To Buy or Not to Buy
"Buy and Consume or Buy and Store", two different thoughts, two different lifestyles, two different countries, too different. This is the thought we grapple with as we move into our newly leasedom (a concoction of a leased kingdom). We nurture this thought as we realized the scarcity of storage space in our new apartment and trying to match it with the large quantity of our belongings that we so lovingly brought along with us to India. How easily we have adjusted to the buy and store Costco philosophy that it is taking time to adjust to the new mantra of buying only what we need and when we need more then go out and buy some more (more like call and have some more delivered at the doorstep but we are not one to gloat on that). Let's see if we are able to adjust our lifestyle to this thought.
It's been a while since I emlogged (this is not a web log but an email log). A lot has happened since. Some good & nice and then a lot not so encouraging and downright frustrating. Yet we are surviving. Yes not a day goes by without us thinking if this was the right move. And I think we will keep feeling this way at least for some time. But we have committed ourselves to creating a space for us here. Maybe someday we will create another space somewhere else. Still we are more wiser on account of this experience. Fatter too as I have put on some weight. And a little more lighter on the pocket as we go on a buying spree to help create a space for us that we can live in comfortably.
So what say you makes us wiser? Wiser as in now we know to purchase electric brackets when we buy an A/C, to make sure the apartment/house has all the wiring complete before moving in, to make sure the electrician, the cable guy, the phone tech and also the house cleaning people are all taking to each other in a language that we don't understand and coming to a resolution in delivering to us a working phone, tv, internet, electricity, toilets, geysers in a clean manner.
Sima keeps on asking me to bear the inefficiencies here but sometimes I am on a vigilante mode and the people in front of me (literally) have to move out the way. This is the advantage of driving a big car. When the going lane gets tough and filled with the oncoming traffic, I have fun in standing my ground and forcing the oncoming traffic infractionists (what else do I call them) back into their lane. Honking and blinking away to glory while I do this. Of course little do I realize that on passing me the situation behind me is no better than before. Sometimes even worse as traffic behind is honking me to get my tough hide going.
The other day (first day of the move) we sat on our leather sofa that has so much accentuated that flat we are in that I think the LESSOR might now charge a higher rent all because of our furniture. So we were on our sofa and for the littlest time of rest we took we took in the blue sky with red clouds reflecting the setting sun and the perfectly crescent moon right in the middle of our picture window. Wow! we said. And then there was the heavy downpour of warm hard tropical rain beating outside on the terrace and balcony as we stood near the door with freshly brewed tea in our own brown mugs from Seattle. Ahh! It's good to have your loving belongings. Finally! Despite feeling that we brought a lot of stuff, we really are enjoying the feeling of familiar comfort from an environment we have left behind. Yet we long for the familiar comfort of the friendships that we have physically left behind as well.
Today we get a call from our bank thanking us for our patronship and as a premier customer reward giving us tickets for a Comedy Theater show that has TV stars acting in it. Prior to this we went to a Shobha Mudgal concert. Again a free event. Further this week is a week long Bangalore Octoberfest. No not as in the beer fest but a theater fest. Last night we went to the "Beach" to have goan food. Before that we went to "Inch" for some TexMex and before that... well the list can go on and I am not the one to bore you or gloat over it. The point is that we were watching the movie "Flavors" about American Desis jogging in the middle of the road in a pristine neighborhood that looks like paradise and then when we look outside at the bustling crowded unclean road and noisy activity outside with people dodging trucks in the middle of the road that we feel that we were in a dream and that we have now woken up and for us it feels good to be awake. Yes there is misery here and maybe we are meant to be here to give us a chance to make a small impact in improving someone's lives.
"Wake up and smell the caffee Sir!"
As before I am ending my ramble on a positive note (in case you did not notice) but yet caution to ye all! linving in India is not all that it is made up to be and then again it is. Life here is just like a bollywood movie with experiences of extreme emotions!
Happy Dusshera
Chintan
It's been a while since I emlogged (this is not a web log but an email log). A lot has happened since. Some good & nice and then a lot not so encouraging and downright frustrating. Yet we are surviving. Yes not a day goes by without us thinking if this was the right move. And I think we will keep feeling this way at least for some time. But we have committed ourselves to creating a space for us here. Maybe someday we will create another space somewhere else. Still we are more wiser on account of this experience. Fatter too as I have put on some weight. And a little more lighter on the pocket as we go on a buying spree to help create a space for us that we can live in comfortably.
So what say you makes us wiser? Wiser as in now we know to purchase electric brackets when we buy an A/C, to make sure the apartment/house has all the wiring complete before moving in, to make sure the electrician, the cable guy, the phone tech and also the house cleaning people are all taking to each other in a language that we don't understand and coming to a resolution in delivering to us a working phone, tv, internet, electricity, toilets, geysers in a clean manner.
Sima keeps on asking me to bear the inefficiencies here but sometimes I am on a vigilante mode and the people in front of me (literally) have to move out the way. This is the advantage of driving a big car. When the going lane gets tough and filled with the oncoming traffic, I have fun in standing my ground and forcing the oncoming traffic infractionists (what else do I call them) back into their lane. Honking and blinking away to glory while I do this. Of course little do I realize that on passing me the situation behind me is no better than before. Sometimes even worse as traffic behind is honking me to get my tough hide going.
The other day (first day of the move) we sat on our leather sofa that has so much accentuated that flat we are in that I think the LESSOR might now charge a higher rent all because of our furniture. So we were on our sofa and for the littlest time of rest we took we took in the blue sky with red clouds reflecting the setting sun and the perfectly crescent moon right in the middle of our picture window. Wow! we said. And then there was the heavy downpour of warm hard tropical rain beating outside on the terrace and balcony as we stood near the door with freshly brewed tea in our own brown mugs from Seattle. Ahh! It's good to have your loving belongings. Finally! Despite feeling that we brought a lot of stuff, we really are enjoying the feeling of familiar comfort from an environment we have left behind. Yet we long for the familiar comfort of the friendships that we have physically left behind as well.
Today we get a call from our bank thanking us for our patronship and as a premier customer reward giving us tickets for a Comedy Theater show that has TV stars acting in it. Prior to this we went to a Shobha Mudgal concert. Again a free event. Further this week is a week long Bangalore Octoberfest. No not as in the beer fest but a theater fest. Last night we went to the "Beach" to have goan food. Before that we went to "Inch" for some TexMex and before that... well the list can go on and I am not the one to bore you or gloat over it. The point is that we were watching the movie "Flavors" about American Desis jogging in the middle of the road in a pristine neighborhood that looks like paradise and then when we look outside at the bustling crowded unclean road and noisy activity outside with people dodging trucks in the middle of the road that we feel that we were in a dream and that we have now woken up and for us it feels good to be awake. Yes there is misery here and maybe we are meant to be here to give us a chance to make a small impact in improving someone's lives.
"Wake up and smell the caffee Sir!"
As before I am ending my ramble on a positive note (in case you did not notice) but yet caution to ye all! linving in India is not all that it is made up to be and then again it is. Life here is just like a bollywood movie with experiences of extreme emotions!
Happy Dusshera
Chintan
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