An Indian guy's impression of China

I came to China in May 2009 on a working visa from India to work in a reputed company situated in Jieyang city of Guangdong province. I have been living here for more than two years now. My wife is also with me but as she has to spend a lot of time in India too, for a major part of the year I am alone.

Ever since I came here, I have felt peaceful as the city is not so big like Shanghai and Guangzhou, but to a person who needs time to himself, it is a good one. I am perhaps a lone foreigner and too a vegetarian in this city as I see no one else who has come here to live as a resident. Nevertheless, I have space to myself and do a lot of reading.

RNK Krishnan [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

To be honest, the most important thing that keeps me engaged is the China Daily. I enjoy its coverage and the information it provides. I have been fortunate to share my thoughts about China in the letters to the editor over the last two years.

Another thing that interests me is CCTV's Channel 9 - the only English-language channel available to me. This channel is indeed excellent for the programmes they show - world news every hour, Cross Over, Cultural Express, China 24, Dialog, Asia Today and Journey in Time are just some, which are very informative and interesting to watch. I admire the staff, who do a splendid job with their charming manners and devotion to their work.

We all know the importance given to infrastructure in this country, but also worth appreciating is the attention given to elders - I am myself over 60. Parks are provided with exercise machines that are very neatly maintained. In this city, there are hardly any traffic jams and hence commuting is no problem. The work culture is excellent and normal work gets done much faster. For me, at my age, language is a barrier but that has not deterred me from making friends - Chinese are very friendly and supportive as many have vouched.

Last year, when my children were here, we traveled to some parts of China and we all found it very useful and informative. The travel by the world's fastest train from Shanghai to Hangzhou was delightful. The train stations are very well maintained and orderly and hence no one has any problem in travelling by these trains.

China, like any other developing country, still has many challenges to face - uplifting millions of people above the poverty line, narrowing income disparity, inflation, fighting drought and flood situations at the same time, besides other natural calamities, which often occur.

Chinese people usually take these in their strides and move on with life, which is a very positive approach to life. Most admirable are children who are cute and eager to learn - even English, which in near future perhaps many will be fluent in too. Nevertheless, I have found they pick up any activity quickly with very little training and do it with pride. Another noticeable thing is, Chinese are well dressed and have pleasant manners and are very good in group activities.

The foreign direct investment is ever increasing due to the favorable industrial climate, and foreign companies are comfortable to operate in China, where there is a huge market for luxury brands too.

Lastly, one has to live in and experience China - it takes time to understand, but please come with a positive mind and you will enjoy a healthy life, even if you are alone!

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