Relocating to Chennai

Hello, you are in for a real adventure.  My husband and I relocated from the US in Jan. this year.  I am loving it.  We are in Ghorakhal Bhowali in the Himalayan range. Read as much as you can.  On my blog you can find links to other Expat.comgers living in India that will give you a lot of information.  You will find several from India here.  .expatsblog.com/blogs/india

Bring one or two voltage converters if you are bringing anything that requires electrical power.  Also I have not been able to find hairspray, washcloths or Qtips here.  I brought two American outfits with me and bought clothing here.  I find that I am respected for going native so to speak. 

Some people find traffic difficult to deal with.  I find it entertaining.  Transportation is cheap here as well as household help.  Pack some patience and be prepared to go with the flow.  I love this country.  Her people are the most giving and friendly on earth.  Every day is a new adventure. 

I will help in any way I can.  Feel free to contact me via e-mail

Cynthia Singh

[email protected]

Hi usab&r,

Welcome to Expat.com!

You can find Expat.comgers living in India here also : https://www.expat.com/en/directory/asia/india/

Thank you.
Christine

Ok, being originally from India and having lived in Chennai here are some tips,
1)Its always hot and humid so dont bother bringing in your warm clothes
2)Make sure you have a driver and a car( most companies do provide this for expats) . Public transportation is not the best way to go around especially the 3 wheeler auto rickshaws will fleece you.
3) Make sure your company gives you an "induction" trainer who will show you around the city and explain to you the nuances.
4)Chennai is huge and reaching from one part of it to another can take about 2 hours ( especially with  peak traffic), so kindly make sure you are staying in a place near the office if possible.
5) You may get bungalows ( houses)with guards and maids and near the beach ( but not easy to maintain) or you may choose to live in a condominium which perhaps would be new. Make sure wherever you stay ask about the electricity and water supply.

Chennai is in the south of India and is peaceful and safe. You can also take holidays to Karnataka and Kerala which are nearby and has some really nice scenic places.
Let me know if i can help you with any other suggestions.
Cheers

Thank you all for the information, it's has been very helpful and I'm feeling much better about the move. Things are happening so fast here that we will probably be there in July to find a residence.
Thank you all,
Christine

welcome to chennai!

I search some thing in Google ( a detail abt Malaysia ) and end up here answering to u .

climate usually hot , humid . u may not enjoy.
polluted , noisy .
apart from this almost all other thing are good in Chennai .
friendly people ( of course not every one ) completely safe ( though u should not move around with lot of cash ), good food. many more ..
have any specific question / help please feel free to ask.
regards

Hi,

Welcome to Chennai. As you know India is full of diverse cultures you will experience a different culture and people over here in Chennai.
Since you have never been out of US before you will find a bit hard to manage our tropical climate, and as you said going to be real adventure with the roads and traffic of Chennai. In the positive side I am sure you are going to enjoy our food and arts.

Post me in any kind of queries and I will help you out.

Chennai is a metropolitan city but not a cosmopolitan one.
There is a fair share of Asians here ( Koreans and Japanese) as Chennai is the Detroit of India and most auto majors are located here.
It is a rather conservative city but English as a language is understood by most people.
Majority of the expats live in ECR ( East Coast Road) which is adjacent to the shore line. A good place can be rented (3 Bedroom apartment) between USD 1000-1800 per month and there is a system of advance deposit of at least 6 months rent.
It is a very warm place and it gets humid due to proximity to the shore, and Air Conditioners are used almost all year round except in Dec and Jan.
Let me know if this helps
Best
Ratan

There is nothing to be afraid of. Things you need to do ;
1. Strictly to drink only bottled mineral water.
2. Fix up beforehand a Hospital of repute in the area of your relocation .
3. Bring a bag full of things from US which are not available here just not to make you  miss US.
4.Remember to carry with you a mosquito ointment wherever you travel.
5. Power cuts are a common feature so carry in your pouch a torch.
6. Ensure your new home has a power back up facility  and not salty or iron content water for washing and bathing.
7. Have a domestic help at home . It will easen a lot of your initial stress.

