The darker side

"So what if I'm getting married? You'll always remain my sweet, sweet friend" Shreya told Akshar on phone, announcing her engagement. He didn't want to remain just friends with her - it was either everything or nothing. He asked, "what were the shortcomings in me due to which you don't like me?" Shreya replied "nothing wrong in you, it's just that I like someone else". Akshar cried like a baby. He pleaded with her to consider him. She ended by saying "I don't feel for you and now you better stop else my parents will talk to your parents".

Once the phone was kept down, he wondered why didn't god listen to him? He always got from god what he wanted so why couldn't he get her? Everyone around him praised him at all times so why not her? Why didn't things go this way, why oh why? Why do they say that if you ask for something with all your might then you get it? Because now he asked for and didn't get Shreya.

Life no longer remained the same for Akshar. He lost interest in studies. He managed to graduate but failed to get campus placement. He sat at home, couldn't gather the will to study further nor could he get a job.

Photo by Arjun Suri

He sold his mobile, deactivated Facebook account and started preparing for government exams - only to miss the cut off every time. And yet he persisted because he had read in a book that if you ask for something with all your might then one day you will get it. This probably works well for all the other things in life but certainly not for a person you love.

One day, he felt as if a voice inside him was asking him to go to Mumbai. He didn't know why. Maybe Shreya was now based there, maybe her marriage was on the rocks, perhaps there was still a chance for him. He had a cousin staying at Mumbai, so he told his parents he'll be going there to try for jobs and staying with him initially. He packed his bags, went to station and sat inside a train without any reservation.

People go to Mumbai on a one-way ticket. He didn't want to take it. The last time he took a one-way ticket was his feelings for Shreya who rejected him. So he didn't want to repeat history now, come whatever happen.

Waiting for the train to start, he saw some guys teasing a girl. She knew something was happening but remained silent. His sixth sense asked him to go. He immediately got down and reprimanded those men not to do that. The guys backed off. He went inside the train to the same vacant seat.

The train started. TT came. Akshar asked for seat. TT sent him to another coach. Akshar got a seat. And saw the same girl there. Akshar dozed off. When he woke up he saw some guys teasing her. He scolded the miscreants. Things became normal. Akshar went back to his seat. And started wondering.

People have a past. He knew Shreya's past and accepted it. His father once told him that he knew some innate details of Shreya's father, which no one else knew but he knew, yet Akshar didn't have a problem with that. He had accepted her mentally, didn't want any dowry, and all he wanted from her was just a one-word reply - "yes".

And then he was woken up by someone. It was his friend Suyash from college. They began chatting. He was going to Mumbai to give an exam and then would be back in town. Akshar asked Suyash about college mates. He wanted to know where Shreya was. Turned out she broke off her engagement and recently one of her friends had tagged her in a photo on Facebook at Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Was it possible that she was still in Mumbai ? Is this why his sixth sense had asked him to go to Mumbai? Do they still have a chance?

Photo by Arjun Suri

"Do you have extra soap?" asked the same girl to Akshar, whom he had helped twice. He took out a pack from his bag and gave it to her. Suyash asked who she was, and Akshar told how he protected her. Suyash was appalled and questioned why did he do that, he could have been beaten up by the miscreants. Akshar replied that she too is someone's daughter, someone's sister.

He remembered his support of feminist movement. He remembered the progressive speeches he gave on stage when in college. If only understanding and accepting the other gender, the way they are, would get you one.

Time progressed and the train reached its destination. Both friends got down. They were about to get an auto when they saw the same girl being teased by guys. Akshar wondered why was the girl so demure,  he took her aside and asked where she was going. She said she had nowhere to go and had come here to make a career. He insisted that she remained with him as the big city could be unsafe. Suyash asked Akshar to inform his relatives that he'll be reaching late and he said he'll do it once he had taken the girl to a safe place.

Photo by Arjun Suri

They couldn't book a room as no decent hotel would give space to unmarried people of different genders, so they chose to sit near the sea. It was evening already. Suyash took out his books and started revising for the exam. Akshar asked the girl, what was her name. "Naina", she said after a pause. He brought them Filter Coffee and Poha. Akshar and Naina began chatting, the latter speaking very little. There was indeed a sense of mystery around her.

The night was getting cold. They went for a walk. Mumbai was still very alive, no one seemed to be sleeping. They went past a building where the guard asked them what they were doing there. Akshar told he came to the city in search of a job and if the guard could tell anyone who could help. The guard made him meet Kaushal Sahib, who stayed in the building and was talking on phone near them. Akshar introduced himself to him and was informed of a job opening for fresher in Java development at his company. He was asked a few questions and surprisingly he could answer all of them, even though he hadn't done Java for some time. Kaushal Sahib promised him a job on the spot. Akshar was elated and said he'll join once he had settled the girl next to him. She was a commerce student and not eligible for corporate jobs until her degree was completed. Akshar wanted that she get some work immediately.

