Moving to another country can make you question things you once considered completely normal. For Kalumba Mwale, a man from Zimbabwe living in India, that experience came with plenty of surprises.Mwale recently shared a video on Instagram comparing what he was used to back home with what he discovered after moving to India. His post, titled “What I thought was normal in Zimbabwe, until I lived in India”, touched on everything from universities and food to healthcare and the number of international students he has met.And some of his observations may sound familiar to Indians, while others offer a very different perspective on everyday life here.
Education feels far more varied
One of the first differences Mwale noticed was the sheer number of universities and colleges in India.He compared this with Zimbabwe, where getting into university can feel highly competitive. In India, he said, students have hundreds of institutions to choose from, with courses available across different fields and budgets.That variety, he suggested, was something he hadn’t expected before coming here.
He was surprised by the international crowd
Mwale also noticed how many students from different countries he came across at university.According to him, meeting people from dozens of countries wasn’t something he had experienced as much in Zimbabwe. His time in India changed that, giving him the chance to interact with students from a much wider range of backgrounds.ID@undefined Caption not available.He also pointed out that India attracts international students for education, something he hadn’t necessarily associated with the country before moving here.
Indian food was a whole new experience
Then came food.While sadza, rice and stews are familiar staples in Zimbabwe, Mwale said the variety of Indian cuisine left him surprised. There are so many regional dishes and flavours that, as he put it, someone could eat something different almost every day and still barely scratch the surface.And then there’s the question of spice.Mwale said that in Zimbabwe, spice often means adding more chilli. In India, he discovered that the word can mean an entire mix of flavours, aromas and ingredients.For someone new to Indian food, that’s quite a discovery.
His idea of healthcare changed
Healthcare was another area that stood out to him.Mwale said specialised medical care can be limited or expensive in Zimbabwe, while India has developed a reputation for attracting patients from other countries seeking treatment.Living in India gave him a different perspective on the country’s healthcare system and the role it plays beyond its borders.
India changed his idea of where opportunities exist
Perhaps his biggest takeaway wasn’t about food or university at all.Mwale said that when people think about moving abroad for education, work or a new life, countries such as the UK, US, Canada and Australia often come to mind first.But his experience in India made him realise that opportunities aren’t necessarily limited to the West.“Living here taught me that opportunities abroad aren’t limited to the West,” he wrote.And that, he said, was one of the biggest lessons India had given him.
The everyday experience was very different
Beyond specific differences, Mwale’s post reflected how much living in another country can change your understanding of what’s considered normal.He arrived in India with certain expectations and ended up seeing the country through a completely different lens.“I came here from Zimbabwe expecting one thing… and ended up discovering a completely different world,” he wrote.The post received plenty of warm responses, with several people welcoming him to India and saying they hoped his experience continued to be positive.An international student in Delhi also shared their own perspective, saying they enjoyed meeting African students, including Zimbabweans, in the city.Others encouraged Mwale to make the most of his time in India, with one commenter describing the country as a “lovely yet chaotic” place where, quite simply, “you’ll get everything”.Someone even asked whether Mwale had managed to convince any of his friends to come to India for their studies.Judging by his post, it seems India has already given him plenty to talk about.
