Knowledge Must Blog

Choosing a City for Studying in China

nospam@example.com (Leonie Zimmermann) — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:39:00 +0200

All places in China are different, just as individual as the reasons for foreigners to study in China. Everyone is driven by different motifs and dreams, which might not all be satisfied in the same place. Before you are going to China, you should consider what you are interested in and what your reasons for going to China are. Diving into Chinese culture? Staying in a bubble of foreigners? Business career? Learning a new language? Eating "Szechuan" style all day? Living a cheap but comfortable lifestyle?

Shanghai Jiaotong University
(c) by Carsten Ullrich
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullrich/2227121411/]

Beijing and Shanghai are obviously always the first cities you come across when thinking about going to China for studies. In both cities you will find lots of universities which offer high quality and expensive courses. Since Beijing is the capital of China and the government is based there, the city is a good choice for anyone involved in politics and governmental affairs.

Shanghai on the other hand is a financial and industrial centre in China, which will help you to establish ties with companies and enter business for a future career. Both cities offer great opportunities, but on the downside, are huge, crowded and rather expensive. Since many foreign companies are based in Beijing or Shanghai, the number of foreigners is quite high and you can easily spend more money than back home.

Nanjing University
(c) by DearEdward
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/erussell1984/2524347038/]

With many foreign companies based in Beijing or Shanghai, the number of foreigners there is already quite high. If you don't leave the districts which attract foreigners with Western food and Western style clubs, it will be easy to lead a (night)life on a price level higher than that back home.

If you are not solely aiming for an impressive bullet point on your CV with a famous university in China's biggest cities, consider the lesser visited places. The quality of your studies will mostly depend on your teachers and your own initiative, not the schools.

Sichuan University in Chengdu
(c) by Alpha
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/1649162610/]

Cities that are not Beijing and Shanghai will still be big, dynamic, and exciting - they will also have their own small expat communities. Do some research and you will actually find many diverse and interesting universities all across the country.

If you choose a smaller university chances are high that you won't meet many foreigners there and sometimes you will even find yourself speaking Chinese with other foreign friends from Thailand or Korea. If you don't know where to start searching for universities, try Chengdu, the city Knowledge Must's China office is located in with good reason. Here there are lots of interesting universities suitable for foreigners of all kinds of backgrounds...

Foreigners in China - Where Do They Live and Work?

nospam@example.com (Daniel Ratheiser) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:43:00 +0200

The two largest cities in China are the main draw for foreigners coming to China for work: Beijing, the political capital, and Shanghai, the country’s financial centre. Both cities have about 20 million inhabitants and thus count among the largest metropolises in the world. In terms of convenience, accessibility, availability of interesting jobs, and existing expatriate networks these two cities are hard to beat. Since both cities are very internationally orientated, they are more accessible, logistically as well as culturally.

Beijing
(c) by David Berkowitz
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidberkowitz/6244867445/]

Another somewhat less daunting place to work, but nonetheless challenging, would be Hong Kong. Being one of the financial centres of the world, employment opportunities can be impressive. Some people consider Hong Kong to be the portal to Mainland China, and in some sense, they are right. While English and Cantonese were the primary languages in Hong Kong for most of the last century, English is gradually losing its status since the city’s gradual return to Mainland influence. In fact, Mandarin Chinese has become a very important language in the city as more and more people from the Mainland are visiting Hong Kong, for leisure as well as business.

Hong Kong
(c) by Frank Müller
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/franck-chilli/6426845893/]

However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for foreigners of all nationalities to obtain working permits for Hong Kong. In order to improve your chances of finding employment in the city, you should be able to highlight highly sought niche skills. One such opportunity is in IT, where there is a considerable undersupply of people skilled in various areas.

Next to Beijing and Shanghai, the region surrounding Hong Kong, referred to as the Pearl River Delta region, is home to many of the foreigners working in China. Shenzhen, Dongguan, Zhuhai, and especially Guangzhou are home to tens of thousands of foreign long-term residents in the country.

Chengdu
(c) by George Lu
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/gzlu/1356489085/]

In terms of popularity, Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province has recently reached the fourth place among foreign long-term residents in Mainland China, with about 10,000 foreigners working and studying there at any given time. The city’s leisurely lifestyle, its very hospitable residents, the rapidly growing local economy, and the stunning travel opportunities surrounding the city make it a top choice for foreigners coming to China.

Though the major cities in China offer the most job opportunities, there are many locations in the countryside that are interesting to explore as well. It is a great way to gain work experience and absorb the local cultures, whether you are in mountainous Sichuan or in tropical Hainan – the cultural landscapes of China are truly stunning.

Ultimately your field of expertise might determine which place will be most suited for you. Since China is so big, it is still very likely you will have a range of places to choose from, even when having a specific profession. No matter where you are going to work in China, it will always be an interesting and enlightening experience you will never be able to forget.

--

At Knowledge Must we have an excellent overview on job opportunities for foreigners in China. Just get in touch with us to profit from our expertise and learn more about careers in China from our guide book "Work in China" that you can download for free from: http://www.knowledge-must.com/resources/our_guide_books.html

Cultural Immersion: The Experience of a German Hindu

nospam@example.com (Flora Saint-Sans) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:58:00 +0200

Hinduism, India's banyan tree of diverse religious traditions, reflects much of Indian people's behaviour, values and world views. With a growing interest in yoga and meditation in Western countries, Hinduism and its rituals have gained many followers outside India as well. Knowledge Must had the chance to interview a young German Hindu woman in her mid-twenties to find out about her experience, how she found her spiritual mentor and her understanding of Hinduism and India.

KM: You are German and Hindu. Can you tell us how you became Hindu?

Linda: I was always interested in meditation, Buddhism and these kind of things. When I was 16, I moved to southern Germany with my family and it was a difficult time for me, moving away from my friends. My mum read in a newspaper that an Indian guru was coming to our town and one could go and meet him. So we decided to go and I had a 30 minutes conversation with him. I was expecting some ‘enlightement’ or at least something that would make me feel different. Nothing of all that happened but I still liked him a lot and thus decided to go and meet him every day for the next two weeks. When he left for his tour of other European cities, I started going to the pooja and bhajan meetings of the local Hindu group and started joining the rituals.

One year later, in summer 2005, I joined the group to their trip to the guru’s ashram in the Himalayan foothills. I stayed there for four weeks, followed a very strict routine of meditation, pooja and chanting. And I had the chance to talk to my guru every day. That is what helped me to get deeper into Hinduism. Back in Germany, I then started to do pooja everyday.

KM: So how has being a Hindu changed your life?

Linda: The religion has become the most important thing in my life. I have never eaten much meat, but through the karma teaching, I have become vegetarian. I am meditating for one hour every morning and do pooja. I think as well that my early marriage can be seen a result of me being Hindu. I realized as well that I started encountering problems with some of my earlier friends. I drifted away from going out late at night to party, stopped drinking alcohol and stopped smoking. My husband is a Hindu as well and I believe that that is a very important foundation for our relationship. It could not imagine living with someone eating meat, for instance.

KM: What role does your guru play in your life?

Linda: He is very important to me. I do not require his physical presence to feel close to him. Through the guru mantra he gave to me, I can connect with him through meditation. He introduced me to Hinduism and I follow his teachings.

