個(gè)人簡(jiǎn)介：
國(guó)籍：德國(guó)
Occupation :?Former Technical Manager in Construction and current Gelato Master
職業(yè)：曾任建筑技術(shù)經(jīng)理，現(xiàn)為 Papa Gelato 純手工冰淇淋店老板
Years in China :?14
在華居住時(shí)間：14 年
How did your journey in China begin?
你的中國(guó)之旅是如何開始的？
I used to work in the construction industry in Germany and in 2006 I got the opportunity to interview for a job as a Construction Manager for the company’s branch in Shanghai. I applied for the position and was successful! So, my journey to China started on January 2007 and I was really happy but also a bit worried.
我來(lái)中國(guó)之前，在德國(guó)工作，從事建筑行業(yè)。2006 年，我申請(qǐng)了上海分公司建筑經(jīng)理的職位。通過(guò)面試，我成功地獲得了這個(gè)崗位！就這樣，我的中國(guó)之旅從 2007 年 1 月開始，我當(dāng)時(shí)非常高興，但又懷揣些許不安。
I came to China with just my passport, a bag and luggage filled with winter clothes. The size of the airport shocked me but before I could get over my shock, I wondered how my cab driver would find me. It ended up being a simple process as he was waiting with a sign and waved his hands as he saw me. Later, he showed me the picture the company gave him which was the photo on my CV. I couldn’t help but keep thinking that the airport was gigantic, and the 30-minute way from the airport to the hotel was just amazing! There were highways with overpasses, with bright colours everywhere. I was even surprised that at night the roads were still busy here! It was at that moment that I fell in love with China. I felt like that’s what I had been missing for so many years.
我只帶了護(hù)照、一個(gè)背包和裝滿冬裝的行李箱，就來(lái)到了中國(guó)。機(jī)場(chǎng)的規(guī)模之大，令人震驚。震驚之余，我想知道出租車司機(jī)會(huì)如何來(lái)接我。接機(jī)的過(guò)程很簡(jiǎn)單，他舉著一個(gè)牌子等著，看到我的時(shí)候就朝我揮手。然后，他給我看了公司給他的照片，原來(lái)是我簡(jiǎn)歷上的照片。我不禁感嘆，機(jī)場(chǎng)真是太宏大了，從機(jī)場(chǎng)到酒店短短30分鐘的路程，也是令人嘆為觀止！一路上都是縱橫交錯(cuò)的立交橋，到處點(diǎn)綴著明亮的色彩。更令我震驚的是，夜晚的道路依舊川流不息！就在那一刻，我愛上了中國(guó)。我覺(jué)得這就是我多年來(lái)一直渴望的東西。
During my first years here, from 2007 to 2014 I worked as a construction engineer and project manager in the outskirts of Shanghai, Beijing, Yinchuan and Nanjing. Construction works are so much faster here in China. The manpower is incredibly? high but also there needs to be more checks and quality control.
來(lái)中國(guó)的頭幾年，也就是 2007 年到 2014 年，我在上海、北京、銀川和南京的郊區(qū)擔(dān)任建筑工程師和項(xiàng)目經(jīng)理。中國(guó)的建筑產(chǎn)業(yè)發(fā)展十分迅猛，人力資源十分充盈，令人難以置信，但工程檢查和質(zhì)量控制方面還有待加強(qiáng)。
When the financial crisis started in 2014, I went back to Germany and worked in my old company. There I noticed how different the work in Germany was. Chinese projects were handled by 20 engineers whereas in Germany we need 3 times more than that. Decisions were made by myself within an hour and in Germany it would take sometimes days or even longer. So, it was not a surprise that I took the first good offer to head back to the country I missed so much. 5 months after arriving in Germany, I got an offer from another German company in Beijing in a high-rank position. Thanks to the opportunities China offered, my career evolved from a construction manager, to project manager, and to area manager for South China, based in Shanghai.
