'Friends made all the difference'

Expat zone

When Sean Blagsvedt first came to the City from America, he was wonder-struck everytime he went out. The reason? He had never seen such busy streets and crowded places back in his hometown in California.

It has been six years now and he is more at home than ever before. Co-running a job portal called Babajobs.com in the City, Sean recently married his friend Archana, an Indian. Sean says that if there is one thing he loves about the City, it is the energy.

“When I first came to the City in 2004, I really did not know what to expect and I was given the unexpected. But now, I love Bangalore because it is a city that has thousands of people who have come here to build things and make a better life for themselves. I love the energy, especially in the tech sphere,” he adds.

Like any newcomer, Sean too had his own set of difficulties. Be it getting around in the City, learning about the law and order here or even communicating with the people. Getting over all those hurdles, he says, was very simple. “Ultimately, in any city, it is easy to fit in if you have and find people that you love. So, I made friends here who made all the difference,” he explains.

Sean feels he has been very lucky especially when it comes to food. “Back home, I used to eat Mexican food constantly and honestly, I do terribly miss it. The taste is very similar to Indian food. While I was growing up, my dad who is a great cook, made a lot of spicy food. Since I love spices, I eat all the spicy food and pickles I can find here. I have, however, taken a liking towards all kinds of Indian delicacies, especially the South Indian breakfast. I also enjoy the fresh juice and Tibetan food available here as well,” he adds.

While Sean enjoys visiting different places in the City, of late, he and his wife have been spending a lot of time hanging out at Jaaga.in, a cultural and tech-space that Archana and his friend Freeman Murray have put together. “It’s an amazing experiment and there, one gets to meet some of the most interesting folks. I sure can see myself spending a lot of my free time there,” he concludes.