Relocating to Kerala

Willliampoppy

Greetings to all!

This is my first post here, but I've spent a lot of time reading relevant threads in this forum (this forum must be the best on India out there?). I don't know if this thread is the right place for my questions, as they also are found elsewhere here. But I try

A little background info:

My girfriend and I have been planning to move to India for a long time now, and have come to the point where it could be realistic to do so. And Kerala is in our minds.

She is of indian origin, but born in Norway (as for my self).
She will apply for the PIOcard. We have been together for 12 years, and moving to India is a good excuse to finnaly get married. This leads to the following questions:

- With here PIOstatus (if she gets it) will it still be 1 year for me to wait to apply for one, or is 2,4 years etc required now. Anyone who knows?

- And in the meantime, do I have to hopp around borders to renew my visa? It sounds stressing, and I understand nearby countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka could mean trouble these days. Any news on this?

- Back to the topic of this thread; Once this is clear; where in Kerala do you recommend us to stay at first? We really liked the backwaters as tourists, but maybe not to live there. Kochi I think, was a little "to much" for us. We are looking for a little quiet, maybe more tranquille place but not too many miles away from a town or market. Could Munnar be a good place?

Oh sorry, I see I have to stop here. There are so many questions, but they can come later. I will appreciate all your viewpoints on any of my questions!

Kind regards WBJ

Sailaway

Hi Willliampoppy,

The one year wait period for getting a PIO card through a spouse is not written anywhere but it still seems to be true as of 2008

PIO Card Application for U.S. Citizen Spouse

Welcome and good luck, I'm sure experts in IM will address all your questions soon

brownboy66

__________________
"the last meal is history - its the next one that's important" - Garfield (the cat)
IndiaMike Mod Team.... just some plonker with access to the mod tools

Willliampoppy

Thank you, Sailaway! And thank you brownboy66 for relocating my relocation thread, I really hope that attracts the good members here to give some replies I was especially hoping that the most active Nick-H would drop by sometime.

Nick-H

Well, I'm here, but you might notice that I have been asking questions about living in Kerala.

It is something I am unable to advise on, as yet.

To be honest, although there is a heap of in-law family ready to welcome us with open arms, I've been hearing off-putting stuff about living in, as opposed to visiting, Kerala.

I haven't been entirely put off, though, yet.

Willliampoppy

Hmm sounds disturbing when coming from you Nick. Could you specify a little on that? You might have mentioned it before, but (since living in Chennai your self), does Chennai have something Kerala don't? We are not locked to Kerala, but we have some contacts there. Besides I must admit we have a fascination for the way Kerala is run by its changing political parties and so on - misunderstand me right. Besides of course all the other things that the tourists come for.

Anyway, even though we are almost set to go, there are hundreds of stamps, papers and months to wait for before we actually get there I believe. Meanwhile I'm trying to gather as many thoughts, tips and learned living from South India I can.

Nick-H

The big warning that I had, from a Kerala man, was about the Party presence and attitudes in parts of Kerala, with an insistence on sticking its fingers into people's business --- and pockets. This particularly applied to the district I am interested in.

So, what Chennai has that Kerala does not is a very small communist presence in government and among the people.

But, we have a number of MIMs (Mallu IndiaMikers) so I wonder if they might have any answers.

I have thought for a long time that there are worrying ecological questions about Kerala, including living at sea level at a time of global warming, industrial pollution ---and the Mullaperiyar Damn, which the TN govt is determined to fill to the maximum.

Blue_Max

I have loads of relatives in Kerala but based on my experience and that of other 'mallus' in Britian, it is best not to stay with them for more than a week or two.

Communists are very active there. They have done some good for the poor in the past but on the whole, they are bad news in the modern India. Strikes are common place. Even the local industrialists prefer to set up in Tamil Nadu or some other state. Flip side is that pollution is low.

My sister became disillusioned and left Kerala and have been practicing in Chennai for many years. She love Tamils. They are claimed to be more down to earth and sincere.

May be it is nostalgia, but for me, Kerala is a beautiful place and I will be spending more of my free time there.

BTW. Munnar is a nice place to go away during the summer months but a miserable place during the monsoon.

Nick-H

Well, I'm doing the questioning, William --- I'm the one doing the learning here, and I have to admit to feeling a bit disillusioned with Kerala at the the moment.

Indian politics in general is probably a lot better observed from a distance. From the standpoint of one living here, I find it rather sickening and disgusting rather than interesting --- and it has been pointed out to me recently that I live in one of the better-administered states.

federica

Does your girlfriend have family in Kerala or is she an "outsider"? Living in Kerala and visiting as a tourist are two very different things, especially more rural areas. But that's similar all over the world.

I think I would start with a list, what is really important for me and what is not, and then go on with a decision.

Nick-H

Me or William?

I think you must mean William.

Mrs. N is, at least by descent, a 'local' and we have a tribe of in-law family there.

aborigin

Hi William,

Here enters a Mallu

Hmmm... so you want to settle in Kerala? You are welcome my friend.

I am not here to tell you that every Keralite is 'perfect'! There are Keralites who put their hands in other's pockets and poke their noses in other people lives. But can anybody on IM show me a city or even a tiny town in the whole world without such people? If yes, it would be my dream to visit that place...

I have travelled to all states in India including the north east.
I haven't been so lucky to travel the whole world but have been to four countries abroad until this day. In all these places I found the so called 'good' and 'bad' people, whatever definition you give to these terms. If good exists bad too exists. If there is a day there is night. If there is a hill there will be a valley. That is the rule of nature. Sorry, am getting a bit philosophical

William...if you have an open and positive mind you will find
this whole world beautiful...wherever you go! That applies to Kerala too. I live in a tiny town in central Kerala. The sea is just 10 km away and there is a beautiful waterfall an hour's drive away. There are atleast 5 western families living here..most of them learning kerala dance and art forms. Many of them are here for 8 or 10 years, speak our language so well and have blended so much into our lives. Do you remember that European guy who was kidnapped and beheaded by the Kashmiri terrorists in 1995 when he went to visit Kashmir inspite of all the warnings? He was living in Kerala learning Kathakali. People of that village cried when they heard about the news. People contributed and made a library in his memory soon after. Why?
East or west, people are same beneath their skin!

I welcome you to Kerala. By any chance you decide to come to my town I can spare a room in my home for you until you find a house. Good luck...

mazha

All true, there are nice people everywhere, including Kashmir and Pakistan and Northeast, but I doubt whether you would choose to settle down there because you know some nice people.

When deciding to settle down somewhere in India, you are thinking more of system issues, particularly how they would develop long term, rather than people's attitudes. It is accepted (at least around here) that Indians are in general nice and welcoming.

In my view, Kerala is going through a rather bad transformative period, both socially and economically, so it is not a good place to settle for the next 10 years at least. Things may improve after that, depending on how the global chips fall in the next one year or so.

Given the way the markets are behaving, and the looming economic scenario, I personally wouldn't make any major monetary commitments in the short term anyway.

Nick-H

aborigin, That's a great post, and it sounds good where you live.

However, the problems that I have been warned about are specific to Kerala, and, in particular, the most specific were about a particular region.

Blue_Max

William..
Have you visited Kerala? And stayed there for a month or two? The reason I ask is because some people just do not gel with developing countries. I know children of ex-pats from the sub-continent, born and brought up in the UK or US, visit South Asia for the first time and decide never to return again.
Mazha...
Could you please expand on "transformative period, both socially and economically" ?

What you say about "looming economic scenario" is very true but isn't this a worldwide issue? In the UK, for example, house prices went down by 10% last year. They call this a 'correction' and it is expected to last till around 2010.