Source: Yiwu sourcing agent Author: Gary Date: 2011-07-09
Although this family are all born with dark skins and warm smiles, but this family of five is like a mini United Nations. "My husband Mamadou comes from the Republic of Senegal, while I am a Gambian. As for the three of our kids, the elder son Muhamed and daughter Kineh are American, the little son Yang Yang is just like me, with the nationality of Gambia." Fatima, the hostess of the "Senegal Pavilion" in the Imported Commodities Mall in the District 5 in the International Trade Mart, told me with a smile that the seven years her family spent in Yiwu was very happy.
Meeting with her Husband in America TheyTogether Coming to China "Before marriage, I've never thought of coming to China one day, and it's all because of my husband Mamadou." With a pair of pretty big eyes, Fatima smiled blossomed when talking of the romance story between her and her husband.
Fatima met her husband Mamadou when she was in college in America.
Because of the attractions to each other, they soon fell in love with each other, met both sides' parents, got married, and gave birth to Muhamed and Kineh. "In 2000, Mamadou began his business of textile and tailoring in China." And one day in 2004, Mamadou told Fatima that he was going to do business in China, and hoped to bring her and their kids together.
"All of my relatives and friends, including me, are very strange to China, we know nothing about this country. My uncle used to visit Beijing in the 1960s for government issues, when he knew we were going to China, he just shrugged. " But Mamadou recommended China strongly to Fatima: " Once you come to this country, you'll love it. "
With some hesitances, Fatima together with their two kids, followed her husband Mamadou to China.
"When the plane was landed in the airport of Shanghai, I was too shocked to express it in words." Fatima still remembered the shock feeling the modernized Shanghai gave her. "The original impression I made to China turns out to be wrong and out of date."
As a New Comer, Theywere not accustomed to everything Seven Years Passed, Theytook Yiwu as their Homeland In 2004, African were seldom to be seen in the streets of Yiwu. Fatima
clearly remembered that, when her family walking in the streets, there were always people staring at them in a curious way. "And we were not used to Chinese dishes, the only KFC restaurant becomes our regular eatery."
"We gradually preferred living in Yiwu after staying here for a while." Fatima said that people in Yiwu were very very kindhearted, and very very nice. Except for the communication problem, living and working in Yiwu is as comfortable as living in her own country.
Time passed by, nowadays the Chinese dishes were their favourite. " Especially the sour cabbage fish." Besides, the 12-year-old Muhamed, 9-year-old Kineh and the 5-year-old Yang
Yang who was born in Yiwu, became the Chinese experts in the family. They can not only speak fluent language of Africa and English, but also good at speaking Mandarin. All of them made many good Chinese friends here, and Muhamed was picked up as one of the five main characters in the local-made movie "Hello Yiwu". Yang Yang can say Hi to customers using the classic "did you have your dinner ?" sentence in Yiwu dialect.
Settling in the African Products Exhibition Doing the Imported Business "Before coming to Yiwu, I did the hair braid as a business in my own country." Fatima said that since she
came here, she changed her role as the partner and helper of Mamadou.
"We rent an office in the Dongfang Building a sour foreign trade companylocation when we came here, this company is especially doing the general merchandise, textile and tailoring business. " Fatima told me that the products in the Yiwu mart were competitive and popular when exporting to the African countries. "Our foreign trade business is good."
"Earlier this year, we were invited to settle in the African Products Exhibition in the Imported commodities Mall in the International Trade mart, we imported the peanuts, sesames, rubbers, cashew and other famous food in the Republic of Senegal, the wood carving products in Africa into China." As this store was just opened for months, the business here was not as good as that in their foreign trade business, but Fatima said they were confident for the future. " We can see the encouragement and support the local government gives to the Imported Commodities Mall, we believe the business here will be better and better. And as for me, it is enough that my family live a happy life in Yiwu.
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