Living in Delhi: an expat guide
What to expect when moving to Delhi
Culturally there are many adaptations to be made when one arrives in Delhi. An open mind is a prerequisite, and a sense of humour helps. Time has a different meaning for Indians; they are far less focused on punctuality than Westerners. Indian friends will invite you to dinner but don’t expect food to be served until nearly midnight. It is customary to eat and then leave.
The noise, dirt, and apparent chaos can be tiring and the begging is an ongoing distress factor. With the latter, people have different approaches. Sadly it often feels like you are damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. It is a problem which brings intense and conflicting emotions and one faces it daily.
Climate
The climate can be tough with heat peaking at average temps of 41 degrees in May and June. Relative humidity reaches a swampy 77 degrees in August. Many expats retreat to their home countries when the children finish school at the end of May/June for a couple of months, leaving working spouses to sweat it out in India.
Dressing appropriately
Life is fairly conservative and you won’t see public displays of affection such as holding hands. Western women can wear shorter skirts or skimpy tops but you can expect to be stared at and it is considered by some to be provocative. For your comfort, you may wish to dress more modestly. But Indians know how to party and if you go to a wedding be prepared for at least one evening of non-stop festivities.
Cultural festivities
Holidays are grand affairs. Diwali is a festival of light and the whole night is filled with fireworks and fun. Holi is a day for wild behaviour with paint being splashed all over everybody — a crazy day for children and adults.
Where to live in Delhi
Finding a place to live in Delhi can be challenging. It can be a time-consuming and frustrating procedure, or, you may be lucky and have a place found for you through your organisation. There are plenty of agents who know what expats are looking for. There are several choices to be made to find your perfect pad.
The outskirts of Delhi
There are fabulous farmhouses out in Pushpanjali, Chattarpur, and Mehrauli — although the name farmhouse is a misnomer. There is nothing remotely agricultural about these homes. They are, in fact, mansions on the outskirts of Delhi. All have pools and large gardens. Many have tennis courts and some even have mini golf courses.
Rents on these large properties are often the same as a four-bedroom place closer to the city. These houses make sense only if you have a corporation looking after you, with an efficient maintenance team ready to deal with the many and frequent water and power problems. If you live here, be prepared for a long journey to work and school and if at all possible, speak to the the previous tenants to discover the pitfalls. Some families live in them and love them; others have tried and abandoned them to move closer to the city.
Other areas
Popular with international families are Vasant Vihar, West End, Anand and Shanti Niketan, Defence Colony, Pansheel Park, Golf Links and Jorbagh. All are mixed colonies (the local word for neighbourhoods) with middle-class Indians living alongside foreigners.
The older houses (built in the '50s, '60s, and '70s) offer a small garden, terrace, garage, and short driveway, so there is storage space and room for outdoor play for children. Kitchens and bathrooms may be old-fashioned but the living and bedroom space is good. Staff quarters are usually two small rooms, a bathroom, and some sort of kitchen.
Apartments in these areas are modern, marble-floored with smart new kitchens and bathrooms. Ground floors may have a tiny garden or top floors may have a roof terrace. Staff quarters are almost universally abysmal in these new places with one tiny room and communal bathroom and kitchen areas.
Getting started in Delhi
Utilities
There has been little planning for the increase in demand for power and water with all this development and a generator and water tank are essential. Some areas have better infrastructure than others.
Finding home help
Delhi is much cleaner than it used to be but there is still a daily battle with the dust and grime in the air. People do manage without staff but it is very unusual. Most families have at least a cleaner to give the house and floors a full clean every day. How many staff you employ depends on your family's needs. Some people manage perfectly well with one person to clean, wash, and do some cooking for them. Others, particularly those in farmhouses or with a lot of entertaining to do, have oodles of staff. Word of mouth, notices at school or through groups such as Delhi Network and the American Women’s Association are good sources to find home help.
If you have young children, a good ayah (nanny) is a blessing but be aware of cultural differences – you may find nannies are overindulgent with children and often favour boys.
It will infuriate and exhilarate you to live in Delhi. You simply cannot be bored here in a city where history and ultra-modern daily life jostle for your attention. What a great opportunity, to live in incredible India.
Drivers
Many foreigners have drivers. Everything you may have heard about driving in Delhi is true. Cows, tuk tuks (auto rickshaws), pedestrians, crazed bus drivers, potholes, and a total disregard for lane discipline can make driving a headache or a fun challenge depending on your disposition. Good staff are a great asset and can make the difference between a happy time and a not-so-happy time in Delhi.
Health and hygiene
Most people have a minor panic attack about health and hygiene when they think of moving to India. There is a whole cocktail of immunisations to be had. The only one expats don’t universally take is for rabies. You need to consider taking malaria tablets too. This varies from family to family and everyone has to weigh up the risk factors in their own minds. It is wise to cover up at dawn and dusk anyway and be liberal with the mosquito repellent spray. The little blighters don’t just carry malaria but dengue fever, too, so sleeping under nets and behind screened windows is a sound idea.
There is also the food and water issue to consider and all the steps necessary to protect your family from the infamous 'Delhi belly'. As with all third-world countries, common sense is required. Avoid ice in drinks and drink only bottled water. Most people have aquaguard filters in their homes to filter out some of the bacteria. They then boil it to within an inch of its life and then it is clean. Drinking local bottled water is the alternative. It’s advisable to wash salads, fruits, and vegetables and soak them for 20 minutes in sterilising liquid which is widely available. When you eat out, most of the five-star hotels and good restaurants serve entirely reliable food year-round.
Doctors and hospitals
If you get ill, there are doctors attached to British, American, and French embassies with whom you can register if you are a passport holder. The Apollo hospital chain which deals with most emergencies and routine illnesses and conditions has a good reputation. Complicated surgical procedures are usually flown to Singapore. There are also some great local independent paediatricians and other specialists and Max Medcentre in Lajpat Nagar is another reputable healthcare facility.
Day-to-day living in Delhi
Once you have a house, the details of daily life need to be addressed. If you don’t want to battle with Indian bureaucracy, then delegate administrative procedures as much as possible.
Joining an international networking/social group is always a good step when moving abroad and Delhi is no different. Delhi Network can help you adjust to living and working in Delhi. They are a volunteer-led group that meets weekly for a coffee and chat, with regular guest speakers.
Grocery shopping
For those with a strong disposition, everything can be found in INA market (Indian National Airways Market), the food bazaar of Delhi. It is not for the faint-hearted. It is noisy, crowded, smelly, and huge. If you enjoy the real experience of Indian grocery shopping, dodging the chickens flying around your head before they are decapitated for your supper, this is the place. If you prefer to see your meat on a polystyrene tray and under clingfilm, then send your cook with cash.
There are not many supermarkets, in the Western sense of the word, but there are plenty of smaller shops importing goods which call themselves supermarkets. Many accept credit cards. These are wonderful tiny treasure troves of goods where you will suddenly come across your favourite brand of brown sugar or something equally surprising. Many stores will deliver to your home.
Clothes and furniture shopping
There are some great deals to be had and many adventures on the way if you are interested in buying fabric, carpets, jewellery, tailor-made clothes and shoes, linens, furniture, etc. Be prepared to bargain.
On the whole, shopkeepers are not trying to con you, just make an honest living. They do mark up prices, so be firm and fair, not aggressive, and have a sense of humour. A little working knowledge of Hindi helps them to know you are savvy and not a tourist.
The last word
It will infuriate and exhilarate you to live in Delhi. You simply cannot be bored here in a city where history and ultra-modern daily life jostle for your attention. What a great opportunity, to live in incredible India.