2014 年金融危機(jī)爆發(fā)，我回到了德國(guó)，在我原本的公司工作。對(duì)比之下，我意識(shí)到德國(guó)的工作方式和中國(guó)有很大的不同。在中國(guó)，一個(gè)項(xiàng)目通常由 20 名工程師負(fù)責(zé)，而在德國(guó)需要比這多 3 倍的工程師。在中國(guó)我一個(gè)小時(shí)內(nèi)就能作出決策，而在德國(guó)，有時(shí)需要幾天甚至更長(zhǎng)時(shí)間。因此，我接受一個(gè)不錯(cuò)的 offer，回到我日思夜想的國(guó)家，這并不奇怪。到德國(guó) 5 個(gè)月后，我得到了另一家德國(guó)公司提供的一個(gè)工作機(jī)會(huì)，是在北京的高級(jí)職位。感謝中國(guó)給我的機(jī)會(huì)，讓我從建筑經(jīng)理提升到項(xiàng)目經(jīng)理，再到上海的華南地區(qū)經(jīng)理。
What do you like most about the cities you’ve lived in?
你生活過(guò)的城市，哪一點(diǎn)最吸引你？
Honestly speaking, when I was in Germany working in the construction business, even though I read the news every day and watched TV, I knew so little about China as the country was hardly ever mentioned in the news. I only knew the capital was Beijing and the song by Katie Melua that said “there are nine million bicycles in Beijing.
說(shuō)實(shí)話，我在德國(guó)從事建筑行業(yè)時(shí)，雖然我每天都看新聞，看電視，但我對(duì)中國(guó)知之甚少，因?yàn)樾侣勚袔缀鯖](méi)有提到過(guò)中國(guó)。我只知道中國(guó)的首都是北京，以及凱蒂?瑪露唱的那首歌 “there are nine million bicycles in Beijing”（ 北京城里有900萬(wàn)輛自行車）。
I stayed in Beijing from 2007 until 2008 and I loved the art centers and art districts there.? I usually spent my Sunday afternoons, which was my only day off, walking around the “hutong” streets which was always a delight. About China in general, I just LOVE the food as the tastes range from spicy to tasty. Additionally, I love how nice and friendly the people are, even if we can’t communicate in German or English, they are willing to listen, to help and to become your friends.
2007 年到 2008 年我一直待在北京，我喜歡那里的藝術(shù)中心和藝術(shù)區(qū)。我只在周日休息一天，所以周日下午，我會(huì)在“胡同”里散步，這令我心情愉悅。我喜歡中國(guó)的美食，辛辣的、美味的，有各種不同的風(fēng)味。我還喜歡中國(guó)人的熱情友善，即使我們不能用德語(yǔ)或英語(yǔ)交流，他們也愿意傾聽你、幫助你，與你交朋友。
As an engineer, the fast pace and speed at which things are built here will always amaze me.
作為一名工程師，中國(guó)建造的速度之快總是讓我感到驚訝。
What is your unique China story?
你在中國(guó)有什么特別的經(jīng)歷嗎？
At the end of 2016, I had to leave the construction company that I had not too long joined due to some internal issues. However, I stayed in Shanghai for an extra year developing an ice-machine to produce a special type of ice. Unfortunately, this project went slower than I expected, so I decided to move on from that although the machine I developed was very efficient. By then, I decided to work on my own and became interested in gelato-making and decided to start my own business, a gelato shop. In 2016, I moved to Xiamen since my girlfriend Sandra which I visited every weekend, asked me to stay and I did not regret it as it is such a lovely island. I started to work on my Project “Papa Gelato” which was my first and a bit risky shop concept. I had worked out my plan for over 2 years but I had support from a very good friend and former colleague from the former company who assisted with the shop and brand design, feasibility reports, and all sorts of details regarding this business which I was not familiar with.
