In the spirit of Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Jewish day of Atonement), I would like to apologize for not writing for quite a long time.
Work and work related travel got quite busy and then my husband and I had a baby. When our child was about 10 weeks, we decided that the offspring and I would stay in the DC area and my husband would go back to India to finish out his tour - a very long five months. Let me emphasize, a long and trying five months!
Since I last blogged...
I left India last fall, had a child, left my old job, started networking found a new job while on maternity leave. The networking and looking for a job really happened while my loving and supportive husband was still stateside. Then the husband left, my mom and dad stepped in for the first two months of the five month stint on our own and took vacations to hang with our newly minted offspring. Mom drove from the north to hang with us in DC and dad flew in from Israel. I really can't thank them enough. When my mom ran out of vacation, my mom and step-dad drove down every weekend to spend time with us. My new job started sooner than I anticipated, but they were flexible and I got to work from home, after the offspring went to bed.
India professional opportunities
While the local wages were pretty spectacularly low, I am so grateful for the professional opportunities and experience I gained while working as an economist in India. I can only hope, my boss who basically hired me after talking to me on the phone a few times did not regret his decision.
I spent a significant share of my time doing analysis of regulatory frameworks of India's infrastructure sectors. I wrote expert reports and memos. My work offered the opportunity to collaborate with senior civil servants, interview executives from public and private sector oil and airline companies, and present to regulators, bureaucrats, and even a minister. I have made presentations and led research on reports which were submitted to the Parliament of India, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, the Ministries of Civil Aviation, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Finance, and Corporate Affairs. Additionally, regulatory agencies such as Airports Economic Regulatory Authority, Airports Authority of India, as well as the Director General of Civil Aviation.
India social opportunities
I met great people in Chennai and miss them terribly. I miss my friends from outside the office and those that I met while working. I am grateful to you for taking me in and showing me what India and Chennai are all about, the variety of cultures, languages, outlooks, and of course amazing food. Thanks for laughing at and together with me and by the way my spice tolerance did grow, tremendously...
What else can I say that has not already been said? India is an fascinating place to see and explore, a challenge to live in, and an amazing place to find yourself. Thank you for hosting my family.
We are in DC now, preparing for our next adventure as a family of four, with our kitty and offspring.
Watch out Ankara, here we come!
If you are interested, below you will find some press coverage of my work in India (yes, my professional brag list):
Economic Survey of India 2012-2013: Chapter 11 "Energy, Infrastructure, and Communications" page 244, <http://indiabudget.nic.in/survey.asp>
"Air India should be partly privatized: study" 30 September 2012, The Hindu, <http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/air-india-should-be-partly-privatised-study/article3951407.ece>
Aggrawal, Smita "Oligopoly of PSU oil cos reason for high ATF prices" 30 April 2012, The Indian Express <http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-oligopoly-of-psu-oil-cos-reason-for-high-atf-prices-/943191/#sthash.Lszs7hhN.dpuf>
"Change the way ATF is taxed, suggests survey" 25 May 2012, The Hindu, <http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/change-the-way-atf-is-taxed-suggests-survey/article3452194.ece>
"Civil Aviation Ministry Permits Scheduled Airlines to Charge Fees for Certain Unbundles Services Services Separately" 29 April 2013, Government of India Press Release, <http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=95218>
"India's Civil Aviation Sector: Turbulence Today, but Opportunities to Soar" 20 November 2012, Albright Stonebridge Group <http://www.albrightstonebridge.com/civil_aviation_nov12/>
"India Economic Survey: viability of airline operations in India has come under stress" 28 February 2013, CAPA Centre for Aviation <http://centreforaviation.com/news/india-economic-survey-viability-of-airline-operations-in-india-has-come-under-stress-210483>
Pandathil, Rajesh "Cut aviation costs before forcing expansion into smaller cities" 18 October 2012, First Post Business <http://www.firstpost.com/business/cut-aviation-costs-before-forcing-expansion-into-smaller-cities-494665.html>
Sanjai, P.R., "Airlines allowed to charge for services, including check-in baggage" 29 April 2013, Live Mint <file:///Users/Buba/Documents/Resume/Press%20Coverage/Airlines%20allowed%20to%20charge%20for%20services%20including%20check-in%20baggage%20-%20Livemint.pdf>
Shinde, Shivani "Should Air India be Privatised?" 1 October 2012, The Business Standard <http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/should-air-india-be-privatised-112100100156_1.html>
Work and work related travel got quite busy and then my husband and I had a baby. When our child was about 10 weeks, we decided that the offspring and I would stay in the DC area and my husband would go back to India to finish out his tour - a very long five months. Let me emphasize, a long and trying five months!
