'I love the people here for their affability'

Expat zone

Expatriates love Bangalore for its cosmopolitan lifestyle, salubrious environment, food and people. Natallia Kapylova, an expat from Belarus, shares her experiences here

Natallia Kapylova, from Belarus, is overwhelmed with the warmth of Bangaloreans. She has been living in various cities across India for the past 10 years. A professional pianist, she performs and teaches western classical music. “We lived in Delhi and moved to Bangalore four years back as my husband was transferred. We settled in the City due to professional reasons and have loved it here since then,” says Natallia. 

She adds that she has been able to love the City so much only because her family has been together here. “I live with my husband, daughter and my three dogs. It’s a small family but I am happy that we have been able to stick together through the ups and downs of life,” she adds nostalgically.

Despite her being in the City for just four years, she has been able to establish herself professionally and performs regularly in the City. She informs that the rich cultural lineage of the City never fails to surprise her. “It is a very comfortable City, the weather is suitable and the people are very friendly here. I love the people here for their affability. I have many friends and the best part of the City is that it has a very cosmopolitan nature, which makes it easy to adjust,” she further adds.

Although she is very keen on learning the local language, not knowing it has never posed a problem and she has been able to find her way around the City. “All my friends know English and I can speak Hindi so if the shopkeepers and auto drivers do not understand my accent, I am able to explain what I want in Hindi. Bangalore is very flexible that way and that is the best part about the City,” she explains. 

She has seen the City evolve in the past few years and says that she prefers to see the brighter side of the picture. “We have noticed some not very good things in the City but the initiative to change that should be taken by us. One thing which I do not like about the City is the garbage strewn on the roads and sidewalks. I teach my daughter to clean her environment and her mess,” says Natallia.

Natallia and her family like spending time at the UB City for its food and ambience. She says that spending her afternoons and evenings on the terrace of the mall is her idea of an ideal weekend. When it comes to food, she cooks very simple food at home like different kinds of salad but occasionally, her family digs into local delicacies like idli and dosa. 

“We love eating Indian food, especially South Indian dishes. My personal favourite is masala dosa and ‘Nagarjuna’ is the eatery where we like it best. In fact, we visit the restaurant whenever we have our friends and family visiting us,” she informs.

According to Natallia, the best part about the City is its close proximity to tourist attractions like Coorg, Mysore etc. “Whenever we get tired of the noise and the pollution in the City, we take a short trip. It is nice to live in a City which has so many places around it. We travel a lot and have been to Chikmagalur, Coorg and Mysore,” she says.

 They have also explored the City and enjoy showing their friends and relatives around when they come for a visit. “We make sure that our relatives and friends get to know the best part of the City and are aware about the historical aspect of Bangalore as well. Going for a tour of the Bangalore Palace, the museum and theme parks is a must for all our guests,” she says.

For now, Natallia is concentrating on her music and says that she loves performing with classical artistes based in the City and has a lot to learn from them. 

“People in the City know quite a bit about western classical music. They are very encouraging and I enjoy performing in Bangalore,” concludes Natallia.