Why go to India? A recurring question I’ve been asked dozens of times. And why not? I’d never been there before, never set foot in Asia, but I had every intention of going there one day after wandering all over Europe. I might as well seize the opportunity to see something different, to see a country as an expatriate and not just as a tourist.
Working abroad? I’ve never been opposed to it, quite the contrary. As long as the job I’m offered appeals to me and the destination appeals to me, I see no reason to hesitate. I’m young and childless, and my family ties are limited, so now’s the time to travel.
Am I ready to enter the professional world? Of course, since the end of my IUT in fact, but my studies aren’t finished yet, so I’m not there yet. Besides, I’ve already “entered the professional world” – I’ve just spent a year there.
What did my one-year stay in India bring me? On a cultural level, there’s no doubt about it, Indian culture is so diverse, and then I went on to China and Thailand. A year abroad without immersing yourself in the culture is impossible. In terms of language, a year’s immersion in an English-speaking country can only improve your English. On a technical level, I was finally able to see what it’s like to be an engineer, since that’s the position I held during the year in the research laboratory. An engineer is first and foremost a manager, and this year I learned how to lead a team, manage my projects, solve problems… and all that in complete autonomy.
What questions! Enough to write a novel, in several volumes.
The most astonishing? Permanent contradiction. Everywhere in India, unlike in South America, the poor live with the rich, i.e. between two beautiful villas of well-to-do families, there are always a few handcrafted tents inhabited by very poor families. People have understood that they need each other: the rich offer small jobs to the poor in exchange for a salary: gardening, walking the dog, chopping wood, digging a hole, a swimming pool… And the Indians are not naturally envious of others; money doesn’t necessarily have any value, what matters most is religion, so even the most destitute people will have a smile on their face. That’s the biggest part of Indian magic, beyond history and religion: all you have to do is smile at someone, and you’ll get a smile in return, or a wave from the children.
There are so many differences that make you hate the country and swear you’ll never set foot in it again, or fall in love with it…
In any case, India can’t be told, it has to be experienced…
A year’s work in India is a fabulous experience to try out, it allows you to discover a lot of things, but it still requires an open mind, a certain curiosity, a fair amount of autonomy and a lot of patience.
The low cost of living means you can travel cheaply and discover other cities, but it’s time that’s sorely lacking when you’re working, as train journeys generally take between 8 and 15 hours and planes are expensive.
After spending a year in India, I know I’ll be coming back as a tourist, there’s so much to see that I haven’t had time to see, but from there to working in India for several years I don’t know, it will depend on the expatriation conditions negotiated with the company, because in India everything is negotiated!
