'Bengalureans are a calm lot'

Expat zone

For those who love adventure and embracing new cultures, Bengaluru often proves to be a bag of pleasant surprises. Marcelo Marrano from Neuquen, Patagonia, Argentina, had the same feelings when he moved here with his family.

Marcelo, who works as a captain with Alliance Air, lives here with his wife Matilde Moreno Vera and daughters Julieta and Guadalupe, since 2015. 

Marcelo, who is originally from Beunos Aires, moved to Neuquen after graduation. Though he worked for short intervals in different places like Mexico, Brazil and Europe, this is the family’s first assignment abroad.

Having heard about this job from an agency, Marcelo didn’t think too much before moving. He says, “We didn’t know much about Bengaluru and didn’t have any prejudices about the place. We took this move as an adventure.”

There are a lot of things that he finds interesting about the city, be it the malls or the markets.
“The city is very similar to the cities in the West. We are bowled over by the sights and sounds here,” he says, to which Matilde adds, “There is always something happening here.”

The open-mindedness and accepting nature of Bengalureans have impressed the family. Marcelo says, “Everyone is so friendly and helpful. Bengalureans are a calm lot. They are very peaceful.”
Grateful about their move to the IT hub, the family believes that the stay has been a learning experience for each of them.

“We are very comfortable here and only have good stories to narrate. Be it the educational opportunities, efficient hospitals or the safe roads, we have only happy thoughts about the city,” shares Marcelo.

Remembering a recent incident when their former apartment owner asked them to move out as he was going to sell the place, Matilde says she was surprised by how their apartment mates rushed to help.

“We didn’t know anyone then and it was nice to see strangers help us.” Bengaluru has been a window to the Indian culture for the family. “Our cultures are very different. We are used to very informal ways,” says Matilde.

She recollects a funny incident. “We kiss to say hello in our culture. When I met my yoga teacher, I
kissed her on the cheek and she gave me a scared look. It didn’t go well with her,” she says.

“There have been times when I wanted to go out and explore the city and many would offer to come along. The city also has a large Spanish-speaking population which is comforting,” she says.  
The number of festivals celebrated in the city baffle the family a bit.

Matilde says, “There’s a festival being celebrated every few days, which is intriguing. The girls love ‘Holi’ as it involves a lot of colours.”

Asked her how she keeps herself occupied, she explains that she loves making jewellery out of wood and other mediums and visits the local markets often to shop for raw materials.

“I go to Commercial Street to buy raw materials. One can find so many different colourful things there,” she says.

Indian food has been an interesting culinary ride for them. “We eat varied things like ‘paratha’, ‘chicken biryani’ and ‘dosa’. We indulge in a lot of Indian food as it is difficult to get ingredients here to prepare our traditional food,” she says.

The variety of fruits were a pleasant surprise for Matilde. “The fruits here are so fresh. In fact, we don’t have mangoes back home,” she says.  

Fourteen-year-old Julieta and twelve-year-old Guadalupe study at Trio World Academy and love their school for the different experiences they’ve had.

Both the girls learnt to speak English fluently in Bengaluru and are thankful for that.
Julieta says, “I love my friends here. They’ve been very helpful.”

She loves art and is excited that she got to learn about block printing and ‘mehendi’ art here.
“The city is very colourful and green and I love this fact,” she adds.

Guadalupe loves the school for its international students and the numerous new things she’s learnt here.

“I got to learn French here. The campus is huge and there’s lots to do,” she says. Outside school, the scenes on the streets capture her interest as she finds them full of life.

“The roads are a lot of fun. It’s like a zoo — one can see cows, dogs and even chicken on the same road,” she adds.