KM: How do people around you react, if you tell them that you are a Hindu?

Linda: I do not mention it always, only if the conversation takes that turn. In India, a lot of people are really surprised and interested. In Germany there are two extremes: either people are very interested or they are very critical about it. A lot of my friends have joined me for the pooja ritual and bhajan singing to get an idea about what I am actually doing. But then as well there are people that do not understand and do not even want to understand.

KM: Is it hard to be a Hindu?

Linda: Yes and no. Sometimes it is quite difficult for me, at least if one wants to be a good Hindu. Firstly, the concept of karma can make it difficult: action and reaction that influences life. If you live according to the karma concept, it becomes very difficult for you to do certain things, as you are aware much more of the fact that there will be a reaction falling back on you. On the other hand karma explains many things to me – through karma it becomes clear to me for what reason several things have to happen.

Further, the emotional detachment from people in interpersonal relationships is a concept that is sometimes difficult to handle. The ultimate aim is to lose all karma and to disperse all karmic relationships, so that in the end one can accept everybody the way he or she is without expecting anything from him/her.

In the end being a Hindu and having a guru gives me a lot of safety, self-confidence and trust. So, even if I sometimes have hard times I still feel and know that for me it's the right and only way I want to live my life.

KM: Many thanks for your time and sharing your experience with our readers!

Empowering the Back Lanes of Shahpur Jat

nospam@example.com (Julia Perczel) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:43:00 +0100

Ever since I started working in Shahpur Jat in the southern part of Delhi, I have been inspired by the particular atmosphere pervading the small galis of this neighbourhood. However, it took me more than two months before I took to the streets to explore whatever they have on offer. One spring afternoon after sitting through several successive power cuts I decided to leave my desk and go out looking for adventure. For the last two months I have been hearing about how the place is full of design shops catering for the tastes of the urban and the fashionable, but on my way to the office I did not see anything like that, only the main market filled with small grocery shops offering the usual knick-knacks and the carts of the vegetable and fruit sellers.

On completing my round of the fancy boutiques I was heading to my usual point of entrance into the neighbourhood, which the autowallahs refer to as juicewallon ki dukaano ke pas (next to the fruit juice makers’ shops) when I noticed a large printed board filled with Hindi characters and an overhead board with English letters spelling the word Grihasthi. I started deciphering the Hindi, but on that first encounter I only managed to gather that they do cooking classes in this place and this has captured my imagination.

On my next visit I ventured to knock on the door. On entering the building I found myself in a small and darkish workshop with hand sewn items displayed on the back wall, an empty counter to the right that looked like it could operate as a kitchen and an old clothes wreck to the left. I was greeted by Usha “Bethie! Sit down please! Sandhya ma’am is out of office at the moment”. Usha is one of the few regular employees of Grihasta, a self sustaining NGO run by Sandhya Sinha for the empowerment of women. She lives in another part of Shahpur Jat, presumably in the part looking very much like a village with buffaloes grazing on whatever they can find. In the workshop women learn stitching, knitting, embroidery and cooking so that they can find employment afterwards. The flyer that we got from Usha says they provide training for housewives, young girls and even domestic help in all matters of housekeeping. The NGO also provides opportunities for those already trained to find employment in the hospitality sector.

This place has stayed in my mind and that is why I felt really happy when a couple of days later I received a call from Sandhya Sinha herself. She informed me that she has just returned from the villages in Uttar Pradesh, so after the advent of another long power cut I set out to Grihastha the third time, this time to meet the person who runs the show. When I arrived, two college girls were just taking their leave expressing their respect for the woman behind the desk. When they left, I was motioned to take their place on the other side of the desk. The phone rang and this gave me a moment to look around the work shop again. This time the space was animated by 3-4 children playing all over the room and a couple women occupying themselves over the sewing machine, another one choosing the colours for a knitted tea cosy. “The women feel comfortable working here as I allow them some liberties. They can take their children along and by now the little ones have learnt that they have to behave themselves.” says Sandhya.

Sandhya and social work go a long way back. She started when attending a convent school in Gaya and was taken by the nuns to leper colonies and to other places of charity. She also draws inspiration from both of her parents. Her mother, being disabled, taught her that disability affects people not only physically, but mentally as well. She gets her dedication and patience from her father and this is why the noise of the children playing around in the workshop does not disturb her. Sandhya has graduated from Patna Women’s College and did her degree in fashion design at Nirmala Niketan Mumbai. She worked in the fashion industry for many years, but never left social work.

Now she is running two other organisations apart from Grihashti, one named REACT that works on rehabilitation of children and women and another one called Women’s Political Forum where she is spreading awareness about the reservation for women in the Panchayati Raj, the village governance system. “I have become aware how even women who have gained access to the 50% seats reserved for women in the panchayat are not aware of what their function is and the urban population is similarly uninformed. So I set up this organisation to bring the urban and the rural together.” says Sandhya in a confident voice. She tells me, she only set up this workshop in Shahpur Jat four months ago before that she was running a large workshop in Mumbai. When I ask her why she chose Shahpur Jat, she replies “Just like that”.

This seems to be the beauty of the community of the neighbourhood. A wild assortment of people ends up here ‘just like that’, but they still find a common ground. I came away tremendously inspired remembering the words of the two college girls who were just leaving the workshop when I arrived to talk to Sandhya. “Even if we can do something that is half as good as your project, we can be happy. You provide great inspiration for us.”

Job Opportunities for Foreigners in China

nospam@example.com (Daniel Ratheiser) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:23:29 +0100

A local Employment Office in China
by Cory Doctorow
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorow/2897735297/]

Among the rapidly developing industries offering opportunities to foreigners who are looking for employment in China are:

• Architecture, construction, engineering, and real estate: China’s building boom offers a huge range of options, including in infrastructure projects, residential as well as non-residential buildings, and urban planning.

• Arts and beyond: Musicians, dancers, painters, performers, practicing virtually any art could give you an employment opportunity in the country.

• Business services and consulting: Market entry consulting, management consulting, as well as tax and legal services offer many employment opportunities to skilled foreign staff.

• Education and intercultural services: Teaching, professional translation, and interpreting services are among the options in the rapidly developing education and intercultural sector.

• Energy: Renewable energies are growing at very rapid pace and China already today is counted among the leaders in the wind and solar power industries.

• Financial services and insurance industry: There are work opportunities, for example, for accountants, business analysts, claims managers, sales managers, and tax managers.

• Healthcare products and services: Pharmacists, biotechnologists, and skilled medical staff are highly sought after in the Chinese marketplace.

• Hospitality and tourism: Job positions in restaurants, hotels, catering providers, and tour operators are some of the many opportunities for foreigners in hospitality and tourism.

• Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry: Like most countries, also China is experiencing a shortage of qualified information technology specialists, including in the ICT services industry.

• International trade, sourcing, and logistics: China is an export powerhouse and thus offers many choices for foreign staff in trade, sourcing, and logistics.

• Knowledge-based industries: The Chinese economy is in need of a highly skilled workforce to enable them to develop their knowledge-based industries.

• Manufacturing: Being the “factory of the world” China’s manufacturing industry provides huge opportunities in many industries and functions, e.g. planning, engineering, sales, and services.

