Name : Smita

姓名：Smita

Country of Origin : India

国籍：印度

Occupation : House-maker, Community Service, Indian Culinarian

职业：家庭主妇、社区服务人员、印度初级厨师

Years in China : 14 years

在华居住时间：14年

How did your journey in China begin?

你的中国之旅是怎样开始的?

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.

老实说，我这辈子从没想过会住在中国，但我丈夫的梦想把我带到了这个天府之国。就像许多印度女性一样，她们没有追随自己的梦想，而是决定追随并支持丈夫的梦想。2007年，我从印度尼西亚搬到中国，支持我的丈夫和他的梦想。我第一次去的城市是福建泉州，和我的丈夫以及刚满一岁的儿子一起。

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.

我们刚到泉州的时候，中国才对外开放不久，情况与今天大不相同。我们在那里学会了不断适应。后来，女儿的出生又给我们带来了许多欢乐。我们在这座寺庙遍地的历史名城度过了美好的四年时光，之后又不得不搬到新加坡进行一些商业投资。不过谢天谢地，不到一年，我们还是回到了中国，更准确地说是厦门。

What do you like most about your city and China as a whole? 

你所在的城市，哪一点最吸引你？你最喜欢中国的什么呢？

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.

当你需要帮助的时候，中国人总是不远万里，不计艰难险阻地支出援手。这让我感受到人世间自有真情在！

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.

总的来说，中国一年到头都在向人们传授东西，它教导人们要过平静的生活。近些年来，政府也在不断追求生态和发展的平衡。在中国生活用不着现金，出行十分便利，只用带一部手机就好。

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.

厦门对它的居民来说是与众不同的，不管是从美丽宜人的风景，还是一尘不染的环境，亦或是迷人圣洁的沙滩。厦门的可持续发展也值得称赞。

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.

因为没有污染，厦门一年四季都是晴朗的蓝天。在厦门生活就像一只自由飞翔的小鸟。而这座城市庞大的交通系统连接着城市的各个角落。

What you like the most about Xiamen? 

你最喜欢厦门的什么？

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.

我和厦门可以算得上是水乳交融！我爱这座城市的一切，我觉得我们心连着心。

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.

如果说中国是人间天堂，那么厦门就是伊甸园。在新冠疫情之前，我去过世界上很多地方，但是没有一个城市能取代厦门。其实我想说厦门这座城市就是我心头的最爱。

What fascinated you the most about living in China? 

生活在中国，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.

中国教会了我活在当下，帮助我发现了真正的自我。它教会了我真正的快乐和幸福在于给予而不是索取。正是因为我对生活态度的改变，激发了我积极参与社区活动，并成为各个社区中心的志愿者，为人们和孩子们服务，为他们带去快乐。

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.

我本可以与我丈夫一起共事，但因为我对生活态度发生的转变，我更喜欢无私奉献，通过社区服务来帮助人们。正因为如此，我过去曾组织过科学实验课，也为外国人和本地人组织过印度烹饪课。真正让我着迷的是，在中国生活帮助我探索自我，帮助我在这混乱的世界中平静淡然地生活。

What is your unique China story? 

关于你独特的中国故事是什么呢?

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.

我在中国最难忘的经历是 2017 年金砖国家厦门峰会上，我和我丈夫作为唯一一对来自福建的印度商务代表夫妇，受邀就贸易与投资、互联互通、金融合作与发展、蓝色经济等全球经济发展面临的关键问题展开讨论。峰会的第一天，我们就收到了委员会主办方的邀请，去参加欢迎晚宴。这样一来，我们就有机会与厦门各政府部门高级别官员共进晚餐，并结识他们。我们还被选中去拜见我的祖国总理——莫迪。让我困惑的是，晚宴和问候仪式是同时进行的。中国让我陷入了人生中最困难的境地，我不得不在两个最好的“梦想成真”机会中二选一。

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，我选择了在厦门迎接尊敬的印度总理，我相信世上所有人都会跟我做出相同的选择。尽管距离祖国几千英里远，我依然非常高兴能够迎接我们的总理。但同时我也很沮丧，因为我错过了一生难得一次的会见厦门高级别政府官员的机会。

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.

我在中国的生活充满了奇迹，我也对中国充满了感激。过去的每一天，我对中国的爱与日俱增。

Some background on her home country：

介绍一下Smita的故乡：

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.

我来自印度比哈尔邦，那里有着非常古老的文化，还有那烂陀大学和维克拉玛希拉大学，它们是古王国著名的佛教大学。那烂陀大学在古代获得了巨大的声誉和名望，有极强的现实意义，并因其推动印度在四世纪左右成为大国而上升到传奇地位。

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.

我出生在达尔班加市，但由于父亲的工作，我不得不去印度各地的城市旅行，这让我从小就见识过世界的多样性。

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.

我家乡的皇帝在位期间，在全球各地建造了达尔班加风格的房屋，还建造了我母校，后来捐赠给了印度政府

作者：Smita 翻译：余欣阳

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