[dev_kudle]

Hello Guys,

I'm in a deep confusion as to should I listen to heart or my mind. Now obviously, I'm turning to my humble TBHP for honest suggestions.
My confusion goes like this:
I'm a native of Mumbai and after graduation came back to Mumbai for jobs and all that. Now, have great job, an apartment of my own in Thane and own a car (Esteem VX 2001). Married since last 8 years and have a 3 year old kid.
Now, the confusion goes like this: I got a job offer for Banglore electronic city with salary package 3 folds of my current package.
I have seen the thread of 'Mugging in Banglore for non-native people' (note: I'm Maharashtrian) and this is bothering me a lot. Moreover, is it advisable for me to shift down to Banglore considering that I'm quite settled here in Mumbai. But the thought comes to mind that, since my kid is just in nursary, I can relocate to any place till he joins senior school and I can work out on my salary range.
Will I be able to adjust with the Banglore culture (1.thanks to the stories I get to hear from friends and many forums. 2. I never visited banlore before). Is the city ready to accomodate non-native people. Will the language barrier be a hinderance to my daily routine there?

I haven't decided yet, as to take this offer or not. The issue seems small, but I have never relocated from Mumbai to any other city in my whole life. So, I dont have any experience what points should I consider here.Will take a firm decision tomorrow after going through suggestions from fellow TBHPians.
Suggest guys

@Mods: Please shift this to appropriate section, if I'm posting this in wrong section.

[StarVegabond]

Hi Dev

All these stories mugging are not very serious, Bangalore is a safe place

3x salary is great, what about job content, your skills/confidence to deliver, you ability to adapt/learn/manage new teams, people, change ?

there are plenty of maharastrians (i am a kannadiga too) here including me and my wife. if you want to have dialogue please PM me your number, i will call you or put you in touch with several of maharatrians viz. Marathe, Kulkarni, Dixit, Shete, Savant, Samant etc etc.

There is a Maratha Mandal also, which organizes Ganapati pooja plus several cultural programs including marathi plays etc.

Maharastra is just 90 minutes away by flight and 10-12 hours drive by car.

people here are friends, weather is great, from what you tell me your salary is going to be great too...that is all matters provided you are confident and your family is supporting.

[nitrous]

Bangalore is a very cosmopolitan city.
Everyone speaks Hindi and you should do fine.
Go ahead and move.

[aargee]

Bangalore is much safer place, just remain little cautious & be aware of things around you & you'll do fine. This is not only for Bangalore, but any city that includes even United States.

Not to offend, but just a point to ponder. Mumbai has undergone several bomb blasts compared to Chennai, does that mean Mumbai is not safe? It is just that I need to remain cautious & remain awake right? This is all is required.

Whatever you choose, Good luck with it.

In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart — Swami Vivekananda

[dev_kudle]

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

Hi Dev

what about job content, your skills/confidence to deliver, you ability to adapt/learn/manage new teams, people, change ?

Thanks Vegabond,

As far as my job is concerned, I went through multiple jobs in mumbai and I'm associated with Mobile software industry. The thing which is bothering me is whether the native people in Banglore are as friendly as native people in other cities or not. Because, they will be the major point of contacts regarding tranportation and other daily amenities. As I'm only familiar with English and Hindi . I will try to learn the basics of native language as quickly as possible. And I guess, there is no meaning in bringing my Esteem to banglore.

[rohan_iitr]

First of all, don't make a hasty decision based on a thread on a forum. You would be glad to know that the particular gang of bikers in Bangalore were targeting people irrespective of whether they are native or outsiders. But it is a known fact that outsiders are soft targets in any city.

Like our honourable Home Minister spoke a few days back, crime is present in all big cities even in developed nations. You have to accept it as a part of life.

I have been living in Bangalore for the last 9 years. My hometown is Bhopal, though I am also a Maharashtrian. My advice to you would be not to relocate to Bangalore. I would give reasons for this advice, then you can decide whether 3x salary is worth relocating to Bangalore.

1. If I had a choice, I would prefer to live in a city which is either my hometown or close to my hometown. You have a good social circle there - friends and family who would be there to support you when needed. In a different city, you are mostly on your own. Friends, colleagues, neighbours etc are there, but you can't really count on them in times of need.

2. The cultures of Mumbai and Bangalore are totally opposite. Mumbai is a very lively city whereas Bangalore is a lazy city. They say that Mumbai never sleeps. Bangalore, on the other hand, becomes deserted after 10 pm. You won't even find a decent place to have dinner after 10 pm in Bangalore. Anybody who has lived in Mumbai would never like it in Bangalore.

3. Outsiders are not welcome in Bangalore. Local people have the kind of mindset that outsiders who have migrated to Bangalore have spoilt their city completely. To a certain extent, this is true. I can totally understand the mindset of the local people. Even I would feel the same way if outsiders migrate to my city and spoil it. Even in Mumbai, outsiders are not welcome. There are political parties who feel the same way about this issue.

4. Language barrier is very much there. I know that many people say that you can easily survive in Bangalore without knowing the local language. But the fact is, if you don't know the local language, you can't live in the city. People like me, who don't know the local language, live in a shell within the city. We only go to places where people understand hindi/english. We can live only in IT areas, shop only in malls, watch movies only in multiplexes. We don't get to see the real Bangalore city. If we go to a non-IT area, we would be totally lost. We would find it difficult to communicate with others, other people will pretend as if they don't understand hindi/english. Your maid would not understand your language (or pretend not to understand). She doesn't know a single word of hindi/english, except how to ask for salary and leave.

5. Bangalore is not a metro city. It is a small town which has suddenly exploded because of the IT industry. The infrastructure and facilities are very poor. Even basic things like drinking water is not available in posh areas. There are lot of power cuts, especially in summer season. Bangalore city is not properly planned, most of the growth has happened in an ad hoc manner.