Life is cheaper and lot easier than in the US. You will get most branded things here . So enjoy your stay at Chennai.Once you land let us know what kind of info assistance you require.

Hi,

I lived in Chennai for 2 years and loved it. By the way I did not have a car and driver and took the public bus to most places. I am American. I am single so was no problem. I love Chennai the best of all the Indian cities because it feels like a garden city with mostly low rise buildings, tree lined streets, etc. Less pollution that Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi. I like Hyderbad too but not as well as Chennai.

Chennai has recently gotten its first hypermarket, hooray. It has a few nice beaches. I would not swim in them because people that I know who did got some icky skin things. But pretty to stroll along. Chennai is also just a day trip from the famous Mahalibalipuram which is a nice change of pace. Can go there on the public airconditioned bus for about  seventy five cents each way but that would be another posting. ha ha ha

About car and driver- If you have a family this is the best option because it has air conditioning and the weather can be hot and there can be many fumes.

About living- Try to live near where you work to reduce commuting time. If you can't do that and have children then try to live near your child's school at least. Indian people have a strong sense of community and keep close tabs on their neighbors so remember your only privacy will be inside your home with the curtains drawn. This can also work to your advantage as so many ladies stay home during the day very little goes on in apartment blocks without someone noticing, same with houses as they are set rather close together. Water supply can be an issue in Chennai so ask where you are living what happens with that, i.e. does the apartment building have rainwater collection, etc. Also ask if there is a back-up generator and if yes what runs on it because sometimes it is only for the fridge and a fan.

About food- Imported items are about 4 times the price of USA. Try to buy local and prepare yourself with homemade versions of foods you might miss from home. Pioneer woman website has some great from scratch recipes as does Hillbilly Housewife. Local food is cheap and good. Love a place called Hot Chips as it sells food so fast you don't get sick. Get food on disposable plates as often as possible because in the cheapest restaurants the plates are not hygienic. That said there are also plenty 5 star eateries that are up to international standards. Try the Sunday brunch at the Raddison out by the airport. Very nice and a real break. You feel as if you are home. You won't go hungry in India. Produce is very tasty as are fruits.

Milk in plastic bags has not been pasteurized so remember to boil it long enough or buy milk that has been pasteurized. Try to eat yogurt daily as it protects your stomach. Not a fan of yogurt? Bring those probiotic capsules, this is the first thing I take when my #2 gets runny. In many cases it can stop the problem quickly. You can also buy them in India.

About water- In every neighborhood there is a store that will do home delivery when you call up. The water is sold in big plastic bottles that hold many liters. In Indian English it is called "Vater Can" They will also deliver almost anything you can ask for. You can buy individual bottles of water, check the seals and make sure the water is all at the same level as these are indicators it has not been tampered with.

A word of advice. For the first 5 months in India do not eat anything raw that can't be peeled. Before peeling soak everything in a mixture of 1 cup vinegar (acetic acid) to 2 cups water for a duration of 1 hour unless you will boil it to cook it. This will kill everything on the outside. Cook as much of your food as possible. This will protect against tummy troubles. Make sure any plates, etc. are completely dry before use. Don't use tap water for anything other than the toilet and cleaning.

Household help- be sure to health check your household help for TB, Hepatitis, Aides, etc. You will pay for the exams and tests but much cheaper to pay for that than to get a health problem. A family at our school all got TB from their cook! If you can don't hire household help, this is doable if you are in an apartment. If you are in a house you need someone always home to help prevent problems in your house. Remember you are an employer, not a friend. In that culture you cannot be both.

Mind Your Own Business- If it does not pertain directly to you, keep your nose out of it. This advice came from a very saavy former Indian Army Officer. If you want to change the world do it with and through a social service agency there that is established. Do not give money to beggars in your own neighborhood because if you do every time they see you the crowd of beggars will get bigger and bigger and they will see you every day because you live there. You must say no. I did give money to beggars when I was away from my neighborhood.

