個人簡介：
Name :?Smita
姓名：Smita
Country of Origin :?India
國籍：印度
Occupation :?House-maker, Community Service, Indian Culinarian
職業(yè)：家庭主婦、社區(qū)服務人員、印度初級廚師
Years in China :?14?years
在華居住時間：14年
How did your journey in China begin?
你的中國之旅是怎樣開始的?
Honestly, I never thought in my lifetime that I would be living in China, but my husband’s dream brought me to this heaven on earth. Just like many Indian women, who instead of following their dreams end up following and supporting their husband’s. In 2007, I moved to China from Indonesia to support him and his dreams. The first city I visited was Quanzhou in Fujian Province, with my husband and my son who was just a year old.
老實說，我這輩子從沒想過會住在中國，但我丈夫的夢想把我?guī)У搅诉@個天府之國。就像許多印度女性一樣，她們沒有追隨自己的夢想，而是決定追隨并支持丈夫的夢想。2007年，我從印度尼西亞搬到中國，支持我的丈夫和他的夢想。我第一次去的城市是福建泉州，和我的丈夫以及剛滿一歲的兒子一起。
When I arrived Quanzhou, things were very different back then as at that time China had not too long started to open up to the rest of the world. That city taught us to adjust to a lot! By then, we had another bundle of joy in the form of my daughter. We had great time in this historical city which was full of temples for four years, but again we had to shift to Singapore for some business ventures. Thankfully again, my husband’s business brought me back to China, Xiamen to be more precise, within a year.
我們剛到泉州的時候，中國才對外開放不久，情況與今天大不相同。我們在那里學會了不斷適應。后來，女兒的出生又給我們帶來了許多歡樂。我們在這座寺廟遍地的歷史名城度過了美好的四年時光，之后又不得不搬到新加坡進行一些商業(yè)投資。不過謝天謝地，不到一年，我們還是回到了中國，更準確地說是廈門。
What do you like most about your city and China as a whole??
你所在的城市，哪一點最吸引你？你最喜歡中國的什么呢？
People in China go the extra mile to help you when you are in need and that makes me believe that humanity and kindness are not dead.
當你需要幫助的時候，中國人總是不遠萬里，不計艱難險阻地支出援手。這讓我感受到人世間自有真情在！
China as a whole has something to offer to people all year round. It teaches the mantras to live a great peaceful life. The government is perfectly balancing the ecosystem and the development that has happened in recent years. As China is a cashless country traveling here is hassle-free, and all I have to do is carry my cell phone.
總的來說，中國一年到頭都在向人們傳授東西，它教導人們要過平靜的生活。近些年來，政府也在不斷追求生態(tài)和發(fā)展的平衡。在中國生活用不著現金，出行十分便利，只用帶一部手機就好。
Xiamen has got loads of eccentric stuff to offer to its residents, ranging from the landscape’s aesthetically pleasing beauty to the calm and pollution-free environment and the alluring and cherubic beaches. The sustainable development taking place here is truly commendable.
廈門對它的居民來說是與眾不同的，不管是從美麗宜人的風景，還是一塵不染的環(huán)境，亦或是迷人圣潔的沙灘。廈門的可持續(xù)發(fā)展也值得稱贊。
Xiamen has a clear blue sky throughout the year because it is not burdened by pollution. Traveling in Xiamen feels like a free bird flying. The great transport system of the city connects all corners of the city.
因為沒有污染，廈門一年四季都是晴朗的藍天。在廈門生活就像一只自由飛翔的小鳥。而這座城市龐大的交通系統(tǒng)連接著城市的各個角落。
What you like the most about Xiamen??
你最喜歡廈門的什么？
I would describe Xiamen as a perfect harmony!! It is a city where I have fallen in love with everything it has offered and it is the closest to my heart.
我和廈門可以算得上是水乳交融！我愛這座城市的一切，我覺得我們心連著心。
If China is the paradise on earth, then Xiamen is the Garden of Eden. I have visited a lot of places across the globe before the Pandemic but no city can replace what Xiamen has to offer. In fact, I won’t be wrong if I say this small island Xiamen has spoiled me.
如果說中國是人間天堂，那么廈門就是伊甸園。在新冠疫情之前，我去過世界上很多地方，但是沒有一個城市能取代廈門。其實我想說廈門這座城市就是我心頭的最愛。
What fascinated you the most about living in China??
生活在中國，最吸引你的是什么?
China taught me to live within the moment and helped me to discover my true self. It has taught me that true joy and happiness lies in giving and not taking. It is because of my changed attitude towards life that has inspired me to actively participate and volunteer at various community centers, serving and bringing happiness to people and children’s faces.
中國教會了我活在當下，幫助我發(fā)現了真正的自我。它教會了我真正的快樂和幸福在于給予而不是索取。正是因為我對生活態(tài)度的改變，激發(fā)了我積極參與社區(qū)活動，并成為各個社區(qū)中心的志愿者，為人們和孩子們服務，為他們帶去快樂。
I could have chosen to join my husband in his business but because of my new attitude, I prefer to share and serve people through community service. It is also because of my giving attitude that I have organized science experiment classes in the past and Indian cooking classes for expats and locals. It truly fascinates me that how living in China has helped me discover the depths of myself and helped me to live this calm and stress-free amid the chaotic world.
