ord2pnq: my R2I (Pune) diary
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 7:12 am
Folks,
The following is the summary of my R2I story to Pune - technically, I would not still call my move to Pune as R2I yet, (I will be in Pune for one year, return to the Western Hemisphere for a couple of years, and then re-return)for the following reason:
I got my master's/worked in the US for about 6 years, and was all set to head back to school for my MBA in Sept. 2008 (either in the US or Canada). I was planning to R2I post-MBA. However, when I visited India in mid-Jan 2008, I interviewed with a real estate PM firm on the last day of my visit, received a decent job offer, and one month later, I have started working in Pune. I arrived on a Sunday, started work on a Monday. So I am still kind of jet-lagged:P
I basically moved for two reasons- first and foremost, my parents. Secondly, I wanted to gain some Indian work experience prior to MBA. A position in Pune, where my parents live, was too good to resist.
In the timeline below, Feb. 12th is "Day zero" - when I interviewed.
Part One- The Move:
Day zero- interview at 11 AM, job offer two hours later over the phone. They were willing to offer 2 L more than what I had in mind.
Day one- early AM - at Mumbai airport. En route to Chicago. 42 hours later, thanks to the usual Air India shenanigans, arrive in Chicago.
Day three - leave for Canada to visit B-School. Return to Chicago 72 hours later.
Day seven- Feb. 19th - first day at work in Chicago, tired, incoherent, blurt out to the boss that I might be leaving soon.
Day ten- call up company in India- scream at them for NOT sending the formal offer letter.
Day twelve- receive the offer letter, do not like the salary breakdown. Renegotiate relocation.
Day fourteen- Feb. 26th - receive revised offer letter.
Day sixteen- sign offer letter, scan & email it, give 2 weeks; notice at Chicago.
Day eighteen- Shocked! What have I done???
Day twenty - start listing stuff on Craigslist. Car not yet sold.
Day twenty two - coughing starts.
Day twenty four - March 7 -fever decides to give company to the coughing. Last day at company in Chicago.
Day twenty five- Sister in town, helps with packing. I Was planning to take four bags and ship one box. The new numbers: Five bags and eight boxes. I hate Ikea and their ilk.
Day twenty seven- Ship boxes one through six, courtesy USPS. Car still not sold. Today is day # 10 since I listed the car on Sulekha, Craigslist and eknazar.com. One week before my job starts in Pune.
Day twenty eight- More boxes shipped. Shortlisted dealers to sell car to. Dinner with a dear friend, too much wine.
Day twenty nine- March 12th - Wake up with an upset stomatch, ship one more box, sell car, ship one more box, friend drops me off to the airport. Off to Canada.
Day thirty- Arrive in Canada, complete my Canadian PR stuff, visit cousin. Forget to mail the checks, Netflix DVDs, tax paperwork.
Day thirty one- March 14th- Leave for Mumbai via Newark. Have to check in one carry on (Air India, I hate you, new employer, thank you for the relocation money!)
Day thirty two/thirty three- March 15th midnight/March 16th early AM- arrive in Mumbai, one checked in bag damaged, stuff okay. Reach Pune at 5 AM. Sleep for the entire day. Meet cousins/uncles in the night. Pacify parents upon returning home late in the night.
Day Thirty Four- March 17th- start working in Pune. The procedures at the new company are strange- I have to submit four photographs! They will do direct deposit of pay ONLY in HSBC. Today is the last day to do paperwork. They need info. like parents' DOB? My fitness cert. is also needed. Why did they send a half-baked checklist to me if they expect me to be prepared with 50,000 pieces of paperwork on day one?
The work site is 1 hr away from Kothrud (at Hadapsar). Rickshaw one way costs Rs. 120. This is going to be challenging till the day I get a car.
In summary, the move went pretty well, but for a few hiccups. More on those later.
The following is the summary of my R2I story to Pune - technically, I would not still call my move to Pune as R2I yet, (I will be in Pune for one year, return to the Western Hemisphere for a couple of years, and then re-return)for the following reason:
I got my master's/worked in the US for about 6 years, and was all set to head back to school for my MBA in Sept. 2008 (either in the US or Canada). I was planning to R2I post-MBA. However, when I visited India in mid-Jan 2008, I interviewed with a real estate PM firm on the last day of my visit, received a decent job offer, and one month later, I have started working in Pune. I arrived on a Sunday, started work on a Monday. So I am still kind of jet-lagged:P
I basically moved for two reasons- first and foremost, my parents. Secondly, I wanted to gain some Indian work experience prior to MBA. A position in Pune, where my parents live, was too good to resist.
In the timeline below, Feb. 12th is "Day zero" - when I interviewed.
Part One- The Move:
Day zero- interview at 11 AM, job offer two hours later over the phone. They were willing to offer 2 L more than what I had in mind.
Day one- early AM - at Mumbai airport. En route to Chicago. 42 hours later, thanks to the usual Air India shenanigans, arrive in Chicago.
Day three - leave for Canada to visit B-School. Return to Chicago 72 hours later.
Day seven- Feb. 19th - first day at work in Chicago, tired, incoherent, blurt out to the boss that I might be leaving soon.
Day ten- call up company in India- scream at them for NOT sending the formal offer letter.
Day twelve- receive the offer letter, do not like the salary breakdown. Renegotiate relocation.
Day fourteen- Feb. 26th - receive revised offer letter.
Day sixteen- sign offer letter, scan & email it, give 2 weeks; notice at Chicago.
Day eighteen- Shocked! What have I done???
Day twenty - start listing stuff on Craigslist. Car not yet sold.
Day twenty two - coughing starts.
Day twenty four - March 7 -fever decides to give company to the coughing. Last day at company in Chicago.
Day twenty five- Sister in town, helps with packing. I Was planning to take four bags and ship one box. The new numbers: Five bags and eight boxes. I hate Ikea and their ilk.
Day twenty seven- Ship boxes one through six, courtesy USPS. Car still not sold. Today is day # 10 since I listed the car on Sulekha, Craigslist and eknazar.com. One week before my job starts in Pune.
Day twenty eight- More boxes shipped. Shortlisted dealers to sell car to. Dinner with a dear friend, too much wine.
Day twenty nine- March 12th - Wake up with an upset stomatch, ship one more box, sell car, ship one more box, friend drops me off to the airport. Off to Canada.
Day thirty- Arrive in Canada, complete my Canadian PR stuff, visit cousin. Forget to mail the checks, Netflix DVDs, tax paperwork.
Day thirty one- March 14th- Leave for Mumbai via Newark. Have to check in one carry on (Air India, I hate you, new employer, thank you for the relocation money!)
Day thirty two/thirty three- March 15th midnight/March 16th early AM- arrive in Mumbai, one checked in bag damaged, stuff okay. Reach Pune at 5 AM. Sleep for the entire day. Meet cousins/uncles in the night. Pacify parents upon returning home late in the night.
Day Thirty Four- March 17th- start working in Pune. The procedures at the new company are strange- I have to submit four photographs! They will do direct deposit of pay ONLY in HSBC. Today is the last day to do paperwork. They need info. like parents' DOB? My fitness cert. is also needed. Why did they send a half-baked checklist to me if they expect me to be prepared with 50,000 pieces of paperwork on day one?
The work site is 1 hr away from Kothrud (at Hadapsar). Rickshaw one way costs Rs. 120. This is going to be challenging till the day I get a car.
In summary, the move went pretty well, but for a few hiccups. More on those later.