E v. I

At this time nine years ago, I was living on Cricklewood Lane in North London, taking college theatre classes and embracing the pound coin. Ever since that most excellent semester, I’ve been fiending to travel again, to live in a foreign place. That foreign place ended up being Bangalore, India. Can’t say I saw that one coming.

Since I’m halfway through my time here, I decided to tally up some of the differences between my two international jaunts. England versus India. E v. I.
(there are differences between England and India? Who knew?)

Stated reason for going
England: school
India: work

Actual reason for going
England: travel
India: travel

Time living abroad
England: 5 months (Winter/Spring ‘98)
India: 6 months (Winter/Spring ’06-’07)

My age
England: 20
India: 29

My maturity level
England: low
India: low

My hair
England: long and blonde
India: short and blonde and slightly graying

My weight
England: gained
India: lost

Will return to
England: New York
India: Los Angeles

Left behind
England: girlfriend
India: girlfriend, cat

Daily transportation
England: bus, tube (subway), my feet
India: car with driver, my feet

Roads
England: mostly good
India: mostly bad

Street animals
England: pigeons
India: cows

Street people
England: won’t bother you much
India: will follow and tap you

Currency
England: pound
India: rupee

Cost of living
England: expensive
India: cheap

My money
England: student = broke = max out the credit cards
India: job = regular income + tax-free per diem

My debt
England: build it up
India: pay it down

Home base
England: gated dorm in Irish ghetto
India: gated service apartment (like a hotel) in decent neighborhood

Living quarters
England: a narrow shoebox, I live like a slob
India: roomy studio, cleaning staff cleans and makes my bed

Kitchen
England: share with 30 Irish nursing students
India: all mine, stocked mini-bar

Bathroom
England: share with three others
India: all mine, they change the towels daily

Phone
England: share with 30 Irish nursing students
India: Skype on my laptop, cell in my pocket

Laundry
England: shlep my clothes to basement to wash them
India: cleaning staff does the laundry (and folds!)

In-home entertainment
England: CD player/radio
India: high speed internet with spotty connection, satellite TV (¾ of stations only play Hindi music videos)

Fun weekend trip
England: farmhouse in Wales with my comedy class. Play comedy games, sleep in a barn. Everyone gets drunk, then performs stand-up comedy
India: Jungle resort in Wayanad. Hike in the jungle, relax in a hammock, bathe elephants in a lake on the way back.

Other weekend trips
England: Amsterdam, Edinburgh
India: Mysore, Ooty

Fun local slang
England: “cheers” (thanks)
India: “do the needful” (do what is necessary)

Civil disobedience spotted
England: Marijuana legalization rally
India: Looting overturned soda truck, state-wide strike

Logging supplies
England: notebooks, sketchbook, art supplies, film camera
India: notebooks, laptop, digital camera, digital camcorder

Typical meal
England: beans on toast
India: chicken biryani (chicken and rice)

Typical local weekend
England: see West End musical
India: Champagne brunch

Local pub
England: low key and mellow, shoot pool
India: crowded and loud, have to say “what?” a lot

Beer enjoyed
England: Grolsch
India: Kingfisher

Can’t drink
England: in bars after 11pm
India: the water