A country of insane contrast, there may be a shack made of sheets of iron and oilcloth in front of an expensive house with gold trim. This is India. It’s no secret that there are many Russians living in this country, and one of them is Dasha, originally from Kazakhstan, who has been living in Goa for 4 years, where she married an Indian. Dear life in India, how to move to this country, mentality, culture, medicine, visa to India: Dasha told about all this and not only in an interview.
– Tell us about yourself.
– hello! My name is Dasha! I was born and raised in the beautiful city of Almaty (Kazakhstan). I graduated as an accountant there and even managed to work with them, but life ordered otherwise, and for 4 years I have been living in India and own a travel company in Goa Phoenix Travels Goa.
— How did you end up in India?
— Back in 2013, my friend and I landed for the first time on the shores of the Arabian Sea in the beautiful state of Goa. Actually, this is where my love with India began.
– Tell us about your acquaintance with your husband, because he is from India?
– Yes, my husband is from India, Maharashtra. We met him on my first flight to Goa. Although, to be more precise, at first my friend and I met two girls from Ukraine who were vacationing there. Well, then one of them introduced us to her, at that time, a young man! We communicated exclusively as friends, but just a couple of days after we met, he broke off relations with her. Then there were millions of SMS messages, hours of Skype conversations, breakups. But fate sent me to India again, this time to work. Naturally, I didn’t tell him anything about it, but he found out and found it. And for 3 years now, we have been married and raising a wonderful son.
– Do you miss your homeland?
– I miss you, but more for close people. Actually, that’s why the whole family flies to Kazakhstan every year to visit.
— Was it difficult to adapt to life in India after moving?
— Since I grew up in an eastern country, the period of my adaptation passed much faster.
– Your favorite place in India.
– Of course I love Goa, like many. But I also really like the city of contrasts Mumbai, and of course “only mountains can be better than mountains”, so the Himalayas are also my favorite place.
— What do you recommend to see in India?
— There is something very interesting at every turn in India, take, for example, Hindu temples. But the tourist must watch is of course: the Taj Mahal in Agra is a white marble palace, it is one of the most grandiose architectural monuments of India. Another striking architectural Indian attraction is the Lotus Temple in Delhi, which is a large building made of snow-white marble in the form of a blooming lotus flower. Slums in India are one of the main tourist symbols of Bombay. The movie “Slumdog Millionaire” was filmed in these places. The Gate of India to Mumbai is a basalt triumphal arch, and its height is 26 meters. Osho Ashram in Pune is a meditation center. The Himalayas are the highest mountains of the Earth, as well as the centers of Tibetan medicine, Goa, the village of Hampi.
Read also an interview with a Russian girl about an independent trip to India – to the land of contrasts.
– Tell us interesting facts about India.
— The most important fact: India is a country of insane contrast. India is when a shack made of sheets of iron and oilcloth can stand in front of an expensive house with gold trim. India is when guys can walk holding hands, not because they have the appropriate orientation, but because they are just good friends. India is a country that either accepts or does not and the other is not given. So you will either fall in love with her, or you will hate her!
— How to move to India for permanent residence?
— There are certainly a million nuances here.
- But the easiest, of course, my option is to get married in India, or rather an Indian!
- But I know a lot of our compatriots who live in India for months on a tourist visa. Tourist visas to India are available for 1, 3 and 6 months. The visa fee is $60. It is important to remember that work on a tourist visa is strictly prohibited and it is necessary to apply for a work or business visa for work.
– Expensive life in India?
— It all depends on where to live in India. In Goa, for example, prices for many products are the same as in Russia or Kazakhstan.
- The average check in the supermarket will be about $ 30 -40 $, and in remote areas 15-20 $ less.
- It’s the same with renting housing, we live in Goa and rent a 2-room apartment in a nice complex with a swimming pool and gym for $ 470 per month, and our friend in Mumbai rents the same apartment for $ 3000 per month. So much for a poor country!
As in many countries, life in India depends on the city and area of residence.
– Work in India.
– Considering the population of India, there is no shortage of personnel here. But this does not apply to Bollywood, new foreign faces are always needed here. The average salary for Indians is 15,000-20,000 rs (this is about the same in rubles). There are a huge number of interior designers, developers and IT specialists, but the highest paid are doctors. Goa has a huge number of foreign photographers, artists performing in local bars/restaurants, tour guides and tourism managers.
– Good medicine in India? Is it paid?
– Ayurveda (traditional medicine) is very popular in India. In this, India definitely has no equal.
— What dishes of local cuisine would you recommend to try?
– Oh, Indian cuisine, it’s just a work of art! Indian cuisine is when there are many times more spices, seasonings and spices in a dish than the ingredients themselves. So in the restaurant, feel free to order everything, but it is advisable to ask for non spicy (not spicy).
– Tell us about education and kindergartens in India.
— Here, as in many countries, there is preschool, school and higher education. The difference is that preschool is compulsory and children go to kindergarten from the age of 3.
— What language should I speak in India?
– As you know, there are more than 300 languages and dialects in India. But elementary knowledge of English and goodwill will help you travel here without any problems.
– Tell us about the traditions, culture and mentality in the country.
— It is very difficult to describe it briefly, since India is multifaceted in all its aspects. The people here are very religious. And you know, I have never met a person here who would say that he does not believe in God/Allah/Shiva. And what is most interesting, most often they believe in all of them. Take, for example, my husband and his relatives. They are Hindus (people professing Hinduism), but my husband does not take off the cross and always comes to church with me with an open heart. And it’s normal for India to just believe, just not challenge religions and beliefs, just go with the flow.
— Is there a difference in mentality and culture between you and your husband?
– In general, of course there is a difference, but we are already used to it and now we have our own special mentality in the family – mixed, so to speak.
– Your life hacks about India.
– The main life hack is to stop listening to all the stereotypes about India and just come here. Well, then remember that it is more interesting and cheaper by train than by plane, the same applies to Rickshaws (tuk-tuk) and taxis. Tap water is taboo. And elementary knowledge of English, of course!
– Are you traveling? What does it give you?
— We have been traveling mainly in India lately, and you know, it’s incredibly interesting to watch when you are still in one country, and in front of you is the same Indian, but he has a different culture and even language! It’s amazing.
– Your advice and wishes to those wishing to leave for permanent residence abroad.
— It is important that the country with its people, culture and mentality is close in spirit, then everything will work out! The main desire!
Instagram: @darya_kuksina_hegade, @phoenix_travels_goa
Olga Avrakh was talking
Dasha’s photo
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