How did your journey in China begin?

你的中国之旅是如何开始的？

Like many people, I came here to study the language. However, whenever people ask me why I started studying Chinese, I suddenly find myself unable to simply explain it. Chinese language was an easy way for me to divert my attention for a while when I was hospitalized. I was “the sick kid” ever since I turned 16, and as the nerd I have always been, I was genuinely worried about my brain getting mushy so I started studying the allegedly most complicated language in the world. I would spend most of my days on that hospital bed just reading, watching YouTube videos about science and languages, and you know, the occasional travel vlogs, but mostly just thinking about how beautiful life could be if I ever had the chance to travel around the world. Whenever I wasn’t in the hospital, I was enrolling in different language courses in my hometown, and my parents thought that since I couldn’t properly study a bachelors at the time, I might as well study Chinese at my university’s Confucius Institute.

像许多人一样，我来到中国是为了学习中文。然而，每当人们问我为什么学习中文时，我发现自己无法用简单的言语解释清楚。我住院的时候，我通过学习中文来转移注意力。从 16 岁开始，我就变得非常容易生病。而且我是“书呆子”，我真的很担心我的大脑会变得不灵光，所以我就开始学习这个传说中世界上最难的语言。我在医院病床上的大部分时间都是在阅读，看 YouTube 上关于科学和语言的视频，偶尔也看旅行视频。我当时在想，如果我有机会环游世界，生活会是多么美好。每当我不用住院的时候，我就报名参加不同的语言课程。我的父母觉得，既然我当时不能好好地学习本科课程，不妨让我在大学的孔子学院学习中文。

Shortly after I turned 22, I was inexplicably healthy. Doctors stopped medicating me thankfully and I no longer had anything that held me back from pursuing my dreams. By chance, the teachers at my Confucius Institute told me to get a scholarship to go to China. So, I did and it was even better than I expected. As soon as I landed in here, I fell in love with China.

我 22 岁那年，健康状况莫名好转了。医生停止了对我的药物治疗，我追求梦想的道路不再有任何阻碍了。一次偶然的机会，我所在孔子学院的老师让我申请奖学金去中国留学。于是我照做了，情况比我想象的还要好。我一踏上中国的土地，就爱上了这个国度。

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？

There’s something about Xiamen. Maybe it’s the people, maybe it’s the beach, maybe it’s the very chill vibe that the whole city has, but life in here is sort of like living in a tropical private resort. The city is full of wonderful treasures. There are endless parks you can go on hikes during the weekend, ancient temples in which you can see the monks coming back from a nearby milk tea shop, and the other examples of how the city is just an international hub, yet still holds the charm that small cities have. Xiamen has everything you could think of.

厦门确实有吸引我的地方，也许是这里的人，也许是这里的海滩，也许是整个城市所具有的非常轻松的氛围，有点像生活在一个私人热带度假村。这座城市到处都是美妙的宝藏。周末你可以去数不清的公园远足；在古老的寺庙，你可以看到刚从附近奶茶店回来的僧侣。还有许多例子说明这座城市是一座国际大都市，并且还保留着小城市的魅力。厦门拥有你能想到的一切。

(My only complaint is the local food, but that’s just me being Mexican)

（我唯一不习惯的是当地食物，可能是因为墨西哥人的口味不同）

I think China is the most misunderstood country in the world. Language barrier aside, there’s just too many misconceptions about what the country is like in reality. I remember thinking I’d see factories all over the cities, and that people might be a little distrustful of foreigners. What I found was completely the opposite. China has the most welcoming, friendliest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Chinese people are proud of their culture and country, and rightfully so. It has amazing natural landscapes, impressive ancient culture and architecture, and, honestly, China is like 30 years ahead in the future. I don’t think I want to use cash ever again.

我认为中国是世界上被误解最深的国家。撇开语言障碍不谈，人们对这个国家的实际情况有太多误解。我到中国之前，以为中国的城市里到处都是工厂，而且中国人可能会对外国人有点不信任。但我发现情况完全相反。中国人民是我遇到过的最热情、最友好的人民。中国人对他们的国家和文化感到骄傲，这也是理所当然的。中国有令人惊叹的自然景观，令人印象深刻的古代文化和建筑。而且说实话，中国好像已经领先30年了，因为我在中国已经不使用现金了。

What fascinated you the most about living in China? 

生活在中国，最吸引你的是什么？

One word: safety.

一个词：安全。

But also: hotpot.

还有：火锅。

What is your unique China story?

你在中国有什么独特的故事？

I first lived in Hangzhou for a few months in 2017. I think I will never forget how I was greeted by the city and its people. There was something uniquely serene about it. I first got off the subway at a station near the West Lake. Honestly, I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but the first thing I thought when I got off the subway was: “damn, people in here are so good looking”.

2017 年，我第一次来杭州，在那儿住了几个月。我永远不会忘记，这座城市和这里的人民是如何欢迎我的。杭州有一份独特的宁静。我首先在西湖附近下了地铁。说实话，我有点不好意思说，我下了地铁后的第一反应是：“哇，杭州人也太好看了。”

Having no idea where I was because I never even bothered googling the city, I took the first bus that I knew would take me to my hostel. When I got on the bus, I noticed there was music playing, and I knew what song it was. It was my favorite Chinese song, “The Foreigner”, by Lijian. As I was trying to wrap my mind around the incredible coincidence I was living, I looked outside the window and saw the absolutely most breathtaking scenery I have ever seen in my life: the West Lake. I felt like in a movie, it was too good to be truth.

我不知道自己身在何方，我甚至懒得用谷歌搜索这个城市。我坐上了会把我带到旅馆的第一辆巴士。我上了车，车上放着音乐，我听出了那是什么歌，是我最喜欢的中国歌曲——李健的《异乡人》。我试图整理思绪，让自己相信这个难以置信的巧合。这时我向窗外望去，看到了我一生中见过的最令人赞叹的风景：西湖。我感觉就像在电影里一样，这一切似乎是虚幻的。

This is my second time in China, and I have made sure to make the best out of it. I have travelled as much as I can, met as many interesting people as I possibly can, I’ve camped on the beach, sung karaoke with strangers, been interviewed on TV, stayed up all night to see the sunrise by the beach, volunteered in rural areas, hosted events in three different languages. Every day has been a new adventure, and somehow it just keeps getting better. As corny as it may sound.

第二次来中国，我已经彻底习惯了这儿的生活。我尽可能去旅行，尽可能多地遇到有趣的人。我在海滩上露营，与陌生人唱卡拉 OK，接受电视台采访，在海滩边熬夜看日出，在农村做志愿者，用三种不同语言主持活动。虽然听起来很老套，但每一天的确都是一场新的冒险，而且每天都在变得更好。

Some background on his hometown

介绍一下他的家乡

My hometown’s name is Chihuahua. I don’t know what came first, the place or the dog. I hate those dogs.

我的家乡在墨西哥奇瓦瓦市，没错，也就是那个“吉娃娃”。我不知道你们听到这个名字，会首先想到狗还是这座城市。“我不喜欢那些狗”。

作者：荷马 翻译：潘泽彬

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