QA作为一名海外印度人，你愿意回到印度生活吗？ [美国媒体]

As an Indian living abroad, would you want to come back to India to live? Why or why not?

QA作为一名海外印度人，你愿意回到印度生活吗？



Dharya Puri, Web Content Writer at WordPress (2015-present)
Answered Mar 7
Of Course, I would!

我当然愿意！

I’ll begin with my background. I moved to Hong Kong permanently in 2011, with my mother, to join my Dad and Grandfather. I used to shuttle between Hong Kong and Ahmedabad (Hometown) from 2006–2011 prior to moving over. So, it has been 7 permanent years here, and in this middle of this I was joined by my two sisters and the family was complete. Back in India, I had an upper middle class life, big house, comfortable life. However, my Dad had to move to Hong Kong in 2006 to assist my Grandfather in business, that’s precisely the reason I mentioned in the beginning on why I moved here.

我先从我的情况说起吧。2011年，我和母亲一起永久性的移居到了香港，与父亲和爷爷一起生活。从2006年到2011年，我经常往返于香港和艾哈迈达巴德(印度老家)之间。所以我一直呆在香港已经有7年了，在这7年里，我的两个姐妹也搬过来这个家庭就完整了。在印度，我过着上层中产阶级的生活。那种住大房子，舒适的生活。然而，我的父亲不得不在2006年搬到香港来帮助我的祖父做生意，这也是我开始提到自己为什么会搬到香港的原因。

Moving on, my life in Hong Kong was filled with obstacles: Smaller houses, different school system (though it still involved a lot of Rote Learning, ref. HKSDE Curriculum), new language and etc. However, I felt great independence in Hong Kong and really liked it. Also, the weather was great, made good friends, better results academically. Initially, I used to miss my sisters a lot.

接下来，我在香港的生活困难重重:住小房子，不同的学校制度(虽然它仍然有很多死记硬背的学习)，要学新的语言等等。不过，来到香港我发现自己变得更加独立自主了，还有这里天气很好，交到了好朋友，学习成绩也变得更好。一开始来的时候，我还会经常想念我的姐妹们。

Now to the main part, on why I would want to comeback to India? 如今主要的问题是，我为什么要回到印度?

I feel in the last decade or so, India had become more desirable for me. I feel I have more potential over there, then I have here. Plus, I miss the warmth. I know Hong Komg’s convenience is one of a kind, and it is amazing in so many great aspects. But, by the time I graduate with a Bachelors degree, I feel India would become even better for me. To be safe, I may work in Hong Kong for a few years, and may even do a Masters degree course, but my end goal at this moment, is to at least give living in India a go. I will retain my Indian Citizenship regardless (Hong Kong Permanent ID, is as good as a Dual Nationality). Right now, I am doing what my parents advised me to do, complete my education and move to India when I can actually replicate the financial stability I technically had when I left, as life is all about either maintaining your position or moving up the social ladder!

我觉得在过去十年里，印度变得更适合我了。我觉得我在那里比在香港能有更多的潜力。另外，我怀念哪里的温暖。我知道香港的便利性是独一无二的，而且它在很多方面都令人惊叹。但是，当我以学士学位毕业时，我觉得印度对我来说会变得更好。为了安全起见，我可能在香港工作几年，甚至可能攻读硕士学位，但目前我的最终目标是至少尝试在印度生活一下。无论如何，我将保留我的印度国籍(香港永久性居民身份证和双重国籍一样有效)。最近，我遵循我父母的建议的事情，完成学业，搬到印度，当我可以真正意义上经济独立时我就可以回到印度去，因为生活就是要么保持你的地位，要么在社会阶梯上往上爬!

Anonymous
Updated Jan 30
I tried, or in fact am trying. But its almost suicidal. Will my foolish endeavour work?

我尝试过，或者说我无时无刻都在尝试，努力的都要死了，但我的努力有用吗？

Why so?

为什么会这样呢？

Forget the material loss of moving to India. The salary in Euros, while paying real prices that are lower than India for fuel, electronics, even clothes.

回到印度生活意味着你要忘却现在的物质生活。忘却这里的欧元薪水，忘却和印度相比这里廉价的汽油、电力、甚至衣服。

The loss of great public transport to work, clean air, parks and green spaces all around, excellent and free education till adulthood for kids (continental Europe), free & unlimited healthcare, an unemployment insurance that pays 60–80% of your salary for an year or more, cafes and bars all around, the possibility of giving a nurturing livelihood for kids, public housing, excellent pension, roads that gives you 100kmph average without breaking any law, Easyjet air tickets much cheaper than India, cheaper fuel, electronics, etc. Also, rule of law.No 20 year old unresolved court cases. Water from the tap can be drunk without getting sick.

