What is it like to be an Indian living in China?

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What is it like to be an Indian living in China? - Quora

Rahul Ramgopal, IT Consultant, Music lover, Ponderer:

I had visited the city of Shanghai, China in January 2014 for a period of 3 months, working for an onsite software implementation project.

When I landed in the Pudong International Airport and was travelling to my hotel, the first thing that struck my mind was how fabulous the infrastructure was and how it would take many more years for any Indian city to reach such levels of sophistication. We may be doing well in terms of GDP and maybe we are one of the fastest growing economies of the world, but to have a metropolis like a Shanghai or a Beijing , it is going to take us a few more years.

The city is the largest city in the world in terms of population and for me, the overall 3 months stay there was pretty enjoyable. The modes of public transport available there are pretty awesome and all you need to know are numbers (for bus transport), Chinese pronunciation of locations (for cabs) and metro line color (red, green etc for subway rides). At my work location, most of them knew English, and I got pretty close to one Program Manager who explained loads about the Chinese people and culture.

Chinese people are friendly, never too far away from a smile. Although, in the outdoors, if you go shopping, people might try to fleece you, but still they do so with a smile. English signboards and placards are placed in busy streets and shopping malls in Shanghai, which was very helpful. Learning certain Chinese salutations and greetings could go a long way in gaining trust or getting around. Even though some people stare at you at times (as you stand out distinctly from the crowd) I did not experience any racism there. If you are a tall person (6 feet or above as in my case) you can see the tip of the scalp of 99% of the crowd in a metro train. If you are a single traveler, and you are planning to go shopping, beware of the scams that are rampant at the major shopping streets (ex East Nanjing Road). Some of the scammers speak impeccable English which is the first sign that shows that they could be a potential threat and could easily fleece you of what you have.

When it comes to food, it is a nightmare for vegans/vegetarians. There is meat and poultry everywhere and almost the entire population is non vegetarian. Even in a seemingly harmless vegetarian dish, there could be traces of pig fat or egg white in the gravy. If you are a non vegetarian, you will not face much difficulty but then again some of the dishes are bland and might not appeal to your palate. The overall culinary experience for me over the three months was quite pleasant.

If you are an avid netizen, you will find it difficult to have your daily dose of social networking and blogging in China as most of the popular sites are either blocked or heavily censored. Most of the Google services, Facebook, Twitter etc are not available in the country. They have their own versions of Twitter and Facebook called Weibo and RenRen respectively. Actually it was a blessing in disguise for me as I used my spare time to go out into the city and explore new places instead of sitting in my hotel room browsing.

The Chinese people rue their government for the lack of transparency and how pollution has taken its toll on their big cities. But generally they are thankful to the Government for creating employment for a good portion of the 1.4 billion population. The public, although fascinated by the Indian culture and diversity, have generally a good opinion about Indians and consider us as their brothers or sisters.



Vibhor Magotra:

Very safe, big, developing quite faster!!

Studying and living in China has been one of my best experiences in life. I have always been in awe with the sheer size of China and its populace. Though it is no different than in India. That's why when my Chinese friends ask me about my opinion about the large population of China, my single answer it's same as in India!

But on the other side, it's safer, a lot safer! I can go about at 2 am outside to satiate my midnight cravings that too alone and nothing to worry about. I can see girls walking on the roads at midnight and that makes me introspect where India is lacking? I have never heard that any of my friend (international friend) has been a victim of any crime. Though I heard they made some Chinese as victims in the local club.

I agree with Rahul hard time for vegetarians, but again its life, you gotta used to it.

People are nice and welcoming, when they hear you are Indian (印度人) they get excited too. Be ready for shy girls, who will not reply back to your hello and will shy away. In chinese society, people usually think about themselves and it's about money only. It's same in Indian society too. Be ready to see the dancing middle-aged women in some square or parks jiggling over musical tones. It's always a nice sight as they are always enjoying it, moreover when you join them too.

