This is some thing I had no clue to, when I was packing in preperation to come here. I was told that there were no Indian grocery stores, so I had to take lot of groceries - but thats about it. There were few things that I wish I had brought, instead of the groceries...
You can ship what ever you like, except ofcourse inflammables, explosives, etc. Food items, I think few items like dairy goods are prohibited, not sure. But your shipping company will know what you can, and what you cannot ship here.
MOST IMPORTANT : For those who are going to ship their goods here, the most important thing to remember is, whether you ship or send the goods from India to here, the consignment CAN NOT be delivered to you, unless you have a residential permit. The residential permit, will take three to four weeks to obtain, as there are a line of things to be done, medical exam,apply for permit, and also the customs clearance at the port... so be prepared - have the basics in your carry on baggage when you come : Namely, cook ware - smallest pressure cooker, a tava, a small frypan, a pan for tea/ milk, few plates, cups, glasses, spoons,serving spoons ... I have a number of people whom I had specifically told this, then they would just pack everything in their shipment, and just bring clothes.. and they would have one month to the time their shipment would arrive - and then they can not buy everything, since all goods are already in the shipment, would be unnecessary expense.. nor could they adjust, not having proper cooking equipment. It is not easy for Indians to cook in one dish or eat in one plate - we need so many things ! So be prepared for the one month, to avoid the " Oh, I dont have ANYTHING to cook proper food.. but I dont want to spend money on things I am going to get any way in my shipment "...
Or just be prepared to spend money on things which you will have double of, or give away later.
So, heres the list :
Start with the Gods' name, as they say in India ...
Hindus : Sorry, there are no hindu temples here, only the Buddha temples. They will burn incense and offer prayers, but no priests, no rituals. You are one of those who will not start a day unless you prostrate before god, please get your Gods' pictures, pooja saaman, like lamps, wicks for lamps, (oil and ghee, agarbatthi you can buy here) camphor, etc. You can find Mandirs (or mantapam if you call it so) to put Gods'pictures in, near all the big Buddha temples - thats what we did. Not a great quality, but will do. But, when you light lamps and agarbattis, do be careful, The floorings are all wooden here and most construction material is of the kind will catch fire quickly. We had two cases of fires in Indians' homes here, so I know. When you do light a diya, just take care when you go out that its not still alight - and when you sleep too, be careful.
Carry cassettes/ cds of gods'pujas like ganesh chaturdhi, lakshmi puja, satyanarayan puja - use the cds or cassettes to do puja.No purohits here !
Muslims : Sorry, this is only a friends view, not mine so please forgive me ! There are two or three mosques where you can offer prayers. My friend tells me Halaal meat is available but she has to travel far for it, and so it is a little difficult, but not impossible.
Fuyou Lu Mosque, Huangpu district, Phone : 63282135
Pudong Mosque, Pudong Phone : 50540416.
Song Jiang Mosque, Songjiang Phone : 57714057.
Huxi Mosque Xu hui Phone : 62597389.
Churches : Again, same thing. There are churches, but am not sure how many offer english service.
All Saints Church Luwan, Ph : 63850906.
St Ignatius Cathedral Ph : 64382595.
There was a post in Shanghai expat website that the above church offers english service but I am not sure they do now or not. You will need to call and find out.Let some chinese friend help you.
Medicines :
If you have a problem for which you need to take medicines regularly ( diabetes, Blood pressure, thyroid,etc) - do bring a stock along, may be 4 to 6 months stock. It does not mean I want to scare you that there are no medical facilities around here - there are quite a few good hospitals, and very good doctors too. But, you will need some time to get settled here, and last thing you want to do is run around hospitals, not knowing the language, trying to explain your problems - when you still have to find a home and settle down. With the language problem - and here you do not get some medicines over the counter like in India. You will get Paracetamol for fever, cough and cold medication, but the names are different. Even the pharmacies and their staff know the names in chinese - which makes it more problematic. So get some Crocin, cold and flu medication, stomach upset medication ( this is most important isnt it ?:) ) antacids, multivitamins - and any other medicines you need to take everyday. Homeo medicines, if you are used to, get what ever you think you may need, since you don't get homeo medicines here.
If you have children, do visit a pediatrician before your trip, get all vaccinations up to the day you leave ( most vaccines are same here too, you can get them vaccinated here also ) - and get the doctor to give you a list of medicines to use in case they have fever, cold, cough, etc.
