Tourism:
• Tell me about the kind of foreign visitors or tourists go to your country?A good number of foreign visitors come into my country, India. Though there are no age groups among the visitors, I have noticed that the middle-aged people are more in number than other age groups. They come from almost every part of the world including Australia, Russia and US.
• In what ways has tourism changed your country?
Tourism, in India, has expanded greatly. Earlier, people used to pay visits to some specific tourists spots but now they go almost everywhere to enjoy the beauties. The numbers of facilities and activities around the popular tourist sports have been enhanced. Apart from that the transportation facility, the security is now far better than they used to be in the past.
• What part of your country do most people live in?
Well, the entire country is moderately populous. But I think the density is more in the urban areas like Delhi and Mumbai.
• Tell me about the main industries there.
A good number of industries have been formed in India, and among those, the most notable are automobile industry, agriculture industry, banking industry, copper industry, cosmetics industry, fashion industry, jewellery industry etc.
• How easy it is to travel around your country?
Yes, it is easier to travel inside the country. The communication system is developed in every region. Besides, the transportation modes are also different and comfortable. Anyone can take a flight or a modern train to visit different parts of the country and that has made travelling easier in India.
• Has your country changed much since you were a child?
Yes, there are lots of changes. The use of technology has increased. The country has also marched ahead in several fields like medical science, agriculture etc. We now have better education, healthcare, and job facilities. The export and foreign remittance have increased and most importantly people are more conscious these days than they used to be in the past.
• Could you tell me something about your hometown?
I live in Mumbai, previously known as Bombay. This is actually the city that accommodates a good number of Indians. The city is also famous for some other issues and living place of many of the Bollywood legends. It is a beautiful place to live in and offers all the modern facilities someone can expect from India.
Happiness & Hobbies:
• Do you like making other people laugh? Why/ Why not?Not usually. I do not like to make other people laugh through my activities. Making someone else laugh seems inappropriate to me. It appears that I have turned into a joker. Thereby, I cautiously keep myself away from performing such silly things. However, sometimes people laugh because I tell them an interesting and humorous story or news.
• Do you think it's important for people to laugh? Why/ Why not?
Yes, I do. Laughing has several benefits and mostly help to get relief from mental stresses. Besides, people look nicer when they laugh.
• Is laughing the same as feeling happy, do you think? Why? Why not?
Yup! Laughing is the same feeling to be happy. In fact, when people become happy, they laugh. So, being happy and laughing has some connections, I believe. There are few exceptions like laughing to conceal the sadness or out of courtesy.
• Could you tell me a typical day of yours?
Well, I get up early in the morning, take a walk, then go to the office, return in the evening and spend some time with my kids and family. Finally, I go to bed.
• What are good hobbies and bad hobbies? Why?
The good hobbies are like reading books, spending time with plants or participate in sports while the bad hobbies include playing more video games, spending more time in virtual life instead of real one etc. Good habits are good for our physical and mental health while the bad habits are annoying to others, detrimental to our health, relationship and psychology.
Magazine & TV:
• Which magazines and newspapers do you read? Why?I actually do not read magazines rather I prefer to read newspapers. I like to read a Russian and an English newspaper daily in the morning, they are – the Moscow Times and the Moskovskij Komsomolets. I prefer the two because they provide the exact news that I need.
• What kinds of articles are you most interested in? Why?
Well, travelling is my hobby and so I am mostly interested in the articles related to travelling, newer places, historical places or travelling tips etc. Apart from that, I read recent political news and editorials part.
• Have you ever read a newspaper or magazine in a foreign language? When? Why?
Yes, I have read the English language. English is the second language in Russia and without reading the English newspaper, I will be unable to complete my knowledge. Apart from that, I once read an article written in the German language with my poor German language skill.
• Do you think reading a newspaper or magazine in a foreign language is a good way to learn the language? Why? Why not?
Uhh! I believe this is one of the most effective ways to learn a foreign language. Whenever you are reading the foreign language newspaper, you will meet some unfamiliar foreign words and by knowing the meaning, your vocabulary will be enriched to a great extent. Apart from that the expressions and sentence used in this article will enhance someone’s reading and writing skills.
• How often do you watch television?
