Name: Graham Faulkner
Originally from: The United Kingdom
Occupation: Translator
Years in China: 18
People often ask me why I came to China. To be honest, I’ve never really had a quick and ready answer to that question, other than simply saying that I was curious. I didn’t know much about China before I arrived here. Its language and culture were a mystery to me. As a young child, I remember being mesmerized by TV images of colorful lions dancing in a crowded street – maybe it was some kind of documentary about China? Who knows. But those images really stuck with me. For the most part, my early impressions of China were founded on cultural stereotypes – and I’m sure the same was true for many people in the West at that time. But I did always feel that there was something very romantic about the East: The very word China conjured up images of a distant, exotic land, an ancient civilization, somewhere truly foreign. As I neared the end of university, I had an increasing desire to do something bold and adventurous, to go somewhere nobody I personally knew had ever visited. And with that, I chose China as the destination for my gap year. That was more than eighteen years ago, and I’m still here.
I arrived in Xiamen in 2003. It was a teaching position, arranged through a joint initiative between the British and Chinese governments. It didn’t take me long to realize just how fortunate I was to have been posted in Xiamen. Within days, I had fallen in love with this small (still large by UK standards) garden city on the sea. I loved wandering through the winding streets of the old town, hiking up hills that looked out to sea, exploring the exotic, open-air markets dotted around the island, and attempting talk to the locals in my almost non-existent Chinese which, by some miracle, seemed to improve by the day. I felt a strong desire to communicate with the local people in their language, to blend in and become a part of the community, and not just be another passerby.
As my Chinese improved, my connection to China, its people, and its culture grew stronger. The language barrier was soon gone, and being able to talk to absolutely anyone was incredibly liberating. I used to love chatting to people in shops, putting the world to rights with taxi drivers, and showing off my new-found skills when friends came to visit. And as I learned to read Chinese, I was able to engage with Chinese culture on a more advanced level and have more sophisticated conversations.
At that time China had such an amazing positive energy. In fact, it still does. People worked hard – incredibly hard – and they were optimistic about the future. Cities were being built from the ground up. The streets were clean and safe at all hours. Xiameners were proud of their city yet modest and welcoming to outsiders. You could just tell that China was going somewhere, and it was exciting to experience that first-hand and to really be a part of it. I suppose that’s the main reason I chose to stay on after my gap year ended. There was just so much more to experience and discover.
That was quite a while ago now. China has changed vastly, but the things that made me fall in love with this country have endured. Work has since taken me to other cities in China, first Beijing and now Shanghai. I love these cities too, but Xiamen is the place I hold most dear, and I return to the city whenever I have the chance. Though it’s been years since I’ve lived there, my face still lights up every time I hear its name, and I never fail to sing its praises to people I meet. For that reason, I’d definitely call Xiamen my home away from home.
Read all the unique stories by expats in China here.
To have your China story featured, click here.
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 like and share your favourite one!