Since I last blogged...
I left India last fall, had a child, left my old job, started networking found a new job while on maternity leave. The networking and looking for a job really happened while my loving and supportive husband was still stateside. Then the husband left, my mom and dad stepped in for the first two months of the five month stint on our own and took vacations to hang with our newly minted offspring. Mom drove from the north to hang with us in DC and dad flew in from Israel. I really can't thank them enough. When my mom ran out of vacation, my mom and step-dad drove down every weekend to spend time with us. My new job started sooner than I anticipated, but they were flexible and I got to work from home, after the offspring went to bed.
India professional opportunities
While the local wages were pretty spectacularly low, I am so grateful for the professional opportunities and experience I gained while working as an economist in India. I can only hope, my boss who basically hired me after talking to me on the phone a few times did not regret his decision.
I spent a significant share of my time doing analysis of regulatory frameworks of India's infrastructure sectors. I wrote expert reports and memos. My work offered the opportunity to collaborate with senior civil servants, interview executives from public and private sector oil and airline companies, and present to regulators, bureaucrats, and even a minister. I have made presentations and led research on reports which were submitted to the Parliament of India, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, the Ministries of Civil Aviation, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Finance, and Corporate Affairs. Additionally, regulatory agencies such as Airports Economic Regulatory Authority, Airports Authority of India, as well as the Director General of Civil Aviation.
India social opportunities
I met great people in Chennai and miss them terribly. I miss my friends from outside the office and those that I met while working. I am grateful to you for taking me in and showing me what India and Chennai are all about, the variety of cultures, languages, outlooks, and of course amazing food. Thanks for laughing at and together with me and by the way my spice tolerance did grow, tremendously...
What else can I say that has not already been said? India is an fascinating place to see and explore, a challenge to live in, and an amazing place to find yourself. Thank you for hosting my family.
We are in DC now, preparing for our next adventure as a family of four, with our kitty and offspring.
Watch out Ankara, here we come!
If you are interested, below you will find some press coverage of my work in India (yes, my professional brag list):
Economic Survey of India 2012-2013: Chapter 11 "Energy, Infrastructure, and Communications" page 244, <http://indiabudget.nic.in/survey.asp>
"Air India should be partly privatized: study" 30 September 2012, The Hindu, <http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/air-india-should-be-partly-privatised-study/article3951407.ece>
Aggrawal, Smita "Oligopoly of PSU oil cos reason for high ATF prices" 30 April 2012, The Indian Express <http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-oligopoly-of-psu-oil-cos-reason-for-high-atf-prices-/943191/#sthash.Lszs7hhN.dpuf>
"Change the way ATF is taxed, suggests survey" 25 May 2012, The Hindu, <http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/change-the-way-atf-is-taxed-suggests-survey/article3452194.ece>
"Civil Aviation Ministry Permits Scheduled Airlines to Charge Fees for Certain Unbundles Services Services Separately" 29 April 2013, Government of India Press Release, <http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=95218>
"India's Civil Aviation Sector: Turbulence Today, but Opportunities to Soar" 20 November 2012, Albright Stonebridge Group <http://www.albrightstonebridge.com/civil_aviation_nov12/>
"India Economic Survey: viability of airline operations in India has come under stress" 28 February 2013, CAPA Centre for Aviation <http://centreforaviation.com/news/india-economic-survey-viability-of-airline-operations-in-india-has-come-under-stress-210483>
Pandathil, Rajesh "Cut aviation costs before forcing expansion into smaller cities" 18 October 2012, First Post Business <http://www.firstpost.com/business/cut-aviation-costs-before-forcing-expansion-into-smaller-cities-494665.html>
Sanjai, P.R., "Airlines allowed to charge for services, including check-in baggage" 29 April 2013, Live Mint <file:///Users/Buba/Documents/Resume/Press%20Coverage/Airlines%20allowed%20to%20charge%20for%20services%20including%20check-in%20baggage%20-%20Livemint.pdf>
Shinde, Shivani "Should Air India be Privatised?" 1 October 2012, The Business Standard <http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/should-air-india-be-privatised-112100100156_1.html>
