Random scribblings:

Advise to new-comers Indian in Europe:

"............. As the saying goes you can shift out of India but you can never take the ‘Desi’ out!! So apart from all the information about housing and travelling and making expat friends the very basic and simple advice to give any and every Indian-gone-global is to get a Pressure Cooker. Every Indian home has it (sometimes in multiples) and you cannot escape this humble but very important companion. Its not only vital for your Daily-Desi-Dose of chawal daal (in all its glorious avatars as tadka, sambar, missal etc) but you can use it for everything from boiling a quick breakfast egg or making an elaborate Pavbhaji for fellow expats to cooking a India-is-not-only-chilly-food statement halwa for new German colleagues.

So my future fellow Ausländers, take out those kurtas and pajamas you have packed in your precious ‚max. 32kg‘cargo (let’s face it you are never going to wear those in the name of cold/fashion/German-washing machines, and if you didnt know that then here is another advise- you are NEVER going to wear them) and make room for the humble pressure cooker!.................."