Hi Krithika... here goes another question- (6) Entertainment- What are the sources of entertainment here? Please elaborate about the type of movies, music, fun places for family & kids etc. Do English & Indian movies get released in theatres? Do you get Dvd's of our Indian movies? I am feeling like i am writing essay for my tenth board exam.. There are theatres sometimes hollywood movies will be there but not very often. Generally chinese movies only. Fun places i have never been. Indian movies never heard of them. Here people prefer to go to KTV, i went there once and kept myself busy with cold drinks and snacks nothing for me there. We can get DVD's for all hollywood movies but no indian. Indian movies dvd is available in indian kitchen and there is some shopping mall in bijing i saw once shootout at lokhandwala......i totally depend on net for indian movies. Indian channels are not available to subscribe but we have subscribed HBO, star movies, cinemax, CNN,Bloomberg, national geography, discovery and china's only english channel CCTV-9. Even star world is not available at our place. There are many parks in our area and a central library where i can get few english novels to read which is started recently few months back.
hi dear Krithika... last question- 7) Are there big shops/Malls/plazas? Are there shops to purchase Indian jewellery & apparels? Yes, we have shopping malls like carrefor, wal-mart and near to my appartment is TESCO...sometimes i can find some indian stuff in wal mart and carrefor. I go their only for a walk or window shopping. No indian jewellery and apparel shop, but i heard from some il there is indian apparel shop in guangzhou. If you need some studs, bracelets you can get them in silk street beijing but not other shops. otherwise there are jewellery shops where u can get yellow gold, white gold, platinum and diamond, jade and all chinese style jewellery. We can't get bindis, kumkum here. I get my stock from india, no henna.
Hi Padma, What is this Ktv? Funny to read that you feel that you are writing your 10th board exam...Big Laugh. Once again thank you for taking the time to answer all the questions yaar...fantastic! Food- from what you've written, food is a big problem..especially if we are vegetarians and particularly for people like me...who are fussy...and really bothered about whether it has egg/meat traces or oil in any product. So, how do you guys plan for this Indian grocery? Do you buy for every month/3 months..etc? How do you then store it at home? Is there enough storage space at your house/apartment to keep groceries for months? What about our Indian veggies..again difficult to get them? Any indian restaurants nearby..southindian/north indian etc? Education- It is still surprising as to how students want to pursue medical degree here to save a few bucks? Does that mean these people continue to practice as doctors in China..or go back to India? In the first place, I am really baffled as to how they are even able to learn,comprehend and give exams..if their whole life they would have been used to English Medium. Totally weird! Play schools/pre schools seem to be pretty expensive..then how to our Indian families with small kids manage? Library- It's good that you got atleast one library that lends english books..that will be one big relief for you ! So you never get to see our latest released Indian movies..unless they are on tv, or you buy some Dvd's...right? Keep posting...eagerly waiting... Cheers Krithika
hi Krithika, as you said we face communication problem, yeah that is true..we faced a lot of problems due to this ans suffered a great loss too. Here we can hire interpreter but you can't rely on them even if they don't understand they say something so that you dont ask any further. Not only this even in office they will not be so helping regarding translator. My husband has got a translator in office so generally we got everything written in mandarin so if i have to get taxi i will try to speak the place name in mandarin if taxi driver is not understanding then i show that paper.. Vegetable market i never ask for the price just keep in bag and indicate to give the bill then i pay and leave ...but they increase price double to triple when they see a foreigner. Here we need someone reliable for the translation even in govt offices including exit and entry office noone speaks english.. people are really not at all honest and they dont have guilty feeling too. If you go in indian restaurant ask for the special indian menu if you want idli dosa otherwise general indian menu doesn't have idli dosa in list...
