'There is so much to explore here'

Expat zone

The first time Carrie Bloedorn from Georgia came to the City three months back, she had a culture shock of sorts. But after spending time here, meeting new people and learning the way things work, she has grown to love this place even more.

She says, “I have fallen in love with the City now. Initially, I did feel out of place as things here are so different from that in the United States. But once you look past the differences, you start appreciating the raw beauty and charm the City has.”

According to her, what makes the whole experience better is the fact that the people here are helpful and friendly.  She says, “Bangaloreans are very accommodative and friendly. They helped me find my way through so many situations. I have made quite a few good friends too who I meet every once in a while.”

She loves making new friends and recalls an incident where she met a group of students with whom she is still in touch.

“These people were an enthusiastic lot and had so many questions about me and the place I came from. It is more like a give and take because even I made them answer a few of my questions about the place and the culture. When you live in place other than your home town, it is like an educational experience and I am making good use of this.”

She has picked up a few words of Hindi and Kannada and is proud about that. She says, “I would love to learn the language someday but for now I am happy saying just a couple of words like Namaste, Alli hogu and Barthini.”

The food amuses her the most. She is a huge fan of any type of food which has
masala in it. She adds, “I once tried the prawn masala and that is my favourite dish right now. It is absolutely delicious and spicy. I like the chicken and also the vegetarian dishes you get here. Back home, everything is so bland. So it is a welcome change to taste something spicy.” 

Moreover, she isn’t finicky about eating food which you get at stalls on the road. On the contrary, she loves them too.  She says, “I tried the fried corn one day and it is a very nice snack. But what I love the most is the mango snack they make by sprinkling chilli powder on top.” She even tried eating the Ice-gola which she refers to as ‘Ice-cubes.’

Shopping is another thing she loves doing in her free time and has visited all the major hubs in the City. She says, “I usually go to Commercial Street and Brigade Road because that’s where you find everything. I have purchased a lot of Indian wear.”

She loves travelling and has visited the Bannerghatta National Park. “I have heard of a place called Nandi Hills from my friends and would love to go there someday,” she adds. She adds, “There is so much to explore in this City. I believe Bangalore is the New York of India, charming and peaceful yet fast-paced.”