Go figure

So Forbes magazine has come out with a ranking of the friendliest countries, and HSBC has recently done a survey about which countries are the best for expats.  Wouldn't you know...India came in dead last.  Here's a little excerpt:

The least friendly country for expats, according to the Forbes formula, was the United Arab Emirates. And among the countries most challenging for expats overall were Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Russia and India, according to this year’s HSBC survey results. India ranked in last place for the second year in a row.
“India is simply a minefield of relentless mental, emotional and practical daily challenges for most non-Indians,” according to Denmark native Pia Mollback-Verbic, the director of a Mumbai-based qualitative market research firm who relocated there via the U.S. in 2007. “It’s nothing less than a riddling obstacle course, which only can be navigated with a healthy dose of humor, expansive capacity for patience, and tolerance for the illogical.”

Amen my friend.  Amen.

Here's the full article:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/bethgreenfield/2012/01/06/the-worlds-friendliest-countries-2/

Driving in India...or...Why we have a Driver

The traffic here in Hyderabad is not gridlock like you may expect in a city of 6+million people, perhaps because we live in the 'burbs, and perhaps because we don't go anywhere when it's really crowded with vehicles. Even without gridlock, there are plenty of frustrations. The assortment of vehicles is staggering: subcompact cars, motorcycles, bicycles, auto-rickshaws, bull-pulled carts, the ubiquitous Toyota Innovas, white Tata Indica taxicabs, huge and highly decorated "Road King" trucks, tractors pulling various carts and trailers, water buffalo, and pedestrians-we can't forget those brave souls who intersperse themselves in the mele. The honking of horns is heard from every direction and often goes unnoticed.

In addition to the moving hazards, the roads themselves pose their own threat. Instead of closing a road when it is under construction, a common method of blocking off, for example, a freshly dug hole, is to place bowling ball size rocks in front of the precipice. No signs, or warnings, just rocks. On other occasions, one might see huge piles of sand or gravel instead. It is the responsibility of the driver to avoid these literal pitfalls, and swerve, oftentimes, into the oncoming traffic lanes. The oncoming traffic is accustomed to this and is completely unfazed. In the truest sense, everyone really does "Share the Road".

Click here for a great youtube video showing the organized chaos we experience every day.

In the face of this insanity, there is a small daredevil part of me that desires to join in the fray. That would mean both driving on the left side of the road (and car) and driving a standard transmission car, which, in my defense, I can do-although not well. Imagine the freedom of no real traffic lights, stop signs, and driving lanes! While driving standard transmission cars, I have the most difficulty going from stopped into 1st gear, so here I could feasibly only need to do that once per outing! Once I overcame the left side of the road, and the transmission, I would have to tackle that great unknown: the traffic. So for the time being, my inner daredevil is staying quietly subdued and strapped into the back seat while our trusty driver, Prasad, deals with the chaos around us.

Things I never knew existed

Researching for our trip to India has been an education in itself. I have found a good India travel forum online and it consists of posts and articles from expats, natives, casual travelers and backpackers.

My most fervent research has been about what I, as a foreign white woman, should wear while in India. Shorts? Nope. Sleeveless tops? No way. Snug fitting tops? Nope. A Bikini at the beach? No, unless in Goa. Since others have encountered the same limits, they have kindly posted alternatives such as the (no joke) Burquini. Which is basically a burqua that one can swim in. I think I'll pass on this one...

http://www.ahiida.com/index.php?a=subcats&cat=20

It has been highly recommended that western women try wearing a salwar kameez while in India. It is a long, loose, tunic type shirt (the kameez), worn with pants (salwar) and a scarf called a dupatta. They are said to be extremely comfortable and very cool in hot weather. This seems like something I'd be willing to wear:
http://www.cbazaar.com/salwar-kameez/casual-style/c-sb.html#prdtype_fq!salwar kameez|prdtype_fq!Salwar Kameez|&pno:1&sb:-1dintid=22649
Prices in India range from inexpensive to reasonable and it's also not expensive to have a salwar kameez custom made. Tempting, tempting...

From the backpackers, one item someone mentioned not wanting to go to India without was the shewee. http://www.shewee.com/ I don't think I'll be shelling out the money for that one...yet.

There are only a few weeks until I step foot on Indian soil for the first time. I imagine that's when my panic will really begin.

There's nothing to fear but....

I stopped by the new library yesterday and picked up some books about India. It's funny how the the books I got in the juvenile section answer more of my questions than those I found in 'non-fiction'.

Bill asked me last night "What's your biggest fear about going to India?" Without skipping a beat, I said "illness." Today I'm heading to the Dr. for some shots and a pile of prescriptions for malaria pills and anything else I may need. Yikes.

Where to?

This, my very first blog entry, was inspired by crazy news we received today. It looks as though the Sullivan clan will be becoming expats again. This time in India. Hyderabad to be more precise. Bill and I are planning a trip over there to check things out and make sure we'll be comfortable enough, physically & mentally, to bring the girls over as well and spend anywhere from 6-24 months.