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It`s all about desh and videsh: The Hindustan Times
Colchester, June 29: I am an Indian. They are Indians. We are all students in the UK. I would love to go back to India. They don`t!
Colchester, June 29: I am an Indian. They are Indians. We are all students in the UK. I would love to go back to India. They don't!
Sometimes I wonder as to how someone who comes from a country of hot sunshine - agreed sometimes its unbearably hot - stay in a country where all you see above you are grey clouds in the 9 months out of 12, and in the other three we are blessed with the occasional sunshine, rain and yes, more grey clouds. Maybe the weather is not of primary concern, but definitely of certain importance when you need that sense of belonging and something bright.
Even though the rain persists all through the wintry days, one thing we can be sure of is the warmth inside the house as there is no threat of a power cut or the phone lines being dead, which to us, from India, I know, sounds familiar. Surely, the fascination to live in this country has more than to do with just phone lines being dead when you really need them.
First of all lets talk about something we need the most as students, to pay for our daily lives, starting from clubbing to drinking to food, and we all probably acquire it by working at McDonald's or some food joint. Yes, of primary concern to all: Money. We are paid in pounds. One pound is equivalent to almost Rs 75, which is a good difference to convince an Indian to get a job here. On the face of it, it sounds nice, but when you have to pay £4 pounds (equivalent to Rs 300) for a chicken burger and fries, you understand the realities of life. And, even worse is the price one has to pay for a haircut. A normal low-cost parlour will charge you £10 (Rs 750) pounds for men's hair and women, I would rather just leave it, let alone salons which have a name and various branches in various cities. Hence, the cost of living is very high, even though you are paid in pounds, the only advantage being that you can be really rich if you go to India and spend all the well-earned money.
Assuming that you got that 2:1 degree at university and got a fabulous job at a city firm, with a fat pay check of £5000 a month, what do you do then after paying your rent that will debit your account by almost £1200,your income tax, council tax, water and electricity bill and even more tax. Earning that much money you would imagine a life of luxury that will pay you back for all the hard work in the university. Luxury - which most of us are accustomed to back home - where a servant does the dishes, puts clothes in the washing machine, cooks the food. After all these are the luxuries any Indian middle class family enjoys. Well, all this luxury will only come to you in England if you have that extra thousand pounds in your pocket to hire a servant.
Yes, this figure is well-researched so stop raising those eyebrows. Although, not to say there aren't any luxuries you can't enjoy for real with that paycheck of yours. Staying here makes day-to-day life quite easy - you can reach your office on time as traffic and public transport are pretty well sorted out, given the latest congestion charge. That is something we wish for back home. The tubes are really helpful (occasionally its never on time when you need them), the cab will come to your place and pick you up. Hence, one is never late for most of the appointments, thus balancing your work and social life pretty well.
For us girls the major advantage is we can do most things as openly as guys. Let's admit it girls, if you wore that short skirt of yours in the market in India, you would be pretty disgusted by the end of the day. But here, who cares! (Other than the little appreciation shown by blowing the horn and the occasional catcalls, which most girls find cute!).
Oh, last but not least, the neighbours don't gossip. They are least bothered about what you do, occasionally smiling and greeting when there is no way out. Isn't that a relief, from what happens back home, where your parents already know where you have been, even before you get home and have a chance to tell them.
Now about friends. Well, the legendary British stiff upper-lip, is not of great help. Here friends also meet by appointment, unless you are living in the university accommodation and can manage to bump into each other on a more regular basis. So, not only do you have to do all the household chores after work or study, you even have to cope with loneliness.
Finally, it leads to the truth of having your home where your roots are. The smell of wet earth on a sweltering evening, after the first summer shower, children running out to drench themselves in the downpour. That is an experience most here are untouched by. It is after all, the small things that make life worth living.
Even though the rain persists all through the wintry days, one thing we can be sure of is the warmth inside the house as there is no threat of a power cut or the phone lines being dead, which to us, from India, I know, sounds familiar. Surely, the fascination to live in this country has more than to do with just phone lines being dead when you really need them.
First of all lets talk about something we need the most as students, to pay for our daily lives, starting from clubbing to drinking to food, and we all probably acquire it by working at McDonald's or some food joint. Yes, of primary concern to all: Money. We are paid in pounds. One pound is equivalent to almost Rs 75, which is a good difference to convince an Indian to get a job here. On the face of it, it sounds nice, but when you have to pay £4 pounds (equivalent to Rs 300) for a chicken burger and fries, you understand the realities of life. And, even worse is the price one has to pay for a haircut. A normal low-cost parlour will charge you £10 (Rs 750) pounds for men's hair and women, I would rather just leave it, let alone salons which have a name and various branches in various cities. Hence, the cost of living is very high, even though you are paid in pounds, the only advantage being that you can be really rich if you go to India and spend all the well-earned money.
Assuming that you got that 2:1 degree at university and got a fabulous job at a city firm, with a fat pay check of £5000 a month, what do you do then after paying your rent that will debit your account by almost £1200,your income tax, council tax, water and electricity bill and even more tax. Earning that much money you would imagine a life of luxury that will pay you back for all the hard work in the university. Luxury - which most of us are accustomed to back home - where a servant does the dishes, puts clothes in the washing machine, cooks the food. After all these are the luxuries any Indian middle class family enjoys. Well, all this luxury will only come to you in England if you have that extra thousand pounds in your pocket to hire a servant.
Yes, this figure is well-researched so stop raising those eyebrows. Although, not to say there aren't any luxuries you can't enjoy for real with that paycheck of yours. Staying here makes day-to-day life quite easy - you can reach your office on time as traffic and public transport are pretty well sorted out, given the latest congestion charge. That is something we wish for back home. The tubes are really helpful (occasionally its never on time when you need them), the cab will come to your place and pick you up. Hence, one is never late for most of the appointments, thus balancing your work and social life pretty well.
For us girls the major advantage is we can do most things as openly as guys. Let's admit it girls, if you wore that short skirt of yours in the market in India, you would be pretty disgusted by the end of the day. But here, who cares! (Other than the little appreciation shown by blowing the horn and the occasional catcalls, which most girls find cute!).
Oh, last but not least, the neighbours don't gossip. They are least bothered about what you do, occasionally smiling and greeting when there is no way out. Isn't that a relief, from what happens back home, where your parents already know where you have been, even before you get home and have a chance to tell them.
Now about friends. Well, the legendary British stiff upper-lip, is not of great help. Here friends also meet by appointment, unless you are living in the university accommodation and can manage to bump into each other on a more regular basis. So, not only do you have to do all the household chores after work or study, you even have to cope with loneliness.
Finally, it leads to the truth of having your home where your roots are. The smell of wet earth on a sweltering evening, after the first summer shower, children running out to drench themselves in the downpour. That is an experience most here are untouched by. It is after all, the small things that make life worth living.