'The City is a pleasant surprise'

When Jacob and Karen Molnar with children Olivia and Paz, moved from Valparaiso, Indiana, USA to Bengaluru, they had no clue that their journey through the City would be such a colourful experience. While Jacob, who works with EY as a senior manager, has come to Bengaluru earlier, for the family it’s the first time here.

“Six years ago, I was in India for a few weeks for work. Bengaluru is very different from what it was then. Infrastructure has come up and things have changed a lot. It’s been a pleasant surprise,” says Jacob. He has been working with EY for a while and says that working in Bengaluru branch is a different experience. “The biggest difference is, in the US, I was the one who used to deal with clients. But here my role is different.”

“I start work early in the morning. I do this for two reasons — one to avoid the morning traffic and secondly it allows to get additional work done. My co-workers come in later and leave later.” He says that his co-workers are of a more relaxed nature. “Back in the US, things were stressed and we had tight deadlines to meet. But here people are more relaxed.” Jacob points out that though they stop for “tea breaks”, they work really hard. “I’m hoping that will rub off on me.”

Jacob is trying to assimilate into the culture here. “The cultural differences have been really eye-opening.” On the personal front, he says that the transition would have been much easier if it was just him and his partner. “But as a family, we have to figure out things like an appropriate school for the kids. Also, in the US, if we had to go anywhere, we just went. But here things have to be planned in advance. We are working around such specifics and learning to adjust accordingly,” he says.

The adjustments that the family had to make include — depending on the driver to move around the City and figuring things out. “I have never shied away from asking questions. So whenever I can, I so ask  where we can get something like the groceries,” he says.

The family has tried Indian food and is slowly embracing the flavours. Karen, whose family is from Mexico, says that the spices in the cuisines are similar. “But the quantity is different here,” she says with a smile. “Back in the US, when we went for grocery shopping, we would get everything in one store. Here, one has to go to six stores to get enough supplies,” adds Jacob.

Though the family hasn’t been a part of many festivities here, after seeing the festive spirit of Holi, Jacob says that “people take their holidays very seriously”.

“This is in stark contrast to what happens in the US. We would separate the major holidays. But here, many travel out of the City and visit families.”

Before Karen moved to Bengaluru, she had researched online about the place. “I had heard that it was a young and cosmopolitan city. My doctors in the US, who are Indians, told me that it is a beautiful city. But Jacob told me that it was a bit crazy, after his last visit.” When she got here, she found “the City a pleasant surprise”. “There are some places which is very green. There is a definite beauty here. There is also the crazy traffic,” she says.

She says that it has been fun blending into the City’s ethos. “I’m a friendly person and I love meeting new people. The people here are friendly and helpful and it’s been a smooth ride,” she says. She adds that due to her roots, she was raised “very conservatively”. “It hasn’t been difficult to settle in because of that,” she says.

Their daughters, Olivia and Paz like their stay in the City. Olivia, a nine-year-old, says that she loves her school and the swimming pools in it. “The campus is great and is big. The teachers are nice and they don’t give a lot of homework,” she says. Paz, who is  six-year-old, says that she loves the friends she has made at school and the City. “I like Bengaluru because there are lots of pretty flowers here,” she sums up.