忘掉这里完善的公共交通系统、纯净的空气、绿色的环境、优秀的教育体系、免费无限制的医保、会支付你60-80%年薪的失业保险、随处可见的咖啡厅和酒吧、良好的成长环境、公共房屋、高额退休金、可以跑到一百码也不会被罚的高速路、比印度航空更加便宜的西捷航空等等...不会有20年还未解决的安件，直接喝水龙头出来的水也不会生病。

Also, forget the women's situation for a moment. Forget the fact the women will be molested and harassed and stared at everywhere, and all that. And that Indian guys who absolutely know that Indian law and order is just a joke, will dig up official statistics to prove to you that women in Sweden are worse off. Lets also ignore the whole Sanghi-Guruji-Burqa stuff. After all, I am a Hindu upper caste man.

还有，忘掉印度女人所处的地位，忘掉她们天天被性骚扰、被到处都是的目光猥亵更别说强奸之类的事实。而且每个印度人都知道印度的法律就是个笑话，官方还会去挖不知道哪儿来的数据证明瑞典女人的地位状况更差呢。还得忽视整个种姓制度，毕竟我是个高种姓呢。

Lets also forget that since eating is the only outlet of pleasure for the well off, stressed out, busy Indian, they have enormous metabolic diseases. The well off Indian without a potbelly - male or female - is rare.

我们还得忘掉由于娱乐活动的贫乏，吃东西成了紧张、忙碌、富裕的印度人的一大消遣导致他们患上了严重的新陈代谢疾病。在印度富人中想找个没有啤酒肚的人-不论男女-是很困难的。

Lets forget all that for the moment by arguing India is after all one of the poorest countries of the world. 

我们还得忘了印度经常被人争论说是世界上最贫穷的国家之一。

But I will just mention a couple of real, immediate incidents that make me fully rethink this idea of moving to India, for myself.

但我想真正想说的是阻碍我个人真正想回到印度的一些原因。

My first problem is, I can't breath here. I tried to walk a couple of km in some 2 tier cities, and came back sneezing. And continued sneezing for the day. I saw a top doctor, he said, lets do some surgeries, fix your nose, you have insurance, right?

第一是，我无法在这呼吸。我曾去过印度的二级城市，回来的时候就患上了整天不停打喷嚏的毛病。我去看过医生，医生马上就说得做个手术，你有医保的把，是吗？

I just went to Europe and the sneezing stopped. And started reappearing when I came back to my dusty roads.

当我一到欧洲时我的喷嚏立马就好了。然后我回去到印度时就又犯了。

Sad thing is, you can't even trust the doctors in India these days. All have targets. Everything is about maximizing returns on investment. The state is often encouraging this murderous behaviour.

最悲哀的是，你根本就不能信印度的医生。他们都进了钱眼儿里。做的每件事都是搞投资想着如何把收益最大化，而这个国家却对这种谋杀一般的行径不闻不问。

Second, what about my daughter’s education? After all, I am willing to pay for it.

第二，我女儿的教育问题怎么解决？毕竟我是愿意为此付钱的。

She's just in daycare now. She loved her daycare in Europe. She spent 9–6 there, yet looked forward to going there next day. Her caretakers there genuinely loved her. They hugged her, kissed her. It was publicly run, by the government. It was world class.

我女儿现在在日托，她很喜欢欧洲那边的日托，每天朝九晚六，今天结束再看明天去不去。照看她的老师们都是真心爱护她的，她们会抱她会亲她。日托还是由政府公办的，世界一流。

In India, in the expensive, top class place my daughter was sent to, had 16 CCTV cameras through which we could observe her(why? There was none in her daycare in Europe. India is a place where violence lurks under the surface everywhere!). But the real problem was this: their approach was based on disciplining and ordering. My daughter hated the place. When she cried and begged to be hugged(“hug, hug!”) the teachers told her to go and stand in a corner! The two year old was told not to bring her doll, not even for a transition period of a week (in the European country this was a recommended habit she had gotten used to).

而在印度，我送我女儿去最贵最高级的日托，有十六台摄像头同时摄像（为什么有摄像头？这在欧洲可没有，因为印度是个随处都潜藏着暴力的国家！）但真正的问题是，这里日托的管教方式是用教条和命令。我女儿恨这个地方，当她哭着要抱抱的时候老师们竟然叫她到墙角去罚站！到了两岁时她被禁止携带娃娃，中间连个过渡期都没有（在欧洲国家带娃娃是被推荐的行为所以她已经习惯了）。

We switched places. The new place seemed better, but soon comes stuff out of closet. Wear this colored clothes on this day. Not that shade or this shade, but exactly this. With this type of shoes. And red and white color on this other day.

我们换了地方。新的日托好像还不错，但不久之后问题就显现出来了。今天要穿这个颜色的衣服明天要穿那个颜色，一定要穿这种鞋子...

Expensive classism inherent! Why these unnecessary expensive demands? For a two year old?