They walked for some more time, asking random people for a job. Then they met a guy outside a dingy restaurant, who promised job to Naina, and told her to meet Mr Venu at Sukhija Sagar restaurant the next morning. Elated, Akshar and Naina reached back to their spot and instead of sleeping they continued to chat. Naina told very little about her except that she was from Almora, left college midway and nursed a career in modelling or movies, working behind the scenes. She had fought with her parents to come here but didn't want to become an actress or model, she would do anything except showing herself to the public.

Photo by Arjun Suri

Akshar wanted to tell her that there's some goodness in her personality which is why good things will happen to her in future. He wanted to assure her that she's a bundle of immense potential and happiness will come to her soon. But his sixth sense told him to remain silent on this.

The sun rose. Suyash left for the examination centre. Akshar took Naina in metro to Sukhija Sagar for job.

As they were walking to the venue, Akshar was wondering about unanswered questions. Why is Naina so silent? Why did she run away before completing degree? Why doesn't she want to show herself to public? Will she too remain a mystery like Shreya?

When they reached, they were surprised to see the place. It looked very shady. Akshar wasn't getting a good feeling about it. The owner came and asked to take Naina inside a room. Akshar said no, you won't go alone, you leave this place now. Naina asked why, I want to be here, I've left my family and can't go back. Akshar grabbed her hand and ran outside.

Photo by Arjun Suri

They reached station. Having not slept the night before, Naina was tired and sleepy, yet had the energy to say that she didn't want to go back to her family. Akshar made her sit inside a train and went to buy tickets.

When he returned she wasn't there. He looked around and found her in another train. He held her hand and took her to the right train. She insisted she didn't want to go back but he said you can't be in this city, you go back to your parents to complete your degree first, and she won't go alone as he'll go with her. The train started and they both dozed off soon. When Akshar woke up, Naina wasn't there. He looked outside. Train was at New Delhi station. He saw Naina at the platform, ran towards her and got her inside. "Let me go, I don't want to go back!" "No, you will go back to your parents".

They sat down in the train and Akshar didn't sleep until they reached Almora. They got down and Naina kept saying she didn't want to go home. As she hadn't told her address, Akshar was wondering where he could take her, when suddenly there was a tap on his shoulder.

"Where have you been hiding her? You bugger - come with us to police station!"
"No sir - you're thinking wrong - I haven't ran her away, in fact I-"
"Give your explanation at the station!"
The police put them in jeep and they reached station.

When they reached, Akshar pleaded innocence. He told how he rescued her from miscreants thrice, kept her safely in an unknown city, protected her from landing up in wrong hands, and got her back to her hometown so that she'll complete her studies. The police was astounded. They called Sarpanch of the village Naina hailed from. He listened to the story and said "Sahib, this guy sounds genuine, he is not a culprit".

Akshar emphasized "Sir, please believe me, I haven't ran her away".
Police asked Akshar "Do you know why this girl ran away?"
Akshar responded "She wanted a job in Mumbai".
Police replied "She ran away because she is a murderer!"

This was followed by pin-drop silence.

Photo by Arjun Suri

The policeman told rest of the story. She was in college when she developed romance with a classmate. They ran away from home and got married. When they returned, her in laws didn't accept them, so they started living separately. It was all good in their small world, and within a year her son was born, after which her biological parents accepted her. Just when things were beginning to look fine, they turned sour. Her husband would abuse her, harass her, and even threaten to get violent in front of her son. She tried to make amends but things didn't improve. She along with her son started living at her parents home and she soon found job as a receptionist with a travel agent. Her husband kept threatening her on phone, and when blocked he started using spies. Once, he even stopped the auto rickshaw in which their son was going to school. He wouldn't divorce her, nor would he mend ways. He used political influence to ensure police won't take action against him.

And then, one day, he was found murdered at home. The police arrested Naina on the spot. She spent few months in jail, and was out on parole for her sister's wedding, when she boarded train to Mumbai, seemingly under pressure from her parents.

Akshar was stunned in disbelief. He took one last look at her stoic face, and then went out of the police station.

On the bus, Akshar got lost in thoughts. Why did his sixth sense asked to help her? He was on verge of getting jailed. His life could have taken turn for the worse. Surely there must be a reason.

It's been 3 years since that incident. Akshar worked in Mumbai for some time and then switched to another company in Hyderabad, as a Senior Java Developer. But he still hasn't forgotten "Naina" or her face. He didn't like her but he didn't dislike her either.

He has finally come to terms with Shreya leaving him, as he uploaded the following status on Facebook.

"Some people appear good only when we don't know them well enough. It's perhaps better that some mysteries remain a mystery and some dreams remain unfulfilled. Maybe you should not be upset if someone didn't accept your proposal. There was something shady at their end which they knew but didn't want to tell you about. You were actually too good for them and they knew that you deserved someone better. She didn't reject you because she hated you - she rejected you because deep down she liked you."

Photo by Rajat Sharma

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(Thanks to my friend Mr. Rohan Marwaha for giving me the motivation and base for writing this article based on a conversation we had).

