Background
Came to US 7 years back. Spent 2 years doing M.S and 5 year at work. Married for the last 4 years, and wife just completed her masters in teaching.
PREMOVE
Why R2I?
Just because we always wanted to, closer to family, and sense of belonging.
Why now?
When I first came to for education, I planned to return back after my degree. Then decided to work for 2 years, and got into +1 syndrome. Finally wife and I decided we need to settle down. So year back we decided that we will either return within a year or settle in USA. In the meanwhile we got the the work permit, so we were confused for a while on whether we should really abandon our green card processing in the middle, but finally decided to take the plunge.
Finances
After only 5 years of work and paying for my wife's education we barely saved enough for a small flat in bangalore. Few years back I thought the savings will go a long way but as thanks to inflation and falling dollar the saving didn't amount to much. About one fourth of my money is in 401k, another fourth in mutual funds / stock investments, and rest I have transferred to India.
Top Concerns before moving
* Work enviornment, quality of work, work life balance in India.
* Leaving close friends in USA
* Lack of infrastructure in India
Job
Had an option to move hyderabad with my current employer, but wanted to move to either Delhi ( where most of my family is) or Bangalore. Hence looked around and got a offer in another company in Bangalore.
The Move
The company paid for the container. But we decided buying any applicances from USA. Just took what we already had ( TV/DVD/computer). Decided to take a six week vacation before joining the new job to meet family and pace things. Packed and took flight on 16 Dec'07.
POST MOVE
Job
After vacation, its been about 3 weeks at my new job here. Till now things look great. The work enviornment is awesome, and the work seems to be at par with what I was doing in USA. Only thing is that you don't get to be in the company of industry leaders and who's who of technology as was the case in US. But again its been only 3 weeks.
Home
Currently living in company guest house. Would move to a rented apartment about 10 min walk from work after a week. Initially budgeted Rs 15 K but had to increase is to Rs 18.5 K. A compromise made to avoid time in traffic. Once I get a better idea of the city and real estate market, I will try to buy an apartment.
Shipment
The container is expected to arrive in week, about the same time I get the apartment.
City Life
Nothing unexpected in this front. The traffic is really bad , but as long as we are not on the road things are great. Work, home, malls etc are all comfortable enough.
Pending...
* Buy home applicances
Have more or less decided on what we need. Just need to place the order.
* Get a driving license
This is take a bit longer. We need an address proof just to get the learners. So this process will start once we move to the apartment.
* Handle finances in USA
Need to figure out the best way get money out from my 401k in USA. Will look for CA/CPA to help with this.
* India taxes
In general need to understand Indian tax system. How to save taxes etc.
* Make a new friend circle
My R2I (Bangalore) diary - chaloIndia
My R2I (Bangalore) diary - chaloIndia
Great post and looking forward for more. Here are my 2 cents:
chaloIndia;82426
* Buy home applicances
Have more or less decided on what we need. Just need to place the order.
[/quote]
My brother-in-law(BIL) is visiting Hyderabad, India and in the process of furnishing his new home for in-laws. He says, the shopkeepers for sofas, furniture etc charge double or more rates for "imported" stuff which might be sometimes inferior to what we get locally. Beware and carefully evaluate the prices and quality. BIL says he found some online forums on these discussions. I can find out from him on the exact sites if you want. Don't assume higher the price, better the quality. Bargain hard even in big shops and they may reveal some discounts, special offers etc.
Some examples:
1. I know lot of people using laminate in their homes in India paying more than what would have costed for fine granite.
2. BIL looked for wooden blinds and for that particular hosue cost around Rs. 1Lakh. I guess they are imported, so adding all the custom duties become very costly. The alternate aluminium blinds are Rs. 15K and cloth blinds are 7K.
3. An "imported" leather sectional sofa costs around Rs. 50K while a local made is around 20K and he found both of them to be of same quality.
chaloIndia;82426
* Get a driving license
This is take a bit longer. We need an address proof just to get the learners. So this process will start once we move to the apartment.
