All through our lives, we have come across the fact that India is a multi cultural, multi religious, tolerant nation. With such brotherhood, India has also housed several expatriates, or more commonly known as ‘expats’.

To bring you closer to what an expat is, and how they are living in your own city, I have interviewed few wonderful individuals from various parts of the world. Let’s explore their experiences, and know of what they feel like about the city that we have been living in, forever now!

Jane Erglis, Housewife

American living in Hyderabad

What is your country of Origin?

We are American from NYC area, but we lived in Shanghai before we moved to India.  My husband is Persian mix and I’m Korean and Latvian mix.

What do you best like about living in Hyderabad?

We think it’s very convenient.  There are good hospitals and schools.  The weather is great.  The traffic is manageable (compared to other cities).  The international airport allows us to move easily in Asia.

For how long have you been living in Hyderabad ?

We have lived here for over 16 months.

What does your daily life look like? Has moving to Hyderabad affected your work?

I don’t work but I have been able to go to school here for yoga and Gemmology.  Most days when I’m not in school I’m managing the household.  My husband works a lot that is the nature of his business.  He’s lucky though that Indian employers value family time so he has been more available to us.

What was your first big “aha” about the culture here?

I think it was the cows!  We were in a traffic jam and it was because of the cows.

What do you miss most while you are living in Hyderabad?

My Korean grocery store!

How did people (of Hyderabad) see you?

The reception has been pleasant and welcoming.  Sometimes we’re asked to take selfies, but we’ve lived in China before, so we were used to that!

What were the first few days like?

They were so hot!  It was a bit of adjustment because we had to live in a service apartment.  The kids didn’t have their toys, it was rough.

How would you sum up your first six months?

It was just so busy.  I feel we always had to register something.

What do you most like and dislike about Hyderabad?

I like that it’s a mix between old and new.  It’s getting so modern and hip from the time we are here!  What I dislike is the speed of service at some places, but in the states we also have slower service in South too!

Do you have any local favorite foods and places that you like visiting?

We love Karachi Bakery’s biscuits and Mithai.  The chaat at Almond House – ‘Gol Gappa’ is amazing!  We love mango season too!  Our favorite bakery is Conçu and Eclaire! There are too many to list!  There’s no shortage of good food here!

Amanda Solmundson, Yoga Instructor

Canadian living in Hyderabad

What is your country of Origin?

Canada

What do you best like about living in Hyderabad?

I love the variety of spicy food, its all so delicious! Food is cheaper here which is nice.

For how long have you been living in Hyderabad?

Almost 2 years!

What does your daily life look like? Has moving to Hyderabad affected your work?

My daily life consists of practicing yoga. I have my 300-hour yoga teacher training and I completed my programs here in Hyderabad at Bodhi Yoga Institute.

I want to open my own yoga retreat in Thailand one day. I will also be perusing an eyelash extension certificate next! I like learning new things. I also paint in my spare time, it’s nice and calming.

What was your first big “aha” about the culture here?

Probably seeing all the beautiful Sarees and wondering how I can learn how to wear them; I tried a few times but can’t get the hang of it. Also seeing the Rickshaws, they don’t have those in Canada.

What is your experience like with learning the language?

I don’t really know any Telugu, but I do know a little bit of Hindi.

What do you miss most while you are living in Hyderabad?

I miss my family and friends, but I really miss a dish called Poutine. It’s French fries with cheese curds and a hot gravy sauce poured on top. It melts in your mouth and tastes sooo good. Google it!

How did people (of Hyderabad) see you?

I’m sure I look very different over here, you almost feel like a celebrity here because everyone stares at you and wants to take selfies with you ha-ha.

What were the first few days like?

We stayed in a hotel and I was nervous because I wasn’t sure what to expect here being in a new country, but my partner assured me it would be okay. He lived here earlier, for years so he had  the experience. I haven’t had any problems, though.

How would you sum up your first 6 months?

We stayed in hotel rooms a fair bit until we managed to find a place and slowly started filling it with furniture. We made new friends, thanks to an expat Facebook group. Hyderabad is huge compared to the little town of Gimli with only 2000 people.

What do you most like and dislike about Hyderabad?

