"When I came to China in 2008, I only planned to study the language for one year. Yet, year after year passed, and I never expected to stay for 17 years." Sitting in the "Green House" bar in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, Sveta from Belarus spoke of her connection with China, her tone filled with the emotions of time gone by.
Over those 17 years, what began as a plan for a "short-term stay" gradually transformed into seeing China as a "second homeland she never wants to leave." Her journey, quietly woven through "decisions to extend, year after year," became a transnational story shaped by time and persistence.
Sveta's experiences in China have opened new perspectives for her Belarusian friends. "They follow China-related content on Instagram and often exclaim, 'Is it really like that?' They all want to come and experience China firsthand."
What surprised her friends the most was Shijiazhuang, which she described as "not that big." "When I told them I live in Shijiazhuang, a pretty comfortable small city, and mentioned its population—nearly 12 million—they were all stunned," Sveta recalled. "You have to understand; the entire population of Belarus is only around 10 million. They simply couldn't grasp how a city of nearly 12 million people could be called 'small.'"
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