Where are you from?
‘I’m from Beijing, China. But I have lived in the Netherlands for 21 years and I have worked at ITC that entire time.’
Are you single, married, in love?
‘Single, happily single. I like having the freedom.’
What keeps you busy these days?
‘My work and I also travel a lot. Ten days ago I returned from Barcelona, where I went to meet my good friend who works for the UN. Barcelona is such a live and vibrant city! And they have really good food and drinks. I’m a foodie, so I really enjoy good food and I judge all the places I visit based on food. Even if the landscape is beautiful, it always comes down to food first.’
What is your favorite food?
‘Thai food. And Chinese, of course. And Indian, Italian, Korean, Japanese…’
Before you list all the cuisines of the world, I assume you like cooking? What is your comfort food?
‘Yes, I enjoy cooking and I’m quite good at it. I learnt cooking when I was a teenager. My comfort food are Chinese dumplings, because that is the traditional food we eat on New Year’s Eve in the Northern China. The whole family makes them together as a symbol of reunion.’
Do you still go back to China?
‘Yes, about twice a year. I spend all my long holidays there. I visit my brother and father in Beijing and also my foster family in Southern China – I have two families, so two locations to visit. Life can be difficult when you are so far away from home.’
Do you consider China your home?
‘Yes, I’m still Chinese. Nothing can ever change that. But I do have Dutch citizenship. However, the reason I got it wasn’t very pleasant. I travelled to Taiwan with my Chinese passport, but I couldn’t get a visa before departure. So when I landed in Taiwan, they told me I couldn’t leave the airport and I had to stay in a transit hotel. A Dutch representative had to pick me up and provide an official document saying that I was on a business trip and would travel back to the Netherlands afterwards. If I didn’t, the Dutch representative could have gone to jail. It was quite a stressful experience, although I can laugh about it now. Afterwards I decided to get a Dutch passport just to make travelling easier. On the other hand, now I need a visa when I travel to China, which is also a hassle. But the more I travel, the more I appreciate the Netherlands, it is so organized and secured in many aspects.’
Which book are you reading right now?
‘It’s a historic book about a Chinese emperor, it describes his life and the tricks he used to get to power. I like history, detective and military themed books.’
What hobby have you picked up recently?
‘Chinese ink painting. I don’t have talent for painting, but I will try anyway.’
What is on your bucket list?
‘I just want to travel more. I’d like to go back to Latin America. I love the splendid landscape, mountains, rivers and cultures. But there is also a lot to discover in Europe.’
What type of a traveler are you? Adventure or comfort?
‘I’m definitely an adventurous traveler. I especially love hiking.’
What was the most adventurous trip you took?
‘The Inca trail, which was a four days long track through the Andes leading to Machu Picchu. That was my first adventurous trip and some male colleagues actually laughed at me before I left, and said I would be carried by people up the mountains, because I’m a big city girl and city life is all I have ever enjoyed. It was the first time I slept in a tent in deep mountains. The trip was tough, I had to get up early and walk at least eight hours every day. It was long and the weather kept changing, but I made it and I wasn’t even the last one to arrive from the group! This really inspired me to travel in a more adventurous way and to not be afraid to travel alone. So I went to Cuba next. I wanted to see the only country that dared to say no to the U.S. The visit to Cuba really changed me. I hardly ever complain now, because I saw that – at least back in 2005 - Cubans had nothing, but they were still cheerful, and made the best of their lives. After dinner, they would go out to the square and dance salsa. But it was sad to see the way they lived and the lack of material goods. It really affected me and changed how I think about life and how I spend my money.’
What is the best gift you have ever gotten?
‘Boots from my mother when I was young. They were quite expensive and at first my mother told me she didn’t have the money, but once she got her salary, she bought me the shoes. I will never forget that.’
What is the best gift you have ever given?
‘Bringing my parents here to Europe and showing them around twice, each time for 3 months. Two years after the last visit of my parents, my mother passed away unexpectedly, so I was glad I had done that when I was able to.’
Do you like living in Enschede?
‘I’m from a big city, so you tell me (laughs). Enschede is very convenient, but it has some room for development. But my work is here and I really like ITC. I love working in an international environment, meeting people from all over the world, making friends of different nationalities. My job has really broadened my knowledge and opened my eyes to the world. That is a big reward of working at ITC.’
