As I worked in India, web developer under contract
Introduction
Hello, my name is Alexander and I Zelenin web developer. In early 2012, I received a job offer (nodejs, frontend and everything connected with it) in India. In general, the idea that I liked. You can gain experience (including language), and relax in the exotic country.
I try to reach the maximum, the details please ask in the comments. Date and time writing about. Unfortunately, the photo archive is located on another computer, to which access is gained only a couple of weeks. Spread that is. The result came out not very technical story, but hopefully it will be interesting.
After the interview I sent a contract for six months and started preparing papers for the visa.
Trying №1 A few weeks later the documents were ready. After filling the pile of forms for a work visa and the formation of a set of documents (forms, contract, proof of qualification, diploma, permission from the company to hire employees from other countries, the financial statements of the company, etc.), I went to the courier agency and sent to all Moscow.
The next day the documents were delivered to the embassy, but they have not, as yet lacked some paper. Over the next few days, I add, clarify and correct all documents, sending all the same courier agency.
Another complicating the task that I have only secondary special education, but saved that it was profiled. "A reference" on the Internet at the embassy did not want to watch.
The task was much more trivial than it seemed. Even though everything needed was provided, even refused to accept the documents.
After a heap of wasted time, I gave up the idea to go to work in India and withdraw the document.
Rainy Summer I live in Kaliningrad. Weather we are quite volatile because of the proximity to the sea. It turned out that more than half of the summer (about ~ 55 consecutive days) or go rain or was very gloomily. Despite the good flow of orders, the picture behind the window is gradually forced into the depression.
Long down and I wrote on Skype guys from India, ask how come they are doing. It turned out that during this time they have already moved a few Russian guys from different cities, and generally established pattern of interaction with the embassy.
At this time, I suggested to a friend to participate in this venture, he agreed. After the interview (and I repeat) gave contact the agency in charge of the preparation of documents.
This time I sent the payment of expenses for the previous time and the money to pay for the services of the agency. Translation took quite a long time, due to the nature of the banking system in India (bring money into the country easily, but there is no export).
Attempt №2 - success deducted from the agency, discussed the conditions and sent all the documents. Services have cost in the region of 20 thousand rubles for two (or a little less, not the essence). Another week gone to bring all in order, translation of the diploma and other actions, and then everything was sent to Moscow.
At this time, the documents adopted at once. The website of the Embassy was told that work visas are considered within 3 to 5 days, which turned out to be untrue. In general, it took several weeks.
And then, finally, came passports stamped with visas.
For some reason, the photo on the visa has been "flattened" vertically - this distortion makes me a little like an Indian.
Flew to Moscow Aeroflot, Emirates move on and went to Dubai. The service, like an airplane, impressed. Salon looked like spaceship from a science fiction short stories. In the back seat built computers with a bunch of movies and network games (inside the plane).
Upon arrival in Dubai went to get the bags, but they never arrived. Come to find out, where do they go. We were informed that they will be shipped to our next destination, and do not worry. Apparently, this is common practice, but I encountered for the first time.
Before the flight to Delhi was ~ 18 hours. Emirates while waiting for more than 8 hours provide free visa and hotel. Very cool, actually.
In Kaliningrad, hight temperature was around 5 degrees, so that I, to save space in your suitcase, was wearing a winter jacket. Exit to the street was Feels like entering a sauna. 42!
They arrived at the hotel, housed, had lunch. The plan was to visit the Burj Khalifa. Dressed in a light clothing and walked out. High tower was in sight and we thought it was her, and that, in principle, not far gone. Foot. We were probably the only general who moved there on foot. After a couple of kilometers (cooled in an enclosed bus stop with air conditioning), ofigev from the heat, we decided to take a taxi.
So, is the hefty tower was not the Burj Khalifa, and simply skyscraper. To the destination was about 10 km.
If you book a ticket in advance, a few days before the visit, the entrance is cheaper several times, but we were not sure of getting a temporary visa, so it did not take risks and eventually posted a $ 100 per person.
View offers chic. I can not believe that 20 years ago there was only desert.
Take a walk 3 km to the Gulf and went to the hotel. From the hotel to the airport, and here we are flying to your destination - New Delhi.
First Impressions Arrived at 2am hours. Took the bags out on the street. Wherever possible, lay people. Lot. O_O.
We pass by people with signs. Our names or something similar to the name of the company is not. Do a few more laps. I call to meet - the number is not available. I call those who are engaged in the purchase of tickets - do not take the tube. O_O. Arrived!
