India

I realized I haven't ever done a post about the 5 months we spent in India, and I thought there may be some of you out there who didn't even know I lived there, or why we were there. So here it is! (This turned out to be really long...beware!)

Way back in 2003, Dave started a company called Property Solutions. They build software for property management companies. By the summer of 2006, he realized he needed a lot more people to build this software (if he wanted the company to reach its full potential), but he did not have nearly enough resources to pay the going rate for as many U.S. programmers as he would need. He learned he could hire 5 or 6 programmers in places like Mexico, Argentina, and India for the same cost as 1 programmer here. When he presented me with this idea, he informed me that we would probably have to move to one of these countries for a few months. I was not in love with this idea, and oh, how India was at the bottom of my list! Well, India won out, and so we were on our way in February of 2007. Dave went to India with his brother in January to scout things out. He found a company he could work with to help him hire programmers, he found us a place to live...all that stuff. And on February 17, 2007 we packed up like 3 suitcases (one of which was full of food), and our 18 month old and traveled for around 36 hours to our new home in Pune, India. Pune is about 80 miles east of Mumbai (or Bombay).

Well, to make a long story short (sort of)...we had a very good experience there. I can say that now that I'm back to my comfy little house in Utah, where I can drink the tap water! Dave was able to hire and train over 25 people during that first trip. He has since hired around 25 more people, and has his own office there. We lived in a very nice "row house" (aka, townhouse), in a nice little neighborhood away from the chaos of the city, where many of our neighbors had lived in the U.S. We had a housekeeper (spoiled, right? Any woman who has to live in India with her 18 month old should get a housekeeper) who only charged $20 per month, so we gave her $60...crazy! Even though there was a language barrier, she became my best friend there, and she had a cute little 3 year old girl who Spencer loved as well. Most people in India do speak some english, and the middle and upper class speak very good english (which was a deciding factor in choosing India).

We came back in the middle of June, and it was a hard 5 months for me because Dave worked A LOT, and so I was home alone with my little Spencer, A LOT - in a strange place, with strange food, without a car, and without an adventuous personality =). Also, the internet at our house wasn't fast enough to call family and friends in the U.S. (although, I could chat online pretty well), plus there is a 12 hour time difference...so when I was awake everyone back home was headed to bed, and vice versa. But, all in all, it was a really good experience. In general, I think it's a good experience just to live outside of the U.S. and really learn to appreciate how good we have it here. (Yes, even now, with this economy and new president!) It is fun to meet new people, and to learn about a whole new culture and religion. Even though the food was tough at first (and by the end we were SO sick of it), we really enjoyed the food...and lost some weight even! I feel cool that I survived it, and that I know a little bit about something that not everyone here knows about. Plus, we got to see the Taj Mahal, and Goa, and see a bunch of cool Bollywood movies! (Actually, I never could sit through a whole Bollywood movie!)

I could go on and on...but this is already longer than I wanted, so I'm going to copy my fabulous friend Wendy, and do a couple of top 5, or 10 lists =).

Top 10 Best things about living in India
(I decided these aren't really in any order...)

#1. The people!
People in India are so friendly, kind, generous, and funny. In particular, we made really good friends with our housekeeper and her family, and the manager of the company Dave worked with - who watched out for us there.

#2. The Values.
The culture is still quite conservative, which I guess can be good and bad. The culture values family, and modesty, and honesty, and hard work, among other good things. You don't see skanks walking around in their halter tops and booty shorts...you hardly even see it on TV. It was refreshing....

#3. The food.
At first I wasn't so sure, but I learned to really like the food. Most people in the region we lived are vegetarian, and it is really amazing all the yummy stuff you can make without meat. We were pretty sick of it by the end though, and when we flew into the U.S. we had a layover in Atlanta, and I had the BEST turkey sandwich there EVER!!

#4. The Ensign.
I had A LOT of time to read the Ensign, and I'm glad I brought a few because reading the talks and articles in there really did lift my spirits and help me feel less helpless and alone.

#5. Family Visit!!
Ok, this probably should be #1, but now I'm too lazy to change it. But my parents and 2 youngest siblings (shout out Alaina and Kyle) came and visited us for 10 days while we were there! It was SO great to have them there, and that's when we went to the Taj and to Goa. Great vacation.

#6. TV.
There was a lot of American TV there - Friends, Jay Leno, Seinfeld, Full House, Wife Swap...there were also some good American movies on TV too.

#7. Pizza Hut.
Yes, they have Pizza Hut!! We had Pizza delivered at least once a week.

#8. Having a housekeeper.
She came for around 2 hours 6 days a week. I hardly did dishes or cleaned the floors at all!

#9. The Mumbai Branch.
The church is VERY small there, but it's there! In the state we were in (Maharashtra) there are about 90 million people, and one branch of 12 members...half of which are Americans living in India temporarily for whatever reason. So crazy. But it was SO cool to meet some Indian members, and hear their conversion stories...amazing.

10. Durabjee's.
Durabjee's is a small grocery store that had a lot of imported American foods. Fruit loops, pop-tarts, pringles, spaghetti and sauce...thank you, thank you Durabjee's!!

Top 5 WORST things about living in India

#1. Dave worked A LOT.
(did I mention that yet?)

#2. Virtually NO traffic rules.
Dave described the streets as "moving chaos."

#3. Unreliable electricity and internet.
The worst part about unreliable electricity is that the A/C turns off for hours when it's 114 degrees outside...

#4. Garbage and Animals
Dogs, cows, goats, chickens, you name it...roam freely about the city. Luckily they don't really bother you, but it's still weird, and smelly. Which brings me to garbage...much of the city is just so dirty, and smelly...it's just kinda yucky.

#5. Bathrooms
So if you know me, you know I visit a lot of bathrooms. Most Indian bathrooms are horrible. Some are just holes in the ground, many don't have toilet paper, a lot of places don't have a public bathroom. Luckily I was quite healthy while we were there (such a blessing!), but I still visited my fair share of disgusting bathrooms.

PICTURES!!

Camel - walkin' down the street

Good friends, Usha and Sri

Reejah (housekeeper and friend) and Wanshoo (her daughter)

Spencer rocking out with some Indians at a company party

The family - at Dave's office

Snake Charmer and...ALAINA?!?

New Delhi

Mumbai

Indian Dave