Name: Joyce Beelen
Country: Belgium
Years in China: 4
Occupation: emerging fashion designer
Hello! My name is Joyce and I come from Belgium. I’ve been living in China now for about 4 years. In the beginning, I got a job as an English teacher and at the moment I am trying to start my own business in fashion and writing a book in my spare time. They’re both a risk and I’m not sure if things are going to work out in the end, but I find enormous joy in doing those tasks and that’s what matters, right?
My journey to China began at a young age. When I was a little girl, I was always very interested in China and its culture. It seemed like a whole other magical world to me. When I got older, that dream of travelling to China kind of vanished because of my adult responsibilities.
Fast forward to 2018, when I went through a really rough time in my life. I quit my job which I hated. I had no other work experience, so I didn’t have many options. I also lost my boyfriend of 3 years which led me into a depression. It felt like my life was turned upside down. Then one day, the thought of travelling to China came back into my mind. I didn’t have anything to lose anymore, so I took a big leap of faith and decided to come to China. A lot of my friends and family thought I was crazy to travel to China and they didn’t understand why. Luckily, my parents and brother never doubted me for a second and supported me through the whole journey, even when knowing how hard it would be having me so far away. Missing my family is for sure the hardest part of being in China. It made me realize how much I love them. In the end I realized, losing my job and boyfriend have been the best things that have happened to me!
So in April 2018 I took the next airplane to Kunming, Yunnan. And guess what, after 3 years, I’m still in Kunming. I just love it here! I like living in Kunming because of its nature. I have Romani roots and there’s a saying in our community that goes: ‘gypsies don’t do well inside concrete walls.’ That definitely applies to me. It’s also very easy to travel to other places in Yunnan which are absolutely beautiful! My favorites are Dali and Lijiang. But to be honest, I still have a lot of places I wish to visit in Yunnan.
Another thing I really like is that Chinese citizens are really kind! I love making small conversations with strangers, from young to old. It’s fascinating how something that’s so insignificant can put a smile on my face. Lastly, I love food and China has definitely broadened my taste pallet! Take me out to a hot pot restaurant and I’ll be like the happiest child. I have a sweet tooth and my Chinese grandma makes the best ‘八宝饭’, also I have learned to love the ‘over the bridge noodles’.
Some other things I like about China are the dancing ladies out in the street, the chaos of e-bikes riding through the streets and the convenience of WeChat and Taobao which don’t exist in my country.
My unique story: When I came to China in 2018, I was alone and I was pretty scared. But at the same time, that gave me the power to believe in my own choices and for the first time in my life, follow my dreams. After a few months, I was doing pretty well on my own, I was genuinely happy and didn’t need anything more. Then, in December 2018, I met my Chinese husband!
I wasn’t interested in dating, but he really showed a lot of interest in me and he didn’t stop pursuing me. Until this day, he still does the same. I knew he was the one because I’ve never felt so safe and relaxed with someone. So we started dating. After a year he travelled with me to meet my family and then proposed to me on the Eiffel tower in Paris. 2 months later we were officially married. His family has welcomed me with open arms and I can feel they genuinely care for me. Right now, we’re living in our beautiful house with 2 adorable dogs and a cat.
What I appreciate the most about him is he taught me to slow down in life and enjoy the little things. Whereas in the past I would worry about my job, my reputation and appearance, I now enjoy the beautiful trees outside our house, walking the dogs to the park and my husband’s silly perks. I realized that besides my husband, pets and our house I don’t need much more to be happy. I want to use this opportunity to say thank you to him for always believing in me and making me a better person. I love you.
Lastly, I want to share with people the lesson I learned from my journey: Always follow your heart, because its voice is with you for your whole life. So you’d better listen to what it has to say. Ignore all the other voices.
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