Name: Mihail Varivoda
Country of Origin: Serbia
Occupation: Teacher
Years in China: 4
How did your journey in China begin?
My first time in China was back in 2015 when I was employed for a cruise ship company. We’d been cruising around the world visiting different countries and at one point the journey around Asia started. Among many Asian countries China was on the list to visit. Places we visited were Tianjin, Shanghai and Hong Kong. To me, Hong Kong was the most impressive of these 3 and we had a blast every time we returned there. A year later I stopped working on board the cruise ships and returned home. At that time I had no idea I would move to China just a year after. I heard about the possibility to work in China and that definitely made me curious to know more about it. In August 2017 my adventure started and the first stop was Beijing, but just for a few days, after short sightseeing I boarded the train and headed to Hefei , Anhui province, where I spent a year. Surprisingly I got used to the lifestyle here quite fast and it felt like a second home within months.
What do you like most about Xiamen and China as a whole?
It took a very short time to realize that Xiamen is the place where I want to live. After living in Hefei for a year summer came and with it came the summer vacation. I was doing research about interesting places in China and Xiamen kept appearing as one of the recommended places to visit. I booked a ticket to Xiamen north railway station first and then took the metro to a station on the island which was near by the hotel I stayed in. Basically since the first moment I stepped out on the street I noticed the huge difference. Clean streets, no motorbikes all over, quiet atmosphere, great weather and the most amazing BLUE sky. For all people living in Anhui province they know, blue sky is rare because of the pollution. It’s gray most of the year. I was amazed! Immediately I started looking for a job here. Three weeks later I left Hefei and moved to Xiamen haha! What I like the most about Xiamen is there’s everything you need in one place. You want to go hiking? Not a problem! There are great places all over. You want to go to the beach or close to the sea? Not a problem, it’s an island. Lots of streets are perfect for photography, local markets, great views all around the island and what is most important, it is very convenient to go from one place to another. What else do we need?
What fascinated you the most about living in China?
I do love exploring, traveling and adventure and China is a country that doesn’t lack places to do all of the things above. Endless places to travel, even just around the province you live there are many small cities and villages with interesting things to offer.
– Technology. Life is super convenient. There are lots of apps that make our lives easier. Everything is done with just few clicks online. Do you remember the last time you used paper money? Although this can be a disadvantage sometimes, it is much easier to spend money, especially on Taobao 🙂
– Transportation. With fast trains traveling is easy, city transportation is also great with lots of buses and subway lines. I come from Serbia where just 7, 8 years ago you had to travel by train for nearly 5 hours to go across 150 km, haha. Imagine the difference!
– People and food. Chinese people live in a certain harmony with each other and the atmosphere is mostly relaxed at all times. Luckily there are lots of different choices when it comes to food and many dishes taste good. Chinese food is not expensive compared to western restaurants and that is great too!
Some background on his home country.
Serbia, land of good food, rakija and Novak Djokovic as some will say. Serbia is a small country in East Europe, with a population more or less similar to the number of people in Xiamen. If you ever travel there you will love the food, great Balkan taste and the prices will amaze you. Rakija is our traditional drink and many people enjoy drinking it, although it is quite strong, the taste is great and every guest will be offered to try it as some people are quite proud of their homemade rakija (if they have some). I am not into tennis but Djokovic is definitely someone most people know Serbia for in the recent years. Our nature is amazing and we have lots of mountains that are a paradise for hikers and nature enthusiasts. To mention one, mountain Rtanj, is famous for its pyramid-like shape and some people claim it has healing powers. Some people even claim to have seen aliens from up there! The 360º view from the top will take your breath away and you can see really far in the distance. If you want an unexpensive travel experience and lots of fun, then Serbia should be on your list.
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