Another one bites the dust

When I first arrived in India there were 7 of us (Matt, Scott, Pete, Laura, Winnie, Nevena, Juan). The nature of our assignment here is temporary, so nobody is expected to take the plunge for longer than a few years. Inevitably, there will be people who leave for various reasons. Some may quit, some may transfer elsewhere with IndiaIT. Since I've been here, I've seen a few leave and it's never a good thing, especially as the group of Americans grows smaller. Not to say I don't have Indian friends, but it's nice having someone to talk to about US sports, going to college in the US and basically reminiscing about home. Actually, it's not nice. It's essential to maintain sanity. I like to maintain a balance, and that balance is slipping away. Also, coming to India in such a small group we’ve all grown pretty close and when we lose one of the family it most definitely changes the dynamic of the situation.

Early readers may remember Matt, my good buddy who helped me acclimate to India from the point of view of a frat guy for whom reality in India hit hard. He left back in December due to extenuating circumstances and the fact that he had fundamental differences with India’s culture, and this place hasn’t been the same since.

Me, Classic Matt

Then Nevena left. While I didn’t hang with Nevena much, she was always a fun person to be around and I knew her boyfriend, Prakash, very well. She left in June, and even Nevena leaving was a change.

Winnie, Nevena, Laura at Tony's wedding

Now, all of a sudden, we’re dropping like flies! Winnie, one of my best friends and travel buddies, left for the US last night. India, especially working in India, can be a trying experience at times and some of us deal with it differently than others. For Winnie, she had had enough and wanted to go back. God knows I’ve had times where I felt the same, but really I don’t have the rocks to move back to the US yet. It’s a pretty scary change of lifestyle that may or may not go well. While I have absolutely no doubt that Winnie will be fine, she will also be sorely missed.

Hahaha

Pete, another great friend as well as flatmate, will be leaving me in the beginning of September to work for IndiaIT in the US. Pete has been very successful in his job here and his boss wants him back ASAP. The funny thing is that Pete doesn’t want to go, he’d rather live here. Not to say that wanting to stay here is crazy, plenty of people have stayed when given the option, but to be offered a job where you’d make actual salary in United States Dollars is an exciting thought.

Festive Pete, Myself

So this is a tribute to those that are no longer here. There are many expats who have come through town that I’ve become good friends with, but that’s the nature of the international revolving door that is Bangalore. It makes me wonder, when will I hit the point where I need a change of scenery? I used to think that I’d wake up one morning and say, “OK, that’s it! I’m outa here. Peace!” But it’s definitely not that way. The frustration ebbs and flows, but will stay on an upward or downward trend for periods of a few months. Sometimes I think I could stay here for another year or more, other times I think I need to get out by January. While I’m leaning towards being home in January (March at the latest), only time will tell.