Chinese students are very hard working, be ready to get inspired. At least that makes me so. Perhaps the students in my university are really diligent.Some of the Chinese students will have a flawless English accent and that will be out of blue for you. Professors here are cool and encouraging, I can be on dinner and sharing some beers with them. It's common.

They are damn good in developing infra. Infra is getting developed really fast. One day there is an old building and very next week you can see a new building standing there in pride and hinting towards the mighty China.



Siva NS:

I'm living in Guangzhou, China for the past 6 months. Few observations:

1. There are more Indians in China (and not just the big cities like Beijing & Shanghai) than you might realize. Found this out on a new year party in an Indian restaurant.
2. Westerners are seen more in Indian restaurants than Indians or Chinese.
3. Learnt about Tai Chi, which really is cool.
4. Get really strange looks from people in villages, especially young children, who might never have seen non-Chinese before.
5. Kids speak to you in English to practice their English, which they can't do with their parents who don't speak English.
6. Public transport is amazing. The frequency of bus/train is really good.
7. Want to visit a town that is 700kms away. How long would that take by train? 12hours, night train? Nope. 3hrs by train!!!
8. Crowd control in subways, amazing.
9. Pinyin is still not the exact pronunciation. You think you have it right, but you are not.
10. People work hard.
11. People smile.
12. People are kind and friendly.
13. Easier to bargain. Your skills honed in India comes handy.
14. People in mainland China are much kinder & gentle than those in Hong Kong.
15. People take their health seriously.
16. Chinese are blessed with natural fitness. They don't have to do any exercise and still remain very fit. A Chinese friend of mine explained it as 'it's in our genes'.
17. China is not that different from India.
18. That longing that if only India also grows as fast as China.
19. The appreciation people show when you use Chinese words, Xie Xie!!
20. Public smoking, especially in closed spaces like restaurants. Glad this was banned in India.
21. Hey, I know that mobile brand!! It's available in India too on flipkart!
22. Apple (not the fruit) is a big deal
23. It's ok to make kids walk and not carry them everywhere.
24. Most of the children are being raised by their grandparents while the parents are busy with their career.
25. You see a lot of old, very old people, and they are fit.
26. The government destroys good roads and builds them again, just to create employment. Believe me, true story.
27. Flights are almost always delayed. People take it for granted that flights will be delayed and they plan their schedules accordingly. Hello Air China!!
28. You get a lot of greens (leafy vegetables like spinach, coriander leaves etc) in the markets. But boy it is tough to get Mint (pudina).
29. You are vegetarian and will have trouble in China! Don't believe it. People here eat more vegetables than a lot of us.
30. What about all the 'Chinese eat snakes, frogs, lizards, cockroaches' hoopla. Don't believe any of it. They eat more of Chicken, Duck, Turkey, Sheep, Cow, Pig.
31. And by the way, my regular lunch place does server frog & dog among other meats. I trust the chef knows which meat I order for.
32. Yes, it is common to find dog meat 'curry' in restaurants. I hear this is more common in the Canton region.
33. No, I haven't tried any exotic meat in China. I say in China. You can't hold against me that one time I had crocodile spring roll in London. OK, let's not talk about it.
34. It is easy/common to get Snake, Frog or Turtle meat. Just go to a meat market or a super market, see which snake/frog/turtle appeals to you (they are alive & kicking (ok, not so much kicking) in a water tank). Point your finger at it and you have your meat for lunch ready.
35. The variety of fruits & vegetables available is refreshing.
36. Places with 'Halal' sign brings images of Briyani & Kebabs to your mind. Not in China. But the 'pull noodles' that you get in these places is a killer. Pull noodles with potato, chillies, onion..yum yum.
37. Chinese while speaking English answer your implied question and not the actual question. A typical conversation:
    1. Me: Hi XXXX, would you mind translating this food menu for menu to find omlette? (expecting answers like No, No problem, Let me do it...)
    2. XXXX: Yes
    3. Me: (In mind voice oh, does that mean he minds doing it for me, so he won't do it?
    4. Learning: XXXX answered the 2nd part of my question, which is 'translate the menu'.
    5. To be kept in mind when someone is saying Yes or No.