English teaching is by far still the most popular job for foreigners in China, but opportunities increasingly diversify
by Jingles the Pirate
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinglesthepirate/1439240114/]

Much sought after functions that foreign workers can satisfy in China:

• Business development, especially developing international business

• Cultural interface function in virtually all industries

• Language experts for a wide range of languages and in many functions

• Management, especially foreign-trained mid-level to senior managers conversant in Chinese

• Marketing, in creative as well as executing functions

• Technical, skill-based functions

An ever increasing amount of Chinese companies are eager to enter foreign markets and are searching for foreign employees with good market insights that can help them in their endeavours. Just to cite one example, Chinese software developers would like to adapt their products to overseas markets and increase sales abroad. There are countless other opportunities like this that promise to be challenging and interesting experiences for you.

What is more, China already today ranks among the nations spending the most resources on Research and Development anywhere in the world. Researchers, academics, post-graduates, and skilled professionals find many employment opportunities. Over recent years, the Chinese government has increased its funding of Research and Development programs, and areas that receive attention and support by the authorities offer excellent conditions for pursuing research projects.

China also offers considerable scope for travellers looking for work. Teaching English can be particularly lucrative, and there are opportunities for acting, modelling work, editing, freelance writing, and IT work. Even though you will be offered these kinds of jobs even while being on a tourist visa, please be aware that this is technically not legal and that the Chinese authorities are increasingly clamping down on these illegal practices.

--

At Knowledge Must we have an excellent overview on job opportunities for foreigners in China. Just get in touch with us to profit from our expertise and learn more about careers in China from our guide book "Work in China" that you can download for free from: http://www.knowledge-must.com/resources/our_guide_books.html

Studying in China: Tips and Experiences

nospam@example.com (Leonie Zimmermann) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:49:23 +0100

You are thinking about going abroad, studying away from home for a few semesters? You are considering China among your choices? You want to know more about your chances and opportunities in China, which problems and difficulties you will have to deal with? China is the place to be. China makes a great place to study. In the past few years the country has done well in improving the study conditions for foreigners, while the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) offers more and more scholarships to students from abroad. Therefore the number of foreign students studying at Chinese universities has risen dramatically. But what is it that draws the interest of more than 250,000 foreign students annually to China?

Foreign students taking Chinese classes
(c) by Knowledge Must

It can't be the preparations and registration progress, for sure. There are even students who leave China after one week, because they can't cope with the long waiting times at Overseas Students Offices, the paperwork at banks or dealing with the Public Security Bureau. You might feel a little lost during your first days, especially when not even the person in charge knows which forms to fill in and how much money you actually have to pay. It is best to join forces with other foreign students and try finding the best and fastest ways to get through the Chinese academic bureaucracy. Other than a lot of passport photos, health certificates and copies of everything, all you will need for the registration is patience, time and… more patience! By the way, it is wise to keep everything anyone at any office ever gives you. You will probably need it later on, so put it in a safe place.

But registering for your classes at Chinese universities is not all the fun, there's even more! If you haven't had enough complications go ahead and try to get a room in the foreign students’ dormitory without having placed a reservation from home. Try upgrading your shared double room to a single room. Try refusing to move to another room every other week when they ask you to – they might kick you out of the dormitory and you can go ahead to the next step, living off-campus.

Finding apartments in China is relatively easy – given you speak Chinese, of course. You can find real-estate agencies basically everywhere in the city and they can get you apartments within a day. There are a few things you should bring:
• A lot of cash: in China, when signing a lease contract, you usually pay 3 months rent up front, plus 0.3 to 0.8 months as the agent's commission, plus 1 to 2 months deposit. Of course, in the country where the highest bill is 100 Yuan, you pay everything in cash.
• A lot of patience: you better think in Chinese and lose your sense of (normal) time and timing. Looking at apartments can be annoying. You will spend hours waiting for keys, landlords, contracts, traffic lights, noodles, ATMs, other agents, phone calls, taxis… you name it!
• A nose for local rents: if you look foreign to Chinese real-estate agents they might see an opportunity for fooling you. Ask other students or Chinese people how much they pay for their apartments, compare and try fooling the agents instead!

One of the countless real estate agencies
(c) by Knowledge Must

Nevertheless, apartment hunting can be lots of fun if it's not super urgent. Chinese apartments are mostly ready-furnished, some of them in a way that many girls will love, some are fancy, and others just shabby. If you finally decided on a place to stay make sure to bargain (at least try) about monthly rent and commission or make the landlord buy essential electronics that are missing, such as TV, microwave, fridge or air-conditioning. Depending on your landlord's amazement about foreigners renting their apartment you might even get what you demand.

You probably don’t want to go to China for renting an apartment though, but to improve your Chinese skills at a local university. At most universities there is a School of Overseas Education. In the beginning of the semester you might take a placement test, which places you in a class that is way too easy or horrendously hard. Normally it is possible to switch classes or re-take the placement test. Chinese universities keep their students busy by using compulsory attendance, homework that actually has to be done, and students’ participation in class as part of their overall grades.

There are often four types of classes for Chinese language students: reading, writing, listening, and conversation; they differ in level and style depending on the teacher. While older teachers tend to stick to the books used in class, young teachers might make use of innovative and interactive teaching methods. It is wise to study hard and keep a friendly relationship to your teachers; some of them will end up singing karaoke with you (drunk) or inviting you to off-campus events on holidays (both drunk and sober). Whether they invite you or not, neither of your teachers will skip the obligatory mid-term and final exams.

If you get round to do other activities than filling in forms and doing homework, you should try to get in touch with the locals. By locals I don’t mean foreigners that have lived in China for a couple of years (who are also very interesting folks), but Chinese locals. University classes will teach you Putonghua, Mandarin Chinese, while in most provinces and cities people speak dialects and even other languages. Talking to Chinese locals whose Mandarin is not as excellent as your teachers’ will improve your instinctive feel for the Chinese language as well as grow your self-confidence, since foreigners who speak a little Chinese are all “very good” and often also “very beautiful”. If you don’t know where to start: Chinese people love “English Corners”, where they want to get in touch with foreigners. You can’t find one? Try your luck with taxi drivers, fruit shop ladies, receptionists, compound guards, and little children.

Bicycles in Shanghai
(c) by Brandon Fick
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/ficken/1815901492/]

One last essential tip for studying in China: get a bicycle. At first you will find taking cabs pretty cheap and convenient, but after some more taxi experiences (e.g. waiting for a taxi in the rain, crazy taxi drivers that go in the wrong direction on highways, accidents) you will appreciate the freedom of riding your bike anywhere you want to. Sidewalks, bike-lanes, campus, streets, stairs, malls…

A foreign student in China will on average own 1.5 bikes annually. The first one gets stolen. Sometimes you find it on the black market (next to where it got stolen) and can buy it back. Sometimes you think it got stolen and buy a brand-new bike from the supermarket only to notice that you actually only misplaced it the night before. Sometimes you get involved in accidents and wreck your bike. Sometimes you inherit two bikes from your foreign friends who leave China. Bikes in China are like socks – you can’t get enough of them and sometimes they disappear mysteriously.

Once you have overcome all the challenges you are ready to experience and enjoy a foreign student's life in China to the full. And trust me – once you’ve left you will want to come back.