Transportation:
Within Chennai-

By Public Bus- there are 3 categories of service, the most expensive has air conditioning which may not be a bonus because it allows germs to go around and around. TB is a serious health threat. The second category has no aircon but has ok seats. The cheapest category has a plywood floor and really hard seats. If you are facing the driver women sit on the left and men sit on the right. If there is no room to sit then stand on the correct side. A woman who is with a man may sit with him anywhere on the bus. Women may not hang off the outsides of the bus. The bus will not always come to a full stop for a man since it is considered a manly sport to jump on a moving bus but the same bus will stop for a woman. Each category of bus will serve the same bus stop on a schedule. Pay the ticket taker once you are on and they do make small change. You want a real bird's eye view of Chennai get on the beautiful bus 6 which runs along Marina Beach, or the other buses which run all over and come back to where they started.

Shared Rickshaw- You will notice these are a lot wider than the regular rickshaws. As many people as can cram in. Driver sets the fare. They run on set routes and they troll for more passengers so people will get on and off by telling the driver. I forget how much but it is very cheap and fun. The middle class uses these.

Taxi Rickshaw- These are the robber barons and the reason why I learned the public bus system. I got tired of being charged 5 times more than a local. Double I can understand but 5 times more. Some expats will say-- just contract with one rickshaw driver to take you places but then as they get to know you they take advantage. I generally avoided these altogether. They also use tricks like "It is Sunday so rate is more" or "You pay each person" or "I stop and get more people" No no NO.

Taxi cars- I only saw these coming to and from the airport. You go to the stand and give your address then they tell you a flat rate to pay. Do not pay more than what is on the paper. The rickshaws were banned at the airport but hang around just outside.

Buying a Car and Finding a Driver- Best bet for families. NEVER drive yourself. If there is an accident there will be an angry mob. If you have a driver you then leave your car behind and your driver takes care of it. You go run as fast as you can and get into whatever rickshaw is nearby and pay any price to get away fast. Your driver if people are injured will have to use your car to transport the injured to the hospital and will have to pay for damages to your car, the car that is hit, and for the injured people. Trust me YOU don't want to drive in India. If a foreigner is in an accident then the prices skyrocket. My friend who thought he was being so smart to save the $150 monthly driver salary regretted his not having a driver when it cost him $40,000USD to pay for damages, injuries, and a destroyed car for an accident he was not at fault for. He was also chased by an angry mob that beat him with their hands! This was before the police could arrive. Then "eye witnesses" told he was guilty! It was a huge, expensive mess. And you can have a driver for many, many years before you get to $40k which he had to pay out in the blink of an eye. You know there are bribes to be paid too everywhere. Just remember him when you hear expats brag about driving their own cars and think about if it is really worth it in chaotic traffic to take that risk

Walking- Might makes Right, this means that anything bigger than you always has the right of way. Traffic does NOT yield to walkers ever. Also do not walk on the street near buses as people can vomit, spit, hang babies butts out the window. A few times a year they have to come and dig out the sewers. They put that dark soil (feces) onto the road. Don't walk in it by mistake.

Smells- You will learn how life really smells. In the USA everything is so void of smell. People wear deodorant, etc. If you are sensitive to strong smells when you get to India buy yourself a small tin of Vicks Vapo Rub and keep it with you to block out other smells. Indian women always have a scarf, it is useful to cover against smoke, smells, cold aircon, etc. Keep a scarf (dupatta) handy. Men use their handkerchiefs for this purpose. At first it may seem very overwhelming but your nose will adjust rapidly and block out the strength of the smells.

Electric Appliances- electrical appliance are much more expensive in India than in the USA. In addition to the appliance you will need a machine called a stabilizer. The electric current is not stable and may flux between 220 and 255. If you bring electronics from the USA you will also need a transformer (buy those in India). You plug the stabilizer into the wall and then the transformer into the stabilizer and then your appliance into the transformer. If you buy an electronic appliance in India check the plug because it may or may not go into your wall even if it is the right voltage. You can easily buy an adapter.

Your Computer- LISTEN carefully. We had many expat employees who had their lap tops blown out this way. They had a surge protector. Now that is a great plan but in India here is what may happen. The power spikes way up. The cheap surge protector is blown out in the first surge. The power then comes roaring back on and the surge protector is useless. So the laptop is blown out. Moral to the story, always, always always on a laptop use a stabilizer and then a surge protector and then your laptop plug or charge your laptop through a car battery.

