Homecoming - The Liftoff and Landing

     If you've decided to move back and are trying to figure out how, you are at the right place. I intend present my experience and some practical advice on what you might want to consider. As with anything, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Stack rank the options and pick the ones that are most important for you.

    First thing about exit is to plan ahead of time. Remind yourself that you are taking one of the biggest decisions of your life. Therefore, try not to haste.

Letting go

    Depending on the tenure of your stay, you'd have accumulated tons of stuff. You can't obviously take 'em all with you. So, prepare to let go of many things. Some things just can't be brought in. Most important of those for me was the car. You'd have latest versions of cars that barely seem to age, and yet you would have to part with it. Back in those days you'd have to abandon many electronics. However, now you could get almost anything. Thanks to globalization, most manufacturers gauge their appliances to work everywhere. Then comes books and rest of the household goods. Prepare to donate things you can.

 

Shipping

    Over the recent past, India has been added with several options to get the 'international' stuff that you'd have used in the US. The likes of Amazon and Ikea have changed the definition of shopping in India, letting you to return goods without hassle. In addition, you find the same stuff over here with adjusted wattage and on-par price.

 

    Essentially, what you get boils down to your attachment with the stuff. There's an important factor though - 'how you get it'.

 

 

How to ship

    If your employer is handling your shipping, think no further and just go with it. In majority of the cases, that would be the best option. You really do not want to deal with international, over-the-sea shippers yourselves. Here are some reasons why you would want to use your employer offered shipping:

1. You do not have to pack stuff yourself

2. You could go all-in and get all your household stuff. You can take a container full of goods that including home furnishings, bedding, and electronics.

3. You are not chasing everyone (ie the shippers) yourself

4. You expect the good to be delivered on time

5. No surprises after shipping starts

    Now, if you were to ship it yourself (i.e, employer cannot do that), then look for the options available. Select the ones that are doing the most of the shipments. They are not necessarily the most expensive ones. In fact, I'd suggest to go with the most economical one. When it comes to overseas shipping, I do not see any 'professional' player that isn't exorbitantly expensive.

 

    Above all that, the bigger issue is that none of the foreign shippers have local presence. They often tie-up with local shippers for domestic disbursal. So, it does not really matter how big their name is in the US. Putting the boxes on the ship is the easy part. Handling it professionally once it lands is tricky. If a shipper has local presence, then that would be an ideal choice.

 

Shipping expectations

    Do not expect your average US shipper to be professional. All the professionalism stops as soon as your goods are picked up. Expect your shipper to get back to you with additional charge just because 'they did not anticipate the size requirements' properly. As ridiculous as it seems, despite conforming to all the dimension and weight guides, it is highly likely that you are asked to pay extra fee.

 

    Some charge additional palleting fee. Very few are upfront about exact charges. Some put it vague in order to justify their prices later on. I understand shippers need to do that. The concern here is being honest about it.

    Do not expect your shipment to start on time. Here's where your average shipper is different from a better one. Most of the shippers don't own shipping lines. They leverage existing shipping lines. Most of them collate boxes from several individuals and try to squeeze them on to the ship that is most economical for them. No blaming them here, they are not here for charity. As a customer you need to be aware that this attributes to significant delay sometimes. It depends on the time of the year, economical situations, and at global issues like covid-19 pandemic.

    In some cases, shippers update you that they cannot deliver stuff to your house. Especially during the covid-19 pandemic, some shipping businesses have downsized. In other cases, they are probably not making as much profit as they thought they would with your shipment. You would be asked to pay extra to ensure it gets delivered. That's such a shame because you do not have any other option.

    Once the shipment lands in India, it's altogether a different story. In fact, once your stuff is on the ship, your original shipper is more or less done with his work. Indian counterparts take it over. They come with their own idiosyncrasies.

    You are expected to pay customs. Even if you are 'relocating' as per governments conditions for 'returning citizen', there are lot of other charges. Invariably, you would pay 'delay fee'. What is baffling is that the 'delay' is calculated from the day you land on the Indian soil not your shipment. It is by far the most ludicrous reason I heard in the entire shipment process. That implies, you will pay 'delay fee', some fee just because customs let you get the stuff off the ship, some fee for inspecting your stuff etc. All this is in addition to any customs fee you'd pay. You begin to wonder what then is the use of that international shipper? Didn't he account for all these charges?

    These days you pay your Indian shipper extra money for 'handling stuff during covid'. As it stands on the day of writing this abstract, almost everything is back to normal in India. But your shipper wants extra money.

