Expat and emigration interviews: the story of Chris Way (UK) who emigrated to India and founded Reality Tours and Travel

Who is Chris Way?

• Meet Chris Way, who left the UK going to Spain when he was 17 years old. He has lived all over Asia for longer periods of time. His base is India, which he doesn't particulary like, but where he founded a charity: Reality Tours and Travel. 

What are your motivation and experiences emigrating from the UK to India?

What do people need to know about you to understand your emigration story?

• For me, it’s been quite simple. I didn’t want to live in the UK and I didn’t want to have a “normal” 9 to 5 lifestyle with a family. I’ve been interested in travel since going to Spain at 17 years old for several months as part of a school exchange program; the different language and culture as well as the warm weather was something that I wanted to experience more. The search for something different has been with me since then.

Was there a specific moment or event that inspired you to emigrate?

• As mentioned above, I was always going to emigrate somewhere, but I chose India having spent several months there in 2002/2003 doing volunteer work and then having the idea to return there to start a business and charity.

How did you prepare?

• Having travelled there already and without having any family commitments, it was pretty straight forward. I just bought a ticket and went! When there, I had to figure out how to start a company as a foreigner, which was a little complicated, and then having done this after some other research, my business partner and I started doing tours of Mumbai.

What is your life like, what kind of work or activities make you feel you are really “at home” in India?

• My life now is very boring. In my first stint in Mumbai, I was quite involved with the expat community and used to organise frisbee every Sunday, but having returned post covid, I very much keep myself to myself, focusing on work and getting the business and charity back on its feet. 
• Now, there’s little that makes me feel really “at home” (whatever that means now). Similar to home, I try to exercise and eat well, although unfortunately the food is not really to my liking; too many spices, too much oil and little and very poor quality meat products.

How is your daily routine different from that in your home country?

• It’s been such a long time now, but I suspect that I work harder than what I would do in my own country. But I think that’s more because I run my own business as opposed to being in a different country. As an organisation we used to work Saturday as many Indians do, but we now only work Monday to Friday. 

Do you already have an idea about the future?

• I’m planning to leave Mumbai in the not too distant future and escape to a more tourist friendly country like Thailand or Cambodia where there is less pollution and I hope to have better work life balance. I would continue to work remotely from there.

How about the culture and social interactions in India?

What was your first encounter with a local?

• One of the first people that I met actually was my business partner. He served my table as a waiter and then the next day, I was in the park (where everybody was playing cricket) and he recognised me and asked me to join. It was fascinating spending time with somebody completely different, and he didn’t drink so we used to go for walks, chat and listen to music from a radio together. 

Do you have any tips for meeting people?

• Generally, and this doesn’t just relate to travel, I think it’s easier to meet people when you do something that you enjoy, like sports, because you meet people without trying. I’ve never liked the expat meet-ups, even if there is alcohol involved, because you end up telling your life story continuously, although I completely understand why.

What is the best or most inspiring thing about your emigration?

• For me, the most rewarding thing is creating an organisation, employing local people, helping young people in the poorer communities, and seeing both sets of these people thrive. 

What is the funniest or most painful misunderstanding you have experienced because of language or cultural differences?

• I can’t think of anything in particular.

Have you adopted local customs?

• My English when speaking in India changes so that people understand me, I have adopted the head wiggle occasionally, but otherwise I don’t think I’ve changed much.

How do locals react to the fact that you now live and work here?

• Indian people love to stare so I still get a bit of that, but generally it’s fine. Certainly I’ve never had a problem with people here and it’s either big smiles but mostly indifference. 

What is your favorite local tradition/festival?

• I don’t like many of the festivals because the music and loud fireworks often go on until late in the night. I can understand why somebody new to India might enjoy Diwali or Holi, but for me it’s no longer of interest and it’s just nice to have a day at home relaxing. 

Are there customs in social interaction that you found difficult to understand or had to get used to?

• Not really. 

How does friendship here differ from how it is perceived in your home country?