--

In case you need additional advice for studying in China or identifying the best study opportunities, you can always get directly in touch with us at Knowledge Must: info@knowledge-must.com.

Our New Guide Book: "Work in China"

nospam@example.com (Daniel Ratheiser) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:01:00 +0100

We are happy to announce the publication of the latest addition to our guide book series "Work in China - A Guide by Knowledge Must", which is available for free download from our website. With this publication we offer you a complete resource on China's challenging job market for foreigners. In addition to answering the most pressing questions, the guide features valuable insights ranging from logistics such as visa procedures and accommodation arrangements to cultural background information and inspiration for how to spend one's leisure time.

Shanghai's business and financial district Pudong

China has captivated the minds of people around the world for thousands of years. In recent decades, China has been widely acknowledged as a global powerhouse, from cultural exports to business prowess, from the fine arts to technology. Chinese organisations have long understood the value of foreign employees for enhancing the effectiveness of their work. With an increasing number of multinationals relocating to China, as well as successful and expanding domestic companies, opportunities for work abound. China's recent economic success and high potential for future growth make this an exciting time to become involved in this booming market.

--

After the success of our guide book series for India ("Internships in India", "Volunteer in India", "Work in India", and "Study in India"), we now publish the first of a series of four guide books for China to help students, graduates, and professionals realise their international ambitions and make their life easier. All our guide books will be regularly updated to keep up with the rapidly changing Chinese environment.

We make this guide book available to you for your free individual, non-commercial usage. Just download it from http://www.knowledge-must.com/en/resources/our_guide_books.html.

Please DO share it with others!

You are allowed to copy and share these guides with others as they are published under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You are free to copy, distribute, and transmit the work.

The following conditions apply:
- Attribution — You must attribute the work to Knowledge Must and mention our web address www.knowledge-must.com.
- Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
- No Derivative Works — You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.

For more information see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0.

Things You Should Know Before Coming to India - Tips for Travellers

nospam@example.com (Gurleen Cheema) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:36:45 +0100

India is a land of surprises! From the majestic Himalayas and the stark deserts of Rajasthan, over beautiful beaches and lush tropical forests, to idyllic villages and bustling cities, India offers something unique for every individual preference. Vibrant, mesmerising, completely absorbing, the country stimulates all of your senses - often simultaneously. If you plan to travel to India, I am sure you will find our following tips helpful:

1. Keep a scanned copy of your passport and visa in your e-mail box at all times. You will need it more often than you think, especially while booking services like accommodation, transport, etc.

The famed rock-cut temples of Ellora
(c) by Danial Chitnis
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/danchitnis/634523952/]

2. Make sure you get all the recommended vaccinations before you enter India. Visit your doctor well in advance of your trip to India to find out what precautions you need to take. The medications and immunizations that are necessary will greatly depend on the regions you intend to visit (for example, some areas are particularly malaria prone, while others have very little risk of infection) and time of year (during and straight after the monsoon is the riskiest time for health problems). Carry around hand sanitizer and use it often.

Hari Mandir at Amritsar
(c) by Jasleen Kaur
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasleen_kaur/2389910447/]

3. Dress modestly at all times. On day-to-day basis, it’s best to cover up – avoid wearing shorts, skimpy tank tops, or short skirts/dresses. In many religious places, your head should be covered as a sign of respect. It’s best to pack only a small amount of clothes and plan to buy a few Indian items once you arrive. Indian clothes are much better suited to hot weather, so they’ll keep you cool while keeping you modest.

One of the countless beautiful beaches along Kerala's coast
(c) by wildxplorer
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/krayker/3088743971/]

4. Drink bottled water at all times. It is available at almost all the small shops in India. Be careful with some of the street foods and stick to places that are heavily frequented.

Getting a feel for traffic in India
(c) by Dainis Matisons
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/dainismatisons/3344525316/]

5. Traffic laws are more like guidelines in India. Don’t be surprised if you see cows sitting in the middle of the road and dogs barking at you while walking on the road. Traffic can be anything – from buses and cars to rickshaws, bicycles, carts, horses, cows, elephants, and more. Seat belts are rare to find. So, carefully dodge traffic as you cross the street and always look ahead of you.

The serenity of Ladakh
(c) by Jochen Westermann
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/9075858@N02/599113961/]

6. Hygiene can be a big concern for most travellers if they are not prepared. It’s rare to find bathrooms that would compare to Western sterilized standards. It’s normal to see large piles of garbage on the streets and the large cities have serious air pollution problems. Don’t expect to find toilet paper or Western-style toilets and showers everywhere you go…

View from a houseboat on Dal Lake in Kashmir
(c) by Panoramas
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranopamas/3777393246/]

7. Keep a city map and travel guide with you at all times. It will assist you in finding places to stay, eat, shop, reliable doctors in times of emergency, transport options, and so on.

--

You will find many more useful tips for your travels in India in our free guide books that you can download under: www.knowledge-must.com/guidebooks

Do Not Postpone Learning German - A Didactic Story

nospam@example.com (Darya Dmytruk) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:06:00 +0100

My first contact with German language was just two weeks before arriving in Germany. It was a crash course to pass an interview at the embassy. Finally, five years ago, I set my foot on the Teutonic lands and since this time my life has been undergoing big changes. If you are unlucky enough to have a passport from one of the post-Soviet Union countries your world ends at the border to the next EU country. A round trip to Paris for ten days could be the biggest dream that you can afford. I was yet a naive girl and tried to live in Germany without knowing German for the next six months, but I was fortunate enough to learn English to get me by. Sure, I could have been getting by like this, but my destiny said "No!" and I soon found myself in a line to submit my application for a German course.

Children wearing traditional Bavarian dress
(c) by akante1776
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/11332944@N06/4038538044/]

I have always heard that German is a difficult language to learn and as most people, I did not like the idea of bringing another difficult challenge into my life. Surprisingly, in only two months I could begin to communicate with my friend. She had started to learn German earlier, and, in her linguistic drive, refused to talk to me in English. Besides the obvious benefit of being able to communicate, many other surprises were waiting for me. With my basic level I could finally watch Almodovar´s "Volver" at the cinema. I was happy because finally I could understand, well more than after my attempt to watch it in Spanish.

Germans have the lovely feature of paying compliments about your German language skills - even if you are a beginner! I chose to believe them and continued with the belief that my German was at least much better than their Russian (another excuse not to learn a language).

Munich's historic city centre
(c) by ines saraiva
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/inessaraiva/4006622538/]

The situation with my poor German skills improved when it was high time to earn my living abroad. From this point I could really feel the result of my efforts from attending the classes. A wonderful confiserie in the tourist center of Munich was the best place to practice my German skills: communicating with old ladies with small dogs that wanted only first-class service. In three weeks I no longer had to ask customers to repeat their questions and moved on to the intermediate level.

My job at Oktoberfest also turned out to cause no linguistic problems. My German skills were fit enough to understand even the muttering of drunk people. At that time, seeing people on the metro with green and white bags with the University of Munich logo, I could only imagine how lucky, extraordinary and intelligent they were to be studying there. The thought of entering the University did not enter my mind and I continued to attend the courses to improve my German. Once again I found myself one step behind my friend. She was going to take the DaF exam, a German language test that would allow her to enter the university.

