2 months hence

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Posted by Liju Philip | Posted in Hyderabad, Personal, r2i, Singapore, students, studies | Posted on 07-05-2012

What have i been doing in India 2 months since coming back from Singapore?  Studying, taking a break from work at the same time.  But things are still as busy as when i was in Singapore.

Have suffered one of my worst summer in a decade.  Its always 40-42 degrees daily and i suffer the most on my way back home from my classes daily.  Once i reach home, am so drained that i just dont seem to have the time and inclination to do anything else.

Just cant wait for the rains, but looking at the screwed up weather, i foresee very bad monsoon this time too.  Hopefully iam wrong.  The winter in December was extreme and so has been the summer.  I experienced both of them this year.  Just hope that the monsoons are also extreme.  I promise not to complain :)

So much to write, so little time.  Becoming a full time student after working nonstop for 15 years has been a refreshing experience.  The course would end by mid of this month.  See how things go ahead from here on.

Will write soon on my experiences after moving back to India.

Above picture courtesy: Chase’s blog

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Its been a week

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Posted by Liju Philip | Posted in ccna, ccnp, Hyderabad, India, mango, Personal, return 2 india, Singapore | Posted on 13-03-2012

A quick update…Its been a hectic one week for me here in India.  The speed of this place is simply mind boggling.  Trust me, Singapore seems to be very much laid back compared to Hyderabad now.  Did anyone say that Hyderabad had a easy-go nawabi culture?

Forget about settling down, am still in the process of getting my things organized.  Going to the bank to get my residence status changed from NRI (Non Resident Indian) to RI (Resident Indian) has already had its share of story to tell.  Will write in detail some other time.

Meanwhile have joined a course to brush up on my networking skills (CCNA and CCNP) and unlike full day one week courses in Singapore, here they are 2 hrs per day classes for 15 or 30 days (depending on the course).  Not to mention the course fees which is a fraction of what it is in Singapore.

E.g a CCNA course in Singapore costs SG$ 2000 (approx INR 80,000).   The same course here costs me INR 3500 (approx SG$ 87).  A CCNA + CCNP course combined costs INR 8200 (approx SG$ 205).  In Singapore, it would cost SG$ 8000 (approx INR 320,000).   I think that should settle any argument on why you should not come back to India to study and get certified (if you wish to).

My cargo is to arrive only in the first week of April.  And when that comes, there will be another mega round of unpacking.  Combined with it the course schedule which is in the afternoons (morning class is full) and Iam still tired at the end of the day.  Havent had time to even think of searching for a job.  There are quite a lot of  ideas in mind.  Am already working on one of it simultaneously.  Cant believe i had the energy to juggle so many things at the same time.

Summer is slowly creeping up, but the nights and mornings are surprisingly cool.  Getting ready to face my first Indian summer in years.  But at the same time my mouth is salivating at the prospect of mangoes that are gonna flood the market during summer.   That itself is worth relocating back ;)

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Moving back

1

Posted by Liju Philip | Posted in Hyderabad, India, Personal, relocation, return 2 india, Singapore | Posted on 02-03-2012

Finally, moving back to India over the weekend.  Bringing to an end my 11 year old saga in Singapore ;)   Lots of packing done over the past 2-3 weeks.  Never knew that relocation was so tiring. Updates will be slow in the meantime (not that I have been any active in the past few months on this blog).

Moving back to your home country  after working abroad for a long time is not easy.  Brings about a lot of changes, changes in lifestyle, mentally getting adjusted to the new environs even though its the same place you were born and bred.  Still, its something I needed to do to jolt myself out of the comfort zone.  Of course there were personal reasons too that were instrumental in this move back home.  Some of which i will write in detail later on.

There are a lot of things that i have done over the past 1 month that i feel i could share on this blog and would help someone else who is either planning or is in the process of moving back to India.  Resigning the job, relocation, cancelling the numerous subscriptions, giving up the work status in the country, moving money, documents, dealing with cargo etc…

I plan to write more in detail about how i went about sorting all of them.  I will miss Singapore and all the wonderful friends i made here.  The place and its people will always have a special place in my heart and I will always wish the country and its people well.

Till then its goodbye Singapore.  Hyderabad, here i come ;)

Above picture courtesy: RehannaBernard

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Universal Studios Singapore – 2012

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Posted by Liju Philip | Posted in chinese new year, holiday, hollywood, Personal, Singapore, travel, universal studios singapore | Posted on 20-02-2012

Before leaving Singapore, i thought i would go around and see the last one place I hadn’t yet visited.  So off we went to the Universal Studios during the Chinese New Year weekend.  Contrary to what i feared, it was an overcast sky the whole day and had a cool breeze, so walking around wasn’t a chore.

Seriously, if you are not a fan of roller coasters, the place doesnt really justify the high entrance fees (SG$74 per head) it demands.  Not to mention each of the eating joints are nothing but rip-offs with high prices.  If you can, pack some food from home as the prices of eatables are sure to drive your hunger away.

As for the souvenirs, the lesser said the better.  Prices are again out of this world.  No wonder i hardly saw anyone buying anything.  For kids though, there are enough attractions and stuff to keep them occupied.

Resorts World Singapore

Resorts World Singapore

Universal Studios SingaporeUniversal Studios Singapore

WaterworldWaterworld

Dinosaur - Jurassic ParkDinosaur – Jurassic Park

Ancient EgyptAncient Egypt

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt

Rollercoaster - Battlestar Gallactica

Rollercoaster - Battlestar Gallactica

Far Far Away

Far Far Away
Transformers

Transformers

Universal Studios 1

Universal Studios 1

Dancing Girls

Dancing Girls

Hollywood Dreams

Hollywood Dreams

Madagascar

Madagascar

Shrek & Gang

Shrek & Gang

Art on the boardwalk

Art on the boardwalk

Stairway to Heaven

Stairway to Heaven

Final word: Avoid this overpriced hyped up place unless you are dragged by the scruff of your neck by friends and family.   The Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park and the Science Park are still the best attractions in the country.

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Return 2 India

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Posted by Liju Philip | Posted in India, Personal, r2i, return 2 india, Singapore | Posted on 15-02-2012

The first major decision of 2012.  Yup its time for me to close my 11 years old chapter here in Singapore and move back to India.  It hasnt been an easy decision to take, but ya it took time to come to this.  Have been thinking about it for more than 2 years now.  The time is here.

Will write in detail later.  But as of now, i can only say that I will miss Singapore a lot.

Above picture courtesy: portalhunt

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