They turned their noses up at trade with the Romans, but China offered many bounties, such as silk, musk, and amber, in exchange for India's spices, jewels, and perfumes as well as parakeets for the ladies' boudoirs and monkeys for their cooking pots.
They enjoyed international trade opportunities.
The community worships at the simple, unassuming St. Peter's Catholic Church, where Easter is an especially big event attracting many Indians, Chinese, and Malay non-Catholics to the great candlelit procession.