From England to India

Who are you and where are you from? 
Sonia Lancaster from Yorkshire, U.K.

Where do you live now?
Palm Meadows, Bangalore.

Do you live with your family?
Yes, husband and two children aged 13 and 8 (girl and boy). 

How old are you?
42 

Share your reason for leaving your country.
Husband offered an assignment in India. Needed a change, bored with things in UK. 

Were the adjustments difficult?
No, we haven't been homesick and fitted in fine. 

What was the immigration process like (visas, work permits, residency, etc.)?
A bit of a fiasco. Husband got wrong visa initially and only received correct one the day before we traveled. Residency permits and visa renewals all seem a mess here in India. No one knows how things should be done and every time there is a different requirement for doing things. Doesn't make life easy, just frustrating. 

Are you working?
Voluntarily, I teach English in a school for young women who are the children of migrant workers from Tamil Nadu. 

What are the pros and cons of living in your new country?
Pros: An exciting opportunity to try your hand at something new, find out about yourselves, broaden the kids horizons, opportunity to travel, see the world in a wider context. Opportunity to take up old interests that had been put aside due to work and family commitments.
Cons: Long way from home, miss family and friends. Schooling different (even in International schools) standards and expectations different and can be confusing. Native people can be racists and pick on white kids cos they're an easy target. Differences in services can be frustrating. Varying versions of the language confusing. 

Do you miss 'home'? How often do you visit?
No not really, not the place. Miss people and the common things you can buy, e.g. beef stock cubes!. In last 18 months been 'home' twice, once to fetch my mother to visit (she's elderly and wouldn'y want to travel on her own) and once in summer (only reason didn't stay in India/Asia was because it was monsoon). 

Any advice to share?
Have a go at anything, even things you thought you would never do. Get out there and find your own interests and crowd, don't wait for people to come to your door saying 'please join us'. Get your friends from varying groups otherwise you run the risk of becoming too insular and that can lead to problems. Accept the way of life as being different and don't compare and criticize. Laugh at the contradictions and absurdities. Bring things with you that you think you won't need, you probably will! Enjoy it and keep a healthy frame of mind. 

Any web resources to share? 
OWC, Bangalore expats yahoo group.