個人簡介：
Country of Origin :?South Africa
國籍：南非
Occupation :?Former business analyst, current educator
職業(yè)：曾任商業(yè)分析師，現(xiàn)為教師
Years in China :?2?years
在華居住時間：2年
To me, China was always this place on my had-to-see list. Since I was little boy, I was fascinated and intrigued by this magical place with its rich culture and many different dishes that I only saw on TV. My dad and I used to watch all the kung-fu and Bruce Lee movies over and over again.
中國一直是我一定要去的地方。我從小便向往這個神奇的國度，對其豐富的文化和各色佳肴感到好奇，而這些我只能從電視上看到。我和父親會不斷回看所有功夫片和李小龍的電影。
Before moving to China, I worked as a business analyst in South Africa. I worked at the same company for 5 years. And I felt I was stuck in a trap so many people get into working in big cities. I was in traffic for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours at night, working long and exhausting hours… Yes, I did that for 5 years! Till one day, I realized life was just passing me by and I was going around in a circle year in and year out. I was determined that there was more to life than that and took the decision of moving on to a more exciting next stage. So this is where my story begins.
搬到中國之前，我在南非做商業(yè)分析員。我在一家公司工作了 5 年。和許多在大城市工作的人一樣，我陷入了瓶頸期。我早晚通勤時都要堵上兩個小時，工作時間很長，很累……沒錯，我就這樣做了 5 年！直到有一天，我意識到生命在不斷流逝，而我只是年復一年地原地踏步。于是我下定決心，要賦予生命以更多的意義。然后我決定開始一段激動人心的嶄新生活。那一刻起，我的故事就此開始。
I needed a change of career and change of scenery but I wasn’t convinced that China was the right place for me. It took my sister convincing me to finally take the plunge. Before coming to China I had my own ideas of what it would be like and boy was I wrong! It turned out to better than I ever expected. The thing that I fell in love with first was the transport system, for the first time in 5 years I didn’t have to be stuck in traffic for hours to get to work!
我需要換個工作，走出我熟悉的環(huán)境，但我當時覺得中國并不是我的目的地。在我姐姐的勸說下，我才最終邁出了這一步。來中國之前，我腦海中已經(jīng)形成了對中國的印象，但是我錯了！中國比我想象的要好。我喜歡中國的交通體系，五年來我第一次不用堵在上班路上好幾個小時。
I didn’t really know what to expect arriving here but I knew I wanted to take in everything and savor every moment. I only planned to be here for a year and after 2 years I’m still here.
我真的不知道我期待這里的什么，但我知道我會接受一切，品味在這里的每一刻。我原本計劃只待一年，但是兩年過去了，我仍在這里。
I didn’t know this little gem existed. I did some research on the Internet and I read something about a piano island and the music in Xiamen and I was sold haha.
我之前并不知道廈門這座寶石般的城市。我在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)上查閱了一些資料，看到了一些關于鋼琴島和廈門音樂的內(nèi)容，就被吸引了，哈哈。
I’ve seen a few places in China but to me, Xiamen is by far the best. The local people are friendly, there’s beautiful scenery and I made a lot friends on my journey.
我造訪過中國的幾座城市，對我來說，廈門是所有城市中最好的。廈門人很友好，這里的風景也很美，我在旅途中交了很多朋友。
My unique China experience is that I learned to cook Chinese food while assisting a friend in a Chinese restaurant in 2020, not being able to speak a word of Chinese. The naming food part of my Chinese vocabulary is pretty good because of that experience. When I’m back home and make those dishes it’s a little part of China that I’ll always have with me. Like a gift that I will use for the rest of my life.
來講講我在中國的獨特經(jīng)歷吧。2020 年，我在朋友的中餐館幫忙，漸漸學會了做中國菜。雖然我當時一句中文都不會說，但是卻能信手拈來地叫出各道菜的中文名。我回到家也能做出這些菜品，這雖然只是中國文化的一小部分，但我會一直珍藏。它就像一份禮物，將讓我受用終生。
Fun fact: I lost 25 kg in 6 months being in here, so thank you China for that!!
有趣的是，感謝中國，因為我在中國 6 個月內(nèi)減掉了 25 公斤！！
My diet here changed radically, from fast food and sugary drinks, I started eating more vegetables and I wanted to keep up with the elderly I saw doing exercise in the morning in the park. Some of them were 3 times my age and were way more fit and active than me! The pressure was on and, thanks to this, I lead a healthier lifestyle now.
我的飲食習慣發(fā)生了巨大的改變，不再吃快餐，也不再喝含糖飲料。我開始多吃青菜，我想跟在公園里晨練的老人一樣健康。他們有些人的年齡是我的三倍，但卻比我更健康、更積極樂觀！我的壓力雖然很大，但是我堅持養(yǎng)生，也養(yǎng)成了更加健康的生活習慣。
A little background on his hometown
介紹一下他的家鄉(xiāng)
I’m originally from Pretoria, South Africa and every October the flowers bloom in a purple color, it’s amazing!
我來自南非的比勒陀利亞，那里每年十月都有紫花盛開，驚艷眾人！
作者：Tav 翻譯：潘澤彬
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(wǎng)站投票通道也已關閉。通過計算社交媒體點贊數(shù)、閱讀數(shù)、以及網(wǎng)站投票數(shù)，經(jīng)過激烈角逐,?5 名參賽者最終脫穎而出
