So, after three months at sea, our worldly possessions finally arrived today. The boxes look fairly intact, except for a few that are giving way. No hera-pheri suspected yet - three months is a long time in the life of a cardboard box, I guess.
Now that that worry is over, the next big one is: Where do we put all this stuff?!
If you thought that semi-retirement involved late breakfasts, delicious lunches, siestas, shopping and dinner, you were right. That seems to be the schedule for the moment as we recuperate in Mumbai. We've taken July off while we get used to being back in India and let me tell you, it needs some adjusting.
Life in the UK changes the way you see things. Even after a few years out, it is hard to reconcile travelling by crowded public transport, walking on a mockery of footpaths (paved beautifully, but you need a stepladder to climb onto some of the new ones) and close your eyes to the filth and squalor on both sides of the road as you pass by.
The good news is that we are being fed, watered and taken care of. We're still waiting for the monsoons to hit us, but I guess we should be grateful (in some perverse way) for the lack of rain so we can walk around occasionally. The paucity of rain means a water shortage and it's back to bucket baths at scheduled times!
The writing, in the meantime, progresses. I'm technically on a break until August (when I start freelancing full-time), but I've just had an acceptance from a UK magazine for a reprint of an article. I also spotted a bridal mag on the stands here with my article in it - such a great feeling!
While we're having a holiday, we've been to see Mandira Bedi & Samir Soni perform in 'Anything but Love' (***/5) at Bandra's St.Andrews and saw Hancock (*** for the special effects) last night.
And oh yes, our shipment arrives sometime in August. It will be good to be reunited with our worldly possessions.
(Or 'Questions you should stop asking us'.)
Given the curiousity surrounding our impending move to India, here are a few FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) that have been thrown at us. Read the answers and forward them to others, if required (relatives, please note!)
FAQ's about our move to India. Updates as questions come flying at us.
1. Why are you going back?
A. Going back was always part of the plan. This was something I've known we'll be doing ever since I met Mr.R. It was just a question of 'when' rather than 'if'. Sooner seems better than later, so here we come.
2. What are you going to do back home?
A. We're going to live the retired life. Really. For the first time, both of us don't have to work to earn a living. We can do things we've always wanted to do. How many people get that kind of opportunity in their lifetime? We're lucky to be able to do this while we're both young, able and have our enthusiasm intact. We'll be writing, going on photography expeditions, painting, travelling and living an adventurous life (we hope). We can always go back to work if needed. Retirement for a while seems lovely.
We have other plans, of course, that are too premature to discuss here. More later.
3. Do you have any children? If not, why not?
A. None of your business.
4. Will you miss the UK?
A. Of course! There's so much to miss. We've loved being here and while Goa/Mumbai has its own charm, England is very different. There is no point in comparing the two, but yes, we will miss being in England very much.
5. So, why are you going back, again?
A. See 1.
==================================
Ask me any of these questions and don't expect a straight-forward answer. Stay safe and read the blog regularly to stay updated on developments.
Well, the car is now gone (for a pittance, if I may say so). All our stuff has either been shipped, chucked away, recycled or Freecycled. The house is increasingly bare with every passing day, but our fridge is overflowing.
An Indian couple new to the area found us through the church. They've taken away a LOT of our stuff - the DVD, Rug, Microwave, Plants, Duvets, Linen, Pillows, PC Table & Chair, Iron...
Fortunately for us, they were also kind enough to take all our masalas, foodstuff and crockery. At least we don't have to throw away food...
We're winding up our last few days celebrating with friends. Our calendar is full between meals out, calling providers to cancel accounts and dealing with flight changes. I had my last haircut with Toni & Guy, knowing that I might not be able to afford them in India. Local salon, here I come.
Mr. R played a concert with his orchestra last night, so we had a chance to meet up with friends new and old. It was also a chance to say goodbye to London for the time being. We'll be back.
Lots of photos to upload at some point, but that will come later.
In some ways, the days are passing very fast. At other times, the clock ticks interminably and we can't wait to get to the other side.
You have been warned: This is going to be a tough one.
Nobody's buying cars at the moment. Not at the price you expect, anyway. The credit crunch has taken its toll. Dealers have a surplus of stock which they're finding hard to clear, no chance of them taking on new cars for sale.
The first step is always to go to your own dealer and see if they'll buy your car back from you. We have a Nissan Micra bought locally in 2006. We went to the Nissan dealer in May. After an unpleasant experience with a smarmy salesman (who tried to get us to make an under-the-table deal with him "Your price, Nissan's price, My price"), we were told that they were not buying any second hand cars at the time and were advised to come back in June and check again.
May was too soon to hand over the car, anyway. What would we do in the meantime?
So we advertised elsewhere. The church noticeboard, friends, Facebook, Loot, emails.
There were a few bites, but no takers. We had an offer from a Ford dealer, but the price seemed far too low. Our car was worth double that.
June came. We went back to the Nissan dealer only to find that their team had been replaced and was under new ownership. These guys inventoried the car again and said they'd get back to us in 48 hours with a yes or no. The deadline comes and goes - no reply. On calling them, we were told to wait another few days. In desperation, we drove there only to be told that they were still not buying at the time due to surplus stock.
We were advised to go to Cash for Cars. A very helpful guy there explained the market to us and showed us how the prices are decided based on sales on Autotrader. Our little Micra was going for anywhere between £3000 - £6000. It was ridiculous. With cars being offered for £3000, who would pay a 'good' price?