[/quote]
I guess you already know the profedure for getting drivers license in India using US license. But here it is if you are not aware
http://www.r2iclubforums.com/clubvb/showthread.php?t=5666&highlight=license
This experience is specifically for Hyderabad http://www.r2iclubforums.com/clubvb/showthread.php?t=2116
There's a wealth of finance information and gurus here for your 401K question. You may or may not get a good CA in India who is knowledgeable in this area. The general consensus on this forum is it's better for us to be equipped with this knowledge even when using professional help.
My R2I (Bangalore) diary - chaloIndia
Chalo India, Congratulations! You actually did :Chalo India:. Wish you good luck.
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chaloIndia
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:44 pm
My R2I (Bangalore) diary - chaloIndia
ILuvHyd;82439
I guess you already know the profedure for getting drivers license in India using US license. But here it is if you are not aware
http://www.r2iclubforums.com/clubvb/showthread.php?t=5666&highlight=license
This experience is specifically for Hyderabad http://www.r2iclubforums.com/clubvb/showthread.php?t=2116
[/quote]
thanks ILuvHyd, actually I didn't know that I could skip the test. Now only if I can get some one with first hand experience in bangalore.
From http://rto.kar.nic.in/foreign_dl.htm
"The foreign Nationals who desire to apply and obtain Driving licence should follow the same procedure to obtain Learner's Licence and Driving Licence , except that they are exempted from test for competence to Drive. The should undergo preliminary test for obtaining Learner's licence. They should produce the residence permit issued by the Police commissioner along with the Proof of residence as rule 4 of CMV rules"
Looks like I still would need to get learner's licence first.
My R2I (Bangalore) diary - chaloIndia
ChaloIndia, If you want to start driving from day one you can get International Driver Permit from AAA. Costs $15. Its valid in India.
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chaloIndia
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:44 pm
My R2I (Bangalore) diary - chaloIndia
picket;82455ChaloIndia, If you want to start driving from day one you can get International Driver Permit from AAA. Costs $15. Its valid in India.[/quote]
Yep, unfortunately I didn't get one when I was in USA. Can I get it while in India?
My R2I (Bangalore) diary - chaloIndia
Read this : http://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html
When traveling overseas, carry an International Driving Permit ... even if you're not planning to drive. Should you need to communicate with foreign authorities, this recognizable form of identification can help you get on your way more quickly.
Valid in over 150 countries, the permit contains your name, photo and driver information translated into ten languages.
Before you travel the world, travel to any AAA office for your International Driving Permit. Bring your valid U.S. driver's license, $15USD* , and two ORIGINAL passport-type photos** (also available at AAA offices). You may also wish to fill out our International Driving Permit application in advance. Simply print out the application, fill in the information requested and bring it with you to the AAA office nearest you. If you prefer to secure your International Driving Permit through the mail, enclose your completed application form, two ORIGINAL passport-type photos each signed on the back, a $15USD permit fee and a photocopy of both sides of your driver's license and mail them to the AAA office nearest you. Include additional U.S. funds for expedited return mail service, if desired. See USPS.com or DHL.com for rates.
NOTE: If you are currently overseas you can mail your completed application to the following office and address: AAA/IDP
1000 AAA Dr.
Heathrow, FL
32746
Attn: Mailstop #28
*Funds must be in U.S. dollars. Acceptable forms of payment are U.S. bank check or money order payable to AAA and these major credit cards with expiration date- Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Card.
**Digital photographs are acceptable, however, they must be of a certain quality. Please read http://travel.state.gov/passport/pptphotos/digital_photography.html for guidelines
When traveling overseas, carry an International Driving Permit ... even if you're not planning to drive. Should you need to communicate with foreign authorities, this recognizable form of identification can help you get on your way more quickly.
Valid in over 150 countries, the permit contains your name, photo and driver information translated into ten languages.
Before you travel the world, travel to any AAA office for your International Driving Permit. Bring your valid U.S. driver's license, $15USD* , and two ORIGINAL passport-type photos** (also available at AAA offices). You may also wish to fill out our International Driving Permit application in advance. Simply print out the application, fill in the information requested and bring it with you to the AAA office nearest you. If you prefer to secure your International Driving Permit through the mail, enclose your completed application form, two ORIGINAL passport-type photos each signed on the back, a $15USD permit fee and a photocopy of both sides of your driver's license and mail them to the AAA office nearest you. Include additional U.S. funds for expedited return mail service, if desired. See USPS.com or DHL.com for rates.
