'Each place tells a different story'

Expat zone

The first thing that Wim Corbijn van Willenswaard, a native of the Netherlands, did when he relocated to Bengaluru was to hit the road on his bicycle. Besides his curiosity to discover the place, he was also driven by the passion for cycling.

Wim, who works with Philips, moved to Bengaluru in 2012. He is presently the member DICOM Architecture group at Philips and focuses on the integration of different systems in hospitals.

Wim says he always wanted to come to India, enchanted as he was by the various stories he had heard about this country. He couldn’t wait to experience it first hand.

“In the last few years that I have been living here, I have travelled extensively and most people who interact with me tell me that I have travelled more than perhaps any Indian would have within the country,” he laughs.

However, he also recollects that he had visited Bengaluru on work in 1998 and getting off at the HAL Airport. “I still remember that there wasn’t so much traffic then and the most prominent cars on the roads were the Ambassadors. There were also a few bullock carts moving around,” he shares. 

The city has changed and transformed a great deal, according to him. 

His love for photography is also one of the reasons why Wim finds the slightest of excuse to travel.

 “I’ve visited places in and around Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rajasthan and Leh. Each place tells a different story and the images that I’ve captured on my camera are unique,” says Wim.

He has also taken time off to visit a few places in Karnataka such as Hampi, Halebidu and Jog Falls. He has even managed to go on a bicycle expedition to Thirthahalli in Shivamogga where he visited poet Kuvempu’s ancestral home.

While travel, photography and cycling not only leave Wim feeling refreshed, they also help him get creative at work. Drawing parallels between the work culture in the Netherlands and India, Wim says, “It is difficult to get work done back home because the culture of challenging the boss always exists and people don’t maintain hierarchy. Here, in India people respect their higher authorities and it is easier to them to work as a team. There’s an openness to accepting new ideas here in India,” he observes.

He also finds it interesting that his work offers him the opportunity to interact with people of different age groups.

While exploring places remains Wim’s favourite pastime, he doesn’t shy away from trying out a few authentic Indian dishes. However,  he makes sure that he stays away from anything that has too many bones, especially fish.

 “I can’t deal with bones. So, when it comes to chicken, I prefer the boneless one. I love ‘masala dosa’ for breakfast and I can have it everyday throughout the year. I’ve also tried a few authentic Indian dishes but don’t eat anything that is too spicy,” says Wim.

He has also enjoyed street food and has got a feel of the various ‘chaats’ and Indian sweets.     

While Wim doesn’t want to get stuck in pointing out the negative side of the city, he says he would have liked it if motorists had been a wee bit more respectful to cyclists. Wim cycles to and from work everyday and says cycling within the city is a challenge.

“Whenever I am cycling, I’ve noticed that vehicles behind me are constantly honking, hoping to get me out of the way. I find this attitude quite uncivilised. But I always keep to my lane,” he says.