    Local shippers charge you through the nose for handling your shipment. Where the hell is the money I already paid to the US shipper, you demand. Summing it up, you will have to shell out significant amount of money once your stuff lands in India. By now, you are already determined to get your stuff in one piece; hence, you consent without further inquiries. Your mind tells you that's futile anyway.

    To put succinctly, use your employer when you can. Otherwise, dump most of the stuff in US; get just what you cannot let go.  Do not expect anything from the shipper.

What to bring in

    Quality of life has been improving tremendously these days in India. You have all the international options here.

 

    If you are getting a container worth of goods, then there is no question about what you want to get. You are already paying for entirety. Get whatever fits in it. End of the day, you are decreasing the average dollar price for shipping as you pile on. You do not have to think unless you are exceeding that container. If you are, they you mostly likely do not need whatever does not fit it.

    If there is no pod at your disposal, then get the minimum you need, mostly goods of sentimental value like portraits, apparel, etc. With the ascent of international players in India and e-commerce vendors, you get almost anything. Most brands (especially electronics) are now making things specifically for India for just the sheer number of people in the country who have access to those. Gone are the days when you considered getting your 4K TV or wifi mesh network or tablets or phone or any other stuff. You get most of it here.

School

    

    Your kids perhaps go to government schools in the US, where you pay nothing compared to private education. Your mind is tuned to not paying for school. However, once you land in India, I bet you won't send your kids to city operated school. Thankfully, there are many options these days. Most of the schools have international curriculum and conditions. There is no shortage of good education here (however you might want to define that 'good'). You just have to pay for it. Education is a big part of your expenses these days, and you just deal with it.

    A piece of advice if I may - Do not compare current education expenses to what you've paid for your school. If you ponder overly on that, you will end up spending that much anyway on your hospital stay :)

Housing

    

    Do not worry much about this. The fact that you returned is some downgrade. You will not find housing to be that much of an issue. In reality, you have many options these days. It's been a while that gated communities have been in vogue in India. You will not have an issue finding one that suits your taste and budget. It is a no-brainer. After all, you need to settle down now. Do not worry about some money you will save by downsizing yourself. Live that life that you are used to, in the US albeit in Indian standards. You know what I mean!

    All is not gloom though. You get domestic help. Most of you have family support. You do not have to run between day-care and grocery stores amidst your busy office schedule. A lot of that pain is taken away.

    Essentially, you win some, you lose some. It is up to you how you see that. The sooner you reconcile yourself to the facts, the better it is.

 

     

Homecoming

 This is a series of pages on my experience and views on returning to India from the United States. To each his own, but this is strictly personal perspective in a generalized manner!

As with any decision, it boils down to three things - Priorities, Priorities and Priorities! Frivolous redundancy apart, there is a deliberate attempt to emphasize human choices. End of the day, it the Joy that satisfies human soul.

On a completely extreme perspective, there is no such thing as homecoming. The world is segregated into regions and countries due to our limited mind, and things beyond our control (like governance). Zoom out to 30000 feet and you won't find any boundaries. Watch from space, you'll notice that the earth is a giant ball of water overlaid with white clouds! Well, you can distance yourself a bit more to see we are but a tiny speck. The bottom line is home is where you are content, where joy is the way of life! It cannot be determined with physical boundaries.

 

Backtracking to the original point, man seeks solace and comfort everyday and as he grows wise where he looks for these often changes. That's why you find yourself chasing new hobbies as time passes by. Homecoming is part of that journey to find rest. It is to be surrounded by people that make you feel home. When all the passing fads dissolve, what remains is the people that you call your own.

The point I'm trying to drive home is that it is a personal choice! There's no universal answer for contentment. It's a state of being! Read on with a grain of salt and reflect on the choices that augment your joy!

Journey through further reflections in the posts below:

http://dilusworld.blogspot.com/2020/09/homecoming-liftoff-and-landing.html

One Day Bharat (Sorry, Vande Bharat)!

 

 The term 'Vande Bharat' often amused me as my myopic mind gorges with petty delights that face me each day! On a serious note, I named it 'One Day Bharat' as I often slip into a reminiscence of my travails getting back home!

Jokes apart, it is an eventful 'one day', right from the start. 'One day' perhaps refers to the day of travel, but trouble starts much earlier than that, depending on how you made your purchase. Rest of this blog turns to a serious note in order to provide accurate and succinct advise to anyone who is looking to travel.

If you do not have time to go through the arduous details, please skip to summary at the end!

