My sister was watching me pack this evening and she was mighty amused that I was carrying a pack of Dove soap cakes. My defense was that toiletries are much cheaper in India than the UK. And, although this a bad example to make my point that I am no more a recent expat who packs so much stuff that he would be able to survive on the moon, that is indeed the case. I am carrying back less stuff than I was on previous occasions. A part of the reason is that I am trying to live a more minimalist lifestyle to reduce my ecological footprint. Also, one never carries much stuff when one is going home, gifts excepted. The idea of home is a fluid concept for me, but England has started to feel more and more like a home to me.
On my last trip to India, I told my parents that I like it in the UK (as messy as it is at the moment) and that I would try to stay on there after my PhD. They had probably gleaned that themselves, as it wasn't a surprise to them. The next year and quarter is going to be challenging for sure. But, whatever challenges come my way, adjusting to life in an alien land isn't going to be one of them. I am still a foreigner in England and will be for the forseeable future even if I manage to stay on, but England is not an alien country any more.
On my last trip to India, I told my parents that I like it in the UK (as messy as it is at the moment) and that I would try to stay on there after my PhD. They had probably gleaned that themselves, as it wasn't a surprise to them. The next year and quarter is going to be challenging for sure. But, whatever challenges come my way, adjusting to life in an alien land isn't going to be one of them. I am still a foreigner in England and will be for the forseeable future even if I manage to stay on, but England is not an alien country any more.
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