It’s taken me years, but I’ve finally ventured another step closer to being Indian. I’ve had some clothes stitched by a tailor. Now that I’ve done it, I wonder why I’ve wasted so much time and money buying ready-made clothes that don’t fit me….

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adjusting to India
A week ago, I did something that I didn’t really want to do. I gave in and got a maid. Anyone who’s Indian will likely find getting a maid no big deal. Many people have home help in India. However, it’s rare in the west. Only the rich can afford to employ a cleaner, a cook, or a driver. As a result, I’m not sure how to manage my maid….

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adjusting to India
After a tumultuous 2008 spent fighting against the dramatic changes in my life, my main resolution for 2009 was to accept and commit to India as my home. This included packing up and selling off my belongings back in Australia, and making the most of my life here in India. No more complaining about the challenges, and no more threatening to leave. Did I succeed? On the whole, I think I did….

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adjusting to India
My six weeks at home in Australia with my family has come to an end and I’m readjusting back into life in Mumbai, in a new home and new neighbourhood. The assault on my senses has been brutal. Even after four years living in India, I still haven’t been spared from it….

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adjusting to India
Being away from India for a while has been interesting. This time, I’ve started noticing how living in India has moulded and shaped me. On previous occasions when I came home to Australia, I was keen to experience what was “normality” to me. However, “normality” doesn’t exactly feel normal anymore….

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adjusting to India
One Indian reader recently posted an interesting comment about her love marriage into a conservative family from a village in Bihar. She said she had to adjust to their customs, such as covering her face with a ghoonghat in front of men so that her eyes wouldn’t be seen. It was difficult and frustrating [...]

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adjusting to India,
challenges in India,
news & views
It’s official, Australians live in the world’s biggest houses. But I wonder, do people really need such big houses? Do they really bring that much contentment and happiness? At what point do we stop wanting more?

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adjusting to India,
spending time in Australia
Another question I often get asked is how have my parents reacted to my intercultural relationship. The short answer is good and bad. My mum surprised me by being very supportive. My dad, however, is less than pleased…

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answers to questions
I’ve resigned myself to the fact that the water supply to our apartment complex is one of those things in India that there is no logic to. If there is a system to it, I’ve given up trying to figure it out….

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adjusting to India,
challenges in India
Friends have told me so many times in the past week that I look tired. They’ve been wondering what’s wrong with me. Unfortunately, I’ve been feeling just as exhausted as I look. I don’t feel like I’m coping very well with India at the moment. So this afternoon, in an attempt to regain some peace of mind, I bundled myself into a rickshaw and headed to the Mindspace garden behind InOrbit Mall in Malad….

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Tagged as:
adjusting to India,
relaxation time