Hello Friends!
I just joined expat-blog community and hope everyone is having a good time! I am from Mumbai, India and have recently being interviewed by European Commision for a possible job opportunity in Ispra, Italy and I have been offered Job as a Java Architect. I have a lot of questions for you all and I hope you all will be patient while going through it. I am looking for assistance on the queries from the experts here and any other information which might be helpful for me and my family ( my wife and daughter) apart from the questions mentioned below.
So here are the questions:
1. I will mostly be working at the JRC site in Ispra and I am really not sure what places are best for renting an apartment / house - What areas are work best from Safety perspective, good surrounding and decent friendly people?
2.The job salary they are providing is 3900 Gross and upto 1000 Euro additional for renting / utilities - Is this a good salary for a Java / JEE Architect having 11 years of experience? Considering I am moving with my family how much shall I expect to have in-hand?
3. Are there any good "state" run English schools which provide free education? My daughter is 1.5Yr old and I expect to be in Italy for long time if the job / overall experience is good. Considering that I would have my daughter to go for Early education and then Nursery / Primary schooling in Italy, what are some of the best English schools?
4. Are Private Schools better? I see Scuola Europea Varese coming up in every alternate search. Are there any other good schools with Native English speaking teachers?
5. How is the connectivity to reach JRC? I mean Bus or Train? Or is it mandatory to have private car?
6. Are there any Indian grocery stores / Indian communities where I could find people from India to make my spouse's life easier while I am at work. She is a homemaker.
7. How is the attitude of Italian people in general? Do they have issues with people who are Non-Italian or who only knows English language? I have had bad experiences while I was in France as they spoke shrudly when I communicated with them in English - especially Paris region.
8. The company is saying they will not sponsor my spouse's visa. Any idea on how much time / money it takes if I have to do the overall process for my wife by myself?
9. What is the general utility bills like? I see Ispra has very cold winters and very warm summers which translates to extreme usage of A.C and Heater in the corresponding weather condition?
10. Is Internet connectivity better in Ispra? What are the monthly costs?
11. Since my daughter is small, I am also looking for good doctors / GP to regular check-ups / vaccinations, etc. Which ares are good from Doctor's availability perspective?
Thank you so much in advance for helping me out.
Regards,
Ek Indian!