Groceries : As I mentioned we have Indian stores, which supply most of the groceries.
Remember, all the prices here are way more than what you will pay in India for the same, so if your company pays shipping costs, it might help to save you some money if you stock up. Yes, sometimes the stores run out of stock, and their shipments are not cleared by customs, so it takes few weeks some times to get the groceries you need. So get used to keeping some stock - do not get caught short. Here the weather is cool most of the year, so groceries do not spoil so fast as they do in india.
Rice/ Atta :
For people whose main diet is rotis, it is fine for them, since atta, whole wheat flour is available - but for people from the south, and other states where rice is eaten more than rotis - You will have to get used to eating sticky rice. Yes, sticky rice. The rice we buy here is sticky, and does not taste the same. It feels odd for a few months, but most of us here get used to it, since there is only one more option, which is not always available. The Indian kitchen supplies sona masuri rice, at an exorbitant price of 16 rmb ( roughly equal to 85 rupees ) a kilo. The basmati rice is almost the same price I think. While finicky eaters can buy from there, be warned - the stock is not always available.Personally I do not spend so much money on this rice. We got used to the Thai rice which we get locally here. Idly rice - mostly we do get, sometimes there is a shortage.
Dals, beans : Tuvar dal, channa dal, moong dal, they are all available. Masoor dal - sometimes not. You can get kabuli channa, and rajma. Masalas - the regular garam masala, pav bhaji, chole masalas, yes. Sambar and rasam powders - not so much. When you do get, you might not get the brand you are used to. Best to get used to making your own :)
Rava, sooji : Sooji/ rava for upma, Besan, Poha, yes, generally you do get. Dalia ( broken wheat) is terribly expensive when you do get, for some odd reason. If you use a lot then perhaps stock up on Dalia.
Spices : Cinnamon (dalchini), Cloves ( laung) , Star anise, saunf, Cumin ( jeera) are spices which the chinese use as well, so you get them even at the chinese supermarkets. Cardamom ( elaichi) , Coriander seeds ( dhania) are available at Indian stores. Regular turmeric ( haldi), Chilli powder, are available.
Kitchen stuff :
Utensils :
Stainless steel utensils here are not of good quality - and very expensive. Especially Spoons , forks etc .. get spoons atleast, if you can't ship your goods..
Kadhais - get all the types you are used to. Chinese cooking differs from indian cooking in that all cooking is done on high heat, so the woks (thats what they call their frying pans) you get are bigger in size, of course it is possible to do our cooking in them - its just that it is convenient to get what we can, since we are so used to our kind of cooking vessels.
A Tava, the flat pan we use for making rotis, dosas.. definitely get them, one for dosas, one for rotis.. You will not find a tava here. If you cant...Making rotis and dosas in a saucepan.... not nice ! Even if you cannot ship, a nonstick tava or two is not such a weight.
Rolling pins, you can find - but if possible get your own. The ones here are bigger and not so handy.
And yes, Pressure cookers are available here, though the working is not the same - they do not give out whistles like our Prestige or Hawkins...There have been friends who bought and used the cookers here. If you are bringing your cookers, do bring spare parts for them - the gaskets, safety valves, handles. You can not find spare parts for the cookers we buy in india.
Tea strainers / milk strainers : Get the jaali you use for straining tea and milk - you wont find the plastic or metal ones here handy.. the people here do drink tea, but they have special containers to drink tea which hold down the tea leaves as they drink - and they do not boil milk, if and when they drink milk - so get the strainers.. I know kids do not like to drink milk with the cream bits in it :)
Storing containers/ Dabbas :
This is one more thing every one wishes they got from India. We Indians need a lot of dabbas for storing groceries, different dals, masalas...here,they do not use so many types of groceries, or have storage containers suitable for our kitchens. So lug some Pearl pet containers if you have the space and option. Most of us did not know this, we come here and search in vain for suitable dabbas. Of course we get innovative, start storing the condiments in empty juice bottles ( yes we do !), buy Milo jars, use it up, then use the glass jars.. but still.. very difficult when you are used to good storage containers we get back home. Some glass jars which are airtight, you do get, but they are very expensive.
There is a store called Ikea here, all of us go there to stock up on stuff..
you can click on the link below - see what stuff they have, to get an idea...
You can also go to other departments in the website, just to get an idea of the prices, and what stuff is available...