• I don’t have many friends but there is certainly less abuse (“piss taking”) here in India, compared to the UK. This is nice in some ways.

What were the challenges while emigrating to India? 

Have there been times when you had doubts about your choice, or what disappointed you?

• I’m glad that I left the UK, but I do miss the Latin culture and I’ve seen a lot of Latin America. I speak Spanish well and when I’m in a Spanish speaking country, I feel at home. I don’t regret coming to India, and although I run a tour company, I’m not in love with India in the same way that many foreigners who come to India, do. 

In retrospect, what would you have liked to know about India beforehand?

• I had a pretty good idea what I was getting myself in to, having been here before. 

What would you do differently next time and what would you want to give others with the same idea?

• I would learn the language. Even though you can get by with English, I’ve missed out so much by not speaking Hindi. I keep telling myself to learn it, but keep putting it off

What was the biggest culture shock?

• It wasn’t a shock but I still find it difficult to jump queues and bargain in markets. Crowded trains in Mumbai make crowded trains in the UK feel very spacious. Every day feels like a bit of a fight in Mumbai, as opposed to in Thailand for example. India is also in general a dirty place, which I don’t like.

How do you deal with loneliness?

• Thankfully I’m good in my own company, so I don’t get that lonely and with my parents deceased, I don’t get homesick. I do miss a good steak and the food options that you get in the UK or Thailand.

Are there things you appreciate more about your homeland now that you are here?

• Cleanliness and big supermarkets, which don’t exist in Mumbai.

How about the practicalities and rules in India?

How do you deal with bureaucracy in your new country?

• I think of it as a cost of doing business and try not to get aggravated, although as a small business owner, it does get frustrating. Employing somebody to look after this makes it easier. 

How did you find a suitable place to live?

• Finding accommodation in Mumbai can be challenging as the quality of housing is generally not very good and landlords and housing associations can sometimes look unfavourably towards single people. When I first came to Mumbai to volunteer, I found a family (with a broker) to live with, and I stayed with them again when I returned.

Was it difficult? What are the biggest cost differences between this country and your home country?

• You can either do Mumbai very cheap or very expensive, for everything. Imported foods such as olive oil and cheese can be very expensive, but eating out overall is much cheaper.

What did you learn about insurance, taxes and other financial obligations abroad?

• I don’t have insurance and initially I found out about tax information from an accountant. Now it’s all online. 

Have you used local health care (family doctor, specialist, dentist, etc.) and what stands out to you?

• Getting testing done (eg blood tests) are incredibly cheap, and I have an overseas nutritionist who I consult with online using this testing to help. I used to use a local dentist, but I prefer my dentist in the UK. I haven’t had to use a family doctor so far, and I think it would be a challenge to find somebody suitable but that’s also because I’m wary of traditional medicine.

What is similar or totally different from health care in the United Kingdom?

• Compared to the UK, my understanding is that the consultants are very blunt and to the point, and there’s not much discussion between doctor and patient. The facilities seem to be pretty good, and it’s a lot cheaper.

What is useful for others to consider?

• Not many people from the West stay longer than two years. Unless you really love the country and/or are doing something that you love, that will probably be enough time. 

Are there any specific issues or tips around 'safety' or 'health' that are useful for other people who are going to live or work in India?

• Despite some occasional bad press, India, and Mumbai in particular, is very safe; I don’t feel at all uncomfortable late at night for example. 

What kind of company/good cause have you founded?

• Along with my business partner we have created a tour company Reality Tours and Travel that does tours throughout India and 80% of the profits go to our charity which runs educational programs in poorer communities. 

Why did you choose this work/company and what is the bureaucracy like in the country you are in?

• As mentioned before, the bureacracy is a headache but I have people who generally deal with it. 

How do you stay in touch with home?

• Apart from with my sister and uncle, I’m not in touch with many people in the UK

What are some communication problems you have encountered?

• British humour, in particular sarcasm, often doesn’t work in India and people often look at you confused. English in India is not so different but sometimes my “accent” makes it harder for some to understand.

What have you learned?

• We’re all the same.