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Shopping Lists

Submitted by Aadrish Khan on Oct. 18, 2007.

Whenever we go a new country, we hardly know much about it hence getting the correct shopping done is important for us. One such important thing, I believe is the clothes we carry; it should include adequate number of dresses for any kind of dressing. From widely accepted informal dresses to elegant suits and tie along with proper foot wear, undergarments etc need to be packed. And as people say that winter wear should not be carried, we can always purchase them from abroad if required.

While moving to a new country you rarely know the kind of eating habits followed, obviously the non vegetarian food is largely available but the veggies can face problems. In case we have thought of living in a flat carrying some limited number of utensils and the masalas will be an asset. However things like a small dinner set are better bought from the place you are going. Carrying some pickle and non perishable snacks will also help in most cases. One important thing to remember is to pack everything correctly in order to avoid customs issues. Since we used a lot of personalized stuff carrying things like the toothpaste, brush, shaving equipment etc is always on the cards but in the process one should not forget a small medical kit, it is the most important thing in many situations that may come.

While traveling and also at a new place we might at times feel bored or restlessness, at least initially so it is said to be advisable to carry a small collection of books you like to read or a collection of music you prefer listening to. Also some important stationary items like pens, pencil, refills etc can be useful. However due to the various technical issues it is also said that buying electronic goods from India will not be a good option and moreover you can get them at a better price outside India. These are just few items that can be carried and the list can surely be edited in terms of removing some items and adding some.

Submitted by Naman Aggarwal on Oct. 18, 2007.

Don't forget to setup Skype or other video conferencing applications at home before taking off. The first few months can be extremely traumatic and feeling home-sick is all too common. Make sure your parents are familiar with the computer because a lot of your interaction with them will happen through that (emails, chats, video conferences and even phone calls). Another, slightly more expensive, option is getting a VOIP service like Vonage installed in India. The cost is ~Rs.1,000/month but you get unlimited phone calls to anywhere in the US & UK.