From thought to reality

Gift Mona, South Africa/莫娜，南非  

There is no passion to be found in playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. ~ Nelson Mandela

只做平凡小事、妥协于没有发挥你潜力的人生，在那找不到激情。~ 纳尔逊·曼德拉

Hailing from the beautiful and multifaceted country of South Africa, the home of the famous Nelson Mandela, I have lived and worked in Beijing, China，since 2018. As a content producer and TV presenter at China Global Television Network (CGTN), China’s premier international media organization, it has always been my dream to connect with the world.

我来自美丽多元化的南非，著名的纳尔逊·曼德拉的故乡。自2018年以来一直在中国北京生活和工作。作为中国环球电视网（CGTN）的内容制作人 与电视节目主持人，与世界保持联系是我非常热爱的事业。

I first traveled to China in 2016 with my mother on a business trip. During that short trip, I was fascinated by the cultural differences between China and South Africa. I was even more impressed by the good trade relations between China and South Africa, as China and South Africa both heavily participate in BRICS and South-South cooperation. South Africa is also the largest trade importer of goods to China from Africa. Witnessing the ease of doing business as a South African in China through my mother made me decide to venture to Beijing to pursue my own development independently. Although my time here has been short, I have been fortunate to have worked with two leading media houses (Star Times and CGTN), both providing me with the perspectives I needed to be an effective and well-rounded media professional. I believe that through self-discipline and hard work, I have been able to adapt to work here and am confident in the future.

Fenghuang Ancient town near Zhangjiajie,2019 /张家界附近的凤凰古城, 2019

我第一次来中国是在2016年和我妈妈出差。在那次短暂的旅行中，我被中国和南非之间的文化差异所吸引。中国和南非都是金砖国家和南南合作的积极参与者，中南两国良好的贸易关系给我留下了深刻印象。南非也是非洲从中国进口货物的最大贸易进口国。通过我的母亲，我见证了作为一个南非人在中国做生意的轻松，这让我决定独自到北京来发展。虽然我在这里的时间很短，但我有幸与两家领先的媒体公司（四达时代与中国环球电视网）合作，这两家公司都为我提供了成为一名高效、全面的媒体专业人士所需的视角。通过自律和努力，我现在已经适应了这里的工作，对未来充满信心。

As media professionals, we always strive to broadcast different peoples’ stories worldwide, serving as a communication bridge between different countries and their cultural customs. It is very intriguing to experience this great nation as a South African man, as the cultural differences between our countries are quite vast. However, I have discovered throughout my travels to 32 countries that we, as humans, are very social beings. For example, one thing that easily connects us all is our love for food, a common interest we all share.

作为媒体专业人士，我们一直致力于传播交流世界各地不同民族的故事，成为不同国家和文化习俗之间沟通的桥梁。作为南非人来体验这个伟大的国家是非常有趣的，因为我们国家之间的文化差异非常巨大。然而，我在32个国家的旅行中发现，作为人类，我们都是非常社会化的。比如有一件事很容易把我们联系在一起，那就是我们对食物的热爱，这是我们一个共同的兴趣。

In South Africa, we have a huge food culture. Meals such as Shisanyama (South African BBQ) are an important medium for social gatherings, where we interact and enjoy each other’s company. Therefore, when I officially moved to China, one of the first things I did to connect with my colleagues was to share a meal. My Chinese colleagues at the time warmly introduced me to their version of “Shisanyama.” That experience was my very first “hot pot” experience. That experience taught me there is always something new to learn about different cultures. Although quite different from “Shisanyama,” I learned that the “hot pot” tradition served as a conduit of social connectivity. As I enjoyed my first hot pot meal with my Chinese colleagues, I looked around the table and realized that we are all human being striving to connect and grow together. 

“Shisanyama”/南非烧烤

在南非，我们有着丰富的饮食文化。像“Shisanyama”（南非烧烤），是社交聚会的重要内容和媒介。在这里我们相互交流，享受彼此的陪伴。因此，当我正式搬到中国时，我做的第一件事就是与同事们分享一顿美食。当时我的中国同事热情地向我介绍了他们的美食版“Shisanyama”。那次经历是我第一次吃“火锅”。这段经历告诉我，对于不同的文化，总有一些新的东西需要学习。虽然与“Shisanyama”有很大的不同，但我了解到“火锅”的传统是一种社会连接的管道。当我和我的中国同事一起享用我的第一顿火锅饭时，我环顾了一下桌子，意识到我们都是努力相互联系和共同成长的人。

Although Beijing is filled with different nationalities, there is a strong and distinctive sense of Chinese cultural heritage in the fabric of this society. Beijing could then be described as a city full of cultural expression. Each person who comes to this dynamic city will feel the integration of Chinese traditional culture and the new era, from traveling to the popular Tian’an men square to the CCTV tower. Beijing’s beauty and cheerful people give a glimpse of the past, present, and future. In my role as an international media professional here, I have been fortunate to travel across China, interviewing different people, visiting monuments, and debating issues pertaining to the development and China’s impact on the global market. I have been lucky thus far with the platform I have been provided. Working in China has refined my media communication skills and expanded my global perspectives on international topics related to China. South Africa and China working together are very exciting. The large presence of South African youth like myself in China contributing to various sectors continues to highlight the importance of China-South African relations. The role of the youth matters to the future. They are an important force in maintaining and developing new partnership ventures and will play a major role in continuing to strengthen relations between both countries in the future.

International Friends Cultural Exchange/国际朋友文化交流

虽然北京有不同的民族，但在社会结构有着强烈的、鲜明的中国文化遗产感。北京可以被描述为一个充满文化包容的城市。每一位来到这座充满活力的城市的人都会感受到中国传统文化和新时代融合的气息，从天安门广场到中央电视台大楼，美丽的北京和快乐的人民让我们看见了过去、现在和未来。作为一名国际媒体专业人士，我有幸走遍中国各地，采访不同的人，参观古迹，讨论有关中国发展和中国对全球市场影响的话题。我很幸运能拥有我的平台。在中国工作提高了我的媒体沟通技能，拓展了我对与中国相关的国际话题的全球视野。南非与中国的合作同样令人兴奋。像我这样的南非青年在中国为各个部门做出贡献，这继续凸显了中南关系的重要性。年轻人的作用关系到未来，是维护和发展新的伙伴关系的重要力量，将来会为继续加强两国之间的关系发挥主力军作用。

Cultural exchange and mutual learning of civilizations are very important in the development of the modern world. It helps humans to understand one another better and engage in matters that affect humanity. I have made tremendous progress in improving my professional skills and expanding my career. I have also been fortunate to receive various international broadcasting awards while gaining work experience. I am hopeful for the future and the role I will continue to play in being a bridge to China-South Africa media affairs.

文化交流、文明互鉴在现代世界发展中非常重要。它帮助人类更好地理解彼此，参与影响人类的事务。我在提高职业技能和扩展职业空间方面取得了巨大的进步。我也很幸运地获得了各种国际广播奖项，同时获得了工作经验。我对未来充满希望，我将继续在成为中南媒体事务的桥梁方面发挥作用。