Day '-N' (read 'minus N'):

N is the number of days from the time of ticket purchase to the day of your travel. I cannot emphasize this enough as this might be the biggest monetary risk you'll face during the entire travel! Beware of Air India (henceforth AI in this blog for brevity)! It is perhaps the most sloppiest of the organizations (subject to your experience!) to work with. 'Day -N' is the day you are purchasing air travel. Be doubly (triply) sure when you want to travel and from where. Given that flights do not necessarily originate from your place of stay in the US, give it some thought. Circumstances of many stranded individuals sort of made this a mad rush of a booking. It is quite possible for you to get riled up with the booking experience, and in your anxiety end up blocking the very first flight wherever it could be. Don't do that! Not with Air India!. What makes this worse (or made it worse previously) is the lack of upfront communication from government as to how long the program would run. It feels as though they're going to extend it on-demand as opposed to extended dates based on the requests they got.

Step back, take a deep breath, and then book from the place that's most convenient. If you then booked a ticket with AI, try to make it to that flight (unless you can't). It is a nightmare to cancel that ticket and book an another one. Unfortunately, I did that. Obviously, you can purchase a new one without an issue. However, cancelling the original one (because you do not want others to miss out on a chance to return on your unclaimed seat) is a pain. I called AI several times accounting to 3-4 hours of cumulative waiting before getting to somebody on the call. My ticket was cancelled but I was told there would not be any confirmation email or any communication whatsoever. I didn't believe it is possible to cancel without a notice of any sort. After 3 months, I can now believe that it is possible!

Well, if you did cancel your ticket, expect the unexpected! Your degree of astonishment depends on the length of stay in the US! You'd be used to generous treatment from vendors over there. Welcome to the other side of the world. You'll have hard time getting to AI, spend long waiting hours on the phone sometimes to be dropped callously. At other times, the line goes blank; you don't even get that annoying hold tune. You begin to wonder whether you are really in queue! And dare not email their customer care. I thought those emails go straight to trash. In my case, I got a response from AI three months after my initial email (and 6 reminders, after which I gave up) only to ask me to go back to their Customer care! You'll discover it is an endless circle when customer care asks you to email them!

Well the summary is - don't put yourself in a state where you have to cancel the ticket. It seems as though  'Vande Bharat' flights are going to be around for a while, so buy your time and plan well. If you happen to cancel, talk to your credit card company to claim the amount!

Day 0

This is the day of travel and here I should commend crew for their job. For their part, the staff was constantly reminding passengers to maintain distance, and offering the service. You'll need to arrive early at airport (perhaps 5 hrs earlier), expect long waiting time before you could stretch your legs. Contrary to many blogs, you do not need to get any signed documents or Covid tests, etc. All the documents you need are provided to you. Have a pen handy to fill in documentation. Do not panic and do not rush. You will be serviced and will not be left behind.

Enter the airport, and find out the counter to get your temperature read. You are allowed in the line only with a proof of temperature check - usually a sticker on your passport. In the line, please be patient, and be courteous to others. Maintain distance and stop the spread. Your bags are weighed but not the laptop bag. Yes, you can have a carry-on in addition to laptop bag, but the former would be weighed.

Security lines will be shorter than usual. Once on the plane, you'll find a packet on your seat that contains food for travel along with water, a face shield, a packet with couple of masks and sanitizers. Though sufficient for the duration of the flight, it is beneficial to carry your own masks, gloves and sanitizers for the journey before and after the flight. Fill up extra water just in case, empty bowels to avoid in-flight nuisance. Get extra food to satisfy your appetite - preferably non-perishable, and remember that most of the shops might be closed!

Passengers in the middle seat are given an overall, not exactly PPE kit, but a poor man's imitation. It is better to get your own hazmat suit if you can. Don't be embarrassed to get extra protection. Your safety is more vital than others' opinions.

Don't expect others to follow social distancing. I'll avoid going into a rant about people behavior here. Most of the travelers might be stranded elderly, and sometimes they do not understand instructions. If your loved ones are traveling, instruct them at home on the safety measures.

 

Finally, your flight will not necessarily be the state of the art plane. In fact, it could barely be adequate. Get ready to be greeted by squeaking seats, broken arm rests, and unwieldy back rests. There is no in-flight entertainment, blankets, beverages or any service for that matter. You cannot call on the attendants. They might visit a couple of times during the 24 hour period with water. Prepare to enjoy your solitude, ponder on your prior life, and mentally brace yourself for the completely unexpected life ahead! Ironically, I felt amused at seeing all these! It felt like a retro theme, although I admit I was tad worried back of my mind. I did not let my train of thoughts take off, and constantly tried to stay in the moment. That's the best piece of advise I can give you! After all, there is very little in our control. TIG (Trust in God)!

Day 1

After you land on Indian soil, it depends when you could actually make it to your home. From what I saw, there is no method to this madness. Depending on the circumstances on the day you land (again TIG), you could be sent immediately home or could be quarantined for a week. I went through one week of solitude!