我本可以與我丈夫一起共事，但因為我對生活態(tài)度發(fā)生的轉變，我更喜歡無私奉獻，通過社區(qū)服務來幫助人們。正因為如此，我過去曾組織過科學實驗課，也為外國人和本地人組織過印度烹飪課。真正讓我著迷的是，在中國生活幫助我探索自我，幫助我在這混亂的世界中平靜淡然地生活。
What is your unique China story??
關于你獨特的中國故事是什么呢?
The most unforgettable experience that China has given me was at The 2017 BRICS Summit Xiamen, where my husband and I had been invited as the only Indian business delegate couple from Fujian to discuss the key issues facing the global economic development by sharing views on Trade and Investment, Interconnection, Financial cooperation and development and the Blue Economy. On the first day of summit, we had received an invitation from the committee host to attend the welcome reception dinner, giving us the opportunity to dine with and meet new people who are extraordinary and hold powerful positions at various Bureaus of Xiamen. We were also chosen to greet the Prime Minister of my home country, India, and to add to my confusion, both the dinner and the greeting ceremony were to take place at the same time. China had put me in the most difficult situation of my life where I had to choose one between two of my best ‘dream come true’ opportunities.
我在中國最難忘的經歷是 2017 年金磚國家廈門峰會上，我和我丈夫作為唯一一對來自福建的印度商務代表夫婦，受邀就貿易與投資、互聯互通、金融合作與發(fā)展、藍色經濟等全球經濟發(fā)展面臨的關鍵問題展開討論。峰會的第一天，我們就收到了委員會主辦方的邀請，去參加歡迎晚宴。這樣一來，我們就有機會與廈門各政府部門高級別官員共進晚餐，并結識他們。我們還被選中去拜見我的祖國總理——莫迪。讓我困惑的是，晚宴和問候儀式是同時進行的。中國讓我陷入了人生中最困難的境地，我不得不在兩個最好的“夢想成真”機會中二選一。
In the end, I had chosen to greet Honorable PM India in Xiamen, I am sure every native on this planet will opt for the same.? I was extremely happy to greet our PM, despite being thousands of miles away from my home country, but I was also devastated at the same time because I had missed a lifetime opportunity to meet all honorable officials of the Bureaus in Xiamen.
最后，我選擇了在廈門迎接尊敬的印度總理，我相信世上所有人都會跟我做出相同的選擇。盡管距離祖國幾千英里遠，我依然非常高興能夠迎接我們的總理。但同時我也很沮喪，因為我錯過了一生難得一次的會見廈門高級別政府官員的機會。
My life in China has been nothing but short of a fairy tale, and I am grateful for everything China has given me, and with every passing day, my love for China is flourishing.
我在中國的生活充滿了奇跡，我也對中國充滿了感激。過去的每一天，我對中國的愛與日俱增。
Some background on her home country：
介紹一下Smita的故鄉(xiāng)：
I am originally from Bihar, India which boasts a really ancient culture and also the Nalanda and Vikramashila University which were renowned Buddhist Universities in the ancient kingdom. The university of Nalanda obtained significant fame, prestige and relevance during ancient times, and rose to legendary status due to its contribution to the emergence of India as a great power around the fourth century.
我來自印度比哈爾邦，那里有著非常古老的文化，還有那爛陀大學和維克拉瑪希拉大學，它們是古王國著名的佛教大學。那爛陀大學在古代獲得了巨大的聲譽和名望，有極強的現實意義，并因其推動印度在四世紀左右成為大國而上升到傳奇地位。
My city of birth is Darbhanga city but because of my father’s job, I had to travel to various cities across India which helped me see a lot of diversity from a very young age.
我出生在達爾班加市，但由于父親的工作，我不得不去印度各地的城市旅行，這讓我從小就見識過世界的多樣性。
The emperor of my hometown during his reign had built Darbhanga style houses across the globe and also built the buildings of my alma mater which was later donated to the Indian government.
我家鄉(xiāng)的皇帝在位期間，在全球各地建造了達爾班加風格的房屋，還建造了我母校，后來捐贈給了印度政府
作者：Smita 翻譯：余欣陽
If you would like to contribute your story, feel free to contact us.
Email: luz@mts-tech.com
Home away from home?is a collection of the unique stories written by foreigners in China and compiled by MTS. Join us on this journey of exploring 100 different stories showcasing what it truly means to live in China!《家外之家》是一本外國人在中國的獨特故事集，由外國人撰寫，精藝達公司征集匯編。歡迎外國朋友積極參與，和我們一起探尋100個不同的故事，展示生活在中國的真正意義！
It has been?5 months?already since the “Home Away from Home” essay contest began! We appreciate all the foreign friends who have participated writing?55 unique stories?about their experience as expats in China.?On October 31st, the voting system closed, and after thorough counting of likes, reads and votes, today is the time to announce the?5 winners! Drumroll please...感謝大家?5 個月以來對《家外之家》征文比賽的關注！開賽至今，我們一共征集到了?55 篇外國人在華故事，我們非常感謝此次積極參與征文活動的外國朋友。2021 年 10 月 31 日，網站投票通道也已關閉。通過計算社交媒體點贊數、閱讀數、以及網站投票數，經過激烈角逐,?5 名參賽者最終脫穎而出