Hi Padma, If I was grading your answers, sure I will give you 200% for your paper !! :rotfl My..my..you are in full form girl...great job...:clap Wonderul that you have many malls & stores there too..just like here in US ! Hey, looks like you can make a beautiful collection of jewellery in jade..are they reasonably priced? Got some jade beads & leaves here in gem show..really pretty ! Will the Chinese style jewellery go with our Indian dresses/jeans etc? Are they too heavy or can be carried off with any type of dresses? Need to catch up tommorrow !! Till then keep posting girls..! Once again thanks,thanks,thanks to both Padma and Vidhya parani !!:bowdown Cheers Krithika
hi krithika, your interest makes me more interesting in writing more info... as for HK there is not much language problems...all signboards have both english and cantonese signs...almost all taxi drivers speak english..if you are not sure how to pronounce a chinese street name, you can write it down in english and show to taxi driver...here theatres show all english movies...even some cantonese movies have english subtitles...vegetarian food is a problem...not many varieties for us even in pizza hut, mcdonalds... we get all bollywood, tamil, mallu, telugu movie dvds in the indian grocery shops...actually there is one place in kowloon side where a whole building complex is full of indian shops selling everything from groceries to movie dvds, indian clothes, jewels, calling cards, magazines etc...once every week fresh indian vegetables come there..curry leaves, drumsticks etc... yes i think the old generation are independent because of their fit and healthy lifestyle... even the young people, everyone trains their children in various physical activities like swimming, jogging, tennis etc..even on a cold winter day, i see a lot of chinese young and old, wear sweatshirts and do jogging/running on the pavements....i really appreciate their health consciousness...am also trying to inculcate some good exercise routines...but haha...iam me and very lazy...
Hi Padma & Vidhya, Will catch up with you both tomorrow ! Time is now almost 11:30pm here... Sure, will read the rest of your answers and ask more info if needed ! Thanks once again for taking time and appreciate your efforts !! See you tommorrow..will be dreaming about China & Hongkong tonight !! Big Laugh Cheers Krithika
hi Krithika.. exam over now ...see i answered all the question elaborately. i watch all indian movies online actually i download from different websites which needs a research work on google..i watched tashan too. KTV is Karaoke where music only music and video will be there and we have to sing the song. I purchase grocery for 3-4months and i have enough space for that...actually my grocery is stuffed in bedroom shelf too:crazy otherwise no ways to get them and we cant go very often such a long distance. Vegetables we are eating chinese only no curry leaves.... i got some dried curry leaves which works good for us. There is an indian restaurant five minutes walk from our appartment but not of much use ...they have variety for non vegetarians maximum but its ok for a relax if not in mood to cook but satisfactory not a disappointment.
hi Krithika......... thanks for asking all the questions...now i think if anyone planning to relocate to china will think more than thousand time...if reading our post in IL.... Jade is really expensive and it will not go with our indian dresses and i don't think its worth buying, moreover one should have good knowledge to recognize real jade. chinese jewellery which we can use are bracelets, ear rings, finger rings, chains are really beautiful and too delicate in looks....definitely it will go with our indian dressses and look wonderful..you will never regret after buying one. Hi Vidhya, i have seen older age people are healthy compare to indians of same age....they take care of their health and they are really well aware how to maintain their health......but their health is not the reason that they can live alone....actually they have developed all such after culture and religion has been abolished.......people want to stay with their children but children dont want.... i saw one documentary that an old women is really rich widow have five appartments and four sons but none of them stay with her and neither they allow her to stay with them...instead they send one maid and paid her good amount to take care of their mother and they will share expenses...but this mother is already rich so she filed case against their children and all the sons were forced to stay with her as the case was filed in her city..and no one can ignore the summon....after two months she withdraw the case stating that she wanted to stay with them together but they never had time...now they had time as they were forced by the law...this is true...i saw that old lady in documentary... Actually people in china had culture and tradition like we indians but now they dont have and our generation they know little but new generation born after 90 doesn't know other than western culture. So old people feel uncomfortable to stay with them....they too had a conservative society like us where women had some restrictions and there was a family order but now nothing like that.
Hi Vidhya, Thanks for your answers ! I understand that language and food is not a problem in Hongkong..that is a redeeming feature. It is great to know that you can watch all the latest movies, buy our indian groceries and apparel without difficulty. As for vegetarian restaurants, sure we cannot expect more abroad. Same here, in Pizza hut and McDonald's , we don't have many choices, because we are vegetarians too ! Sure, we can learn to be more fit and health conscious from them..good qualities can be followed. Once again..great reading all the info you have provided ! :thumbsup Cheers Krithika