Clothing- I only know about woman's clothing. Most items of clothing are available there even up to size 22 plus size. Big bras are not available at all. Westside is a nice department store. T Nagar Area I always enjoyed The New Saravana Stores for Indian wear. They have 7 or 8 floors of everything. Only go early in the morning!! It gets jam packed. Indian clothing is cooler in the heat, you get a breeze up under those Indian pants and down the tunic tops.

Mosquitoes- Have your windows fitted with mesh if you intend to open them. Running the aircon is a better idea. Check around the aircon units for gaps between the unit and the wall and stuff any with wadded tissues as that is a place for bugs to come in. Buy these warmers that you plug in and fill with odorless poison. It drives the mosquitoes away. Also buy an electric racquet that you swing in the air and it electrocutes bugs. Very useful! I wore long sleeves of lightweight clothing and kept my legs covered which prevented bites of sand flies and mosquitoes. I can't tolerate Off or other sprays due to my allergies and asthma. Avoid perfumes and black clothing which attracts them.

Medicine- Many medicines are available there cheaply. Ibuprofen (Advil) seems to be of higher quality from the USA. The Indian version was not as effective for me. Everything else if fine but if you are taking heart or blood pressure medicine take a small supply with you until you can get the local stuff balanced.Be advised that pain medications are not sold other than Tylenol (Panadol), Aspirin, and Advil. For example I had emergency surgery done and there was no pain medicine sent home with me like what would have been in the USA and I suffered. ALOT.

Find out from your neighbors who the local pharmacy is in your area that home delivers. There will be one. Go and make friends with them before you need it. They will have a MIMS book that lists the medicines, doses and equivalents in other English speaking countries. This will be a wonderful thing if you are not feeling well to be able to order up something and get it delivered.

I can't say enough great things about Dr. San Jay John who is the best doctor I ever had. He works for the US consulate during the day and in the evening has a children's practice but will see some adults. Apollo Hospital Emergency Room is also very good. Ambulances do not come to you with trained people or medical equipment unless you request the special Apollo one and then you have to wait for it to arrive which can take up to 1 hour. If there is a real emergency just head out for the hospital immediately however you can. Make a test run and find a doctor before you need one. Dr. Achraya is also a good dentist if you need one while you are there. There are many great doctors and dentists there but those two are my favorites. As I said before get a relationship started with them before you need it. It is worth it to pay for a visit to become established.

Survival Kit- Do NOT leave the house without a bottle of water, a pack of tissues, a small pack of individually wrapped wet ones. The large packs are not good because you can contaminate the entire pack easily, and a small snack that can take the heat. If you need a toilet when you are out buy something in a restaurant and use their toilet. You will sweat so much this will most likely not be an issue.

I loved India. It is an amazing place. Know your limits. Some days you will want to jump right into the local culture and buy fruit and vegetables from a local outdoor market flies, wander cows, and all. Other days you may need things to look more like a Supermarket in the USA so you head to Nali's or a Hypermarket. Amma Nana is a nice international grocery store but small. We always called it Bananna Anna because we couldn't remember the name for the first year we were there. ha ha ha

Just be aware and make sure you head for home before you reach the frazzled point. :-) Most days you will not be frazzled but some days it happens just like it does at home when you get that all tired out feeling. Find the book Culture Shock India and read it. Also read about the stages of adjusting to new cultures.

I am so jealous of you because you are in for a wonderful adventure. Now I live in another country but I miss India a lot and hope someday to go back. I met so many nice people there and saw a lot of amazing things. Keep an open mind and remember the "Don't be nosy rule" One last thing-- if you are walking and a man in a skirt suddenly opens his skirt and fans it, he is NOT a flasher. He will be wearing shorts under it and is just airing everything out and adjusting his skirt. In Chennai a local woman may show her belly and some cleavage but NEVER her leg. I also did not show much to be respectful and because I am a mosquito buffet.

