From one tropical paradise to another, our intern Jevon shares his unique story about living in China
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!
How did your journey in China begin?
My journey here would have started around 2 years ago in August of 2019 when around this time I wanted to pursue a master’s degree and I felt like there was no better place to do it than China given the particular field that I’m in.
What do you like most about your city and China as a whole?
The beaches here are great and it is definitely tropical! What I like about Xiamen is that it’s a bustling city amongst a very tropical landscape and the city’s government does an amazing job with preserving the nature around us while also developing at a break-neck speed. This could be said for China on a whole as I travel through different cities, I see how the government does an amazing job of providing the necessary resources and developments needed for a major city but they do it in a way that does not damage the environment around and they also successfully integrate a beautiful cityscape with amazing natural scenery.
What fascinated you the most about living in China?
The fact that no one uses cash and that everything is digital! Additionally, I definitely appreciate how close-knit families are in China. For me personally, I am lucky to have an extremely close family back home and I know that’s not the case for a lot of people but here it warms my heart when I see grandparents spending tons of time with their grandkids.
Could you list some of your favorite spots in your city?
If I had to decide I would say that I love Gulangyu island, the Botanical Gardens, Nanputuo Temple and all of the beaches here
Finally, what is your unique China story? Tell us something that you experienced that made you love living here even more.
During my winter break in January 2020, I went to visit some friends in multiple cities throughout china and since this was my first time traveling domestically here. My first stop was Hangzhou which I loved with my second and final stop being Wuhan. However, this coincided with the COVID-19 outbreak and the time which led to me being stuck in the city for approximately 3 months. During this time I experienced first-hand the resilience of Chinese people and also their hospitality. As expected, I had tons of worries, fears and questions during this time but they were immediately answered by the people in charge around me and they were extremely helpful.
Some background on his home country.
Barbados is a small island which is approximately 166 square miles which is 4 times smaller than the size of Xiamen! With a population of around 270,000 people, the island is most known for its friendliness, amazing beaches, constant sunshine. Fun fact: Major pop-star Rihanna is also from Barbados and would have attended the same high school as Jevon!
Find out more at: visitbarbados.org
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Stories will be shared in English on our LinkedIn page, Instagram and Facebook page. Bilingual stories will be shared on our WeChat account mts_cn. Remember to vote for your favourite one!