A look into lives of foreigners in China during Spring Festival

Siva Sankar (from India)

1. What's your favorite food for Spring Festival?

When the Year of the Monkey arrived in 2016, I was in Shanghai. At the city's busy Yuyuan Gardens, I had sumptuous Buddhist vegetarian fried rice at what seemed like one of the popular eateries there. It was made of fluffy rice and loads of different vegetables and was full of subtle, gentle flavors and nutritious ingredients. Don't quite remember the dish's name. Ever since I have been trying to eat more of it but to no avail.

2. What would you like to do most during the Spring Festival?

Relax, eat, travel, make new friends, visit new places, experience local culture and food, and read a bit. I have booked a four-day tour of Mount Sanqing and Wuyuan village in Jiangxi province. I will be traveling with a group of 20 expatriates.

3. What is the biggest change in your life during the past year?

Rapid receding of my hairline – am balding super fast -- borderline addiction to Chinese e-commerce sites, apps and WeChat, deepening friendship with tens of non-resident Indians in China who were strangers till last year, and cultivation of the ability to accept not-so-pleasant things like Beijing's smog as facts of life.