Rakhee Ghelani

Tag: India

  • Is #Shimla leading the way for #India?

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    Today I arrived in Shimla. Shimla is in Himachal Pradesh.  It is an old British hill station, and is now a bustling town. I didn’t quite know what to expect when I landed here.  I was hoping for hills, greenery and a cooler temperature.  I definitely got all of those.  What I hadn’t expected was…

  • Opportunity Cost: Travel for travel’s sake or is it all about getting a good photo?

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    *This post is participating in its first blog-hop hosted by Tortoise Mum on the theme of Opportunity Cost.  Hop on over and take a look at other posts on opportunity cost. I finally set out on my journey to travel across India, leaving the safe haven that had been my family’s home in Vadodara. First…

  • How to change your perception of wealth in India?

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    When I moved to India I left behind, what many would consider, a very good career.  I was a senior manager in a big bank, and had a lot of opportunity to progress and develop.  I just needed a change, the corporate rat race wasn’t really for me anymore. Whilst I left my job, I…

  • Raksha Bandhan… My Day

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    This weekend was Raksha Bandhan. It is a festival where a sister ties a Rakhi (which is like a wristband made from coloured thread and beads), around her brother’s wrist.  This is to wish him prosperity. In return, her brother gives her a gift. In Australia, I have always been aware of this festival, primarily…

  • Foodie Post: The Art of Paan

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    I must confess I am a foodie. I love food, I enjoy trying all sorts of delicacies and am that annoying person who takes photos of the food they are about to eat. So it will come as no surprise to those who know my true identity that I will be doing a series of…

  • Are women really impure in the eyes of god?

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    In my last post (here) I talked about how the temple is the centre of the community in India.  However I have now found myself banned from entering.  Yes, banned from the temple….. what terrible faux pas did I make to be prohibited from entering the temple? I bled. The most natural thing in the…

  • The rules of driving in India

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    Any westerner who has driven in a car, rickshaw, van or motorcycle in India will tell you its an experience that has to be lived to be believed. I have been in India for 4 days now.  Its only been a short while but I have been a passenger on many car trips, varying in…

  • A life of worship

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    For most hindu’s, daily life revolves around the local temple.  My auntie goes every morning, not specifically to worship, but just to say hello to everyone as they do their daily rituals. Because I am an early riser (well at least in Indian time), I have been going with her each morning for the 15…

  • Orchids in Singapore

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    So now I am finally on my way, and have just spent two relaxing days in Singapore. Singapore is one of those places that I love to visit, but I am not too sure if I could live here. Its almost too organised and easy for me to live here.  Don’t get me wrong, I…

  • All packed up

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    Phew! It’s been a busy few weeks. In the last week I have: Packed up a three bedroom house Moved all my furniture and belongings into a 3 by 3 storage unit Cleaned my house from top to bottom;  and Moved to my parents house. Of course I didn’t do it all on my own,…

  • To kiss or not to kiss

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    My goodbyes, au revoirs and bon voyages have started.  I finished work this week, and as I was bidding farewell to my colleagues, some who are now friends, it raised some awkward questions. Are we close enough to kiss?  Do we feel comfortable enough to embrace? Is a handshake too formal? I have tended to…

  • Clearing out the closet

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    This week I begin packing.  I have 18 days to be out of my house, and so the countdown to clear out my belongings begins. But where is the best place to start? I have a three bedroom + study house, and whilst only I live here, I have still managed to fill every room…

  • The panic sets in

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    I haven’t written for a couple of weeks now, partly due to illness (its winter where I live and so very cold), and partly due to panic.  Panic over the amount of things that I have to do in the next 4 weeks and 4 days, and how little I seem to be achieving. Procrastination…

  • Odontophobia

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    Like many, one of my biggest fears is the dentist. A bigger fear would be to end up in this situation: As much as I fear the dentist here in Australia, I am terrified of needing one in India. So as I wrote my lists of things to do, dentistry was quite high up there.…

  • Keeping it flexible

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    I have booked my flights, only 8 weeks and 2 days until I am on my way. Thanks to my generous parents, I will be flying Business Class, enabling me to carry extra luggage.  Given that I am moving indefinitely, the extra baggage allowance will certainly assist me in over-packing.  I have a tendency to…

  • Starting the migration

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    My first stage in preparing for my move was getting Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status. This status allows people of Indian origin who are citizens of other countries have a form of citizenship in India, without needing to give up their rights in their home country. Its a great system, and one that is…

  • In any language?

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    I started learning Hindi this year. I thought it would be good preparation for my big move. Before this, I knew only a few basic words like “Namaste” and that was it. Whilst my background is Indian, my parents first language is not Hindi, but rather Gujarati (Gujarat is a state in North West India,…

  • So it begins

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    I am moving!  So easy to say. Ideally I would like to be India by mid-July, in time for my next birthday, so that gives me about 9 weeks. How hard can it really be? I am a list writer, its how I get things done.  Add a task to a list, and then work…