Happy relocating! Hope this was not too long but these were the things I wish I had known before moving to Chennai. I read a previous posting-- you can get Q Tips in Chennai but they have the plastic sticks and I like the name branded ones better. Cosmetics are very expensive in India so bring your make-up in and store lipsticks and other liquids like lotions in the fridge to extend the life.

Ok that's it, I won't ramble on any more. :-)

Thank you very much!! I'm excited & nervous but very positive. We will be heading to India the 2nd week of July.. All the posts have been helpful ( thanks for sharing the " don't show your legs") I was going to bring capris but I guess I'll leave them at home. There are so many little things that you don't think of, I'm glad everyone is writing them out for me. I'm an American that's use to wearing shorts & sundresses so having to be covered all the time is going to take somebgetting use to.
One question I have, does it rain much there?

I just noticed your from Raleigh.. I currently live in North Carolina 20 minutes outside Raleigh

You don't have to be "covered all the time"
I now live in the Middle East and believe me I know what covered is. ha ha ha

I covered in Chennai because the mosquitoes love to eat me alive. Daytime mosquitoes carry dengue and night time ones malaria. Best to prevent bites.

I did, during the big flood from the cyclone, swim/walk down the street wearing mid thigh shorts with rain boots to my knees to try to find a rickshaw to work, That got too many stares.

T shirt is fine
Strapless is not good.
Long capris, slightly above ankle are fine
Bring your sundresses and cover any bare shoulders with a short sleeved blouse or shrug. Shrugs are perfect for there.

There are tons of clothes to buy in India very cheaply so you can pick up anything you need. Plus sized bras are hard to find as most Indian women have up to an American size C cup with backs smaller than 46 inches. Shopping is a favorite hobby of most expat women I knew there. (Myself included ha ha ha)

If you are only going to socialize with expats and move in expat circles any kind of clothing is fine and show anything you feel comfy with.

It is very hot there so you will soon find yourself buying beautiful Indian Kurtas (short tunics) and their lovely flowing pants because they are much cooler than even shorts or t-shirts.

The humidity is like the Southern States of Mississippi and Louisiana on the hottest summer day. Chennai gets a trade wind that cools it off nicely at night and pushes pollution away. There is usually only rain in the monsoon season, rest of the year is very dry.

If you bring a lot of clothing be sure to hang it with space in between or if you place it into drawers you have to air it out periodically or it will all mold. Don't bring dry clean only clothing unless you must.

Also leave the closet door open from time to time and put a battery operated light inside. Mold does not grow as well where there is light and air. I never saw a walk in closet in India just European style small hanging spaces above drawers in a unit that from the outside looks like a tall cupboard. I had to buy a bar rolling rack with wheels to put my clothes on and then cover that with a big sheet.

Ooh sheets. Bring bed sheets from the USA. They are more expensive in India and the package there includes only a flat bottom sheet and two pillow cases so you have to buy 2 packages to do the bed American style.

Towels are cheap in Chennai and you need to buy the light weight traditional Indian towels that look like table cloth material to me or buy very thin ones. They dry fast, don't mold and absorb a lot of water. If you buy a clothes dryer you can use any kind of towel. My American towels were too thick and grew mold within 2 months time.

Welcome to Chennai! I'm sure you have got enough help from others but when you are living in Chennai and need any help from locals or feel like making some local friends join the Chennai group in couchsurfing.org(it's an extended version of expats blog) I'm also a member of it and we have regular weekend meets and often have activities like cookouts, trekking, in-house parties, road trips, social help activities(very rare)etc. My single advice to you is in the beginning post only in the Chennai group page for help or any kind of info you need on Chennai until you become familiar with the  local CSers.

Hi
Chennai is real nice city to live in, people are generally warm and accommodating. It can get very hot so light linens and cottons are your best bet. And all the advice about staying close to work or ur kids school would be to your advantage. It rains in oct nov but its unusually lesser rain falls over the years. Global warming. Do let me know if you need any assistance especially in any areas related to finding a place to live, as my husband runs a real eatate company that has done housing and offices for many expats and consulates.