Several friends recommended advertising on Ebay - they had had some success that way. No bites yet.
Finally, Perry's bought our car for a measly sum. It was the best we could expect under the circumstances. Without the luxury of time, bargaining becomes irrelevant. Either you take it or worry about what you're going to do next. This way, at least the car is sorted and you have cash in the bank.
Prepare to be disappointed with what you get. I'm willing to bet that the housing market will be similar.
With relocation being big business, one would think deciding on a shipping agent should be easy.
There are hundreds of companies that ship to India. The easiest way to go about creating a shortlist is to ask friends who have moved in the past. What did they do? Did they take everything via sea? Or preferred to take just a few items via air as excess baggage?
Find out who they went with (if shipped). What was their experience? Was it a door-to-door service or door-to-port? This is important because if it is not door-to-door, you're going to have to do the leg work at the Indian end, which I don't recommend.
We have friends who have recently moved back to Calcutta. They recommended a company which they were satisfied with. On contacting them, it turned out that they would deliver only to Mumbai and give us the details of agents who would clear customs for us and take it on to Goa. We'd have to do all the contacting and follow-up. Not worth it, we thought.
And so the hunt began.
Lesson One : Find someone who delivers to your destination. Most UK based companies deliver to port cities. Some will help you find an agent, clear customs and arrange for onward delivery of your goods. Others will just deliver to the port.
Forums for expats are another good avenue for advise. I recommend IndiaMike. Lots of helpful people there willing to share their experiences and tips.
Lesson Two: Getting a quote depends on YOUR estimation of your goods. In most cases, you have to tell the shipping company what you have and how many boxes you think it will fit in. This is a rubbish system because most ordinary mortals (if you are like us) have no clue what a box of x cubic feet looks like or how much it can take. Ideally, you need an experienced professional to come to your house, go through what you want to take and make an estimate himself. These companies are in the minority and they tend to be the more expensive providers. We had estimates from 60 cuft to 250 cuft (for the same description). The quotes varied accordingly: from £500 to £2000.
Most companies will tell you that these are pro-rata prices. The final volume will be estimated once the goods reach their warehouse and they measure it. Then, and only then, will they be able to confirm the final price. That leaves you with a big dilemma - do you go with the cheapest and hope they got their initial estimate right? Or do you go with the person who physically surveyed your possessions and quoted accordingly, hoping that no changes would be made to his estimate?
It's a tough call. Decide on a budget for shipping and how much you're not going to go over. Trust your instincts while dealing with agents. For us, prompt and pleasant service always tilts the balance. After weeks of searching, we've eliminated over eight quotes and settled on Eagle Relocations. The company will deliver to Goa and clear customs etc for us.
Once that decision is made, the rest becomes easy. Then, it is just a matter of exchanging contracts, making a deposit, waiting for the movers to come and making the final payment once the volume is finalised.
Depending on your personality, this can be one of the easiest or most difficult aspects of moving. If you are a hoarder (oops, collector), sorting through years of acquisitions can be painful, time consuming and a distraction. Depending on how much you want to spend on shipping costs, take as much as you want or nothing at all.
We have an obsession with paper. Books, music scores, one-sided used paper that we couldn't bear to throw out because of 'green' issues, files, years of bills that we were not sure if we needed to keep (when in doubt, keep)...
Before we started, I took an inventory of the books we wanted to take home. A mere 500 or so. Plus there were two bookshelves full of files - writing related, medicine related, home related. Plus the shelves of art work, canvases, stationery.
A few books made the cut and were given away through Freecycle. Some went to the charity shop. The rest are going abroad (Sorry, M-I-L!)
That was the difficult part.
Giving away clothes is easier. Winter wear is a no-brainer. No chance of using those lovely woollens and fleece in Goa, at least. We've kept a few items back for those future trips to Europe (we're optimists). The rest went to a homeless shelter where they will be much needed, especially the warm clothes.
Emptying your cupboards also allows you to buy new stuff, so that's always an advantage.
Again, everything depends on your budget for shipping and the availability of things in India. If you're taking kitchen utensils or bed linen back, ask yourself if these are special items or if you'd rather buy new ones back home. We've left most of the kitchen behind, including spices, pulses, crockery and utensils. Food stuff is generally not permitted in the shipping, so start finishing all those leftovers. Take your good crockery - a Wedgewood bowl and Ken Hom wok went home as did all the crystal that we got as wedding presents here.
If you don't want to give things away for free, make a list of things you want to sell. Free places to advertise are the Loot, your local paper (usually free for items under £100), your church or children's school, the supermarket. Email all your friends and announce the sale on Facebook. Tell your friends to tell their friends. Pester them till you get rid of everything.
If you have cash to spare, put your list on ebay or some similar site. Remember, with the credit crunch, buyers are few and far between. Expect less than you would have liked.
Make lists, lots of them. I recommend having one dedicated notebook or corner in your house where you keep everything related to the move. That will keep you organised and save you from tearing out your hair as the days go by.
(Publishers, get in line. Given the number of people returning to India, this is going to be a bestseller.)
Relocating to another country can be one of the most stressful experiences of your life. Ask me. Ever since we decided (finally) to move back, the days have been a never-ending stream of phone calls, emails and visits to service providers. While information on the internet is available in bits and pieces, one has to spend a lot of time looking for it - time that could be better spent doing other things.
This is an effort to document the process of relocating to India from the UK. Along with our own experiences, I will add links to useful sites, checklists, warnings and advice. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.
