I am living in Saudi Arabia for the last 3 years as NRI, working for a pharmaceutical company. Earlier, I worked in New Delhi in the same capacity for a top pharma company in the international business unit.

I went through a sea change in my personal life that I am living today, and I would like to share some of this through my blog.

The biggest experience was in the reduction in level of stress that I was undergoing despite much harder and technical activities that I handled there due to the demanding situation. The main stress factor was making both ends meet. Despite a decent package, it was always a fight in the end of each month to link pockets to the next salary. Not to mention the loans, and utility bills shaving a large chunk of salary like a HAFTA, thanks God to TDS, otherwise I would be taking another loan every year to repay this handsome amount, that I was debiting as ANOTHER HAFTA for the government for feeding corruption. As I know, only 2 % of the total tax collected in India comes from the salaries (and is around 20% of the white income!).... so even if we are exempted, it does not matter to the govt., but a lot to us of course and would change the course of our lives.

This stress also affected my personal life, as I could never see any pleasure as pleasure, but only as how much it would drill my pocket…. and then how much I could make it through the best negotiations, though affecting the level of comfort and luxury to a large extent. This could be an excursion, or even an outing with my family…. budgeting budgeting..

After these few years passed here, my experience has been that there is a difference in aura of life we live back in India, which is full of avoidable frustration, micro- materialism (I refer to the rat race of… I am better than you with a better cc car, or a one higher/ newer Nokia mobile model), forced strategies of the government NOT TO LET THE COMMON MAN GET OUT OF POVERTY, lack of basic facilities which are deteriorating day by day, and of course the midnight millionaire’s dream. It is the neo- pseudo- rich culture that has evolved after the capitalist revolution of early 90s, that is killing the whole Indian values. Na apne hue, na west ke… hanging us somewhere in the dud.

The basic infrastructure lacks stilts of any consideration for Indians to be treated as humans. Our politicians are not Indians, but still the same East India Company agents. They come in turns to fill their pockets and they would continue to do so to business on our blood.

We need to learn from the west, how important is the life of all citizens to the community.. and not blame the population. We have enough land and food to feed another same size of population if we use these resources judiciously. Population can itself be a big resource. See China? We don’t need leaders now.. it is the time to have managers, as managers can only draw strength out of the weaknesses our politicians exploit.

To share some pleasant moments which I relish after coming from India… I never saw a minute without electricity and that too almost free, water, almost free fuel, I eat whatever and where ever I want, buy the best and latest electronic  gadgets (telling you really.. that now I am fed- up as I can buy it all and I did that in the beginning..but have no KEEDA left !!). We get the best cars (at less than half prices than India) with the best roads (100 miles and hour! normally), and what not?

After all this, everyone saves enough every month involuntarily, so nothing to think about bank balance. If you spend 1500 riyals every month (almost Rs. 15000), you can live on top of the world with your family and never think that life in India even in the next few years. Normal salaries are around 5000 riyals monthly, and no tax! Naturally, after the money tension is over, your mind start spending more time on yourself and family, which I always missed in India. Even, I have this enough time to write a blog freely, and many to read every day.

The Saudi culture taught me that money is only a mode to satisfy your materialistic side, and rest has no value in life. Collecting money is no use, as the kids manage themselves better than yourself… and really they never use it as you could use it better in the prime time of your life!

More…there is a mark of respect of each human to another human. Men wear TOPE (the famous white gown dress with a checkered cap- cloth and a ring). All look same, and there is no distinguishing if he is a billionaire or a beggar. Same with women, as they are harnessed in Abaya and all look same… so no show off is there basically.

As there are no direct resource in these deserts (oil is beyond the scope of common man’s business) and the basic education etc. is not so sound, the government facilitate each one of them with all amenities that matter in life by bearing all the cost of bearing, e.g. through a thin utility bills… rich or poor. Most of the middle and upper strata has studied and lived in the west for generations… so they have that hybridized blood, which demands even a better culture living for that major population residing here.

Best… Saudis know how to handle humans on the criminal side. Ironically, the shameful haps in India has not left us much away from the jungle life, and we could not be worst them at this as well. When I was coming to join this job…someone told me in India, to be careful here as they have jungle laws..but hey…believe me that these laws (if there.. even I don’t know today) should be for India and not these gentlemen…I suggest that we LEASE the Indian law system to these great guys.. and all will be fine within a week. It is not only the law, but a matter of its execution religiously, thus respecting law as a law.

Just to tell you… I never heard of a crime aloud in the last 3 years., unless 90% committed by our fellow expat communities here (pssst.. and I do often feel abashed for that!).

So folks… breathe deep and we have to realize and accept that lot has to change in us, and lot will happen only after the things change within us. High handedness is to be killed and not accepted from politicians… what ever the cost.. may be another mutiny to crush this mafia fruit of bureaucracy (but all does not look near.. as it was quite evident from the top politicians already praising Rahul Gandhi as YUVRAJ.. when he has done nothing yet!).

I ask… why our government does not give the same pleasure (and SUKOON) to all its citizens what I draw here? Why would I think to live away from home here.. if things were same there? Why can’t my government think for citizen welfare and comfort, like this government thinks for us and its citizens? Why are we more comfortable here than my country? Is it not a shame for all of us Indians to know all this and still not act?