I like the hot weather, back in Canada it can get very cold, so it’s a nice welcome change. What I don’t like is seeing all the garbage everywhere, it breaks my heart seeing that.

Do you have any local favorite foods and places you like visiting?

My favorite dish to eat here is Chicken 555 from Punjabi Family Dhaba. I love spicy food and theirs is the best I’ve had so far! I also like to go to Farzi Café, they have a good ambience with yummy food and cocktails, would recommend.

 

Dave, Pilot

Canadian living in Hyderabad

What is your country of Origin?

Canada

What do you best like about living in Hyderabad?

The warm weather, and the mild monsoon season.

For how long have you been living in Hyderabad?

18 months

What does your daily life look like? Has moving to Hyderabad affected your work?

My typical daily life is working for Spice Jet, being picked up at 5am, a 40-minute commute to work and then flying 4 or 5 flights all over India and usually coming back home 9 hours later or perhaps over nighting in any of the major cities in India.

What was your first big “aha” about the culture here?

This being my second time around, 7th year in India, and Hyderabad being the 4th city, I’ve lived in here, there is little that surprises me here anymore. However, I am always impressed with people’s ability to overcome all kinds of adversity and survive in India in a way not imagined by those back home.

What is your experience like with learning the language?

I have managed to learn and speak some Hindi during my time here, with English and Hindi being the languages of choice at work. Without much chance to speak Telugu , it still remains a mystery to me.

What do you miss most while you are living in Hyderabad?

Mostly family and friends, but also the wide-open spaces and quiet surroundings we have back home.

How did people (of Hyderabad) see you?

Mostly they see me as a curiosity, being a foreigner with several tattoos, there are a lot of stares, requests for selfies and sometimes even children chasing after me in the street. It seems to make them happy, so I’m always willing to oblige.

What were the first few days like?

First few days in Hyderabad I was straight to work without much chance to see anything other than the hotel and airport.

How would you sum up your first 6 months?

The first 6 months in Hyderabad was mostly settling in and moving from a hotel to a flat, slowly accumulating all the things necessary to live comfortably here, meeting new friends and finding our place here.

What do you most like and dislike about Hyderabad?

I like the cheap living, the weather and the food. I dislike the noise and pollution.

Do you have any local favorite foods and places you like visiting?

When we have visitors we always take them for a Hyderbad Briyani of course, and we also enjoy going to the many restaurant bars in Gachibowli and Banjara Hills when I get a rare night off.

 

Raelene Gullapalli, Advertising & Marketing

American living in Hyderabad

What is your country of Origin?

I am from the US – San Francisco Bay Area, but spent the last 13 yrs in NYC.  Raghu spent the first 6 yrs of his life in Rochester, NY, moved to HYD until age 17 and then was in NYC from 2000 – 2017.

What do you best like about living in Hyderabad?

The History of the culture and art and the fresh flowers everywhere.

For how long have you been living in Hyderabad ?

Since Sept, 2017.

What does your daily life look like? Has moving to Hyderabad affected your work?

Daily Life: We’ve learned that when you have young kids the core of life is very much the same no matter where in the world you are, it’s still a lot of “hurry up and get your shoes on, we’re going to miss the school bus!” in the mornings.

Work: Part of the reason we moved here was because Raghu wanted to work with his father who founded LV Prasad Eye Institute.  Raghu is the Executive Director of Emerging Technologies at LVPEI.  We are constantly amazed at the pace at which HYD is growing, especially in the technology sector and the sheer volume of scale is something we don’t see in the US.

What was your first big “aha” about the culture here?

Rae was somewhat familiar with the culture in HYD, she had visited several times prior to moving here.  But when she went to purchase a box of Cheerios and saw that the price was 995 INR (3x the pice in the states) she knew she was a long way from home.  Oh and she’ll never get used to the madness on the roads – the traffic and the buffalos!

What is you experience like with learning the language?

Raghu speaks Telugu fluently, and the kids are so young they are picking words and phrases up so quickly.  Most people we’ve met speak English so language has not been a huge barrier for us.

What do you miss most while you are living in Hyderabad?

My family & friends in the US and having 4 different seasons.  I did a lot of complaining when I was in NYC about the cold winters, and now I miss my jacket, coats and scarfs.

How did people (of Hyderabad) see you?

Everyone here has been incredibly friendly and welcoming.

