Living in a developed vs. developing country

As I travelled in India and the Philippines recently, I was constantly asked how it was like living in the US. I had to be careful about my answer as I have lived in US for about a year and that too as a student- at the same time, my experience is only living in Boston and that is so very different from many other places in the US. But, of course, I had to give an answer. Despite my caveats, people need an answer. You cannot dodge a question, especially in India. If you try to, people just ask it again, and then again, till you give them a semblance of an answer.

This made me think- right from the personal things that I need to take care of when I live here. I pretty much do everything on my own- I cook my own food, wash dishes, do the laundry, clear the trash- one is pretty much self sufficient. There are things to help you, like a dishwasher, but you are very much on your own unlike in India or the Philippines where there is splendid domestic help available to take care of such 'creature' comforts. Then, I explained to people how in Boston, you've got to pretty much shovel snow for about 5-10 minutes each day before taking out your car. Again, nobody does it for you, you do it yourself. You don't do it, your car doesn't get out. Things are a little different back home. In India, there is a person who comes everyday just to clean my brother's car. No such thing here. Go to a car wash and things will be done automatically. So, is automation a key differntiator between a developed and a developing country in terms of just the kind of life leads.

Or is it something more?

As I went about doing my own stuff in Delhi, I realized that self sufficiency is not really considered a good trait in terms of 'making it'. The more people you have around you to 'take care' of you, the better off you are! This clearly flies in the face of Gandhian logic but how much Gandhian living is being practised anyway. Now- let me be clear about this lest I be labelled a prude. Its not as if I don't like myself being pampered- somebody to clean the house, somebody to clean the car, somebody to wash dishes- its all good, comfortable living and I would love to have it, but its absence is fine with me too- as long as we have a requisite support and tools to work things through. Isn't that what flexibility and adaptibility is all about?!! Plus - you discover aspects of your personality that were completely hidden or lying dormant. For example, when I moved to Singapore from the Philippines (and domestic help is an issue in Singapore, it being a 'developed' country), I learnt to do many things on my own and one thing I particularly started enjoying was cooking. It is an incredibly therapeutic activity for me and though I am not the finest cook in the world, I do enjoy both the process of cooking as well as inviting people over to eat good vegetarian Indian meals!

Moving from the personal front to the more professional front, it does look like the US provides more opportunities for advancement especially for the well qualified people. It means greater responsibility, the ability to make a difference, the ability to craft your own role, and have a broader say in things in general. Does that excite me? Absolutely! Are such opportunities there in India? For sure, there are but the competition is more stiff as the number of positions are few and the number of people wanting those jobs humungous!

All in all, it really is a matter of perspective. I have loved every moment of living in Boston- my Harvard classmates, the Charles River, the Red Sox mania, the drives out of the city, the wonderful seasons and if all that means doing my own laundry and shoveling some snow in winter, its really a small price to pay!