IKEA
You will get the address and site map of Ikea in the website itself, you can navigate.The nearest metro station is Cao Xi road station, its just across the road from the station.
Electical/ electronic equiment :
Most of the houses here are given for rent fully furnished. The houses have all the amenities, Television,Refrigerator, Washing Machine,Airconditioning, Telephone connection, Internet connection and all the furniture - sofas, dining tables, beds etc. Contrary to popular opinion, the electronic items here ARE NOT CHEAP. They are as expensive as, if not more than, the items we find in India. But ofcourse you need not buy anything, the landlord will provide.
South Indians, and those who love to make ( or eat) idli, dosa... bring your wet grinders,if possible. If not, get atleast a Sumeet or Preeti Mixie.. The grinders we get here are not good enough to handle tough grinding jobs like dosa and vada batter.
It will make your life much easier, believe me. This was the top item next to the pressure cooker most of my friends said they missed bringing and regretted it.
Clothes :
Most of the clothes here are made to fit locals. Read : "Slim, thin, match stick figured "...
If you are lucky to be one of the slim types, you will find some clothes to fit here. If you are medium build, well... may be. If you are large built, like me... then you better stock up on jeans, trousers , tops - if you find ones to fit you may not always like it.
Now that we are talking about clothes - the weather. The weather is dicey here. Firstly, it is cold weather most of the time. September and May are pleasant months, when you can wear light clothing..June, July and August are summer and really HOT and Humid, like Bombay, even more.
October, March and April are cooler, require a light jacket / sweater to be worn. Something like Bangalore / Delhi climate in winter. November to February... brrrr...
I dont want to talk about it, its summer now but.. its pretty cold, even though the temperature doesnt reach much below zero deg. centigrade, its cold and windy. You need a thick winter jacket, a sweater and an inner thermal,( by the way thermals - inner warm wear are cheaper here than in India)... you get the point. The trick is to put on layers and layers - which then can be removed or added according to you are inside or outside. You will need a goose/ duck down jacket for the winter.
You can buy good goose down jackets here, or even get them made to order.
There is a big fabric market here, where many of us go to get clothes custom made. That will be your option if you are unlucky enough not to get shipping paid by the company...
Childrens' clothes can be bought here, they have a lot of variety and styles, especially for girls.
Shoes, ditto. If you have small feet, you get a lot of variety... say Bata size 7 - till then no problem. Even then, some people told me that they do not like the styles. There are places where you can get shoes custom made. Me and my family ? we are all blessed with enormous feet.. and we get ours from India every time we go there.
The main problem is, the locals are built differently. We are more bulky around certain parts ( ahem !!) and they are quite thin and not rounded at all..so while their XL might fit the shoulders, it does not fit the bust - same with pants. The waist will be a 34, but the hips ?? No way. The same problem with undergarments.. Best to get a big stock from India, unless you want padded ones ( hope you get my point..).
Books :
This is something one tends to get only if they get shipping.. books are bulky and heavy.
If you like to read, and if you have children who do, please get all your favorites..
and chilrens' books. The books are very expensive here, especially childrens'books..if you want to have your kids connected to indian heritage and culture, get Amar Chitra Kathas.. and comics too.. comics are not to be found.
Cosmetics :
Talcum powder - not that you will need a lot here in this climate - you can't find here, only Johnsons' baby powder - so if you want get a few.
Bindis : Ladies, remember - the locals do not wear bindis, do get a stock.
other cosmetics like compacts, lipsticks, nailpolish, yes we do get brands like Revlon, Maybelline, and other international brands - but then, very expensive. Sometimes its difficult to find your favourite shade - since these peoples' complexion is different from ours - the shades of make up are different. So if you are particular about some particular shade of make up - I can't be much of a help with this section, I do not wear much make up but I get know how from my friends...
Other stuff like toothpaste, soaps and shampoos - all the big brands are here - colgate, sunsilk ( called hazeline here), Surf ( called OMO), Tide, Lux, Dove,Head and shoulders, Dettol, and much more. You will find some which will suit you.
Baby stuff - most Johnson and Johnsons stuff is available - and yes, Diapers are Expensive with a capital E.Pack some in your shipment if you have space.
Depilatory creams, wax strips.. again very expensive..and waxing in saloons - verrrry expensive. so get some stock ( not that you will get much chance to show your skin off except June to September - other months are pretty cold ).
