Life in Chandler-Arizona

 Life in Arizona-Chandler

On my US tour i am here in Chandler, Arizona State for about one and half month.  I am India, particularly from Pune, known as cultural capital of state of Maharashtra in India.  So there is a vast difference in life style, climate, weather, living standards, neighborhood, roads and housing and everything. 

It is not very easy to pass on the time or kill the time whole day here in Arizona, USA.  Particularly for a person who has come from indian background, it is very very difficult.  Fortunately my son has provided me with PC,Notebook, extra he had for my use. So things are somewhat better. I can you use it and spend comfortably 3-4 hours a  day in front of the computer screen.

So this note or narration is from the person who has almost spent 70 years in over crowded cities and pomp and show of various religious poojas and everything. it is just an observation from the foreignor in arizona. Just a comparison. and Not intended to criticise anybody or harm anybodys feelings etc. 

1. The weather here is very hot compared to Pune in India.  So totally unbearbale for indian to move out on roads without a cap, goggle or umbrela on head to guard from heat.  So naturally i had no option but to go for morning walk, really very much early, in between 6 to 6.30am, otherwise by 7.00 sun is almost on your head and it is very hot, unbearable even for a person from india. 

2.The sun rise is very early by 5.30 am and sun set is quite late at 7.or even upto 7.30 at times at many places here.  So day is very big and very hot. Even at night if you get out of your house at about 9 or 10 p.m. it is still very much hot, that was condition in August 2026.

3. You can find very big roads, 3-4 lanes on both sides of the road.  Number of cars of different models moving at a high speed.  So you have to always remember and walk on the footpaths.  Footpaths here are very big, very clean and very safe to walk without any hindrance. No shops, no sellings, no private encroachments on roads or footpaths in arizona, or in usa. If you break the rule and cross the road anywhere,anytime not on the white strips meant for road crossing, you can be dashed by speedy car and accident can surely happen.

4 Roads here are very clean since morning  and throught the day.  Seen people cleaning early morning, watering plants-trees at times, lifting any kind of garbage on roads etc.  Generally people here are very much disciplined and do not throw anything on roads, as very commonly seen in India.  In all big shops, departmental stores or even on road etc. you find many containers wherever you can dispose off your things you want to throw out after use. 

5. On roads you find number of four wheelers of sizes, very few two wheelers  and rarely few people walking on streets, as almost everybody has own car. so when i go for morning walk i find few people on footpaths, walking, some yound men women- running on streets.  One special thing i have observed is that when you cross a person on road , footpath almost everybody greets everybody in front on road with good morning etc.  Even at times people in car  driving and waiting on signals , or giving a way to you as walker on streets, greet you. that is something very different than india.  In india too we greet , but it is restricted mainly to known person, and not everybody on street.  

6. Further special observation is that perople who walk on street are well respected and given way first even by almost every four wheeler owner too. Perhaps may be people who walk on streets are rare and they understand well their problem .  At corners or on side ways, too cars gives preference to street walkers . You need to cross roads on specific pathways meant for that, there also you need to wait when red signal is on and stop for few minutes.   In one and half month, i have never seen a motorist breaking the signal, or jumping on the signal. 

7. People here seems to be fans of dogs.  They loves them a lot, and many have their own at house.  I have seen lot of men and women going for walk along with their pet dogs. But the dogs are not freely moving on roads, as can been seen in India. The owners are in full control of the dogs.  Also seen everybody carrying plastic bags with them when taking dogs for a walk. 

8. You can find multiple departmental stores - shops in different sizes with variety of household goods, grorcery, fruits, vegetables, eatables of different variety of various manufacturers. So many bakeries, pizza shops, burger shops of so many big famous names. In big departmental stores like wallmart, or medium sized India mart etc other too, you can number of food items - specially ready too cook items on sale. Rotis, Parathas of different kinds, Vadas - Dahi Vadas, Idlis, Pumjabi Samoses, pakodas, and many more . You have just bring it at home  - heat it, boil it, or roast it and eat. that is so simple. If you are read to spend money, life here is very easy to live. 

9. You can see very big cactuses around houses or on roads everywhere.  Never seen in life cactuses of so many varieties and of such a large size.  Being hot region people are well aware of importance of trees and greenery.  So in big colonies too you can find trees are well maintained, the grass is well watered every day. i could see some species of indian trees common here on streets like - shankasur -yellow red mix flowers, Bogunvellia of different colors-red,purple, white sometimes,  at one place could locate white smelling Mogara -chameli, but very rare.  I could see many green patches of land at corner of societies on roads, and people walking on it early morning with their dogs. Also big palm trees everywhere.  

10. Water here is heavy and so not easy for drinking or digestion. So we need to purchase bottled water every day coocking, drinking.  A bundle of 40  purified water of 500 ml costs around 6 dollars.  But no option, we have to buy it for daily water consumption. 

11. People and traffic here is very much disciplined.  So much amazed to see the self imposed discipline by one and all on the roads driving any kind of vehicles. In one and  half month only seen one day early morning a policeman tracing a car driver for fine for breaking a rule.  you would rarely see traffic police or police in general on roads guiding the traffic, or waiting for signal breakers to collect fine etc as commonly seen in india.  In police department is so much corruption  in india,  that i think they are thiefs, chors, dacoits on road than being the chowkidars on road. Car owners maintain sufficient space or distance in two vehicles- no kissing or closely following any vehicles.Everybody is aware of rules, regulations, fines, discipline and hence very controlled driving, even though at a fast speed.

12. One can see very big housing complexes or societies with number of similar types of bungalows or row houses, well maintained in every respect.  The internal roads, garden, pools, gyms everything very well maintained.  But not seen a single shop in any big housing complex. Daily cleaning, watering of grass, daily maintenance, effective cooling system etc. well attended .  You can find society office looking after daily upkeep.  

13. Right hand drive is the rule here in usa, arizona. quite contrary to indias- left hand drive. Further the drivers seat in four wheeler also is on opposite side in usa. In India it is on right side, while in usa it is on left side of the car. Indian follows british pattern . and americans totally opposite to it.

14. Further purchase of vegetables and fruits here is very good experiences. In many malls you can get it in variety and while buying you can select each and every single item of it, which is many a times opposed in india, even after paying the price as claimed by the sellors.