Usually, I watch television in the evening. I cannot manage time to watch in the daytime for my occupational engagement and other business.
• Which television channel do you usually watch? Why?
I usually watch the state-owned channel, Russia 1 and some notable other channels are Russia K, Russia 24, Moskva 24 etc. I watch some of the channels for news, while the rest other for entertainment.
• Do you enjoy the advertisements on television? Why? Why not?
Yes, I do. There are several reasons for the preference but the top one is it publicises products among the viewers which are necessary for them. Without the advertisement, it would not have been possible to know about the product and its benefits. But too many commercial breaks while watching a favourite programme are often annoying.
• Do you think most programmes on television are good? Why? Why not?
Well, I believe all the programmes are not good. Many of the programmes are made to make people entertained only which have no educative value. Some programmes have political influences while others have partial truth in them. Such programmes are not good in my opinion.
Festival:
• Tell me about the most important festival in your country.Pakistan is an Islamic state and so, Eid is the biggest important festival here. Besides, some other national holidays are also celebrated as a festival in the country.
• What special food and activities are connected with this festival?
During the Eid, most of the citizens prepare rich foods kebab, paratha, oven baked bread etc. Usually, the meats are prepared with or without soups during the festivals. Among the activities prayer, visiting people, meeting friends and family members are most important.
• What do you most enjoy about it?
Well, I enjoy the gathering of people during the festivals. Almost all the people come to the street and meet each other and sometimes invite the near and dear ones at their respective homes.
• Do you think festivals are important for a country? Why?
Yes, certainly festivals are important for a country. It helps to strengthen the internal bond among the countrymen.
• Do you like to have flowers in your home? Why? Why not?
I like to have flowers at home and in fact, there is a flower garden before my house. I believe that flowers help to beautify a place naturally, and thus I like flowers.
• Where would you go to buy flowers? Why?
There are some floral shops near our house who sell different kinds of flowers and, when necessary, I buy flowers from them.
• On what occasions would you give someone flowers?
Usually, flowers are offered on different occasions like birthday, marriage anniversary, to show respect or propose etc. I would give flowers to someone on any special day to wish him/her luck or to congratulate.
• Are flowers important in your culture? Why? Why not?
Of course, the flowers are important in my culture. Flowers are generally offered to someone to show our love and respect. Sometimes the flowers work like decorative materials at home as well. In our country, flowers are the symbol of beauty and purity.
Cooking:
• Do you like cooking? Why/ Why not?Yes, I do like cooking. It is an art and I want to establish myself as an artist. Everyone cannot cook and the tastes differ from person to person. However, when I cook, the foods become delicious - says, everyone.
• What was the last meal you cooked?
In last week, few friends came to visit me and I cooked the traditional French dishes for them. I made several dishes including chestnut soup, potato dishes, Salmon and Shrimp Quiche better known as Quiche au Saumon et Crevettes and Confit de canard.
• What kind of food do you like to eat?
It’s a privilege to answer such a pretty question. Well, I eat all types of foods and prefer to have freshly cooked meals. Besides, I also like to have roasted meats.
• What kind of new food would you like to try? Why?
Well, I would like to try seafood. I haven’t ever tried the seafood. Some say that the tastes are a bit different from the cooked foods as those are eaten raw. So, I want to try some fresh seafood.
• What are some kinds of food you never eat? Why?
I’m not much selective in food, thus the list of foods that I do not take is very short. But I avoid meats from carnivorous animals. It may also sound weird but pork appears less tasty to me, so it is on the discard list. There are some other foods which I can’t recall now and most importantly I do not take any uncooked foods.
• Do you prefer home-cooked food or food from restaurants? Why?
Uhh, it is a bit tougher for me to take foods from restaurants. I have some digestive disorders to out of home foods. So, I prefer home-cooked foods.
• Describe a popular food in your country? Why do people like this food?
Salade Nicoise is one of the most preferred foods in France. It is made with several ingredients including canned tuna, boiled egg, tomato, olive, lettuce etc. Most of the people like to have it on their lunch as it is nutritious and tasty.
• What are some reasons that people eat at a restaurant?
There are lots of points to argue in favour of preference of restaurants. But I believe most of the people go restaurants to save time and avoid cooking hassles at homes. Besides, they may also go to celebrate some private events.
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