Toys :
This is the shocking factor for most parents when they reach here, to find that toys are not cheap here at all ! The problem is that, when you buy in India, the "china ka maal".. it should have been exported with out much duties, to encourage buyers - so they are cheaper in India. And another thing, if you have kids in the age range where they will see cartoons and want stuff related to it ( say, Ben 10 stuff for boys) it will not be found here, simply because the cartoon is not popular here... I had GREAT problems last year finding a "Power Ranger" sword for my kid.. only people with kids in the age range will know what I am talking about. Then, we have a "Toys R Us " shop here, where we sometimes find stuff you want, at a price four times what we will pay in India for it. Shocking, sad but true.
For example, and please see my date of posting when ever you read this, the prices will change as you read : Cost of Scrabble board game in India : 540 rupees. Cost of Scrabble in Shanghai : 268 yuan, meaning something like 1608 rupees. The exchange rate varies but generally One yuan currently is something like 10 rupees. I had some relatives coming over so had the game sent over, and saved some money :)
And the quality of toys too is not so great, they keep breaking but then I guess you know that.
Yes, and you wont find Carrom Boards here, nor Cricket bats, or cricket stuff. People tend to play base ball here - no one knows cricket much. There is a wonderful store here called Decathlon where you find all the sporting goods and accessories you will want, from Tennis, badminton, swimming to skiing and camping.
Movie DVDs :
Hindi movie dvds are available at Bhoomi stores. But you might not always find what you are looking for. You need to buy another Indian language dvd - stock up from home. You will NOT find other language DVDs. Some times, by just sheer luck you might end up finding an odd hindi dvd with a dvd shop or street vendor.I found Krrish, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Kabul Express.. Asoka is famous - seems to turn up everywhere.
Once you have a circle of friends, you can buy and also start circulation the dvds..makes sense doesnt it ?
You can ship what ever you like, except ofcourse inflammables, explosives, etc. Food items, I think few items like dairy goods are prohibited, not sure. But your shipping company will know what you can, and what you cannot ship here.
MOST IMPORTANT : For those who are going to ship their goods here, the most important thing to remember is, whether you ship or send the goods from India to here, the consignment CAN NOT be delivered to you, unless you have a residential permit. The residential permit, will take three to four weeks to obtain, as there are a line of things to be done, medical exam,apply for permit, and also the customs clearance at the port... so be prepared - have the basics in your carry on baggage when you come : Namely, cook ware - smallest pressure cooker, a tava, a small frypan, a pan for tea/ milk, few plates, cups, glasses, spoons,serving spoons ... I have a number of people whom I had specifically told this, then they would just pack everything in their shipment, and just bring clothes.. and they would have one month to the time their shipment would arrive - and then they can not buy everything, since all goods are already in the shipment, would be unnecessary expense.. nor could they adjust, not having proper cooking equipment. It is not easy for Indians to cook in one dish or eat in one plate - we need so many things ! So be prepared for the one month, to avoid the " Oh, I dont have ANYTHING to cook proper food.. but I dont want to spend money on things I am going to get any way in my shipment "...
Or just be prepared to spend money on things which you will have double of, or give away later.
So, heres the list :
Start with the Gods' name, as they say in India ...
Hindus : Sorry, there are no hindu temples here, only the Buddha temples. They will burn incense and offer prayers, but no priests, no rituals. You are one of those who will not start a day unless you prostrate before god, please get your Gods' pictures, pooja saaman, like lamps, wicks for lamps, (oil and ghee, agarbatthi you can buy here) camphor, etc. You can find Mandirs (or mantapam if you call it so) to put Gods'pictures in, near all the big Buddha temples - thats what we did. Not a great quality, but will do. But, when you light lamps and agarbattis, do be careful, The floorings are all wooden here and most construction material is of the kind will catch fire quickly. We had two cases of fires in Indians' homes here, so I know. When you do light a diya, just take care when you go out that its not still alight - and when you sleep too, be careful.
Carry cassettes/ cds of gods'pujas like ganesh chaturdhi, lakshmi puja, satyanarayan puja - use the cds or cassettes to do puja.No purohits here !
Muslims : Sorry, this is only a friends view, not mine so please forgive me ! There are two or three mosques where you can offer prayers. My friend tells me Halaal meat is available but she has to travel far for it, and so it is a little difficult, but not impossible.
