Terri Mercieca, a chocolatier at Bliss chocolates loves the fact that she does not have to wear a helmet when she pillion rides in India. She can get away with jaywalking, can argue with auto drivers and has to occasionally manoeuvre cows on narrow lanes. She says, “These are some aspects of my life that are so different in India from Australia. I enjoy these small things. The fact that we do not have auto rickshaws in Australia makes it a novelty of sorts. I enjoy my auto rides a lot.”
She has worked across the planet from the Americas to Europe and south-east Asia, “I love the sounds, colours and the vibrancy life in India offers on a daily basis. I am still getting used to it.” She admits of being apprehensive about the shift to India. “I knew that I would be in for a huge cultural shock and was not sure how I would cope. I decided to take the plunge and have not regretted the decision at all.”
At a professional level, she feels that India is fast becoming like Australia, with hierarchies in workplace easing out. “It is a slow process. A new work culture is entering Indian workplaces. The people are extremely nice and accommodative, which makes it a pleasure to work with them.”
Terri is a massive fan of Indian cuisine and loves her chats and curries. “I love spicy food and do not mind the high spice content in some of the dishes. My favourite Indian dish is the sevpuri, I was first introduced to it in a small restaurant in Mumbai. I love all chats.”
Though she does like to flout the occasional traffic rule, Terri feels that Bangalore traffic is a big impediment to its growth. “It is a massive turn off as it takes many hours to commute within city limits. I hope mass transit systems like the metro would help bring about some positive change.” She also feels that public sanitation facilities are a must and efforts must be made to make the city cleaner. “It is a city that has been blessed with excellent weather and awesome people, it must be made more cleaner.”
