<div align="justify">The openness of the people and the cultural diversity was what attracted Shao Qiyu from Anhui, China to Bengaluru.<br /><br />He came to the city six years ago to pursue his graduation and promptly fell in love with the place. He now runs a restaurant called ‘New Leaf’ on Church Street that serves authentic Chinese food.<br /><br />Shao’s aim is to connect his motherland with the city that gave him so much to cherish.<br /><br />“After so many years of living here, I have seen the city grow faster and bigger. Bengaluru is not a stagnant place and change is the only constant here. The work culture is a blessing for corporates and new businesses. People here are easy-going and they have a vibrant lifestyle. The liberal mindset I saw here made me fall in love with this place. It is a good city and I want to stay here,” says Shao.<br /><br />He also highlights that there are many opportunities for youngsters who would like to start something on their own.<br /><br />The weather was another reason why he chose Bengaluru over any other metro city in India.<br /><br />But all the good things about this place doesn’t let the bad ones fade away.<br /><br />Though Shao did not face many challenges in the city, he admits that people tend to take him for a ride when they realise that he is a foreigner.<br /><br />“I have not faced any racial discrimination here, but I have been cheated many times. They assume that since I am from China, I may be very rich. Some of my local friends tell me that I should learn <br />Kannada to avoid falling into such traps,” adds Shao. <br /><br />Nevertheless, he feels blessed to have made many friends, most of whom are localites, and who have helped him whenever needed.<br /><br />When asked about his college days, he remembers his travels to few places in the North, thanks to his friend from Delhi.<br /><br />From the busy streets of Lucknow to majestic snow-capped mountains, the trip gave him a lot of <br />memories.<br /><br />Ask him about his adventures in Bengaluru and he says, “Since now my restaurant is on Church Street, I hang out mostly in this part of the city. Otherwise, one can find me visiting the southern part of the city where my college is located. If I have time to take a long vacation, I plan trips to nearby places like Goa and Ooty. My college friends and I are still in touch. Though I have to focus a lot more of the business now, I make an effort to meet them whenever I can.”<br /><br />To tide over the feelings of homesickness, Shao also makes it a point to celebrate all Chinese festivals with his friends.<br /><br />Having said that, he tries to be a part of the city as much as he can.<br /><br />One of the things he enjoys is South Indian breakfast but when it comes to lunch and dinner, he is a fan of North Indian food.<br /><br />The different types of ‘dosas’, ‘pooris’, fish and mutton curries are some of the dishes he likes to relish.<br /><br />Shao also spends his time watching movies with his friends and often catches up with them for a Bollywood or Hollywood flick at Garuda Mall or in Koramangala.<br /><br />He is a fan of Aamir Khan and says that ‘PK’, ‘Dangal’ and ‘3 Idiots’ are some of his favourites.<br /><br />Talking about the changes he wants to see in the city, Shao says, “I wish that ongoing work on Church Street could be completed a little faster as it would be really helpful to me. As my restaurant is located right there, the business is getting affected.” </div>
<div align="justify">The openness of the people and the cultural diversity was what attracted Shao Qiyu from Anhui, China to Bengaluru.<br /><br />He came to the city six years ago to pursue his graduation and promptly fell in love with the place. He now runs a restaurant called ‘New Leaf’ on Church Street that serves authentic Chinese food.<br /><br />Shao’s aim is to connect his motherland with the city that gave him so much to cherish.<br /><br />“After so many years of living here, I have seen the city grow faster and bigger. Bengaluru is not a stagnant place and change is the only constant here. The work culture is a blessing for corporates and new businesses. People here are easy-going and they have a vibrant lifestyle. The liberal mindset I saw here made me fall in love with this place. It is a good city and I want to stay here,” says Shao.<br /><br />He also highlights that there are many opportunities for youngsters who would like to start something on their own.<br /><br />The weather was another reason why he chose Bengaluru over any other metro city in India.<br /><br />But all the good things about this place doesn’t let the bad ones fade away.<br /><br />Though Shao did not face many challenges in the city, he admits that people tend to take him for a ride when they realise that he is a foreigner.<br /><br />“I have not faced any racial discrimination here, but I have been cheated many times. They assume that since I am from China, I may be very rich. Some of my local friends tell me that I should learn <br />Kannada to avoid falling into such traps,” adds Shao. <br /><br />Nevertheless, he feels blessed to have made many friends, most of whom are localites, and who have helped him whenever needed.<br /><br />When asked about his college days, he remembers his travels to few places in the North, thanks to his friend from Delhi.<br /><br />From the busy streets of Lucknow to majestic snow-capped mountains, the trip gave him a lot of <br />memories.<br /><br />Ask him about his adventures in Bengaluru and he says, “Since now my restaurant is on Church Street, I hang out mostly in this part of the city. Otherwise, one can find me visiting the southern part of the city where my college is located. If I have time to take a long vacation, I plan trips to nearby places like Goa and Ooty. My college friends and I are still in touch. Though I have to focus a lot more of the business now, I make an effort to meet them whenever I can.”<br /><br />To tide over the feelings of homesickness, Shao also makes it a point to celebrate all Chinese festivals with his friends.<br /><br />Having said that, he tries to be a part of the city as much as he can.<br /><br />One of the things he enjoys is South Indian breakfast but when it comes to lunch and dinner, he is a fan of North Indian food.<br /><br />The different types of ‘dosas’, ‘pooris’, fish and mutton curries are some of the dishes he likes to relish.<br /><br />Shao also spends his time watching movies with his friends and often catches up with them for a Bollywood or Hollywood flick at Garuda Mall or in Koramangala.<br /><br />He is a fan of Aamir Khan and says that ‘PK’, ‘Dangal’ and ‘3 Idiots’ are some of his favourites.<br /><br />Talking about the changes he wants to see in the city, Shao says, “I wish that ongoing work on Church Street could be completed a little faster as it would be really helpful to me. As my restaurant is located right there, the business is getting affected.” </div>
