那个月，我深受触动，怎么说都不为过。当时我对中国知之甚少，所以整个旅程充满了惊喜与激动：中国的语言、名胜古迹、食物！西红的家人十分热情地接待了我们，把我们当成了家里的一份子，带着我们到处转悠，他们简直就是最尽职的大使：我和他们在一起的时光证明了中国人是多么热情好客。所以，我们回到家时，我就知道总有一天我会再来中国。

Fast forward to 2012.

时间来到 2012 年。

I was living in Barcelona at the time and, I was less than satisfied with my life. So I took a backpack and came to China with no plan, and no return ticket. I had no work waiting for me, no friends, nothing, just the drive for exploring this big country.

当时我住在巴塞罗那，我对自己的生活不太满意。于是背上背包，毫无计划地就来到了中国，也没有买回程机票。我在中国没有工作，没有朋友，什么都没有，只有探索这个大国的动力。

After some time traveling around China, I enrolled in university in Guilin. There I spend two years studying the language, practicing Taichi and learning Chinese calligraphy. Then I moved to Shanghai where I started working in a manufacturing company for board games. There I came to know about how the modern part of China looks like. It was also how I started making contacts in the game industry and what eventually brought me to Xiamen.

在中国旅行一段时间后，我进入了桂林的一所大学学习。我花了两年时间学习语言、练习太极拳和中国书法。然后我搬到了上海，我开始在一家桌游生产公司工作。我逐渐领会了当代的中国。从那时起，我开始接触游戏产业，也是这个产业指引我来到厦门。

It took one weekend.

只花了一个周末的时间，我就决定留在厦门。

In nearly 2018 I got a job offer from a company in Xiamen and I came for a weekend to learn more about the city. “How had I never heard of this city before?” That was the question repeating in my head as I walked through the small, charming streets of the old city, discovering one secret cafe after another. After the soulless and profit-driven society of Shanghai, Xiamen welcomed me with down to earth people who found joy in drinking tea with friends by the sea, near Baicheng beach. After the stress inducing cage of concrete and glass of the big city, the terraces of Shapowei promised of nice evenings enjoying a beer with friends. After just two days I decided Xiamen was the place I wanted to stay in.

2018 年初，我收到了厦门一家公司的 offer，周末我就来到厦门，想更深入地了解这座城市。“我以前怎么从来没有听说过这座城市？”当我走过老城区充满魅力的小街道，发现一家又一家的神秘咖啡馆时，这个问题在我脑海中反复出现。上海是座没有灵魂、追名逐利的城市，而厦门则有许多接地气的人。他们会在白城海滩附近和朋友一起喝茶，度过闲暇快乐的时光。离开由混凝土和玻璃构筑的牢笼般的、充满压力的大城市后，我更愿意来沙坡尾与朋友一起享用啤酒，度过美好的夜晚。仅仅两天，我就决定要留在厦门。

Now it’s been already 3 years in this city. It’s a good place for making friends and to tell stories. Like when me and an American friend I met in Guilin went on a 45-day trip around China. We were staying at the cheapest holes we could find, riding those 24-hour-long trains, and avoiding interaction with anyone who could speak English.

我已经在厦门待了 3 年了。在这里可以结交许多朋友，人们也更愿意讲述他们的故事。比如，我和一个美国的朋友，之前在桂林认识的，我们一起在中国玩了 45 天。我们找最便宜的地方住，乘坐长达 24 小时的火车，不与任何会说英语的人互动。

I still remember that old guest house in Harbin, run by an old Chinese couple. It was winter and I can’t imagine what was my face when the lady explained to me that the only available way of “showering” was boiling water in a kettle and do whatever I could in the small room with a squatting toilet. We made things inconvenient for us, sure, but in the process we accumulated enough anecdotes for a lifetime of storytelling.

我还记得哈尔滨的一家老旅馆，由一对中国老夫老妻经营。那年冬天，老板娘向我解释说，如果想要洗澡，只能自己烧水，然后把热水带到蹲便式厕所进行“淋浴”。我无法想象当时我的脸色有多难看。当然，是我们自己选择了如此不便的旅馆。但在这个过程中，我们积累了足够多的轶事，一生都讲不完。

So, why am I staying here?

我们为什么要留在这里？

The beauty of giant Chinese characters carved in the side of a mountain half hidden by the fog. Enjoying the simple yet mouth-watering taste of a good plate of Mapo Tofu, while the friendly restaurant owner introduces you to an old Hong Kong movie about a ghost hunter Taoist priest. Ordering virtually any product you can imagine with your phone while riding a next generation electric vehicles with automatic doors. The list of things I like about living in China would fill several pages.

巨大的摩崖石刻在雾蒙蒙的山中若隐若现，麻婆豆腐虽然简单但令人垂涎，友好的餐厅老板介绍一部关于捉鬼道士的老香港电影。乘坐带有自动门的新一代电动汽车，用手机订购任何商品，只要你想得到。我喜欢在中国生活的理由可以写满好几页。

Now the times of adventure feel a bit far away, but like a young love based on passion, that later transitions to a mature and stable relationship, mine with China has changed too. Things seem to have come full circle with my first published card game, Hot Pot Hustle! A project where I could take the passions and interests of my previous life and merge them with the things that are making this second life such a good one.

冒险这个词感觉已经离我远去，就像年轻人的爱情刚开始充满激情，后来过渡到成熟稳定，我与中国的关系也发生了变化。我发明的第一个卡牌游戏“火锅侠”似乎又唤起了我的冒险精神！这个游戏融合了我的热情和兴趣，以及我在中国的一切美好。

作者：施伟 翻译：潘泽彬

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