What do you miss the most after you R2I?

[Jig6]

1) Rule of law
2) National Parks
3) Ethiopian food :)
4) 2 day weekends

[Mumbai_2009]

1) Rule of law
2) National Parks
3) Ethiopian food :)
4) 2 day weekends

I miss it too....the yummy injera bread!!!!!!!! .....did a quick internet after R2I to find a Ethiopian restaurant in mumabi....none so far...let me know if you come across one.

[VWbuggy78]

Food is the part that we will crave for most in the first few years. After that the urge kind of subsides. Ethiopian food - I remember the place on 125th and Broadway that used to serve excellent Ethiopian food. But they closed down after a few years. So did a bunch of my other favorite places in NYC (Plaza Hotel, FAO Schwartz). One can also get used to the local beer in India after a while. Heineken, Corona become a distant memory. The only salmon worth having is at one of the star hotels here (but since it is off the menu, they usually slap Rs 1k for whatever they do). Sushi is now offered in Courtyard Marriott in Chennai. But the amount that they give you is minuscule (and hardly enough for a bite), setting you back several hundred rupees. Taco Bell is one of the places I like to land up on my visits to the US. The ones in India are bad. The hamburger in the Hard Rock cafe and Taj in Mumbai are pretty good. The ones in Chennai are just passable. The soups (such as the ones from Sweet Tomatoes in Bay Area) are unattainable here.


Regarding, TV shows - Letterman, Friends all that is available on Star. Even if they were not on, you can order them on DVD from Amazon. You will have it in a few weeks. In fact, most non-perishable items can be brought here somehow. They will not be the ones you will continue to miss years after R2I'ing.

The other part you will always miss are the luxury cars that you can actually drive. In theory, you can buy a luxury car here. But it is a total pain to handle in the city.

[MeMyself]

I miss not having to deal with dust - EVERY WHERE! If there is a flat surface in the house there is a layer of dust on it! Sometimes even inside closets. Nice hardwood stained furniture - used for almost a decade in the US with occasional dusting now has a dust in hard-to-reach places in just over an year of R2I

[mrsherlock]

I will miss driving my X5. I have had it for 6 years and I love driving it. They sell X5 in India for an equivalent of $ 180,000 :emdgust:! I guess I will have to be happy with owning a toyota fortuner or a Honda CRV :cry:

[KirKS]

Taco Bell is one of the places I like to land up on my visits to the US. The ones in India are bad.

You should try to get to Malleshwaram in BengaLuru, wherein a brand new Mantri Square Mall got opened.



In addition to 10000 brands & 250 outlets, this million+ sq.ft mall, which is India's biggest, has 2 Taco Bells. One of them must have the right burritos or fajitas for you :)

http://www.mantrisquare.com/searchfilter/common_categorylisting.asp

[VWbuggy78]

I miss not having to deal with dust - EVERY WHERE! If there is a flat surface in the house there is a layer of dust on it! Sometimes even inside closets. Nice hardwood stained furniture - used for almost a decade in the US with occasional dusting now has a dust in hard-to-reach places in just over an year of R2I

MeMyself, our house is as spotless as it was in the US. This is how:
Most dust comes as paint flakes off your ceiling. 99% of Indian homes do not use putty on the ceiling. You can easily remedy this situation.
The second source of dust is from the windows. You can fix this by making sure the windows are snug. We never open our windows (instead use airconditioner in the non-recirc mode).
The third source is foot traffic. You need to get industrial grade mats (the type that are used in shopping malls) and line your entrance foyer with them. Anyone who walks on them will have to have placed both their feet at least twice before entering your home.

Also make sure the compound wall is not with open grills.

[MeMyself]

MeMyself, our house is as spotless as it was in the US. This is how:
Most dust comes as paint flakes off your ceiling. 99% of Indian homes do not use putty on the ceiling. You can easily remedy this situation.
The second source of dust is from the windows. You can fix this by making sure the windows are snug. We never open our windows (instead use airconditioner in the non-recirc mode).
The third source is foot traffic. You need to get industrial grade mats (the type that are used in shopping malls) and line your entrance foyer with them. Anyone who walks on them will have to have placed both their feet at least twice before entering your home.

Also make sure the compound wall is not with open grills.

Thanks - The windows in our rental sure don't fit snugly. I have to look at the door mats thing - where do you get them?

[sumachechi]

[QUOTE]The second source of dust is from the windows. You can fix this by making sure the windows are snug. We never open our windows (instead use airconditioner in the non-recirc mode).


So how do you maintain air circulation? Do you not find it stuffy?

[VWbuggy78]

sumachechi - the fresh air enters through air conditioner. The filters filter the air. AC filters should be cleaned monthly for optimum performance.

The reality is also that you can't avoid outside air coming in. Someone comes (esp domestic help) in to the house a few times a day. That allows for gust of air in.

If you must, the best door to open is the one that is the highest. Eg a terrace door or window. Dust (thanks to gravity) is dramatically lower in higher floors. In an apartment, it is worth to buy a penthouse just for this.

Memyself, in Chennai you can get those mats at MA Jacobs (opp to Stella Maris) on Cathedral Road.