Fuyou Lu Mosque, Huangpu district, Phone : 63282135
Pudong Mosque, Pudong Phone : 50540416.
Song Jiang Mosque, Songjiang Phone : 57714057.
Huxi Mosque Xu hui Phone : 62597389.
Churches : Again, same thing. There are churches, but am not sure how many offer english service.
All Saints Church Luwan, Ph : 63850906.
St Ignatius Cathedral Ph : 64382595.
There was a post in Shanghai expat website that the above church offers english service but I am not sure they do now or not. You will need to call and find out.Let some chinese friend help you.
Medicines :
If you have a problem for which you need to take medicines regularly ( diabetes, Blood pressure, thyroid,etc) - do bring a stock along, may be 4 to 6 months stock. It does not mean I want to scare you that there are no medical facilities around here - there are quite a few good hospitals, and very good doctors too. But, you will need some time to get settled here, and last thing you want to do is run around hospitals, not knowing the language, trying to explain your problems - when you still have to find a home and settle down. With the language problem - and here you do not get some medicines over the counter like in India. You will get Paracetamol for fever, cough and cold medication, but the names are different. Even the pharmacies and their staff know the names in chinese - which makes it more problematic. So get some Crocin, cold and flu medication, stomach upset medication ( this is most important isnt it ?:) ) antacids, multivitamins - and any other medicines you need to take everyday. Homeo medicines, if you are used to, get what ever you think you may need, since you don't get homeo medicines here.
If you have children, do visit a pediatrician before your trip, get all vaccinations up to the day you leave ( most vaccines are same here too, you can get them vaccinated here also ) - and get the doctor to give you a list of medicines to use in case they have fever, cold, cough, etc.
Groceries : As I mentioned we have Indian stores, which supply most of the groceries.
Remember, all the prices here are way more than what you will pay in India for the same, so if your company pays shipping costs, it might help to save you some money if you stock up. Yes, sometimes the stores run out of stock, and their shipments are not cleared by customs, so it takes few weeks some times to get the groceries you need. So get used to keeping some stock - do not get caught short. Here the weather is cool most of the year, so groceries do not spoil so fast as they do in india.
Rice/ Atta :
For people whose main diet is rotis, it is fine for them, since atta, whole wheat flour is available - but for people from the south, and other states where rice is eaten more than rotis - You will have to get used to eating sticky rice. Yes, sticky rice. The rice we buy here is sticky, and does not taste the same. It feels odd for a few months, but most of us here get used to it, since there is only one more option, which is not always available. The Indian kitchen supplies sona masuri rice, at an exorbitant price of 16 rmb ( roughly equal to 85 rupees ) a kilo. The basmati rice is almost the same price I think. While finicky eaters can buy from there, be warned - the stock is not always available.Personally I do not spend so much money on this rice. We got used to the Thai rice which we get locally here. Idly rice - mostly we do get, sometimes there is a shortage.
Dals, beans : Tuvar dal, channa dal, moong dal, they are all available. Masoor dal - sometimes not. You can get kabuli channa, and rajma. Masalas - the regular garam masala, pav bhaji, chole masalas, yes. Sambar and rasam powders - not so much. When you do get, you might not get the brand you are used to. Best to get used to making your own :)
Rava, sooji : Sooji/ rava for upma, Besan, Poha, yes, generally you do get. Dalia ( broken wheat) is terribly expensive when you do get, for some odd reason. If you use a lot then perhaps stock up on Dalia.
Spices : Cinnamon (dalchini), Cloves ( laung) , Star anise, saunf, Cumin ( jeera) are spices which the chinese use as well, so you get them even at the chinese supermarkets. Cardamom ( elaichi) , Coriander seeds ( dhania) are available at Indian stores. Regular turmeric ( haldi), Chilli powder, are available.
Kitchen stuff :
Utensils :
Stainless steel utensils here are not of good quality - and very expensive. Especially Spoons , forks etc .. get spoons atleast, if you can't ship your goods..
Kadhais - get all the types you are used to. Chinese cooking differs from indian cooking in that all cooking is done on high heat, so the woks (thats what they call their frying pans) you get are bigger in size, of course it is possible to do our cooking in them - its just that it is convenient to get what we can, since we are so used to our kind of cooking vessels.