贵族阶级的固有思想！对于一个两岁的孩子而言这些用昂贵的装扮来显摆自己，有什么必要吗？

This seems to the culture here. Not only that the first world facilities are lacking, the air is unbreathable, there's very little access to green spaces, and everything including health and education is run based on returns of investment. The levels of pollution in India is so fantastic that its an amazing surprise that its not a major political issue here. Instead the well off tries to build enclaves with electrical equipments to keep away from “natural” air. That corrupt, elite culture is all pervasive. 

这就是印度，不但缺乏基础设施建设，空气污染到无法呼吸，少有绿色空间，所有的东西包括教育和医疗在内都唯利是图。这里的污染水平高的可怕却非最可怕的问题。富人们用电子设备过滤来隔绝外界“天然的”空气。腐败，精英文化无处不在。

Perhaps I will lookup homeschooling. Its well in line with the gated approach.

可能我会找个家教吧，也没什么别的选择了。

Update: I would like to add something to the original answer, in light of comments and also a temporary difference in perspective (back in Europe for a brief visit!).

更新：我想在我的回答上加点新东西，以回答评论问题以及我的一些新观点（去了欧洲几天回来了）

I now feel that it provided a too rosy picture of the life in Europe. In fact, while whatever I wrote is more or less true, the situation is a bit more complicated.

我现在觉得之前的回答把欧洲描述的太过美好了。事实是不论我写的东西真实与否，现实情况都更为复杂。

For instance: for many, life away from home can be isolating, especially because in Europe one gets a lot of free time, including weekends. One can of course spend the free time well, but many may not be able to. In India, since I have arranged our in laws to live with us, we have a lot of people at home, and for now it seems we have a decent balance between people connection and privacy (though it can be improved and also this is not a permanent solution, and also not available to most people perhaps). Its good that my daughter spends a lot of time with her grandparents. Also, working hours are sadly longer in India: this negative feature, strangely on the other hand, reduces loneliness for many!

比如：生活在异国他乡会被人孤立，尤其是在欧洲人们有很多的空闲时光，包括周末。有的人可能能把自由时间分配的很好，但很多人是做不到这点的，所以我把我岳父母安排和我们一起住，我们家就蛮热闹了，现在每个人都学会了与家人和睦相处其乐融融（虽然这个解决方法可能不是长久之计也不可能适合所有人）。看到我女儿和外公外婆一起玩也是件好事。虽然印度的工作时长高于欧洲，但从另一面看这样也减少了你的孤独呢。

Another point I would reiterate is the food factor: in India, cooked, tasty, inexpensive food outside home is readily available in the major cities. In Europe, this (any kind of cooked/hot food outside of a sandwich, Indian or not) is generally a luxury. Indians of course have health issue due to this as mentioned in my original answer, however this can be controlled with some effort personally.

另一个我想复述的点是食物：在印度的大城市经过烹饪，美味，廉价的美食很容易找到。而在欧洲什么食物通常都很贵。我之前提到印度人的饮食健康问题肯定是存在的，但个人只要努力一下这都是可以控制的。

And of course, as noted in one of the comments, it is true that as a brown Indian in the West, one is always monitored for small things and judged against and might also have to face the brunt of bureaucracy and other such things. How much such things affect you also is personal — some may not even notice it.

还有之前评论里有说棕皮阿三在西方会被歧视是真的，他们会在很多小事上找你麻烦而且还要面对当地官方杂七杂八的质问。这种事情会对你有多大的影响完全看个人--有的人完全没在意的。

I also cannot overemphasize the importance of local language learning in continental Europe, especially for traversing through bureaucracy and essential interactions, and also for children’s education. For many Indians however, learning a new language at this age is a low priority and can lead to difficulties. Bachelors underestimate this issue as often they get by in certain crowd with English — things however change when you have a family and your interactions with the local society increase.

在欧洲当地语言的学习还是蛮重要的，尤其是在和官方人员接触、基础交流还有孩子的教育方面很有用。虽然对很多印度人来说在这个年龄学习一门新语言会困难重重而且没什么必要。你是个单身狗习惯了独来独往就算了但如果你在当地成家立业那么和当地社会的交流就显得很重要了。

Lastly, I have to mention weather. While many Indian cities have very hot summers, and of course pollution effects are horrible, and monsoon floods are now a norm, they still have one advantage over Europe: the sun. Gray weather with rains is almost always expected in many parts of the rich Europe which can put many to depression. In many Indian cities on the other hand, sun is plenty, and even rain is looked at with pleasure, and the AC helps you to survive the summer.

最后我还想说下天气问题。虽然很多印度城市有着酷热的夏天，污染也很严重，季节性洪水也多发，但跟欧洲比总归还是有优点的：太阳。大部分欧洲城市总是伴随着多雨又阴沉的天气会给人带来很多的压力。而在印度的许多城市，阳光充足，就算是下雨感觉也是和煦，夏天炎热可以开空调过嘛。