Part of the beautiful Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität campus in Munich
(c) by Depeche Mode wrong
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennifersdaddy/450602007/]

Nevertheless, within little time I reached an advanced level in German and the happy day of admission to the German student world came. Now I am a student of one of the best universities in Germany, Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität in Munich, studying the subjects religious studies and anthropology. Sounds good, but behind the scenes, in contrast to all those who have German as their mother tongue, I really feel the difference in the amount of work I have to do. You have to struggle with every text or composition until the daybreak. Any presentation of a paper makes you sweat and you still cannot participate in discussions and have to keep silent as if you had nothing to say.

Our life is too short and we have to appreciate every moment of it. We should invest our time and efforts into that. So do not repeat my experience - do it better! Learn German in advance and enjoy the country as much as you can!

--

If you happen to be in Delhi and are afraid of boring "follow the book" lessons or old ladies with warts as teachers, join one of our fun and effective German classes! Our native German teachers will surely make you hit the ground running! Just drop us a line at courses@language-must.com or simply call us on +91 - (0)11 - 2649 1817...

Jogging in China – With Some Advice for Chengdu

nospam@example.com (Chen Fengchao) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:36:26 +0100

How long have you been sitting in front of the computer screen before you glimpsed this article? Are your eyes already starting to pain? Come on, your body is calling you to break away from the screen and breath some fresh air outside! It is time to do some sports! If you are thinking now that you don’t have somebody to do sports with or are lacking equipment, think again. There is one excellent sport you can do without any equipment while at the same time being able to counterbalance your time in front of the computer effectively: jogging.

Taking a morning jog in China...
(c) by Gavin Anderson
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/andersondotcom/3535609272/]

Jogging is a very popular kind of sports in many countries around the world. As an exercise, it enhances your respiratory functions, makes your vital capacities increase and improves your blood circulation. It is an effective way in control of atherosclerosis and diseases of heart, head or blood vessels. With an increasing awareness towards health, people in China also have begun to pay more attention to this healthy sport.

In Chengdu, a famed “leisure city” in China, most people live a comfortable and colourful life full of relaxed activities, such as dancing, playing majiang, drinking tea, and so on. However, jogging is becoming an increasingly popular choice. It is not exclusively practiced by the younger generation, but also the old have jumped on the bandwagon. Either in the morning or at the sunset, you will easily find people jogging. Where are they? They are mostly to be found on the racetracks of schools and universities as well as in the parks around the city. Only the very brave try running in the streets.

For example, at Sichuan University’s campus you would get surprised that there are so many people coming here and jogging after work or studies every day. Many of these people are citizens nearby. With a lot of people doing the same thing, you can easily be motivated and stick to your losing-weight, building-muscle or just-keeping-healthy plans. It is also easily to make new friends as everybody already has a common hobby: jogging. Those colleges can be found easily as long as you search on the map of the city that you live in or browse the Internet.

Parks in China are another good choice. The beautiful scenery and clean air can bring you to good mood. The serenity there can also reduce your pressure a lot and relax you. In Chengdu parks such as Huanhuaxi Park, the Peoples’s Park, Guihu Park, and Wangjiang Park are recommended, some charge a small entrance fee while others are free. You can find the locations of parks in your city conveniently on city maps and the Internet, too. If possible opt for the larger parks as some of the smaller parks can get rather crowded in China.

Now, just put aside your work, put on your running shoes, go out and enjoy jogging!

A Pioneer for Organic Food in New Delhi

nospam@example.com (Heiko Pfeiffer) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:08:13 +0100

On a recent day when going to work to our office in South Delhi’s Shahpur Jat neighbourhood, I noticed, amidst sweets and street food vendors and recent fashion shops that have been mushrooming in the area, this cute little shop called “Dubdengreen”. Inside, unsurprisingly for this densely populated neighbourhood, the space is small enough, the decorations are minimal and the absence of shining and blinking advertisement on the shelves catches the eye. This looks more like a farm house shop, so you wouldn’t be surprised to find mooing cows and chattering chicken in the backyard. A quick look around is enough to confirm the impression: grains and millets are there, fresh vegetables next to fresh fruit and dairy products. This is indeed another shop for farm goods – so how is it different? Well, this one is all about organic.

I am lucky that day – Jayashree Eashwar, the owner and co-founder of the place, is around. She gives me a warm welcome and doesn’t need me to beg her to share her knowledge with me. As my eyes anxiously glance at the different oils at the shelves on the top, she comments: “This safflower oil is really excellent. The taste and smell are quite neutral like that of sunflower oil, so you can cook and bake with it. It is also good to lower cholesterol in the body – not that you need it yet. But in 20 years from now…” We both laugh.

My eyes move to the breakfast goodies, cereals of different kinds. To my delight, there is not only the usual cornflake variety. There are also millet or ragi as well as amaranth puffs, all gluten free. “These must be expensive,” I hear myself utter. “Not at all,” Jayashree says. “Millets, of which ragi is only one variety, are the staple grain in rural India. It’s recently been coming back to urban India, and has been around long before rice and wheat were introduced.” They come at the same price as the corn puffs, and the amaranth comes at less than half the price of the other two. Seems like breakfast is going to be more exciting from now on…

As it is Tuesday afternoon, some vegetable and fruit are assorted on the ground in baskets. (Fresh produce comes on Tuesdays and Fridays.) Like most people, I enjoy the convenience of doing vegetable/fruit shopping with the sabzi-wallah on the street corner. Jayashree offers me to try one of her organic apples. I accept and give it a bite. I look at her and start beaming. This apple reminds me too much of the home-grown variety, with that distinct sweet taste and the wonderful tight feeling of a fresh apple. The apple looks as good outside as it does inside, unlike the ones from my local vendor, and it tastes delicious. And the pricing? At Rs. 120/kg, slightly higher than currently at my doorstep, but compared to the low season or the prices in the shops at Khan Market or Priya, totally alright. Given the taste experience, much more than alright, actually…

I asked her whether I can trust the organic labels in India. “A lot of the organic market for Indian goods is in Europe or the US. So most of the verification agencies are from there,” she explains. “Even the Indian brands have to meet that standard. Also, many of them export to those countries.” The whole process of verification costs the farmers money. Then, for the seller, the transport costs more for smaller quantities of organic goods ordered and brought in. This explains the slightly higher prices for the consumer.

Why did she get into organic farming? “To provide REAL food!” she exclaims. And, “to provide an alternative, both to the consumers as well as to the farmers”, she adds. I’m startled. Somehow, I had the notion that farming in India must still be a lot more pure and innocent than in, say, Europe or the US. “It is true, when you buy from your local vendor, you sometimes get goods in your basket that are practically organic but without the label ‘organic’, because some farmers still grow the old fashioned way without the chemical fertilizers and pesticides. They simply can’t afford them. Then, since they don’t know about the market for organic, they sell it to the main mandi or market.”

Organic food at my door step at conventional prices; sounds intriguing – even though it’s taking a chance!

“But India saw its own Green Revolution many decades back and that changed farming in India forever. Pesticides, ultra-high usage of water, and all the talk of GMO (genetically modified organism) more recently – you name it, India has it, but without some of the stricter policies to protect the end product that some especially European countries have.” So the picture is not so bright in the open market after all. Next to the quasi ‘organic’ tomato, I might end up with GMO rice. And there won’t even be a warning printed on the package.