A Tava, the flat pan we use for making rotis, dosas.. definitely get them, one for dosas, one for rotis.. You will not find a tava here. If you cant...Making rotis and dosas in a saucepan.... not nice ! Even if you cannot ship, a nonstick tava or two is not such a weight.
Rolling pins, you can find - but if possible get your own. The ones here are bigger and not so handy.
And yes, Pressure cookers are available here, though the working is not the same - they do not give out whistles like our Prestige or Hawkins...There have been friends who bought and used the cookers here. If you are bringing your cookers, do bring spare parts for them - the gaskets, safety valves, handles. You can not find spare parts for the cookers we buy in india.
Tea strainers / milk strainers : Get the jaali you use for straining tea and milk - you wont find the plastic or metal ones here handy.. the people here do drink tea, but they have special containers to drink tea which hold down the tea leaves as they drink - and they do not boil milk, if and when they drink milk - so get the strainers.. I know kids do not like to drink milk with the cream bits in it :)
Storing containers/ Dabbas :
This is one more thing every one wishes they got from India. We Indians need a lot of dabbas for storing groceries, different dals, masalas...here,they do not use so many types of groceries, or have storage containers suitable for our kitchens. So lug some Pearl pet containers if you have the space and option. Most of us did not know this, we come here and search in vain for suitable dabbas. Of course we get innovative, start storing the condiments in empty juice bottles ( yes we do !), buy Milo jars, use it up, then use the glass jars.. but still.. very difficult when you are used to good storage containers we get back home. Some glass jars which are airtight, you do get, but they are very expensive.
There is a store called Ikea here, all of us go there to stock up on stuff..
you can click on the link below - see what stuff they have, to get an idea...
You can also go to other departments in the website, just to get an idea of the prices, and what stuff is available...
IKEA
You will get the address and site map of Ikea in the website itself, you can navigate.The nearest metro station is Cao Xi road station, its just across the road from the station.
Electical/ electronic equiment :
Most of the houses here are given for rent fully furnished. The houses have all the amenities, Television,Refrigerator, Washing Machine,Airconditioning, Telephone connection, Internet connection and all the furniture - sofas, dining tables, beds etc. Contrary to popular opinion, the electronic items here ARE NOT CHEAP. They are as expensive as, if not more than, the items we find in India. But ofcourse you need not buy anything, the landlord will provide.
South Indians, and those who love to make ( or eat) idli, dosa... bring your wet grinders,if possible. If not, get atleast a Sumeet or Preeti Mixie.. The grinders we get here are not good enough to handle tough grinding jobs like dosa and vada batter.
It will make your life much easier, believe me. This was the top item next to the pressure cooker most of my friends said they missed bringing and regretted it.
Clothes :
Most of the clothes here are made to fit locals. Read : "Slim, thin, match stick figured "...
If you are lucky to be one of the slim types, you will find some clothes to fit here. If you are medium build, well... may be. If you are large built, like me... then you better stock up on jeans, trousers , tops - if you find ones to fit you may not always like it.
Now that we are talking about clothes - the weather. The weather is dicey here. Firstly, it is cold weather most of the time. September and May are pleasant months, when you can wear light clothing..June, July and August are summer and really HOT and Humid, like Bombay, even more.
October, March and April are cooler, require a light jacket / sweater to be worn. Something like Bangalore / Delhi climate in winter. November to February... brrrr...
I dont want to talk about it, its summer now but.. its pretty cold, even though the temperature doesnt reach much below zero deg. centigrade, its cold and windy. You need a thick winter jacket, a sweater and an inner thermal,( by the way thermals - inner warm wear are cheaper here than in India)... you get the point. The trick is to put on layers and layers - which then can be removed or added according to you are inside or outside. You will need a goose/ duck down jacket for the winter.
You can buy good goose down jackets here, or even get them made to order.
There is a big fabric market here, where many of us go to get clothes custom made. That will be your option if you are unlucky enough not to get shipping paid by the company...
Childrens' clothes can be bought here, they have a lot of variety and styles, especially for girls.
Shoes, ditto. If you have small feet, you get a lot of variety... say Bata size 7 - till then no problem. Even then, some people told me that they do not like the styles. There are places where you can get shoes custom made. Me and my family ? we are all blessed with enormous feet.. and we get ours from India every time we go there.
The main problem is, the locals are built differently. We are more bulky around certain parts ( ahem !!) and they are quite thin and not rounded at all..so while their XL might fit the shoulders, it does not fit the bust - same with pants. The waist will be a 34, but the hips ?? No way. The same problem with undergarments.. Best to get a big stock from India, unless you want padded ones ( hope you get my point..).