But luckily, after 30 minutes running up to us some guy asking names. There were already better!
He says that we go straight to the hotel and in the morning - to work. After 20 minutes' drive come and places. Everything is dirty, shabby, single bed, shower like a monster from a horror movie.
Under the contract, we were required to provide the hotel at the time of the search of the apartment. Is this it? In spite of everything, tired after the road, we go to bed. (Unfortunately, the pictures did not do while in a light shock.)
At 8 am we pick up and report that accommodated in another hotel (Phew!). Going to Gurgaon - the city near New Delhi, which, itself, and the office of the company. Interestingly, almost all private service Gurgaon - police / security, road works etc.
We stay in a new hotel. 2 rooms, seemingly clean. That's better.
Immediately go to the office, the road, like, good. In general, without pits and potholes, but everywhere very dirty, lying garbage. We reached the office. Here it is directly opposite the entrance to the territory of:
On the territory of the company is very clean, especially compared to the previous photo. Debris do not, bushes, grass.
Meet the team, inspect the office.
We were given laptops IBM Thinkpad (with a red button in the middle of the keyboard, by the way, very comfortable) preloaded with Ubuntu. I am also familiar and comfortable to develop on Windows (with virtualboksami configured similar to "combat" server). After a couple of hours to get a new laptop Windu simkarty, advance and go to the hotel.
Very busy day. Feels like we're already at least a week.
We get up early in the morning, have breakfast in the hotel. Behind us come all the same corporate driver and carries a new hotel (where we lived before moving into the apartment). Go to work. The main project of the company - the large online shop. The company is engaged in the same production, storage, delivery well and generally everything related to the sale of goods.
Fill different paper, we solve bureaucratic issues. We are told that it will be necessary to quickly get something like our pension certificate - which requires a lot, even in hotels.
Pause I thought I should, nevertheless, do not write in chronological order and by theme. I apologize for such a transition.
Food Getting started with Indian food from the plane to Dubai - New Delhi.
Stewardess: Beef or chicken?
I: Beef, please.
Waitress: Sorry, only chicken available.
I: ... OK
Fits to the next row and all repeats. So, there was only chicken curry with Indian spices. But very "lite", not very spicy.
At work, there were 2 dining options: vegetarian and non-vegetarian. By the way, on all goods absolutely worth label - whether it's vegetarian. It appears as a circle within a square. Green - Vegetarian, gray - a semi-vegetarian, red - no. Semi-vegetarian - is using eggs, cheese and any other non-meat products.
Photo dining room:
Vegetarian options:
Top left - something like soy in a spicy sauce. On top of the middle - sauce with beans. Above right - the salad. Yes, it is a salad. Looks like a mixture of cucumbers and tomatoes with water diluted with milk or yogurt. Very good "extinguishes" burning after spicy food. Lower Left - dessert, sweet rice in sweet dairy products (condensed milk?). By the middle of the bottom side dish. Lower Right - tortillas.
Local eat it with one hand without tools. On first time use a spoon, but after a while adapt himself - quite convenient. Right hand (yes, one) comes off a piece of the cake and then it takes something that is going to eat. After adapt himself, even taking turns fairly liquid sauce garnished without spilling. A sort of mini shavermy. By the way, this way is much tastier than individually.
Houses mostly cooked vegetables (peppers, tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms), simple side dishes (potatoes, rice) and semi-finished meat (something like "golden cockerel»).
In the morning, drove men to such carts in the district:
The vegetables were always fresh and pretty cheap, and so much to choose from rice, I have never seen. In stores entire racks of rice for every taste. Meat can buy fresh, but in all, even the most elite, butcher shops worth a smell that desire disappears immediately. Meat semifinished products were tolerable, but much far from ours. In the morning, oatmeal, occasionally cooked pancakes or something else interesting.
On the week the body was rebuilt on unfamiliar food and was unhappy, but after a while the food is easy to lay, and the whole body felt good.
Fruits disappointed. We can buy much more fresh and tasty. There were a few exceptions, such as mango and dragon fruit, but it is in the form of exceptions. Bananas, apples, peaches, pineapples and everything else looked not much on the taste was the same.
Tea steep. Home brought a few pounds. With a quarter of a teaspoon was obtained very strong mug of tea. On the whole spoon is a liquid that prevents blinking.
The hotel once eaten chicken chili. After that, never anything with the note "chili" in India did not take. Was hot, not only during meals.
cafe / restaurant The method of choosing the right place to eat, is quite simple: if there is already a lot of people are eating - you can join (except, perhaps, mobile). There are all sorts of coffee shops with a latte / cappuccino and muffins; there is quite a European / American type network Fridays and MacDonald's.