“So organic farming has its relevance in India. My husband Ganesh and I started our own organic farm 20 years back near Bangalore and we know the joys of it. Now we have personal connections to all our suppliers. That just gives us the security that these guys are really into it and only supply high-quality organic produce.” She grins widely. “You have to love this in order to deliver the best quality. Those people who are just into it for the money grow sour quickly because the market is not offering riches yet.”

She is a pioneer, a pioneer for organic food in India, and she loves what she is doing. I leave her shop that day highly inspired.

--

If you want to visit Dubdengreen, the shop is in 253, Shahpur Jat Market, New Delhi – 110049. Phone: +91-(0)11-32905310. You can also visit their online shop: www.organicbounty.com. But know: You might miss out on an experience if you don’t walk into the shop in Shahpur Jat yourself.

Learn Hindi in Delhi, India

nospam@example.com (Heiko Pfeiffer) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:19:00 +0100

Coming to India for vacations, internship or job? Regardless the amount of time you are planning to spend here, it is very advisable to learn at least a couple of basic phrases in Indian languages. They will make your stay nicer, your experience richer and they will even save you some money! The "language situation" in India is quite different from other countries. You have many official languages and countless of other languages. In fact, India has the most complex linguistic set up anywhere with literally thousands of languages being spoken. Nevertheless, there is one language that functions as a lingua franca across much of the country. Indians generally refer to it as Hindi!

Whether you would like to speak to the locals at a holy shrine...

(c) by Manuel Menal
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/mmenal/6324711879/]

Hindi is spoken in most of the major cities and though other local languages might be spoken at your destination, Hindi will be understood and will get you through most of India like a charm. When people say Hindi in India, they in fact refer to Hindustani language, an Indo-Aryan language that covers both standard Hindi as well as standard Urdu. Combining Hindi and Urdu speakers, Hindustani is the third or second most widely spoken language in the world after Mandarin Chinese and possibly English.

If you are going to travel or live in India you will of course survive using only English. When visiting popular tourist destinations you will get in touch with many people from the tourism industry, guides, vendors and tradesmen, who confidently use English. They are aware of the fact that knowing English makes it easier for them to communicate with tourists and that means a quick way of making money - foreigners often don't seem to mind paying a little bit extra...

But if you want to stand out from the package tourism crowd and don't like to be seen only as a walking ATM, it is very handy to know at least some simple basic sentences and words in Hindi. If you ask "How much is it?" or reply "Oh, that is expensive!" in Hindi while haggling over the price with a rickshaw-driver or a fruit seller, it can actually save you a lot of money! Besides, it will also make your stay much nicer and richer because you will be able to get in touch with the "normal" people you encounter in daily life.

...or want to decipher a curious poster in the streets, Hindi will do the trick!

(c) by Katjusa Cisar
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/katjusac/5328017670/]

Indians always appreciate foreigners willing to learn their language and will most certainly give you a discount! Also while learning a language you always learn to understand better the logics of the culture itself and get a better insight into people's minds, their way of thinking and behaviour.

Knowing Hindi will make your CV look more interesting, too. Not many foreigners speak this language and that's why it will give your resume a real edge! Already since a couple of years India has been called a "new superpower" or "superpower in the making". The country has huge economic potential and a fast growing middle class; it is one of the world's technology leaders in IT and has a huge pool of qualified English speaking professionals in a wide range of industries.

India represents a huge labour market with lots of opportunities and knowing Hindi gives you a big advantage! So don't hesitate and learn Hindi / Hindustani while staying in India to get the most out of your stay!

--

If you are interested in learning Hindi / Urdu / Hindustani, whether in our classrooms in Delhi or in a village homestay setting in the Himalayas, you should get in touch with us right away. Just drop us a line at courses@language-must.com or simply call us on +91 - (0)11 - 2649 1817...

The Last Cup of Coffee – Hunting for Coffee in Delhi

nospam@example.com (Darya Dmytruk) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:47:00 +0100

[This article is not for those who drink solely tea, or the ones who are certain that a cup of coffee can kill a horse.] When you live in Delhi, you bargain successfully every day with rickshaws on the way to your office and can barely breathe through your scarf in the compulsory traffic jams. Everything is fine until one day you realise, that the supply of “as if it was always there” coffee in your kitchen, that used to be the best moment of your morning, is over. And at this very moment you understand that your day cannot start right, that the sun set and this city had finally got a chance to catch you. If the caffeine-deficiency in your body is not that high and you can still think, you go to the nearest market and try to find something like your favourite Lavazza.

Do you know what the chances are? Zero! Smiling and helpful locals will try to sell you Nescafe as that very coffee you are craving for. I am living in Delhi for the next two months and I must survive. Being ready to struggle for my well-being, I decided to find the places, where it is possible to buy and drink fresh ground coffee – the coffee that will help all of you hold out until you land in Rome and get your Lavazza, or you land in Frankfurt and get “something-like-coffee”.

First I tried to find out the biography of the coffee in my kitchen by writing to my flat mate, who was on holiday in Ukraine for two months. INA and Khan Markets were the first in my coffee places list. However, the practical part of the research started on my way to the office, when I saw a coffee box through the window in Café Coffee Day. That gave me hope that I would enjoy my passion tomorrow. Yes, that was the desired coffee – Rs. 150 for 200 gram! Unfortunately to my question whether it is espresso or coffee classic I got a fuzzy answer “yes Ma'am, for espresso and for coffee”. Ok, let’s try this universal wonder. The paper bag (long live environmental protection!) with the longed-for coffee made me so happy and I left the blessed shop.

After being sure about my supply of coffee at home I started the empirical part of the campaign. My first stop was the widely advertised United Coffee House at Connaught Place. Just find the E Block and right in the centre of it there is a big wooden door and golden letters above it. The word “Restaurant” and the empire style décor inside did not frighten me and I fearlessly stepped in and decided to test the Indian Filter Coffee. Stay cool and unflinching when you finally get the twin of Nescafe in your cup and afterwards the bill of Rs. 147.

I was fed up of spending my hard-earned money in fancy places even if it is a part of my field exploration. If you miss alternative cafes of Berlin or Barcelona make for Majnu ka Tilla, the Tibetan colony in north Delhi, where I was promised to find the worthiest café with the best freshly ground coffee ever. So, I turned my steps toward the North.

Like all the new places I found the International Coffee House surprisingly fast in spite of the fact that it is situated underground and the entrance is not flaring. If you take the main street of Majnu Ka Tilla, after 10 minutes (or 1 hour if you are a woman) of passing the shop windows with the countless wonderful stones and handicrafts, you have to be more attentive and find the stairs down. Here you are!

The first thing that inspires your heart is the coffee grinder just in front of you. In no more than 5 minutes smiling Tibetans served me their fantastic brew. After the exhausting way there through the streets of north Delhi I was going to examine the whole coffee list… After a cup of Latte, one more Cappuccino, and one espresso at the end I placed it firmly on the top of my “best-cafe-list” in Delhi.

Hunting a cup of good coffee in the city I found those secret spots that will allow me to be sure that the next two months the cherished smell of coffee will continue to fill my kitchen. (See the help-list below!)

