Jonathan Yach is completely at home and in love with Bangalore. Hailing from Cape Town, the Republic of South Africa, Jonathan, who is the CEO of Mantri Square, has been living in the City for the last two years. Although he misses the long coastline and the big mountains of Cape Town, he has no complaints.
About Bangalore, he says, “This is a burgeoning modern Indian city. It has immense potential for growth and the City is becoming more acceptable to investors, especially those from abroad. Most of the facilities here are on a par with international standards. So I would like to stay here for another few years.”
His wife Tracy and children Gabi and Zach, joined him here a year back. And like him, they too love the City. “During my initial days here, I faced some difficulties in getting things done.
We were confused about the usual stuff, like where to buy things, how to find certain places etc. But we adjusted very quickly with the local people, neighbours and colleagues. In a short span of time, we earned some good friends here,” says Jonathan who relishes Indian cuisine and Bollywood movies.
“As I am a foodie, food is never a problem for me. Coming from a coastal city, I like fish items a lot. Rotis, daal and salads are a part of my diet. I like to savour the cuisine of Kerala and Bengal. When it comes to Indian movies, I watch those which have subtitles, irrespective of the language. Among the recent movies, 3 Idiots is my favourite and I have watched it many times,” he says.
Jonathan, who lived in Mumbai for a few years before coming to Bangalore, finds not much of a difference between India and South Africa. “The two nations are separated by an ocean and nothing more. Both are growing countries and can boast of a energetic young population. In Bangalore, especially, one can feel the potential of youth who are active contributors in the nation’s growth,” he says.
About the varying weather conditions here, he says, “The weather is just right. If people blame Bangalore weather, then nowhere on earth would they find a pleasant climate,” he says. There is another aspect of the City which Jonathan and his wife admire. “The education standard here is high and my children are really benefiting from this. I would say the crime rate here is also negligible and the maintenance of law and order is good. I believe with better planning, it is possible to improve the infrastructure here and create more opportunities in the years ahead,” he says.