Expats ..

If you are in India, especially in Bangalore, you definitely come across these people who come from other countries (US, EUROPE), live here a year or two, enjoy US/EUROPE salary with royal stay in palaces built for them - all in the name of guiding the ignorant Indian executives working for Global companies. The name Expat comes from expatriate !

Now, I am not actually as bitter as the definition may give the impression for. I was just narrating the normal way any fellow Indian engineer or manager will define them.

Over last few days, I ve been getting many dimensions of this Expat community and their luxuries and challenges.

1. There was a front page article in one of India's leading English daily on how expensive the Expat's are, couple of days ago. House rent 40K USD per month anyone ? The article also raised a lot of questions on cost vs. return of having Expats.

Same story repeated for the Expat airline pilots in India couple of days later. With the industry going through crisis, there is a huge union like movement to get rid of all Expat pilot from the airliners.

2. One of my close friend, who is currently in India as an Expat for a mid-size company (he is Indian by birth, but a US citizen) and gotten used to all the luxuries of big house, chauffeur driven luxury cars, vacations in Singapore / Malaysia and a really hefty salary. And he just got the news, that the same company is downsizing and they are closing portion of the India center. His job is gone. He does not want to go back to US. He is looking for a normal paying job, a 3 BR apartment , just like any of us now. I do not necessarily feel sorry about him. But, look at the turn of events.

3. There is another couple, close friends to me, again Indian's by origin, expats who enjoyed all the royalty for a year here and then they had to go back to their condo in Texas.

Within a few months, they went through a divorce just because they could not adjust to less comfortable life, once they used to the luxuries of an expat. They fought for small things and broke up. Two small kids on the block for partition now ! This one I feel sorry about.

Convenience is the worst addiction known to living beings.

4. To sum it up, early today morning one expat was giving a speech on the real role of an expat.
Expat is some one who is supposed to be behind the Indian executives, helping them run the business as a global leader. From behind because, they will leave, once the tenure is up - but the Indian executives have to run the company.

5. This morning, another bitter-funny situation, where one Expat was criticizing another expat for being way too expensive to our company. May be his house rent is 30K USD per month :) A whole 10K less than the other guy !!!!!!

Like any other enabler, Expat can be a good thing and worth the expenses. But like everything, there are uses and mis-uses of any good thing.