Travel Notes from China (Beijing, Shanghai)

China is worth visiting, for tonnes of shopping, experiencing newness and best roads in the world.

I am back from a trip to China and what I saw stunned me. Forget any other country, China is directly competing with USA. The roads are the best I’ve seen anywhere, the infrastructure is top level, most places (especially in Shanghai) look and feel brand new, there is ample greenery all around, public transportation network is excellent, and there’s a LOT you can shop for at cheap rates. Try to make a trip to China, and be amazed.

Modern China, in its glory

Here’s how my trip went.

Monday, I boarded early morning flight from New Delhi to Shanghai. The flight was delayed due to weather conditions in Shanghai (read: tornado), and we reached much later than expected. The weather was breezy, and despite the city having population of over 25 million we didn’t experience traffic on the roads. I was stunned to see the quality of roads, they are wide as in WIDE and the flyovers have multiple vertical and horizontal layers. Even with the incessant rains, we didn’t experience any bumps or potholes.

Even with a lot of population, Shanghai roads are mostly empty at night, one reason being effective public transport network

Our dinner was scheduled to be served by a restaurant named Indian Kitchen. If you are a Vegetarian, then prefer Indian meals in China. Most Chinese people don’t understand the concept of Vegetarian, and normally you won’t find any markings to identify whether something is Vegetarian or Vegan. At this restaurant, they understood our dietary preferences and gave us packed Vegetarian thalis which were succulent, balanced and relieved us of the travel tiredness.

Bylanes of Shanghai Downtown

We checked into Hotel Courtyard Marriott Xujiahui, located right inside the downtown. I normally expect any downtown to be a congested place with old buildings and narrow roads. Here, the road outside the hotel has 20 lanes, with 14 lanes for cars, 2 for buses, and 4 for pedestrians/cyclists.

A walkover in Shanghai

Had the flight not been delayed, we’d have done shopping and seen acrobatic performance on Monday. To make up for the hours lost, we started early on Tuesday. We made some changes in our plan, and opted for shopping instead of acrobats.

Shanghai is twinned with some famous world cities such as San Francisco, Mumbai, Istanbul, London, Bangkok. Shanghai is far superior in terms of roads

Our first stop was at Jade Buddha temple. It’s hundreds of years old and well maintained.

The temple looks so new that for a moment I thought that it was constructed at dawn of the new decade

Religion isn’t promoted openly in China, and the government has imposed restrictions on growth of missionaries. The only time I could infer someone’s religion was when I saw some women wearing a religious scarf. I could spot only a few places of worship located on the main road, with trees in front of them. Not just there, I spotted trees and greenery everywhere - on roads, buildings, important places, et al. With all its skyscrapers, Shanghai doesn’t look like a concrete jungle (and as I later saw, nor does Beijing).

Even on flyovers like these, they’ve put plants on the sides

Historical places have an aura of their own, and we were interested in doing something far more engaging - Shopping. The whole world is dependent on Chinese goods. Our phones, our computers, our hand tools, our miniature statues, etc. most of them are manufactured in China. Chinese products aren’t usually heavy on the pocket (one reason companies outsource manufacturing to that country). There’s a lot to see and buy in China. Going to China and not doing any shopping is like going to Agra and not seeing the Taj Mahal.

Wish one could shop for Chinese roads as well

We went to Pearl Center. Famous for its pearl items, it’s also a scenic site where many would-be couples do pre-wedding shoots. I spotted four such pairs that day.

At the launch of my global political party. Promised to end corruption, tax evasion, dishonesty, cheating in exams, stalking, nepotism and more. Got rousing support from all these people

Inside the Pearl Shop, I was unsure if I should buy anything for folks. I had taken a StayConnect SIM with me from India, with a 2 GB Internet pack. I did a video chat home, and showed them the various options at hand. Mobile connectivity is good in China, as wherever I went I received 3G/4G signals, even on the train to Beijing.

The only thing I shopped here was peals of wisdom

Then we strolled at Yu Garden.

In nature’s lap

This was followed by Yu Yuan Tourist Mart. The shopping mart is built in traditional Chinese architecture. Almost everything I saw in Shanghai looked brand new, as if it was built 2-3 years ago. Surely all of it won’t be a recent construction, I appreciate the authorities for maintaining things well. The mart had places for shopping and also some biological gardens with lake. Rain started pouring and we purchased umbrellas from nearby shops, they were quite affordable. It’s a misconception that Chinese products are of low quality, they make all kinds of stuff, and you get what you pay for. They export best quality products to developed countries like USA, second rate products to few European countries, and third rate products to weaker economies

Such a wide variety of Umbrellas, that I didn’t spot any two of them that looked similar

Our lunch was at Kebabs On The Grille, an Indian restaurant at Central Plaza. Dining at Indian restaurants has several advantages for Indians. Firstly, the meals can be made as per dietary preferences. Secondly, quite a few of them accept Indian currency (no, don’t try to give them the old INR 500 and 1000 notes). Thirdly, the manager and few waiters will speak comprehensible English (and also Indian languages like Hindi).

