Name: Lucía Fajardo
Country: Uruguay
Occupation: Sales Representative
Years in China: 11 years (on and off)
How did you journey in China begin?
It all started with a phone call where a friend told me about scholarships to China to study the language back in 2010. Without hesitation, or being very aware of what I was doing, I applied and the 1-year option as I had in mind did not exist. The options were 2 years to study language or 5 years to study a Degree. I thought about it, discussed it with my family and with their absolute support and only 19 years of age, I arrived in the capital of China in September 2010. Wudaokou, BLCU, friends and an unforgettable experience from the very beginning.
What do you like most about your city and China as a whole?
Although the experience in Beijing was fascinating, in 2015 I returned to China, but this time further southeast, to Xiamen. There, I did my Master’s degree, and I found a wonderful city. Xiamen is a perfect balance between the madness of living in fast China, with green spaces, by the sea, with a population similar to that of my country. A beautiful university and a very friendly community. All this has made Xiamen become my little corner in China.
What fascinated you the most about living in China?
The development of the digital world. The simplicity of having absolutely everything at your fingertips with such simple steps. Stop carrying a wallet, cash, or credit cards; rent a bike anywhere for almost free and leave it where it is most convenient for you. From buying a fast train ticket, an oven, lunch or even a piece of meat or butter arrived directly from the other side of the world.
Also, I loved being part of Xiamen International Football team. We enjoyed every match we play, and it is a space to share and learn from cultures from all over the world while enjoying our beautiful Xiamen.
What is your unique China story?
I remember when I had just arrived in Beijing, 11 years ago. A few days later they celebrated the Mid-Autumn festival and together with some classmates we decided to go for a walk to Houhai, a place that we had been told was very beautiful. When we got off the subway, we found 8 exit options… Obviously we had no idea, and we chose one at random. Of course, it was not the right option to go straight to Houhai and follow the directions we had. There, with a paper map of the city of Beijing (because yes, there were no smart phones yet) and in the middle of the night we found ourselves lost and without directions. 3 minutes passed and a friendly passerby approached us to offer help. Not only did he show us the way, but he also accompanied us and made sure we reached our destination. That feeling of security in the middle of the night (even being lost), the kindness of that person, and finding hidden and wonderful little places in every adventure that involves a walk is something that make me, 11 years later, to still choose China.
Some facts about Uruguay
The distance between China and Uruguay is 18.252 kilometers. In addition, there are two variables that seem very interesting to me. In terms of population, in China there is room for about more than 466 Uruguays (3 million vs 1.4 billion). But also, in Uruguay, not only is the population small, but for every Uruguayan person, there are 4 cows! A fact that explains the export profile of Uruguayan beef, of outstanding quality in the world.
Another aspect is football. Uruguay, with its small population, is one of the most successful countries in the world, football-wise, while China still has space to grow in this regard. There’s plenty of room for cooperation between Uruguay and China!
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