NOTE: If you are currently overseas you can mail your completed application to the following office and address: AAA/IDP
1000 AAA Dr.
Heathrow, FL
32746
Attn: Mailstop #28
*Funds must be in U.S. dollars. Acceptable forms of payment are U.S. bank check or money order payable to AAA and these major credit cards with expiration date- Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Card.
**Digital photographs are acceptable, however, they must be of a certain quality. Please read http://travel.state.gov/passport/pptphotos/digital_photography.html for guidelines
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chaloIndia
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:44 pm
My R2I (Bangalore) diary - chaloIndia
General note on expenses
I haven't been in India for long enough to provide an accurate idea of expenses. But in general I feel like my expenses here ( specially rent, eating out, etc) would be about half of what they were in Seattle.
This of course is not a rule. Clothes are about as expensive as the ones I bought in USA, and appliances are little more expensive compared to USA, and some expenses will actually be less than half. Overall though 50% of Seattle cost of living is what I would say for now.
I haven't been in India for long enough to provide an accurate idea of expenses. But in general I feel like my expenses here ( specially rent, eating out, etc) would be about half of what they were in Seattle.
This of course is not a rule. Clothes are about as expensive as the ones I bought in USA, and appliances are little more expensive compared to USA, and some expenses will actually be less than half. Overall though 50% of Seattle cost of living is what I would say for now.
My R2I (Bangalore) diary - chaloIndia
chaloIndia;82457Yep, unfortunately I didn't get one when I was in USA. Can I get it while in India?
The International permit issued in INdia is not valid for driving in India. The one from US as suggested by another member should work.
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chaloIndia
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:44 pm
My R2I (Bangalore) diary - chaloIndia
21 Feb 2008
Placed order for some appliances today to be delivered on March 1st.
Got an
LG 408 Refrigirator: Paid 24,899 at Croma mall for this 390L fridge. I looked around at a lot of places but found the cheapest to be Croma mall. Croma mall's prices are usually at the higher end, but for this one surprisingly they were cheapest. Every other place was quoating more than 26.5K (ezone). I even talked to sales person at Vivek's Indiranagar to see if he could beat this deal, but he politely declined.
Samsung CE1350 Microwave: Bought this because it has one of largest turntable radius around. We wanted to make sure we can bake biggest pizza possible. However how this microwave performs for baking is yet to be seen. This model isn't readily available at many stores. Croma mall had it for 16.9K, Samsung store in Indiranagar quoted 16K and then agreed on 15.5K ( they might have gone lower still, but I didn't bother).
One thing I will buy next is LG Tromm 6.5 kg Washer. Viveks quoted 23K, and some other places quoted 22.5K. However sales person at Big bazaar casually quoted 22K ( this machine didn't have price tag there). Will confirm with them again, and place order there if the price is 22K.
One other thing I need is RO water filter with storage. Not many options in this front. Eureka forbes and one or two others. Still need figure out which one to go for.
Placed order for some appliances today to be delivered on March 1st.
Got an
LG 408 Refrigirator: Paid 24,899 at Croma mall for this 390L fridge. I looked around at a lot of places but found the cheapest to be Croma mall. Croma mall's prices are usually at the higher end, but for this one surprisingly they were cheapest. Every other place was quoating more than 26.5K (ezone). I even talked to sales person at Vivek's Indiranagar to see if he could beat this deal, but he politely declined.
Samsung CE1350 Microwave: Bought this because it has one of largest turntable radius around. We wanted to make sure we can bake biggest pizza possible. However how this microwave performs for baking is yet to be seen. This model isn't readily available at many stores. Croma mall had it for 16.9K, Samsung store in Indiranagar quoted 16K and then agreed on 15.5K ( they might have gone lower still, but I didn't bother).
One thing I will buy next is LG Tromm 6.5 kg Washer. Viveks quoted 23K, and some other places quoted 22.5K. However sales person at Big bazaar casually quoted 22K ( this machine didn't have price tag there). Will confirm with them again, and place order there if the price is 22K.
One other thing I need is RO water filter with storage. Not many options in this front. Eureka forbes and one or two others. Still need figure out which one to go for.