Scrutinizing the roots of coffee culture in India thoroughly, you would probably find out that the best place to search for is the southern part of India: Karnataka and Kerala. There it will be planted and packed for export.

The competent people assured me, that the best coffee is served in Kolkata. If you are not so lazy and associate the word “Kolkata” not just with the dirt, but the intellectual capital of India, go ahead and visit the most popular Coffee House at College Street, which is situated (in line with Indian tradition of confusing place names) on Bankim Chatterjee Street. The Coffee House was established during the dark era of World War II and is the meeting place for the intelligentsia of Kolkata. On a par with the best coffee, you get the chance to test yourself in the famous addas sessions (intellectual discussions).

After a week of my purposeful exploration of Delhi I can affirm, that this city has well hidden its coffee treasures. I can just slightly open this curtain and let other coffee fans build upon this list.

Where to go if you need ground coffee:
- INA and Khan Markets
- “Barista” (Lavazza)
- “Le Marche” in Gurgaon (for Illi)
- “Devan´s” Coffee in Khanna Market, Lodhi Colony (for Indian coffee)
- “Mittal Teas” in Sunder Nagar Market

Thanks to all, that helped to find these places!

Leisure Culture in Modern China

nospam@example.com (Noemie Lataud) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:05:14 +0100

Along with economic development and social evolution in both developed and developing countries, leisure activities have become more important and diverse than ever. Relaxing after long and strenuous working hours and the other obligations of daily life is now a necessity. The “need to escape” is enjoyed in different ways across cultures and is closely related to daily lifestyles, working life, and cultural patterns. As Chinese society has experienced great changes over the last few decades, leisure activities have also developed a lot. I have had the opportunity to observe these evolutions in China and explore Western and Chinese views on this issue. The following is an interview conducted with David Ritter, a 27 year old American male who has been living in China for two and a half years, and Yang Qi, a 25 year old Chinese male who studied in Australia for six years but has since returned to Chengdu. Below is a transcript of our discussions about Chinese leisure activities.

KM: What can you tell me about how Chinese people like to spend their leisure time?

Yang Qi: Leisure means what people are doing during their free time for me. Chinese people want leisure activities to be sporty and healthy. More and more people are doing sports because they have more opportunities to do it and they are also more willing to do it. Doing sports is getting more and more popular, especially team sports, in different ways. First of all, it is a means to connect socially.

Another reason is that Chinese people want to show their social status through leisure. For example playing tennis and golf means you have enough time and more money to play and enjoy a more luxurious life than other people. Finally the young generation wants to show its difference and young spirit when they practice rock climbing, sky-diving, BMX, skateboarding, etc. These sports are becoming popular among young people because having a hobby that was introduced recently from Western countries means “being different”. The sport industry is changing and there are more infrastructures that enable people to practice sport.

A Walk in the Park
(c) by Noemie Lataud

David Ritter: Well it’s different from American leisure. Recently there was a holiday in China. You know on holidays Chinese people might find a place to go, visit some of the famous sites and so many people go to the same sites! But I think… My experience of Chinese famous sites is this: that they are more interested in providing entertainment than preserving historical value and some of their treasured places including the Great Wall, for instance, in Badaling. And I think from the perspective of someone who is from America, a country that doesn’t have a lot of history, we value “historical purity” very highly. So you now have one difference.

Another thing that is different about leisure in China is they are less interested in sports I think, than we are in America. So in that regard, a lot of their leisure activities revolve around eating food, going to bars or to dance clubs. They don’t do house parties as often as we do in America. House parties are less popular, maybe because more Chinese people live with their family. But I think in term of basic weekend leisure, I think it’s quite similar: going to bars, going to dance clubs, going out to have dinner with your friends, sometimes going to see a movie or even going to a friend’s house for dinner. I think all these things are pretty much the same, pretty similar. And I think the Chinese people are very easy going, fun to hang out with, they like to have a good time, they have a good sense of humor.

One of the differences in Chinese leisure activities that I have also noticed in my few years here relates to differences in leisure habits for men and women. My first time in China, in 2008, I was surprised to find in many places (particularly smaller, more traditional cities) that women were discouraged from drinking and smoking in public places. I believe this notion has changed quite a lot in the last few years, with men and women in the younger generation being much more open minded about these and other issues.

KM: You are only talking about sports, Yang Qi. Does leisure only include sports?

Yang Qi: I don’t know what about in France but in Australia, for example, leisure is broader than sports. Leisure includes sports and also the daily life that may be having just a free time a few days without doing anything with your family on a beach, or living in a tent, that is cool leisure, or just spending several hours walking along the beach and going swimming. This is different from China because in China, especially in Sichuan Province, leisure is pretty much nothing else than sports. Apart from sports there isn’t anything left but there are reasons for that.

In Australia, probably because they are surrounded by the ocean, they have more opportunities to enjoy the ocean and take it as a part of their leisure life. But in Sichuan, there are only mountains so probably going hiking is leisure but hiking is not as relaxing as “normal” leisure. It’s not the most relaxed kind of leisure. So that’s probably why in Sichuan, leisure is closely connected to sports. The definition of leisure is different according to the place you live. For example in Hainan, people prefer water activities, in Beijing, people prefer snow skiing and so on.

KM: You told me that apart from sports there is not much left, but what is left though?

Yang Qi: What is left, well… majiang! They play majiang you know. I think my definition of leisure is roughly about using one’s time to do what you want to do for your body and your soul to get relaxed from work. Because work can be tiring, right? So during their free time what would they do: they would play majiang for the whole day, drink tea and apart from that they can do sports or sleep.

Playing Majiang
(c) by Noemie Lataud

So in a way leisure life in Sichuan is more passive, quieter – Sichuanese people are not moving a lot. This is why Sichuanese people are skinnier than people in the north of China. This is a good example of how life patterns influence people’s body.

KM: You think it is different from Beijing?

Yang Qi: Yes, there is a huge difference. Because of historical reasons first. Sichuan has been known as a very relaxed and slow paced environment in China but Beijing has never been as relaxing as Sichuan Province in Chinese history. And this is closely related to geographical reasons. Sichuan is surrounded by mountains and has been protected in a way. So people don’t want to go out or at least it’s not easy for them to go out, especially in old times. But in Beijing there is not any natural element to protect them, especially between Beijing and Mongolia. So they cannot be quiet or passive. So people in Beijing have to fight against the Mongolians and their lifestyle has thus been determined by both geographical and historical reasons. So what Beijing people do during their leisure time, well…I know! They go to work and after work they are jammed on the road for three hours because of the bad traffic and then get home.

KM: You said leisure is mostly sports, playing majiang and sleeping. What about going to a restaurant or a bar? How is it now for most Chinese people?

Yang Qi: Compared to the first group I mentioned it’s still a small part because not many people go to bars to drink. But yes, some people do it. It’s a whole new way of interacting with other people for them. Before they didn’t have such a place that gave them the opportunity to interact with other boys and girls in that way. Over the last 10 or 20 years the pub and bar culture has been introduced in China and the Chinese young generation has immediately accepted it and is enjoying it.

KM: Going to the restaurant with friends is something new also?

Yang Qi: No, I mean going to the pub is a new habit. Going to the restaurant remains Chinese leisure and this hasn’t changed for ages. It is the same in every country around the world.