 

Passengers with emergencies or with kids under 10 are allowed to return to their homes. As to what constitutes an 'emergency' cannot be foretold. There would be medical professionals trying to fend people who make lame excuses wanting to go home, me included. You must appreciate their patience and their sense of humor (and sensibility to avoid showing it) in listening to fake stories. I do not want to be condescending to the others, but those doctors are really doing their duty!

Based on when you land, it might be several hours before you can go through to the doctors. Relax, have grub, and go back to your thoughts on why you couldn't have waited to take this flight :)

The Week that wasn't

Quarantine time was the best of my travel. I anticipated subdued treatment going by the things. To my amazement, quarantine (at least in Delhi) was awesome! Being locked up in a room with good hygiene is not an issue for me. I enjoyed my stay without any disturbance of room service. Room service would place food, replacement sheets, and others at the door for you to pick them yourself. The hotel I stayed replenished water and coffee (powder) with biscuits prior to placing sumptuous breakfast with fruits and juice! Breakfast was the best meal of the day! Rest of the meal was okay, though the portion sizes were huge. I often requested omission of certain foods to avoid wastage.

If I had to nit-pick, I'd probably say I didn't expect Lifebuoy soap and Clinic plus shampoo! Since I had my own supply, I chuckled to myself a little.

In many ways, this week wasn't entirely useless. I overcame bulk of the jetlag during that time.  Toxins from the flight travel would be subdued here.  Thankfully, there is internet - I do not know how we could survive without that!

Domestic flight back home was added an extra hop overnight. By then, I was accustomed to surprises and was hardly affected with the change. I was glad I made it home in one piece! Everything else seemed minuscule before that.

For the hasty, here are some Dos and Don'ts

 

The Don'ts

1. Don't panic. It's going to be okay.

2. Don't book in a hurry. Cancellation/Refund is a pain you don't want to go through.

3. Don't have preconceived notion on quarantine. Prepared to be surprised.

4. Don't have to get a face shield. You'll be given one in the flight. If you have a better one, get it.

5. Don't have to fill in docs at home. You can fill in while waiting in check-in line. I found the format to be slightly different.

The Dos

1. Get extra food (non perishable like energy bars, cookies, Indian snacks) 

2. Wear a jacket and get additional throw blanket as Airline does not provide blankets

3. Enough sanitizer but ensure it is travel pack (3 Fl Oz - 100ml)

4. A few pairs of gloves - change as required

5. Face masks (not the ones that hang to your ears), N-95 or KN-95

6. Travel packs of paste, shower gel, etc (if you are picky about the ones they provide in the hotel)

7. Print out of your ticket - might be needed after landing

8. Boarding pass - keep it until you reach home

9. Pen - you'd not want to borrow that

10. Charge your phone often - but please sanitize the cable/phone once you unplug it. You can charge phone after immigration checks at the destination while waiting to be called along with your group.

11. If you are a reader, get a book along. There is no in-flight entertainment.

12. Install Arogya sethu app in your phone. Carry some currency/Cards. On Indian soil you'll find coffee and mobile booths

13. Get your own headsets/earphones, copy movies in phone/tablet. Most streaming services should allow you to download some videos.

14. Ensure you have working phone. If you are quarantined, you will need to talk to AI to reschedule domestic leg. Getting to them on the phone is tiresome.

What to expect

1. Do not expect social distancing from others. Anywhere. Whether in checkin queue or in the flight. Flight crew tries their best, but people are people.

2. There is no in-flight service. Crew walk by once or twice during the entire duration with water.

3. Only travelers with kids under 10 are sent home. Others, unless there is an emergency, have to be quarantined, including elderly (>60 yrs).

4. Quarantine hotels are good. Those are not government facilities. Service is good.

5. You need to pay quarantine expenses. Make arrangements for that (carry cards)

6. There is no need to undergo prior Covid tests. They won't do Covid tests at the airport. You'll be checked only for temperature

7. You neither will be tested in the hotel. All they do is thermal checks. Only if you have grave symptoms, additional check is done.

8. Expect to lug your stuff. Once you are out of airport, you will not have carts. Travel light if possible.

9.  Once you land, you will be processed according to the destination state. If there are directions from local state or there is a representative, you will be sent with them. Everybody else needs to be quarantined. Therefore, expect to be quarantined for a week. I do not think there is 2 week quarantine now.

10. There is no quarantine or additional checks in your domestic airport. You will walk as though you are regular domestic passenger. Only thermal checks are done

 11. Discipline yourself to do home quarantine. There might not be any checks from government now. It is up to you to keep your family safe.