Rainy weather. Green surroundings. Serene environment. The senior ones are enjoying it, and younger ones are seemingly ignoring it all to focus on their mobiles

It helps if you have a tour guide with you as s/he would be knowing English and can act as a bridge between you and the locals. Most Chinese people don’t know English, and I appreciate that they’ve maintained various aspects of their centuries old culture. I had a look at Mandarin signboards and couldn’t infer much with their respective English translation written next to it. Probably it takes such a long time for the Chinese to learn their own language, that they’re left with very little time to learn other languages.

Despite the language barrier, there’s one language which even machines understand - money. How much to give, and how much to receive

Some ladies in our group found shops nearby and made good use of their bargaining skills. It’s better to carry cash around as most places don’t accept cards, and among the ones that do many don’t support Visa/MasterCard since the POS machines are based on China’s own payment system. In fact, China has many things of its own, for which it doesn’t rely on services of other countries. They look at what’s existing elsewhere, and incorporate their better features on their own. Everywhere I saw people using WeChat, which is not simply a mobile app rather a complete ecosystem. From what I’ve inferred so far, WeChat = WhatsApp + Facebook + Twitter + Google Now + Office Mobile + iMessage + FitBit + PayTM + Play Store + Make America China Great Again.

I wonder if God took 7 days to make the planet and on 8th day created China so that they’d create stuff for everyone else

Facebook is banned. Twitter is banned. Instagram is banned. Snapchat is banned. Tumblr is banned. YouTube is banned. FourSquare is banned. Vimeo is banned. Play Store is banned. Famous international publications like New York Times are banned. Whole of Google and its services are banned. No wonder the Chinese are progressing so much, their people don’t waste so much time on the Internet.

Isn’t she adorable? Well, here’s some bad news - Cat Meat isn’t banned in China

The bans can definitely make you think on your toes. One one occasion I had to ask a shopkeeper if they sold backpacks, they didn’t understand my words as well as gestures. I thought of showing them a photo so I took out my phone and opened Google Search. Nothing happened, because it is banned. I tried Baidu but couldn’t navigate its Chinese interface. I tried BING, it opened, I searched for image of “backpack”, showed it to them, and then they pointed to where I could buy them.

Chinese for ‘Good Luck’. At times you’ll need it, especially when trying to explain local people what you’re actually trying to say

But there are few things which are beyond language. Having lunch, a young Chinese girl came to sell us local coffee (without milk without sugar - delight for vegans). She didn’t know English, so she served us free samples and told us rates using a Calculator. One gentleman among us, who was recently featured in an Indian newspaper for his achievements, got up from his seat to try negotiate price with her, but his efforts seemed to be going in vain. Then his wife got up and rebuked in Punjabi, telling him to sit on his seat as she will negotiate. Seeing this the coffee seller started laughing hysterically. Even though she didn’t understand a word, she could probably relate to the husband-wife hysterics.

Looking at the building with red coloured board on the top, my group members wondered if the owners of ‘Shudai99.com’ were Punjabis, trying to troll the Chinese. For the uninitiated, ‘Shudai’ is a Punjabi word which means means ‘Mad’

Then we went to 360 Tourism Plaza. Now, the shopping was about to get real. I seldom bargain in India, here I had to learn how to do that, looking at others buying the same thing for less money. I had some kind ladies in my group who showed how to do it. When a shopkeeper would quote 100 as the price, then you say no and give your price as 10. They won’t agree. Leave the place. They’ll call you back and quote 90. Don’t agree still. They’ll do some drama and come down to 80. Again, insist on leaving. They’ll say “75, best price”. Take out a calculator and show them “30x3=90” They won’t agree and make facial expressions. Gradually increase and they’ll come down further. Do this for some more time and ultimately buy at something like “50x4=200”. You can even say that you’ll be getting some more items with it as well. Whatever price they quote you, divide it by 10 and then start going up till you reach a middle point. If you’ve ever bargained at Palika Bazaar New Delhi, then you have all the skills and experience to shop in China.

You can’t bargain in branded outlets, almost invariably they are fixed price shops

People in my group purchased magnets, nail cutter keychains, massagers, decoration dolls, Buddha statues, traditional Chinese therapy gels, chopsticks, silk shawl, slippers, small folding screens, paintings, bobbleheads, miniature umbrellas, Buddha statues, wooden keyrings, fans etc. Most shopkeepers were promoting mobiles by Vivo, Oppo and Huawei, and none of us purchased a phone. Reason was that buying a mobile phone in China won’t be of much use since it’s in Chinese language and as Play Store is banned the phones have their own mechanism for downloading apps, removing which will require jailbreaking thus ending the warranty. When shopping in China, prefer buying items that are small in size, affordable, can be bargained on and won’t be readily available at home.

Indians should do tonnes of shopping in China. In other words, Hindi Chini Buy Buy

The next stop was Pearl TV Tower. One of the tallest towers in the world, on lines of KL Tower in Kuala Lumpur, CN Tower in Toronto, etc.

