The Positives

I must be sounding like one frustrated woman. So to get you a little encouraged, let me tell you the good things now.

1. Proximity to parents- See, I am contradicting myself now. I told you na....there is a twist in the tale.:)
It is definitely easier to reach to family while you are in India. You dont have to make a year long planning, booking, shopping, etc. You can just plan today and leave 2 weeks from now to get good flight deals. And you don't even have to worry about food for husband because maids come in handy. (Yes, there are Shiney Ahujas in this world but c'mon, your honey is not like that).

2. MAIDS- Even after all the woes, they are there. I was sick of loading and unloading the dishwasher and the buzzing sound it used to make. I had a permanent back pain caused by bending into the kitchen sink to wash dishes, chop vegetables, etc.
But I would like to add- dishwasher chutti nahi karta.(dishwasher doesn't take vacations). And it does what it is supposed to- Cleaning!

3. Help in case of sickness- In US or any other western country, you don't have any help if the woman falls sick. I have experienced this. My wellness was utmost priority for me so that I could take care of others. I have had my series of sicknesses in US also, but I had to get up and do the chores and take care of the child, cook, etc.

4. The Rain smells awesome here- Rain doesn't smell better anywhere in the world.

5. The Bhutta wala, availability of chai on the highways, nariyal pani on roadside- you don't get all this in US. I used to miss chai so much while traveling in the US.

6. Availability of all US grocery items- Atleast in Bangalore, you get all grocery items we are used to. Also, ingredients for other cuisines are easily available. I used to have difficulty finding good Lemon grass for thai food in California. But, It is so easily available her. That too double the volume for only Rs.7!!

7. Mother tongue for the child- Our daughter has definitely picked up a lot on hindi front. Special thanks to Dadi!:) We have had 2 visits to our hometowns ever since we have moved back and my MIL came to stay with us for about a month. And her stay helped our little one pick up on hindi. She speaks amazing hindi. Her american accent is almost gone. I do feel a bit sad about this but it had to happen and we cannot help that. She is yet to pick up kannada.

8. Iron Man- Finally, you can say bye bye to the afternoons apent ironing clothes. Iron man is there to your rescue. You can utilize that time to do things you always wanted to do but never did....like blogging.

9. Fruits and vegetables- Not that there was any problem in getting indian food in Cali. But here you get some fruits what were not there in the US. Guavas - 5 for 25 Cents. Jealous??
Sharifa/ custard apple, Faalse, ber, Jaamun, jackfruit,...list is endless. Something is burning!!;0


These advantages are not in any hierarchial order. All are equally important.