Expat tales: New start New Delhi

Life in India is a colourful rollercoaster, writes Jan Smith.

Why did you move to the city and what do you do there?

My husband Tony and I came to New Delhi, India in February 2011. Tony was the executive chef for the Crowne Plaza Christchurch, before its closure following the 2010 earthquake.

His role here is with a new Crowne Plaza in Greater Noida, Delhi. I worked for the Cancer Society in Christchurch but now work voluntarily for the expatriates support group "Delhi Network".

What do you like or dislike about life in New Delhi?

This has been an incredible time for us - every day is another adventure, the colour, the cuisine, the culture and the history all add to the experience.

The world famous Taj Mahal is only two hours drive from our home, and another highlight has been white-water rafting the pristine high country reaches of the Ganges at Rishikesh, below the Himalayas.

The challenges of living in India coming from a New Zealand way of life is coming to grips with real poverty and a class system which is just so socially different.

How does the cost of living compare to New Zealand?

Food and general household costs are about a quarter of what you would expect in New Zealand, but remembering incomes for many are stretched for simple food and shelter.

What do you do on weekends?

Tony has a standing date with a friend on Sunday mornings for a game of tennis, often played in significantly higher temperatures than we would tolerate back home.

We sightsee of course, having immersed ourselves in reading Indian history and literature, and enjoy visiting the many historic places in Delhi.

What do you think of the food?

The food is far more complex than we imagined, with subtle differences in the use of spice from state to state, town to town. With much of the population vegetarian, India would have to lead the world in interesting, economic and varied vegetarian cuisine.

The variety and availability of truly fresh spices brings this cooking to life. Tony has come to love the South Indian breakfast of idlis, dosa, uttapam with various chutneys - his favourite being the coconut chutney.

We enjoy the North Indian cuisine including Biryani, Paratha, Dal Makhani, Naan, cooking a variety of masala curries and devouring the fresh mangoes and papayas.