6. Roads infrastructure is very poor. Roads are extremely congested. Road sense is very bad - everyone drives like maniacs. There are a lot of one ways because of lack of wide 2 way roads. Commute time is very high even though distances are less.

7. God forbid if you have an accident in Bangalore city. You would be bashed up by the local people for 3 reasons:
a) When a car and a bike have an accident, it is always the fault of the car driver - bash him up.
b) If you are an outsider who doesn't know the local language, it is your fault because you have spoilt their city - bash him up.
c) If you are an IT professional, local non-IT people are jealous of you and hate you because you are earning more than them - bash him up.

8. Auto drivers and cab drivers are rowdies and enjoy a lot of political support. Auto meters are tampered. Even on the tampered meter, you have to pay extra. Auto drivers will drive you to empty streches and rob you at knife point. Onlookers would not help you since you are an outsider.

9. Property rates are unrealistically high in Bangalore. House rents are also very steep. Plus you have to give 10 months rent as deposit.

10. Electronics City is a SEZ which is located almost 10 kms from the edge of the city. Electronics City is the Southern end of Bangalore and Airport is the North most end of Bangalore. Distance between E-city and Airport is more than 50 kms. Travel time from E-city to Airport would be 2-3 hours.

Rohan

[Bigzero]

I would suggest that you move on, if not for anything else, just for the experience. Spend a few years, and you can then always come back!

I jumped from Kerala to Gujarat, was there for 5-6 years and loved it, moved to Mumbai, was there for about two years and loved it, moved to Hyderabad, has been for close to 10 years and loving it, and now in the process of relocating to Pune. I am sure I will love the place too!

Just wanted to indicate that we human beings adapt very well. I dont think you should be worried. I guess you should look at the job being offered, the pay etc, and take a call based on that. Bangalore is quite a cosmopolitan place and you will be ok.

Oh btw, was that Othello or Hamlet? :-)

[StarVegabond]

Originally Posted by dev_kudle

The thing which is bothering me is whether the native people in Banglore are as friendly as native people in other cities or not.

Native people of Bangalore ?...who are they ?.. sorry, i am living here since 4 years, visiting everyone since over 16 years, but never found one.

I did not find any aadi manavs (=natives) here, 60Lac people are just like you and me, who are Indians.

Bangaloreans include Kannadigas, Tamilians, Andrites, Maharastirans, Gujraatis, Rajastanis, North Indians, Bengalies, people from North East, ofcourse you see Punjabis every where including Bangalore, there are several foreigners also in Bangalore.

8-12 hours for you would be in office atleast 5 days a week.
people on the streets can speak Hindi or English.
Your wife can get english or hindi speaking maids as well.
most of the shop keepers can speak hindi/english
most of the bankers can speak english or hindi
shopping malls are anyway cosmo in nature.
Schools are never a problem w.r.t language

if you choose a appartment block then you can ensure that your wife is also very comfortable with the multilingual neighbours. if you choose your appartment close to your place of work, you can reach home in 15-30 minutes as against 1-2 hours as in Mumbai one way.

you can bring your car here and drive it for first 6 months w/o paying state road tax. ensure that you get a new Non poluting certificate from Mumbai the day before you send your car here.

everything is in mind...Can Do..Will Do.

[Jaguar]

I am from Kerala and have been in bangalore for 7 years now. Never faced any problem wrt mugging, language etc.
I had 3 flatmates who are from mumbai and who have now returned back. For them, something was missing in bangalore. The night life is different, the food is different, the culture is diff etc. One of them, who had never lived outside mumbai before used to crib the most Now that they have returned back, they tell that they miss bangalore
If you want I can PM you their mumbai numbers and you can discuss your concerns with them.

[dev_kudle]

Originally Posted by Bigzero

Oh btw, was that Othello or Hamlet? :-)

Hi Bigzero,

I'm confused on this too I guess may be Othello was also confused as I'm now. Or may be it's Hamlet .

[Mr_Bean]

Bangalore is a nice place to stay, all reports of the city being unsafe has tarnished its image. Every city has its own problems, so you are best placed to take a decision instead of relying on what is outlined in this thread.

As far as language is concerned, english and hindi would suffice. Being a kerelite I spent 5 years in Bangalore before moving to Chennai last year august. Working here in Chennai I miss the work culture (cosmopolitan crowd) & interaction with people from states like Maharashtra, MP, West Bengal...

Infrastructure & traffic is the ban of the city. At the same the good climate & cosmopolitan crowd creates a good balance.

Regd autos, most of them do use the meter unlike Chennai so I found the commute using the auto very helpful.

[prateekm]

OT : Hey Dev, do you own the black Esteem with TBHP stickers I spot daily near Tuslidham?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Apparently...

• To Do is To Be, Nietzsche
• To Be is to Do, Kant
• Do Be Do Be Do, Sinatra

To Be or Not to Be... Hamlet.

Bigzero! You? Here? Nice to see you.

What am I doing here? Just interested in these different experiences and takes on Bangalore and moving home.

[roadracer]

Originally Posted by aargee

In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart — Swami Vivekananda

Off topic : Great quote. I never knew this quote of Vivekananda.

[kaushik_s]

Oh please, don't paint Bangalore to be so bad. It is not. More then the City, it's the individuals who has their own sets of problems/prejudices. There are people who just can't adjust to another place then his/her native and instead wants everything else to change according to their wish. And that's not gonna happen. Adjust yourself to the City and enjoy living there. The word to keep in mind is "Adjustment", if you can do it then you can relocate to another City out of your comfort zone. So ask that question to yourself. At the end of the it's just another City which have it's own sets of rules. Bangalore might have it's own sets of problems too, but which City doesn't?