The story begins with a joke. Yegor, a Ukrainian with a passion for xiangsheng (Chinese crosstalk comedy) and football. After living in China for nearly 15 years, his command of Mandarin isn't just fluent—it's witty enough to have native speakers in stitches.
"Someone once asked me, 'Hey laowai (foreigner in Chinese), how much do you make a month?'"
"I told him, 'One million! '"
"He asked, 'One million a year?'"
"I said, 'One million a week!'"
"'Wow, ' he replied, 'A million a week? What do you do for a living?'"
"I answer to him, 'A professional daydreamer!'"
Yegor is a bilingual host for many events and also participated in many documentaries and focusing on Chinese culture. His connection to China goes back to his father's insistence. "My father said, 'Nah, you will learn Chinese, otherwise I won't pay your tuition!'" Yegor recalls. "He closely followed the news and would show me developments in China—'Look, they've built a new museum, a new bank, a new monorail.' He told me, 'If it is for your future, you should study Chinese.'"
In 2008, Yegor came to China through a student exchange program. The initial cultural shock was real. He reminisces about a formal dinner hosted by his college dean. "I remember when the dean treated us to lunch, everybody wouldn't say a word. They were waiting for him to open his mouth," Yegor says. He tried to mimic the dean's greeting: "Okay, um... You're from Ukraine... Ah! Hello, student!" His spot-on impression never fails to draw laughter.
Yegor also had experience as an actor. It was a life-changing moment for him in 2010. He won first prize in "Chinese Bridge" in Ukraine, a worldwide Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students. Then, he represented Ukraine on the show. It was this moment that he fell in love with the stage.
He is also passionate about xiangsheng (Chinese crosstalk comedy), leading him to found "When Crosstalk Meets Foreigners". The troupe now boasts over 40 performers from across the globe—Australia, the UK, France, South Korea, Japan, Madagascar, Kenya—staging bi-weekly performances that have turned a Beijing venue into a vibrant hub for cultural exchange.
"I only haven't been to two provinces in China." Over the past decade, Yegor has launched his own studio, collaborating with various Chinese media outlets to produce cultural documentaries. His work has taken him to the far corners of the country, from the northern city of Qiqihar to the tropical shores of Sanya in Hainan, and deep into ethnic minority communities where he learned the songs of the Miao and Bai people and savored their local cuisines.
Yet, building a life in China as a foreigner means constantly navigating questions of identity. In China, he's often labeled as a "laowai" (foreigner in Chinese). Returning to Ukraine, he faces reverse culture shock. For Yegor, the term "laowai" sometimes refers to those less familiar with Chinese culture. "From this perspective, I am definitely not a laowai," he asserts. "Even if I stay here for 60 more years, when I become 80 years old, people will still see me as a laowai. But the moment I speak, they'll probably consider me as Chinese".
These days, you can find Yegor playing football under the city lights on a pitch filled with friends from around the world. In this field, distinctions of skin color, nationality, job, or age fade away, replaced by shared passion and casual chatter about local stuff like the latest mall opening in Beijing. Having woven himself into the fabric of the city and the country, Yegor's advice is simple: just come to China, travel for a few weeks, and give it a try. He believes that anyone who travels here will fall in love with at least some part of China.
(Reporter: Iris, Ella Qu; Cameramen: Sammi, Yuge; Editor: Ella Qu; English Editor: Ella Qu, Darius; Producer: Tracy)
Related News:
Comment