safety standards seem lower here than in Australia. Construction workers seem fitter and stronger.

As we drive into our hotel, central Kolkata seems a world away. We walk into an air-conditioned lobby decorated with basins of fresh flowers, incense burning and women dressed in beautiful saris. I realise immediately what a privileged life I have compared to some others, and I am thankful.

 

Its the final countdown!

15 days from now I will be packing my final bag in preparation for a 3 month adventure in India. It has already been a bit of an adventure organising this trip. I am finally getting excited about actually going on the trip. 

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!