KM: So in your opinion leisure is just the same in China as in the rest of the world?

Yang Qi: No there are some differences. Typical Chinese leisure would rather be drinking tea, playing Majiang or go to see traditional Chinese opera, while drinking in a pub is a custom coming from abroad.

Getting a Refill in a Chengdu Teahouse
(c) by Noemie Lataud

KM: What about travelling? More and more Chinese people are travelling around China or around the world. Do you consider travelling as Chinese people’s leisure?

Yang Qi: Yes. People want to discover new things, have new experiences. They have money and free time so they are just eager to discover the world.

KM: What was leisure like traditionally in China in your opinion?

Yang Qi: Traditional leisure has nothing to do with sports. In the past, traditional leisure was already theatre, majiang, drinking tea, painting, writing poems and going to some places to get inspiration, having a drink in a restaurant, going whoring.

KM: So we could say that traditional leisure hasn’t changed. What is different nowadays is just the fact that there are some new customs coming from abroad. Is that right?

Yang Qi: Yes, like in every country. And the technology is helping each generation to enjoy a more advanced life. People are still considering cooking as leisure, as in France, but the cooking instruments are changing in terms of safety and effectiveness. People are still going to the opera in Italy, but they could choose to watch it from the Internet. And finally, people are still performing arts all around the world, but computers have changed it a lot.

KM: David, what is your opinion on these questions?

David Ritter: Well I agree with a lot of what Yang Qi said. I think it’s true indeed that Chinese people are becoming more interested in sports and health related activities but I don’t think that sports in general are popular in China. Gyms for example are becoming popular in China, working out, exercising, but in my circle of friends in China I don’t see a lot of people spending time, participating in or going to be a spectator for team sports, at all.

Group Exercises Are Popular in China
(c) by Noemie Lataud

In my experience in China the vast majority of people are not athletic, not interested in sports. Maybe they play ping pong, maybe they go to the gym, or go running and do some exercise. But as an American, coming from a country where we are crazy about sports, China for me is not interested in sports at all. You know they were really interested in the world cup but I have never seen anybody going to a soccer game in Chengdu – I never see anybody playing soccer in Chengdu. They love the NBA, but I rarely see people playing basketball. So it exists but I just don’t think that it is really widespread.

Another thing that I agree with is when Yang Qi talks about participating in sporting events as a symbol. That is true. People who have enough money in China and enough time will play golf or tennis or racquetball, one of these kind of “status sports”. Definitely, people will do that as a status symbol. But I’m not sure that people doing something for a status symbol qualifies to make it an overall leisure activity in China. I think maybe slowly that will change. And of course he mentioned majiang. Majiang is certainly a major leisure activity, not only in Sichuan like he mentioned, but in other places in China that I visited – but it is particularly big in Sichuan.

One thing he said that I definitely agree with is also that technology has impacted leisure activities. I think that is true in any country. I mean the way that we meet friends, the way that we meet girlfriends and boyfriends, the way that we participate in activities that are interesting for us like our hobbies is so influenced nowadays by the Internet, by social networking websites, mainly by those technologies but even by cell phones and other technologies, so I think that I totally agree with him: technology has had a big impact on leisure activities in China.

KM: What kind of place is the most representative of modern Chinese leisure in your opinion?

Yang Qi: Karaoke, tennis court, golf course.

Enjoying KTV with Friends
(c) by Noemie Lataud

David Ritter: KTV!

KM: Could you choose one sentence or one word to illustrate Chinese leisure today?

Yang Qi: Nowadays leisure is doing a great job in releasing China’s enormous pressure in daily life.

David Ritter: Chinese leisure is urban.

KM: Thanks to both of you for sharing your views on this issue!

CouchSurfing in India

nospam@example.com (Hana Navratilova) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:09:27 +0200

The first time I was in India I wanted to get to know the real India - not just the Lonely Planet-India, so I decided to do CouchSurfing. Occupying somebody else’s living room is not just about saving money. It is about sharing. A complete stranger shares with you his home. You can observe his morning habits, you eat with him, you can discuss every possible topic under the sun... Indians, at least the Indian CouchSurfers, are usually very keen on discussing the differences and similarities of their own and your culture. Hence, I got to know a flight attendant, an elephant rider, a family father, a son of a wealthy family etc. So I could see the differences between the lower, middle and upper social classes. It was an incredible experience!

How to wash an Indian elephant
(c) by Hana Navratilova

For those who don’t know anything about CouchSurfing – it is an internet community for people who love traveling and getting to know other cultures. You, as everybody else, have your own profile where you describe yourself. You can choose what you want to offer – a couch for backpackers or just meeting up for a cup of coffee. You can write references for people you met through CouchSurfing as your hosts or other backpackers and others do the same for you.

In India it is very easy to find hosts (people who offer you their couch) – they are in almost every city. Actually if they see that the last time you logged in was in or close to their city they will immediately send you a message that you should contact them if you need any help. Thus, it is easy to find a host, but it is a bit tricky to find a good one. Also probably 99% of all Indian hosts are male. That is understandable considering the Indian culture.

Women usually don't live alone and independently and even if they did, it would probably be seen as inappropriate to host strangers. Therefore, if you are a female traveller you should always check the references on everyone’s profile, read them carefully and decide according to those. It is also safer to choose hosts still living with their parents or families and exchange a couple of e-mails with them in advance. Yes, some of the men may have ulterior motives – speaking from own experience...

Once you arrived, it is very useful to take some pictures from your home country. Especially in trains you will appreciate this. Indians love to see some photographs from your home and (maybe even more) love to show you their own pictures so that you get to know the whole family, colleagues and friends – I usually lost track of who is who after the second picture. Also be prepared to get famous all over India – everyone is going to take pictures of you. It may give you the feeling of being a superstar but it might be annoying as well. Especially when you want to admire the beauties of historical monument and everyone is buzzing around you with a camera.

Enjoying sogra
(c) by Hana Navratilova

It is almost impossible to be alone in India. You are being constantly asked about your origin, name, age, you can expect to be followed by different touts or rickshaw drivers and begging children. But discovering Indian cities with a local fellow CouchSurfer makes it a lot easier. People still stare at you but they let you be. Walking around with a local is also much more fun and you can enjoy more because you don’t need to think about where you are, how you got there or how you will get away. Your host will give you precious advice about costs of the transport or gift items, he will introduce you to the best street food and give you some secret tips on sightseeing!

For example in Jodhpur my host took me for an amazing bike-ride and we also stopped at a "restaurant" for truck drivers. It looked rather like a big tent, the front side open, in the middle of nowhere, on the side of a big road. Everyone was suspiciously looking at me as I was probably the first white woman, or maybe even the first woman ever, who walked in and ate there. In one corner there was a kitchen coloured like the cook by soot.

We sat cross-legged on this typical bed with a woven base and a wooden board put across it served as a table. We got two big chapattis made of a bit different flour and with a stronger flavour than usual. My host crumbled those, then we added some warm ghee, sugar cane and mixed with different chutneys and pickles, eating with our hands from one plate while the men and their boys were watching TV. Of course there was no bathroom so one of the boys poured water over our hands to wash them right there. It was so authentic and so delicious! Without CouchSurfing I would have never tasted "sogra"!