2016 年底，由于一些內(nèi)部問(wèn)題，我離開了剛?cè)肼毑痪玫慕ㄖ尽５?，我繼續(xù)在上海待了一年，準(zhǔn)備研發(fā)一臺(tái)能制造特殊類型冰塊的制冰機(jī)。盡管機(jī)器非常高效，可惜研發(fā)進(jìn)度比我預(yù)期的要慢，所以我決定放棄。我對(duì)制作冰淇淋非常感興趣，所以從那時(shí)起，我就決定自己創(chuàng)業(yè)，開一家冰淇淋店。2016 年，我搬到了廈門，因?yàn)槲业呐笥?Sandra （我每個(gè)周末都會(huì)去廈門看她）讓我留在這里，我絲毫沒(méi)有后悔，因?yàn)閺B門真是一座美麗的島嶼。我開始籌備冰淇淋店 “Papa Gelato”，這個(gè)想法有點(diǎn)冒險(xiǎn)。我已經(jīng)籌備了兩年多，一個(gè)非常要好的朋友和曾經(jīng)的同事給予我很大的支持，他們協(xié)助我進(jìn)行店鋪和品牌設(shè)計(jì)、撰寫可行性報(bào)告，告訴我這個(gè)行業(yè)我不熟悉的各種細(xì)節(jié)。
Although it should have happened 2 years ago, during planning in 2018, we decided to start with the paperwork, licenses, etc. Then in 2019 we had to postpone it again to the beginning of 2020. That year, my friend went home to Malaysia for Chinese New Year and in the meantime I was searching for a suitable venue. But, oh well, you know what happened then. The pandemic. The lockdown. Travel and Visa restrictions. My plan was postponed unwillingly again…
冰淇淋店原本兩年前就該開業(yè)，但在 2018 年籌備時(shí)，我們決定先辦理證件和執(zhí)照等材料。然后開業(yè)時(shí)間又從 2019 年再次推遲到 2020 年初。那一年，我朋友回馬來(lái)西亞老家過(guò)春節(jié)，而我在為冰淇淋店選址。但是天有不測(cè)風(fēng)云，我們都清楚 2020 年發(fā)生了什么——新冠肺炎疫情、封城、旅行和簽證限制。很遺憾，我們的開業(yè)時(shí)間又要推遲了……
However, something great happened during the pandemic outbreak, Sandra got pregnant and our first baby arrived in December 2020! That was probably the best thing that could have been done during the pandemic for us. We are so happy!
但是，在新冠疫情期間發(fā)生了一件大喜事，Sandra 懷孕了，我們的第一個(gè)寶寶在 2020 年12 月降生！這可能是疫情期間最大的喜訊。我們欣喜若狂！
That gave me an impulse to continue with this project. Last February, I went out to check suitable locations again and finally after a few weeks of endlessly searching, I found a place and started creating my dream on mid-March 2021. Most of the renovation works were done by end of July, and 16th August, Papa Gelato had its soft opening and was open for business. Fun fact, the official opening was postponed to avoid August, the “month of ghosts”, according to Chinese superstition.
這份喜訊鼓舞我們繼續(xù)籌備開店。去年 2 月，我再次出門，挑選合適的門面，經(jīng)過(guò)幾周不停的尋找，終于塵埃落定。2021 年 3 月中旬，我們開始讓夢(mèng)想變成現(xiàn)實(shí)。整體裝修工程在 7 月底完成。8 月 16 日，Papa Gelato 試營(yíng)業(yè)。有趣的是，正式開業(yè)又推遲了，因?yàn)楦鶕?jù)中國(guó)的傳統(tǒng)，八月是“鬼月”，不宜開業(yè)。
About making gelato, there is a secret formula that nobody will tell you unless you buy a gelato company or find it by yourself. There is a lot of experimentation, exact calculations are needed to find the right balance of ingredients. So, after (only) 4 failures (I mean, my gelato was delicious, but the texture was not perfect, sometimes it was too sticky or just tasted of burnt vanilla) I found my secret recipe! To illustrate the process with an engineering metaphore, to make gelato you must turn some wheels, first a large one, then a smaller one, to eventually find the right technique. It’s always different when I start making new flavors, hoping that the customers will love it. Listening to them gives me new ideas for further flavors. Thanks to all my supporters and family that I went on this challenging road with. Nothing feels better than a smile of the kids with chocolate from mouth to both ears.