Pearl TV Tower

There are different levels including a revolving restaurant and shopping center. We went to Sightseeing floor, at 263 metres height.

City View from Pearl TV Tower. Nope, we were not floating in air

Then we went to The Bund (word derived from the Indian word ‘Bundergah’ which means Dockyard) and took Huangpu River Cruise in a ship.

All set to cruise

There are several restaurants in The Bund, and also places for shopping. Some eateries operate 24 hours. Most people in my group were Vegetarians, and also it was a Tuesday. We had our dinner at Kebabs On The Grille, at The Cool Docks. The place has a host of restaurants serving cuisines from different parts of the world such as Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, of course Indian. They’ve seemingly made this place for business people - come to Shanghai to do work and then have meal in your native cuisine.

Shanghai skyline

Wednesday morning we departed for Shanghai Railway Station, to catch train to Beijing, scheduled to depart at 9 AM. The railway station is built right next to Shanghai international airport, probably intended to help business travelers. There are 22 platforms at the station. The ticket was printed in Chinese, as with majority of the things I saw. I could sense that there are two reasons why India became the leading provider of IT services. Reason one, we’re good in Maths. Reason two, 200 years of colonisation.

Need another reason why a local guide helps? If not for our friendly tour guide, we’d not have made which train we had to sit in, with its respective coach and seat number

Chinese people prefer traveling by high speed trains as they don’t get affected by weather, like what happened with my flight. Trains run on time and efficiency is good. Inside the train, it was quite comfortable, there was one stop between Beijing. It took around 4:45 hours to traverse 1200+ Kms distance. Our ticket costed 553 Yuan per person.

The build quality and construction levels of Shanghai railway station are no less than an international airport

I observed that several Chinese people are attached to their families. On the train I saw an elderly gentleman who had brought his grandkids along, and was feeling delighted in making them travel on this train, gushing as he placed their schoolbags on the side window. The countryside view is lively.

There was just one bullet train stop on the way to Beijing

I saw respect for public property. Between two consecutive coaches, there was a hot water dispenser, with paper glasses next to it, to be used for hot tea/coffee/instant noodles. When my ride was getting over, I checked that place, the paper glasses were still there, no one took them home thinking they should do that as they were “free” and a part of the train ticket they had paid for.

Inside view of the train. There are several types of coaches with increased seating space and the price for highest class was 1700+ Yuan per person

Beijing reminded me of New Delhi. Historical lineage, country’s capital, widely inhabited, too many vehicles, greenery all around, host of flyovers, coolies enter train to pick your luggage the moment they see you, taxis are supposed to run on meter but many insist against it, and air quality levels that are often debated.

Map of Beijing Metro. The routes are mostly straight lines, vertical or horizontal

Lunch was at The Ganges U-Center, and I felt as if I was in Mumbai. The Aloo Bonda was proper Maharashtrian, with chana dal and rai in it. Turned out that the owner was from Mumbai, and several chefs from that region.

Not only the food was Indian, even the English was Indian

Then my group did the ultimate after-meal exercise. No, not walking or jogging. They did some shopping at the mall.

Many people would have been very very happy, had we purchased these scooters. Indians who dream of going to the UK, the extra baggage team of China Eastern Airlines and the customs & excise department at New Delhi Airport

Using public transport is encouraged. The metro network is expanding big time and so is the BRT network. Also, there are pedestrian bridges at many places on which you can carry your bicycle along the sides. Nowadays China gets compared with USA, and besides public transport there’s another aspect where China has the lead - their people are fitter. Maybe it’s in the genes. Maybe they don’t have so much of carbs and junk in their diet. Or maybe they are encouraged to walk around, instead of taking a car for everything, which controls obesity.

Only thing missing on these pedestrian bridges is a sign board proclaiming ‘Paudi Paudi Chadhta Jaa, Jai Mata Di Kehta Jaa’

We reached Tienanmen Square. This is where the Government operates from (like Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in New Delhi). One doesn’t see photos of politicians in public places, and here I saw a photo of Mao, who is widely revered in his own country, like several revolutionary leaders of the 20th century. The difference between Mao and others is that the former didn’t get assassinated.

Left is where government operates from. Middle is Forbidden City where kings ruled for 600 years. Right is museum. Empty space is that area which if it was India then more than 80 Street Cricket matches would have been simultaneously held here

Tienanmen Square is also the place where protests occur (like Jantar Mantar in New Delhi). The last such protest was by students in 1989, where thousands of students and civilians participated. The Chinese government retorted by sending in army with tanks and getting them killed, for they dared to raise their voice. I came to understand that that’s how things in China are, you can’t speak against the government, and the citizens don’t know too much about the revolutionary ideas happening elsewhere. If a company has to offer a mobile app or web based service to Chinese citizens, then its server must be hosted in China, whose contents can be accessed by the Government anytime they want to. That’s a major reason why so many popular websites are banned in China. Some believe that keeping a strict control is another reason why so much development could be made possible in China.

It is said that a developed country is where rich use public transport. On that parameter alone, China is on its way to becoming a developed nation

A lot of history resides in this place. That’s the difference between Shanghai and Beijing - a trip to Shanghai is mainly about exploring newly constructed places and compared to that Beijing is more on historical sites.

This is oldest building from where Beijing was established, more than 500 years ago

We hopped on to Qianmen Main Street Mall. It’s a shopping and recreation destination, with blend of traditional Chinese and modern architecture. You can shop for branded outlets without bargaining, as well as unbranded ones with bargaining (called ‘Dhashilan shops’).

 “What did you do in China?” “I shopped for things with label ‘Made in China’ and ate food in Indian restaurants”. “Erm, isn’t this what usually you do when in India?”

I have seen Chinatown in Kolkata and Singapore. This is the authentic version of Chinatown.

How do you identify real Chinatown from imitation one? Talk to shopkeepers. If most of them can’t communicate in a language other than Chinese, then you’re in original one

Dinner was at The Ganges U-Center. We checked into Hotel Holiday Inn. At the reception I exchanged a 100 Yuan note for smaller denominations. One guy accompanying me wasn’t so lucky, the notes he had turned out to be counterfeit. The lady at the reception taught us how to identify fake Yuan notes, on basis of vertical hologram strip towards right side of note and the area below Mao’s face having rugged texture. I had heard of Chinese things looking as good as original but being fake, never imagined that even currency could be like this.

For a moment I thought that those people were traveling late at night as Mr. Xi Jinping made a sudden announcement on TV “Friends, due to fake currency, effective midnight 100 Yuan notes are banned”

Thursday, we set off for Jade Shop, witnessing traditional Chinese art of creating sculptures and jewellery from Jade stone. Even though there’s a lot that can be purchased from here, this is not the place if you’re on shoestring budget. This is the kind of place where you’d be needing a Forex Card because things can get quite expensive. So expensive that on that very fateful day, a visitor at same the venue accidentally broke something and was made to shell out fine of 44,000 Yuan.

Some people buy jewellery to fulfill their desires. Some buy jewellery to invest for future. And some buy jewellery to impress those who won’t support them in difficult times

And then, we went, to The Great Wall of China. To understand what makes this place unique, simply climb from one fortress to other. Freaking wow! The steps are uneven, one step small and the next step tall, the next step again tall and next step small, next step tall and next two steps small, next two steps tall and next step small, next step tall and so on. You can’t predict the pattern of steps, which confuses the mind unlike anything you’ve done when climbing a normal staircase.

There’s an interesting similarity between these steps and the current US President. Both are connected to A WALL.

Climbing the wall is not for the faint hearted or for those with specific diseases. Most tourists just see the wall from the ground without climbing up, and that’s alright since there are shops in the vicinity (aren’t shops everywhere in China?). I carried a water bottle along and it helped that I was wearing a T-Shirt.

Climbing the great wall is so therapeutic that many fitness centres would shut down if there was a great wall in every city of the world.

Our tour guide arranged Chinese food at the restaurant above Cloisonne Factory because not only that place is famous, also they serve Indian cuisine just in case none of us could gulp the actual Chinese food, which is different from what is served in India in the name of Chinese food. Also, the restaurant management knew that there is a word called ‘Vegetarian’ and served us few items of interest. On its ground floor, Cloisonne items were being sold, which is heritage Chinese craft.

They looked fascinating but we didn’t buy them as they could have been broken when transporting home, and otherwise the cost of fragile packing would have been high

We then went to Beijing Olympic Village, where 2008 Summer Olympics were held. 2022 Winter Olympics are going to be organized at the same venue.

2022 Winter Olympics will have a new type of game - Crack jokes on Mao and then run as far as you possibly can without getting hurt

Then we did some shopping near Happy Valley.

There was a guy from Punjab. His friends used to call him ‘Happy’. What an enterprising guy he was, full of inspiration. He went to China and started his own business. Now look at Happy Valley on the right. Friends, let me tell you with pride and happiness, the story of that Happy is absolutely NOT related to this Happy Valley

Followed by Chinese musical drama show ‘Golden Mask Dynasty’. If you are in stage operas having elements of war, relationships and acrobats and mythology; then this is the thing for you.

If the Chinese were to stage their own Baqra Kishton Pe, this is how it’d look like

Some of my group members insisted on having a Pizza, in a mall where they could do shopping. So we came to U-Center, with food court on sixth floor and several other places to shop for.

If someone in my group was a celebrity couple then I would not have written this blog, I’d have simply Instagrammed the photos and you’d have seen the pics on popular entertainment portals with the title “Exclusive Pics from xx & yy’s vacation in China”

We went to Tube Station, a chain of Pizza restaurants across China. The waitresses couldn’t communicate in English, and as most of us were Vegetarians my group members asked about the options. The waitress pointed to a Pizza, for which pat came the reply “No chicken”. She pointed to another Pizza, for which came another reply “No beef”. Another Pizza, and then “No pork”. After which, “No duck”. Finally she showed 3 Pizzas, of which one contained only Cheese, the other contained Cheese and Onions, and the third one contained Cheese and 4 types of Mushrooms. The Pizza plan got ditched and we opted for good ol’ Indian food, which was available just a few steps away in The Ganges, located on the same floor.

Though China is mostly an atheist country, I saw Gayatri Mantra at The Ganges. Though India is mostly a theist country, I’ve never seen this at any restaurant in India. No idea why

We had to check out of the hotel, which meant packing bags with stuff that was purchased. I was wondering why weighing machine was there in my Beijing hotel room (it was in Shanghai as well), and then I learned the answer. In China, one can end up buying a lot many things, depending on the cash at hand. So just stand on weighing machine and take measurement. Step down, stand on weight machine with luggage and take measurement. Subtract the values so as to determine whether you'll have to pay for extra baggage in airlines or not.

I was wondering how did the Chinese progress so rapidly in last 30 years? Then I saw how a Chinese DNA looked like. Okay, don’t be so serious, fact is that the Chinese progressed simply because they wanted to progress

Friday morning, all of us woke up late. Maybe it was the tiredness from trekking the Great Wall, or that the most important activities were already done (read: shopping). During breakfast buffet, I was looking for corn flakes, and the waitress couldn’t understand what I was looking for. I took out my mobile and put “corn flakes” on browser search bar. It didn’t open and then I remembered that Google is banned. The lady was kind to bring her own phone, to assist me with search, which looked like an iPhone but wasn’t. In fact I saw many such iPhone clones in China, whose UI had also been ripped off from iOS and one would make out the imitation after inspecting closely.

India is not the only country with oodles of jugaad

Checking out, we went to Temple of Heaven. It’s an old religious institution where prayers were made to heaven for good harvest. It has its own kind of architecture, surrounded by greens.

For centuries, farmers have been going through a lot of troubles to produce food. It’s a recent trend that we’ve started throwing cooked food in dustbin, and I don't support that at all

Locals often visit this place for fun. I spotted a group of ladies aged 60+, posing for fake candids. I also spotted a group of men and women, aged 50+, playing a game of cards. And I spotted young couples posing for selfies, with hundred year old trees in the background. What I didn’t spot was someone Snapchatting with animal filters, because that’s banned as well.

The only bits of Chinese I understood was the 2nd word in 2nd row - AREA

As I saw all across Shanghai and Beijing, China promotes cycling and walking. Most places have dedicated lanes and overbridges. I noticed several branded bikes in stands with QR codes on them, which is a recent trend. Startups have emerged where you can sign up for a bicycle rental service with some down payment and every time you need a bicycle then just go to parking stand of your bicycle brand, take out your phone, scan QR code, ride the bicycle and drop it in a designated parking spot. It’s linked to your wallet from which money is deducted afterwards (like 1 Yuan for 30 minutes ride). My tour guide would use these bicycles for going to nearest bus/metro station and ride the nearest station near their home. No wonder public transport usage is growing in China.

Now waiting for some IIT graduates to launch their own bicycle rental startup in India. Venture Capitalists take note, the real challenge will not be in finding early adopters, the challenge will be in maintaining the rented bicycles in good shape

With that we set out for the international airport, to catch flight to New Delhi.

This reminded me of Buddhist Monasteries in Dharamshala

Lunch was delivered by The Taj Pavilion at the airport, in neatly packed thalis. One of us almost lost his mobile containing irreplaceable data, and it wouldn’t have been located if not for Mr. Vishal’s presence of mind. Most people wouldn’t have thought of what he thought, at that point of time.

Toll on the road to Beijing airport. The most hatke toll booth I’ve ever seen

The flight was delayed and we were kind of expecting it, due to turbulent weather conditions and airport traffic control issues. So if you have a connecting flight or train after your destination point, then make sure you keep some buffer time in between. For this reason we returned to our hometown in a taxi, with the flight delay we’d have missed our scheduled train.

BYOD in action: The flight crew used Smartphone to communicate with their team instead of a walkie-talkie

Special thanks to Mr. Vishal Bhagat for making my trip comfortable. Mr. Surender Kanwar, for elaborate planning and remote support throughout the journey. My travel guides. Mr. Snow and Ms. Wendy, for their proactive support. Mr. Simrat Sahi, for taking out his valuable time to meet me. And the people who worked behind the scenes to make this trip possible.