Books :
This is something one tends to get only if they get shipping.. books are bulky and heavy.
If you like to read, and if you have children who do, please get all your favorites..
and chilrens' books. The books are very expensive here, especially childrens'books..if you want to have your kids connected to indian heritage and culture, get Amar Chitra Kathas.. and comics too.. comics are not to be found.
Cosmetics :
Talcum powder - not that you will need a lot here in this climate - you can't find here, only Johnsons' baby powder - so if you want get a few.
Bindis : Ladies, remember - the locals do not wear bindis, do get a stock.
other cosmetics like compacts, lipsticks, nailpolish, yes we do get brands like Revlon, Maybelline, and other international brands - but then, very expensive. Sometimes its difficult to find your favourite shade - since these peoples' complexion is different from ours - the shades of make up are different. So if you are particular about some particular shade of make up - I can't be much of a help with this section, I do not wear much make up but I get know how from my friends...
Other stuff like toothpaste, soaps and shampoos - all the big brands are here - colgate, sunsilk ( called hazeline here), Surf ( called OMO), Tide, Lux, Dove,Head and shoulders, Dettol, and much more. You will find some which will suit you.
Baby stuff - most Johnson and Johnsons stuff is available - and yes, Diapers are Expensive with a capital E.Pack some in your shipment if you have space.
Depilatory creams, wax strips.. again very expensive..and waxing in saloons - verrrry expensive. so get some stock ( not that you will get much chance to show your skin off except June to September - other months are pretty cold ).
Toys :
This is the shocking factor for most parents when they reach here, to find that toys are not cheap here at all ! The problem is that, when you buy in India, the "china ka maal".. it should have been exported with out much duties, to encourage buyers - so they are cheaper in India. And another thing, if you have kids in the age range where they will see cartoons and want stuff related to it ( say, Ben 10 stuff for boys) it will not be found here, simply because the cartoon is not popular here... I had GREAT problems last year finding a "Power Ranger" sword for my kid.. only people with kids in the age range will know what I am talking about. Then, we have a "Toys R Us " shop here, where we sometimes find stuff you want, at a price four times what we will pay in India for it. Shocking, sad but true.
For example, and please see my date of posting when ever you read this, the prices will change as you read : Cost of Scrabble board game in India : 540 rupees. Cost of Scrabble in Shanghai : 268 yuan, meaning something like 1608 rupees. The exchange rate varies but generally One yuan currently is something like 10 rupees. I had some relatives coming over so had the game sent over, and saved some money :)
And the quality of toys too is not so great, they keep breaking but then I guess you know that.
Yes, and you wont find Carrom Boards here, nor Cricket bats, or cricket stuff. People tend to play base ball here - no one knows cricket much. There is a wonderful store here called Decathlon where you find all the sporting goods and accessories you will want, from Tennis, badminton, swimming to skiing and camping.
Movie DVDs :
Hindi movie dvds are available at Bhoomi stores. But you might not always find what you are looking for. You need to buy another Indian language dvd - stock up from home. You will NOT find other language DVDs. Some times, by just sheer luck you might end up finding an odd hindi dvd with a dvd shop or street vendor.I found Krrish, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Kabul Express.. Asoka is famous - seems to turn up everywhere.
Once you have a circle of friends, you can buy and also start circulation the dvds..makes sense doesnt it ?
19 comments:
This is really helpful - god bless your kind soul for your effort and intent to help. Cheers!
Thanks, Meeta,
Hope you enjoy your stay here !
Hi Lotta,
Thanks a lot for great information. Its really very useful..we are moving to Shanghai in the month of may. your blogs have really helped to decide on what things i need to carry from India
Thanks Lotta,for nthe efforts. This is very informative.
Dear Lotta,
Thanks for the efforts. A little more information will be helpful. When we come there for the first time,are there any restrictions in bringing items like cookware, spices,other personal items etc as part of our baggage?
Also, are alcoholic beverages available there?like beer etc?
Dear Lotta,
Good to read some of your posts. I am from Kerala, India. I am a business guy and buys pvc products from china. I am looking for someone to work for me. If u have anyone in and around shanghai pl do let me know by email to
jacsbalic@gmail.com .
Thanks in advance.
Jacob
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