A Wolf in Bangalore...

[wolf21281]

Hi all,

This is my attempt at documenting the experiences of someone who R2Ied recently - less than a week ago - to Bangalore. This being a live document, I am pasting my experiences as they occur and I will try to be as coherent as possible.

Background:
-Non-IT professional, came to the US for a PhD in 2002, followed by a post-doc for 2 yrs.
- Had a proper job in the US only for a year or so, until my letting-go in early 2010.
- Even after PhD, postdoc and this last job, was tired of reliance on my employers for visa, sponsorship and keeping them happy.
- After my layoff, had many job leads but most would fizzle out due to not having a GC or citizenship. - Finally, received an offer from an MNC in Bangalore. As I had nothing in hand till their deadline, decided to take the plunge and R2I ( sat at home for 4 mths sans job and was driving me nuts)
- Married w/o kids, wife still in US but looking for positions in B'lore to join me in a few mths.

1 week past R2I:
- Coming to B'lore for the first time ever, being a native of Mumbai. Hence, the new airport was very impressive and at 4 AM, very quiet compared to Mumbai. Even in airport, immig, customs was a breeze, was out in 30min flat!
- Employer took care of taxi frm airport, currently put up in a service apartment in Marathahalli
- Taking volvo to work - found that if I start before 8-15 8-30am, no crowd issue. Same for coming back.
- At work, being a US_based MNC, things pretty standardized. Got settled pretty quickly and started working already!
- Short term goal is looking for apartments to rent (3 BHK) and getting around the city.
- Using a pvt broker, recommended by people in company - pretty good so far, impressed when he showed up on the dot at 11am, when he said he would be.
-Body getting adjusted to B;lore air - down with throat infection but luckily got a lot of rest being a weekend
- Looking forward to the R2I Bangalore meet on 25th July. R2I forum immensely useful in preparing for R2I both mentally and practically.
-Other major goal includes job-hunting for wife, in Pharma field.
-

[gujju]

Welcome back!!! Throat infection will be gone in a couple of days and you will enjoy the cool bengaluru weather.

[PeterGriffin]

Congratulations on the move! Hope things turn out well for you!

[mkk]

Congrats!
Could you please indicate the name of the service apartment name you are using?

[dbs]

Welcome to India.

[roxstar]

Congrats. Happy for you but I do lament that the unreasonably cumbersome US GC process has pushed yet another PHD brain out of the US. So much for maintaining long term competitiveness. Anyways US's loss is definitively India's gain. Wish you all the luck.

[kaa2501]

Congratulations! How did you manage to land an offer with an MNC?, just curious on the approach you took for the job hunt: networking or was it through resume posting on Indian career websites. Thanks.

[M V]

Nice title for diary, and may the (temporary) absence make the heart grow fonder. :)

[Aa_Ab_Laut_Chale]

Congrats on the move and wish you good luck!

Just one question - if you have PhD and post-doc, then you should have gotten the GC in 1 year, right? I was just curious about it.

Anyway, best of luck.

[wolf21281]

Thanks Fellow Steelers Fan!
Contrary to popularly held opinion, GCs aren't doled out to PhDs along with their degrees. Universities generally don't sponsor GCs for postdocs until they've completed more than 3 yrs of service, and to go privately through a lawyer through EB1 category requires thousands of $$. My past employer (a small co.) who sponsored my O-1 visa (outstanding researcher category) was going to sponsor mine, or so I thought, but the MF fired me without notice, which triggered my whole R2I.