The Chinese make extensive use of wooden sticks. To keep things straight. Trees as well as people

More Notes:

1. I noticed local people communicating via voice messages on WeChat. Maybe as Chinese language isn’t as easy to type as English. WeChat is immensely powerful, to do business in China you must integrate your systems with it.
2. Cost of labour is gradually increasing in China due to which some companies have started outsourcing their manufacturing to Indonesia and Vietnam as the labour cost is cheaper. Chinese brands like Lenovo and Oppo are becoming bigger in the global marketplace, due to which the marginally diminishing manufacturing in China hasn’t impacted the economy as of yet.
3. Some Chinese people eat dog meat. I wonder if that’s the reason I didn’t see any stray dogs in China.
4. West China isn’t as developed as Beijing and Shanghai, one reason China is still a developing nation.
5. Chinese people are taught to hail communism since childhood in school.
6. On the way to Great Wall, I saw a mall that looked like exact copy of malls I had seen in California. Even the road looked like American freeways, with the only differentiating factor being signboards in Chinese language.
7. In China, no media can dare to give fake news or incorrect facts to showcase the government in a negative light, if they do then strict action can be taken against them.
8. Chinese products are cheap because labour is cheap, which can be daunting for the workers. I met someone who used to work in a European car factory years ago, he’d work 11 hours a day just to earn 40 Yuan for that day. He decided to quit his job within a year, learned English and is now doing better in another profession. Poverty exists in China which is why some people do such kind of jobs, and they choose not to quit. If USA gets back manufacturing jobs from China, then they may not be able to force their workers to put in long hours without paying overtime, the way it happens in China
9. The roads are insanely good. I didn’t see a single pothole or patchwork anywhere. If a contractor creates bad quality material, then action will be taken on them. I saw very few hatchbacks, most cars were Sedans or SUV’s, as the roads are suitable for driving them.
10. Due to rapid growth, prices in certain cities have grown. Having own apartment in Shanghai has become expensive, and so is marriage of kids. Chinese parents work hard to save money so that they can spend on their kids’ wedding. Several Chinese families give more preference to son over daughter, and female foeticide is prevalent in some parts, which the Chinese government is trying to control.
11. I didn’t see any politician’s posters anywhere, except some photos of Mao that too at select places. Nor did I see any religious processions on the streets.
12. Perhaps the reason China could grow so much was that they strictly impose what they want to get done, laws are strict means offenders get punished, and many people work out of fear. And there’s no stopping all this as all over the world people continue buying Chinese goods.
13. China is traditionally a society that favours male child, and the corrupt practice of dowry is still prevalent among various people. Yet, I noted that most shops are operated by women. My security scan at Shanghai railway station was done by a woman. I saw a woman selling fans and umbrellas, at the underpass near Tiananmen Square, with her few months old kid in a pram. I didn’t see any separate bogie for women on the trains.
14. Even though a lot of web services and mobile apps are banned, Chinese people have made their own ecosystems without relying too much on other countries. This is truly commendable on their part. By the way, so many things are banned in China that I wouldn’t have been able to upload this article in China, as my own blog provider is banned.
15. Chinese have preserved their culture yet embraced modernisation. I met an investment banker on the way back, his visiting card had one side in English and the other side in Chinese.
16. To do business in China, trust is important. Both parties must know that the other people are genuine, and if you buy in bulk then you’ll get good discount.
17. I noticed that Chinese residents dare not question the government, for fear of getting jailed. Maybe that is what made them succeed. Force people to do things, without questioning them. That does make me wonder, what if a similar government comes to power in countries like USA or UK, threatening individualistic freedom but promising overall development?
18. Innovation is still happening in USA. China is aping parts from it. I encourage original creation and believe that if it was so easy then anyone could have done what China has done.
19. There are areas where no one is currently living. They have been made for the future, so that when population expands then they’ll settle there. Forget under development, China is a case of over development.
20. The next Silicon Valley will be in China.

More Photos:

Another Beijing similarity with New Delhi. This reminded me of Dandi March Statue.

Fruit Shop opposite Hotel Holiday Inn, Beijing. The one place I could get Vegan food without asking for ingredients.

Pedestrian Walkover in Shanghai.

Beijing city. Trees all around.

Shanghai. Trees all around.

Chinese Restaurant in Beijing. Vegetarians, don’t even think of entering here.

These are the kind of places they showed you on Chinese Period TV shows, didn’t they?

That’s Cloisonne, traditional Chinese art of creating sculptures

Some interesting vehicles on road

An aerial view of Shanghai

Tonnes of Jade Jewellery and Sculptures

After bargaining like crazy in Shanghai, 15% off looked nothing. We didn’t even enter this shop.

Bus stop near Olympics village, Beijing

The entrance of this Shanghai mall reminded me of Japanese Nintendo 8-bit video games

A young couple going for pre-wedding shoot at Pearl Center, Shanghai

How many flyovers can you count in this picture taken at Shanghai?

How many flyovers can you count in this picture taken at Beijing?

Spare a thought for the people who worked hard to complete such massive constructions, committing to the deadlines and delivering on time.

This is modelled on lines of ancient Chinese sculptures.

Pink is a wonderful colour unless it’s in the form of a slip.

China’s road network is robust.

That’s our friendly tour guide in Shanghai, Mr. Snowman

“Those were the days” said one public phone booth to the other

It’s a common sight to see multiple layers of flyovers in China.

How very interesting, to read the word “Democracy” in China

Selfie and the city.