Once a fairly expensive restaurant ordered more or less European food and as soon as it brought on a column next to the table crawled hefty cockroach. The more we did not eat there.
In MacDonald's all vegetarian, surprisingly. Most - added omelette burger. More strange assortment in poppy I have never seen. Everything strange and incomprehensible, but quite tasty.
During Fridays was the most European of all the food, you can even eat steak acceptable. Once booked there for a national dish, I do not remember the name already. It looked like a set of different-different fillings plus garnish. I picked up a fork and began to eat. By passing local grabbed his head and explained that I was wrong to eat this dish is very steep. It turns out that under one of the plates were "pancakes" (not knowing guess their presence is almost impossible), in which we had all to cheat (or a way to tearing). And yes, as was much tastier.
On the street where you can buy a lot of fruit juice for a penny - that was cool.
National food we mostly ate at work and travel around the country together with our boss. He advised that you can try unique in a given region. In the main dishes were different spices. Even the same spices in different parts of the country may have very different tastes. After two years, I can recall only parathu - Burrito. Usually it is potatoes, greens or some cunning spices.
Prices All products have a mandatory label MRP (maximum retail price). Maximum price controlled by the state and by comparing it with the price in the store, you can see whether adequate demand price from you. In some cases the price has been lower, even several times, but it generally corresponds MRP. In remote mountainous areas of the price could exceed the MRP noticeably due to the difficult logistics (100 km + serpentine in mountains).
The system is very handy indeed. Many stores do not even have price tags at all - focus on the price of the product.
On average, the food took a month less than in Kaliningrad. I do not remember, but not more than 12 thousand rubles for two month.
Internet costs about 1,000 rubles, with a limit of 40GB / month (hereinafter anlim 64 kb / s).
Renting an apartment with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, hall, 2 balconies and a kitchen costs us about 15 thousand rubles. Utility costs had a neighbor paid much to say. But for the entire period of stay is not exceeded 3000 rubles. Gas cylinder buy more only 1 time, has managed in less than a thousand rubles.
Bedding generally worth some pennies, something like 200 rubles for a set of cotton. Silk and cashmere. He immediately nifiga not cheap. This is a myth. Now, in view of globalization, everything everywhere is worth about the same. For a nice cashmere scarf will have to pay about 8 thousand rubles. Souvenirs are usually sold near any attractions. Are cheap. Carved stone elephant handmade fist-sized cost 150 rubles.
Tea is cheap and tasty. Decent kilogram of tea will cost 300-400 rubles.
Hotels The hotel is quite paranoid, require filling heap of information about yourself: where, where, how much, who do such, for what purpose and still ask the photo.
Incidentally, instant photo stands as well as we do, but the output you get no photos 2-4 and 20-40. They go in the same packs for any occasion.
Price of stay varies from town. For example, in Agra for the day we gave 500 rupees (300 rubles) in the hotel with a view of the Taj Mahal:
And in the mountains, in the village of Kasauli night detour from 3,500 rupees. But the view was worth the Himalayas:
Transport Tuk-tuk - the most common type of "taxi". Is a three-wheeled open car. Costs about 10 rupees per kilometer (6 rubles). Before the work we were about 5 kilometers. Once, as learn to trade, went for Rs 50 for two, before once paid 150.
Then there are the normal taxis, but the price is higher. Never drove, so I can not say.
Rent a car in the classic sense will not work. And there are so many specifics of driving, and that it is not necessary. All leased machines are provided with a driver and a different way. For a fairly simple machine will have to pay 2-3 thousand rubles a day plus petrol fee, distance traveled and still a lot of things. Most drivers goes with the main beam. All blind to each other, can not see anything, but that's it. Night truckers can go even without dimensions - vrezheshsya them - your problem. Petrol save. Skated for decades, know all the bumps and turns. Here.
Metro. Metro here classy. Very clean, fast and runs on a schedule. The queue for the purchase of tokens is always great - I thought it very strange - it was enough just to buy 1 card and ride at a lower price, no queues and problems. The same card can pass back and get its full value. We lived not far from the last station branches that came right up to Delhi. The journey takes about an hour.
In the subway, the entrance, behind a mound sits a man with a gun. Entrance through metal detector.
Bus. On the bus we drove only on the corporate. Slowly, but it's free.
Train. We drove to several railway tours in such luxury cars: