When the Christchurch earthquakes created major disruption to the settled lives of Tony and Jan Smith, they began looking for new opportunities. Tony had been executive chef at Crowne Plaza Christchurch before the quakes but after the hotel was damaged, he worked as a tutor at CPIT. Jan (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou), was working for the Cancer Society.

“We had to make some major decisions after the quakes, so we began casting about for a position Tony could get excited about,” says Jan. “He was offered a position by the Intercontinental Hotel Group as Executive Chef tasked with opening a new Crowne Plaza in Greater Noida, in New Delhi, India; and while India had never figured as somewhere we wanted to live, the time seemed right for a change.

“If the earthquake did anything, it made us realize that life’s roads can have unexpected curves
and sometimes you just need to ride it out to see what happens.”

Sixteen months on, Tony and Jan are gradually coming to terms with the huge culture shock that India presents. They’ve endured the bad times – “we’ll never laugh at the term ‘Delhi belly’ ever again” – and they’ve had incredible adventures that have made their lives richer. But one thing is certain, every day is different and trying to predict ahead is futile.

It’s all a long way from the New Zealand they grew up in. For Jan, who has whakapapa connections to Moeraki through her great-grandparents, Teone and Paranihia Paina, and their daughter, Hinekerangi (Ani), New Delhi is about as far removed from Temuka as it could be. She lived there with her parents, Ngareta (Letty) and Allan Faith and spent a lot of her childhood at both Arowhenua Marae and on holiday with family in Moeraki.

Tony and Jan have two sons, Greg (Wellington) and Teone (New Plymouth) and five mokopuna. Being so far from their family has been a challenge but Jan says Skype has made staying in touch with their whānau easy. And it’s been a great way for them to share their own Indian adventures.

Due to visa restrictions, Jan is unable to work in India but she has enjoyed volunteering at Mother Teresa’s Mission for Disabled Children. She is also the community liaison for Delhi Network, which supports expatriate residents in New Delhi.

In addition, she co-ordinates a book club.

When Tony has time off, they like to discover what India has to offer – and so far, they’ve enjoyed whitewater rafting on the Ganges, at the foot of the Himalayas; a trip to an inland tiger reserve in rural India; and of course a trip to the beautiful Taj Mahal and the Red Fort in Agra. They are keen to visit the southern state of Kerala and the beaches of Goa and they also aim to visit Nepal.

“Every day is an adventure in Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi,” says Jan.

“From the chaotic roads that often include elephants, cows, goats, camels, monkeys and bullock carts, to finding cobras on your driveway and enduring temperatures in the high forties. I’ve seen a family of five riding on a single motorbike and it’s not uncommon to see a goat-herder going by with his flock, being passed by an Audi.

“And coming from ‘clean, green’ New Zealand, it’s challenging to observe the scale of real poverty around us. It does make you think about how much Western children expect and how little so many children in countries like India have. The Delhi Network I belong to supports five charities and the majority of these are for the education of street children, or their mothers. It’s important aid for feeding, clothing and educating these children, who would otherwise be out begging in the streets; and it’s a chance for their mothers to give their children a better future by encouraging them to learn a trade or skill so they can earn a wage.”

Tony and Jan now live in an established complex close to where Tony works. The local markets are busy and colourful and Jan especially enjoys the vegetable and spice markets and the colourful fabric stalls.

“Tony wanted a spade the other day and found the local iron man under a piece of canvas on the street, heating iron over an open flame before beating it into the shape required. The endeavor of people trying to earn a living here – in a country with little social welfare activity – is very humbling,” says Jan.

The couple still has their home in Westmorland, in Christchurch – repaired now since the earthquakes – and they do intend returning to New Zealand. In the meantime, the new hotel Tony has been working on is due to open in October and they’ve renewed their visas, so they can stay on and see the project come to fruition.

“It’s been a challenging but very positive experience for us here in India – one we didn’t see coming – but whatever happens after this, the road will always take us back to New Zealand, to our whānau and our special places like Moeraki, Temuka and Karitāne. And of course, living in a predominantly vegetarian country, we still dream of beef, lamb, fresh fish, shellfish and whitebait.”

Tony and Jan at the Taj Mahal.

Tony and Jan at the Taj Mahal.

Tony and Jan at the Ganges.

Tony and Jan at the Ganges.

A New Delhi market scene.

A New Delhi market scene.

Fabric street stall in New Delhi.

Fabric street stall in New Delhi.

Purana Quila.

Purana Quila.

Jan at the Taj Mahal.

Jan at the Taj Mahal.