In this third week of ‘Meet our uTalkers’, I’d like to introduce you to Aditya (or Adi for short ), a very important and well-loved member of the uTalk family. Aditya is our Project Manager and is also responsible for consumer growth and analytics. He has been a part of the company since 2015, when he started as an intern and very quickly became irreplaceable. He is always happy and full of life, and is an all-round amazing person.
So, let’s meet him…
Hey Adi, thank you for your time! So first of all, where are you from originally?
I am originally from New Delhi in India.
What is your favourite thing about your home country?
FOOOD! Anyone who claims to have had good Indian food in London should take the next flight with me to Delhi.
When did you move to the UK?
I moved here three years ago to study at Cranfield University.
Did you experience any language barrier/problems when you arrived in the UK?
Well, not really, but some of my professors and few fellow classmates at Cranfield had very strong English/Scottish accents which took time to get used to.
What do you love most about your life in England?
Coming from HOT Dubai, I enjoy the weather a lot (which is contrary to what a lot of people feel about the unpredictable English weather).
What is your best souvenir in England?
Oooh, I love coins and end up buying the commemorative ones or spending £1 every time on those penny press machines.
Do you miss your home country?
Every night when I am eating make-believe Indian food (maybe because it lacks the spices I’m used to). I might have to start learning how to cook.
Did you live anywhere else in the world before you came to the UK?
Yes, I lived in Dubai (U.A.E) for six years before coming to the UK, I moved there for university.
Are you proud to be a foreigner living in the UK?
I don’t really feel like a foreigner here, but the proud Indian in me comes out when somebody mentions food, or driving skills or population (1.3 billion! I’ll say no more…)
What is the best country you ever visited or lived in, and why?
Well I think every country has its own flavour and I enjoy it all, but the one place that stands out for me is Cranfield. I lived in Cranfield on a farm and enjoyed every bit of it. I even named the cows on the farm next to me (lol!).
What’s the number one advice you would give someone looking to move to the UK?
Get ready for a lot of paperwork! Haha. No, well I might tell them to use uTalk to get familiar with the British accent.
How many languages can you speak?
I speak two languages, English and Hindi.
Do you have a strange/funny word from your country that you’d like to teach us?
‘Delhiites’ are famous for creating/using a lot of strange and funny words. But none are appropriate enough to be taught haha. I would say ‘Jugaad’ which according to the Financial Times Lexicon means “a word taken from Hindi which captures the meaning of finding a low-cost solution to any problem in an intelligent way”.
What is your most favourite thing about the uTalk app?
I love all the different accents and regional versions of different languages. They are so useful.
Thank you very much Adi for your precious time and your humour. It is always a pleasure to talk to you.
Lara
Well done Addy. Wish you all the best on your career and life