我有一個(gè)意式冰淇淋秘方，除非你收購(gòu)了一家冰淇淋公司或者自行研發(fā)，否則沒(méi)有人會(huì)告訴你。研發(fā)配方需要進(jìn)行很多次實(shí)驗(yàn)，還需要精確的計(jì)算，以達(dá)到各配料之間的配比平衡。我（只）經(jīng)歷 4 次失?。ㄎ业囊馑际?，冰淇淋很好吃，但口感不完美，有時(shí)太粘或者嘗起來(lái)像焦糊的香草），就研發(fā)出了秘密配方。用一個(gè)工程學(xué)的比喻來(lái)解釋這個(gè)過(guò)程，就是要制作冰淇淋，你必須轉(zhuǎn)動(dòng)一些輪子，先是大輪子，然后是小輪子，最終找到正確的技術(shù)。我還會(huì)繼續(xù)研發(fā)完全不同的新口味，希望顧客會(huì)喜歡。我還會(huì)傾聽他們的意見，他們總能給我新的想法。我要感謝所有支持我的人，包括我的家人，他們陪伴我在這條充滿挑戰(zhàn)的道路上披荊斬棘?？吹胶⒆觽兣脻M嘴都是巧克力，綻放出幸福的笑容，沒(méi)有比這更美好的事物了。
Some background about Andre’s hometown
介紹一下 Andre 的家鄉(xiāng)
My hometown is a small German town called Unna just a stonethrow away from Dortmund, the hometown of my favorite Football Team BVB 09. Although the center of my life is here in Xiamen now. My little Family lives here and I found a place to be happy. I would love to visit my parents in Germany soon so they can meet their grandson. But this will have to wait for now.
我的家鄉(xiāng)叫烏納，是德國(guó)的一個(gè)小鎮(zhèn)，離我最喜歡的足球隊(duì)BVB 09的總部多特蒙德只有一箭之地。雖然我現(xiàn)在已在廈門定居，小家庭也在這里，過(guò)著幸福的生活，但我很想盡快回德國(guó)看望我的父母，讓他們見見孫子。但現(xiàn)在要想實(shí)現(xiàn)這個(gè)愿望必須等待。
作者：Andre?翻譯：潘澤彬
If you would like to contribute your story, feel free to contact us.
Email: luz@mts-tech.com
Home away from home?is a collection of the unique stories written by foreigners in China and compiled by MTS. Join us on this journey of exploring 100 different stories showcasing what it truly means to live in China!《家外之家》是一本外國(guó)人在中國(guó)的獨(dú)特故事集，由外國(guó)人撰寫，精藝達(dá)公司征集匯編。歡迎外國(guó)朋友積極參與，和我們一起探尋100個(gè)不同的故事，展示生活在中國(guó)的真正意義！
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It has been?5 months?already since the “Home Away from Home” essay contest began! We appreciate all the foreign friends who have participated writing?55 unique stories?about their experience as expats in China.?On October 31st, the voting system closed, and after thorough counting of likes, reads and votes, today is the time to announce the?5 winners! Drumroll please...感謝大家?5 個(gè)月以來(lái)對(duì)《家外之家》征文比賽的關(guān)注！開賽至今，我們一共征集到了?55 篇外國(guó)人在華故事，我們非常感謝此次積極參與征文活動(dòng)的外國(guó)朋友。2021 年 10 月 31 日，網(wǎng)站投票通道也已關(guān)閉。通過(guò)計(jì)算社交媒體點(diǎn)贊數(shù)、閱讀數(shù)、以及網(wǎng)站投票數(shù)，經(jīng)過(guò)激烈角逐,?5 名參賽者最終脫穎而出
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