What were the first few days like?

The first few days felt like vacation and so did the first few months.  We didn’t start to feel settled until about 6 months after living here.

How would you sum up your first six months?

– A roller coaster.  There have been so many highs and a few lows (but mostly highs)

What do you most like and dislike about Hyderabad?

like: the easy access to travel throughout Asia and living close to family

dislike : the heat in May, it is unbearable.

Do you have any local favourite foods and places that you like visiting?

Sage Farm Cafe and Conçu.

 

 

Kim Reumkens, Nutritionist

Dutch living in Hyderabad

What is your country of Origin?

I was born and raised in the southern part of the Netherlands. It used to take me 5 minutes to cycle to Germany.

What do you like best about living in Hyderabad?

I love all the big smiles, and people are so generous here. They also have a lot of patience, but on the other hand that means I have to have a lot of patience too, of course.

I love looking out of the window while we’re driving: Hyderabad is buzzing, people everywhere (except on Sundays) and animals. In India we share the roads with the animals.

For how long have you been living in Hyderabad?

In August 2017 we moved here, so that is me and my husband Marco and our 4 daughters: Philippa 14, Sisselie 12, Linden 9 and Elora 2. For the first 3 months we stayed in a hotel and then we moved to an apartment in the busy city. The first time that I tried to go for a walk with my baby in her stroller was an adventure.

All the animals, the tuktuk’s, the motorbikes and the honking. And the lack of sidewalks, but that got compensated by the number of holes in the road. Then I understood why I was the only one with a stroller. It is much easier to carry your baby here.

What does your daily life look like? Has moving to Hyderabad affected your work?

I prepare all the food for my family myself, but there is no cleaning up after: yeah, I love it! In the morning I drive my 2 youngest girls to their school, while the 2 older ones take the bus. Back home I do a workout cause I still live in this fantasy of having a bikini body one day, although as time goes on, I realize that the chances are getting slimmer by the week.

At noon I pick up my youngest and while she takes a nap, I write. I write columns for a Dutch magazine about my life here (only good things!). I am part of the PTA in my kids’ school, so I spend some time on that. And I keep in touch with my former boss in New Jersey where I worked as a holistic nutritionist and do some work for her.

When my girls come home, I spend time with them. Almost every day we go to the community pool where they swim and I still keep dream of having a bikini body.

What was your first big ‘AHA’ about the culture here?

Never say what you don’t want to have, just emphasize what it is you want. Keep it short and sweet. If you mention what you don’t want, that is exactly what you’re gonna get.

And Indian people are very patriotic, which is a good thing, but I will never say “I don’t like dal” again, as I can not handle the disappointment on their friendly faces.

What is your experience with learning the language?

I use English as far as it goes my hands and feet, and a sympathetic smile (and if necessary, a discouraged face).

What do you miss most while you’re living in Hyderabad?

Fresh, crispy air. The beach. Cycling or walking in nature. Western bands performing. People waiting for their turn and not trying to cut the line. And mindfulness about the environment. But I don’t miss cleaning the house myself.

How do people of Hyderabad see you?

No idea, maybe as a giraffe (as I am tall).

What were the first few days like?

First week I gained 2 kilos because of all the delicious Indian sweets. And the honking made me almost paranoid.

How would you sum up your first 6 months?

I gained 3 more kilos because of all the delicious Indian sweets and then I stopped eating them and lost 4. One is left to remind me. First 6 months were not the easiest  because everything is very different. But luckily you get used to (almost) everything and now I am at home here.

I remember the first time I saw a humongous cockroach in a bakery and I screamed to inform everyone about this monster invading the pastries. People looked up, realized it was ‘just’ a cockroach and then carried on, leaving me feeling confused and later silly about it.

Do you have any local favourite foods and places you like to visit?

I love biryani. In the beginning I could not understand the excitement about it and I thought it was ‘rice’ but I think I got Biryani brainwashed because now I love it! And samosa’s and pani puri. I actually like many foods here, but I never know what they’re called.

I really like the food in the Farzi Café, but I don’t go there often enough because of the distance ( or rather the time it takes to get there). We all like going to Zega upstairs in the Sheraton and at Prego in the Westin I always have the mushroom risotto when I need a biryani break.