Indians working abroad

[Alan]

Well, I'm an Indian working in India. But I have friends & relatives working abroad. I've always wondered why ppl actually go out to work- is it the money or the quality of work or the living conditions that drive u out of home?
Or do u hate India & her problems? Do u feel nostalgic about India?

I've never had the idea to work abroad though my GRE score was 720/800. I just wrote it for the heck of it..lol!

Ok, coming back to the point, there are fellow hubbers abroad- could you give me your opinion on why should you work abroad?



I'm sorry if this thread has already been done.

[Chappani]

Thats a nice topic to discuss.

I have worked for sometime in Singapore, in Germany, in switzerland and now back home in Bangalore.

For me the factors that drove me to work abroad are:-

1) My wife wanted to visit foreign countries. I was looking for a chance of going abroad. As I'am into software this was not very difficult and when I found one, I immediatly jumped into it.

2) Obviously there's lot of Money outside India. Your saving potential gets easily multiplied when you are abroad.

There are lot other factors like better quality of life, and better life style. But for me deep down my heart I felt that the life there was in-complete, there is something I lacked in the absence of my parents whom I loved a lot, My sister, my close relatives, my city etc... and this is one of the reason that drew me back to my Home town.

Opinions differ, from the people I met its mainly the money that drives most of them to work from abroad and for some the urge to see and stay abroad but this doesn't mean they hate their mother land, the nautral urge to see new places and meet new people.

[Alan]

Thankyou for the response, Chappani. So you went abroad after mariiage, is it? What are the problems you've encountered while abroad? If you don't mind discussing>

[ssanjinika]

Well...the reason Im in US is because I got married and my husband is here heheh..
No seriously one of the main reasons I wanted to live somwhere else is that I wanted to experience living in someother country and see how different it was from home.I love to travel and so does my husband..we are naturally curious people and want to experince various cultures.
Also the money doesnt harm us :P.Working in the US has definitely given me better work ethics and technology wise I feel you cant beat it.We afterall are in the software industry and technology is very important to us.
Having said all that do we wantto settle down here??Absolutely not!We are both only children for our parents and I found out the hard way a couple of months back how far we are from home.My father suddenly passed away..and I was stuck here.The 17 hours it took for me to fly home were the hardest 17 hours of my life.I NEVER EVER wantto go through something like that in my life again!When it comes to family on one side of the scale and money/culture/technology etc etc on the other..family wins hands down.No doubt about that.So as far as Im concerned family not being here is a big issue.

[solona]

Hi Alan,

Like Sanjinika, I too went abroad after my marriage to a NRI. I come from typical indian middle class family, I know what is to struggle and live without money and that too for middle class people. Every month end was tight. How many things I sacrified and cried because we were'nt able to afford. It is better to be either poor or rich, the middle class status is really horrible. There was always fights in the family wrt money, debts, budget, savings. I have never seen my mom and dad happy. even festivals were struggles, had to find money to make sweets, dress etc etc

It is easy for people who have money (enough) to judge the others telling that we seek for better lifestyle. But me, who knows the 2 ways of living can tell you that the the life I live now is nothing compared to what I lived in India. Not that I hated my life at home, I compare to the childhood my children have, I was a really unhappy child (even though my kids are'nt pampered)

BUT! DON'T THINK THAT I HATE MY COUNTRY! I love India, every time we go on holidays to India, I start getting depressed about the return date and yearn for the next trip. Here I have everything, I travel almost every year, but I MISS VERY BADLY MY COUNTRY. Same as Sanjinika, I missed my father's funeral because I was pregnant. I can't tell in words how it was horrible. My only aim is gain as much as possible invest in my country and come back. I even changed my hubby's mind who was so pro Indian. He has started thinking about living retirement in India.

Hope God enables me these things

Solona

[Alan]

Thanku for the input, ssanjinika & solona. I'm sorry to hear about both your fathers, though.

[Anoushka]

I moved to Ireland more than seven years ago, mainy because I wanted to see the world. Even though I was earning fairly ok in India I couldn't have travelled as much if I stayed there! I've nearly seen most of India and now most of Europe as well.

I go home twice a year. I can't say I miss anything much as I moved out of home years before I came here.

Each place has something positive and something negative and you can't compare it. I haven't decided what I want to do in the future, as of now I am happy here and that is what matters!

[Alan]

Thanku Anoushka for sharing your opinion.

Well, I'll reveal my real reason & dilemma for having started this thread later, after a few more responses

[svasu_ani]

Hi,

I came to US after my marriage last year.. its gonna be an year. I missed every one in India.. but with technology (internet , voice chat webcam) my home sick was gone.. was able to speak daily with my family.
again with me becoming pregnant and no one was able to come, i felt bad and lonely. but with my husband by my side during child birth i was comfortable.. and now we hve become a family of 3 and are close knit.
life here is so peaceful,relaxed .. am not working am a home maker and have a good time with baby and my husband.

And one more advantage of being here in US is paying the utility bills..we dont hve to go in person for everything. jus pay it online....


Anitha

[rajraj]

And one more advantage of being here in US is paying the utility bills..we dont hve to go in person for everything. jus pay it online....
Anitha

Don't worry Anitha! You will have more bills to pay online or have it deducted from your checking/savings accounts. This country encourages living way beyond means!