I am Anna Kova, and I am 33. I was born and grew up in Perm, moved to Moscow at 18, and studied history and education. I wanted to be a politician, but then decided to be a teacher. It is probably the best decision I have ever made.
我叫 Anna Kova，今年 33 歲，在俄羅斯彼爾姆出生長大，18 歲搬到莫斯科，學(xué)習(xí)歷史和教育。我本想從政，但后來決定當(dāng)老師。這可能是我做的最佳決定。
Imagine me, a 23-year-old young woman 10 years ago in Siberia. After teaching in Moscow, I decided to spend a year in Tunevo village. I considered it volunteering. I hoped to make a difference and help local students pass their final exams. The journey was tough, but I decided at the end of the school year to apply for a master’s degree and to travel the world. I was walking in a beautiful Siberian forest when I made up my mind about my future endeavors.?
想象一下 10?年前的我，一個 23 歲的西伯利亞姑娘。當(dāng)時的我在莫斯科教書，然后決定在圖內(nèi)沃村待一年，做志愿服務(wù)。我希望能有所作為，幫助當(dāng)?shù)貙W(xué)生通過期末考試。這段旅程很艱難，學(xué)年結(jié)束后，我決定申請碩士學(xué)位，到世界各地旅行。我在西伯利亞一個美麗的森林中散步的時候，開始憧憬未來，并為之努力。
So I had a dream. I wanted to explore every continent in the world. My original plan included Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Australia, and Africa. To fully explore the place, I planned to spend at least 6 months on each continent. First I studied in Warsaw State University in Poland, and then spent a month with my relatives in Reims, France (Europe). Then I studied and worked in San Diego and then in NYC in the United States (North America), and volunteered in the NGO Bagun?a?o in Salvador, Bahia in Brazil (South America). Eventually, I moved to Xiamen (Asia) to work for i2 and decided to settle down. My?journey isn’t complete yet, but I’m sure I’ll finish it with my family one day.
我有一個夢想。我想探索世界上的每一塊大陸。最初的計劃包括歐洲、亞洲、北美洲、南美洲、澳洲和非洲。為了能探尋每個角落，我計劃在每個大洲至少待6 個月。首先我到波蘭華沙大學(xué)學(xué)習(xí)，然后到法國蘭斯（歐洲）與親戚待了一個月，然后到美國圣地亞哥和紐約學(xué)習(xí)和工作（北美），再到巴西巴伊亞州薩爾瓦多的非政府組織 Bagun?a?o 做志愿服務(wù)（南美）。最后，我搬到了廈門（亞洲），在 i2 工作，并決定定居下來。我的旅途還在繼續(xù)，我相信有一天我會和家人一起完成這趟旅途。
I’m a historian. I studied Chinese history and was excited to live in China, but I planned to stay here for no more than a year. Well, life is tricky. I met my future husband and decided to stay longer. Now we are married and our daughter is almost two years old. I can’t picture myself somewhere else, because it is just feels like home. It is home.
我是一名歷史學(xué)家，學(xué)過中國歷史。在中國生活，我感到非常興奮，但我原本計劃在中國停留不超過一年。生活總會帶來意想不到的驚喜，我遇到了未來的丈夫，所以我決定留下來?，F(xiàn)在我們已經(jīng)結(jié)婚，女兒也快兩歲了。我無法想象自己在其他國家會過著怎樣的生活，因為中國有家的感覺。這里就是家。
In five years, I’ve found a job I love and was promoted three times. I opened a few businesses, and one is still successful. I’ve started to save money and invest in online projects. I’m going to take the HSK 5 exam this year, and five years ago I only could say “nihao.” And on top of that, I have a family and friends who inspire me to move forward and make all my dreams come true.?
這五年，我找到了自己熱愛的工作，被提攜三次。我做了幾項小生意，其中一項還在盈利。我開始存錢投資網(wǎng)上項目。我今年打算參加漢語水平 5 級考試，而五年前我只會說“你好”。我還有一個和睦的家庭和許多朋友，他們激勵我前行，讓我實現(xiàn)所有的夢想。
China truly feels like a home away from home. My husband and his family support me in all my endeavors. We travel together. For instance, we went to Chongqing. It’s my mother-in-law’s hometown and it was absolutely amazing to hear all the stories about the place from a person who grew up there. My husband watches YouTube and cooks Russian food for me to make me feel at home. My coworkers often ask me to teach them a bit of Russian or to tell them something about my country. My students ask me lots of questions about Russian history.?
中國真的給了我家的感覺。我的丈夫和他的家人支持我所有的努力。我們一起旅行。我們?nèi)チ酥貞c，那是我婆婆的家鄉(xiāng)，她是土生土長的重慶人，聽她講重慶的故事，真是太不可思議了。我丈夫看 YouTube 教學(xué)，給我做俄羅斯菜，讓我體會到了家的溫暖。我的同事經(jīng)常請我教他們俄語，讓我講俄羅斯的故事。我的學(xué)生問我許多關(guān)于俄羅斯歷史的問題。
So what makes China my home? Honestly, having a family in China makes it home. My daughter is a bridge between our countries, our cultures. We cherish and love every moment we spend with her. I hope she will grow up and will be Russian, Chinese, and a global citizen too. Almost every day when we are taking a walk, someone asks me where I am from. It is a pleasure to answer and to tell people a bit about me home country. And often when people see my daughter, they ask me who her father is, and it is another joy to tell them that my husband is a local; he is Chinese and was born in Xiamen. Living in China is living a dream to me.
中國是如何成我的家呢？老實說，因為在中國有我的家人，所以中國就是我的家。女兒就是家庭中連接中俄兩國和兩國文化的橋梁，我們珍愛與她相處的每一刻。我希望她長大后也能成為俄羅斯人，成為中國人，也能成為世界公民。每天我們散步的時候，都有人問我是哪國人。我會很驕傲地說我是俄羅斯人，并向他們介紹我的祖國。他們看到我女兒的時候，經(jīng)常問我她的父親是誰，我會告訴他們我的丈夫是中國人，在廈門出生。生活在中國就是生活在一個夢想世界。
And here is an anecdote. My husband and I traveled to Russia for the first time in 2019. When we got back, he told his mom how beautiful Russia is and how friendly Russians are, how hard Russian bread is, and how much he missed local food. It was at that moment when I realized I am in love with him, his country, and Chinese food.?
分享一件軼事。2019 年我和丈夫第一次去俄羅斯旅行。我們回來時，他告訴婆婆俄羅斯有多美，俄羅斯人有多友好，俄羅斯的面包有多硬，他有多想念俄羅斯美食。那一刻，我感到自己愛上了他，愛上了中國，愛上了中國美食。
PS: Even though my journey isn’t complete yet, I am grateful for all the opportunities. I have been to more than fifty countries and five different continents. After ten years, my passport is full of visas and stamps.?
PS：我的旅程還沒有完成，感激生活帶來的所有機(jī)會。我已經(jīng)到訪五十多個國家，遍及五大洲。十年過去了，我的護(hù)照上已經(jīng)蓋滿簽證。
Fun fact about my hometown:
家鄉(xiāng)趣事
Perm is a city of factories, but it also has one of the best opera houses in Russia, so almost everyone is a theatergoer.
彼爾姆是一個工業(yè)之都，也坐落著俄羅斯最著名的劇院，那里幾乎每個人都熱愛歌劇。
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