Episode 4: Una chilena en China Episode 4: Ein Chilene in China Episode 4: A Chilean woman in China Épisode 4 : Un Chilien en Chine Odcinek 4: Chilijczyk w Chinach

**Martina Castro:** Work trips can be rather monotonous. You might go to exotic places but it's hard to really experience your surroundings. Well, this was not the case for Maria Elizabeth Soto. When her office sent her to China, in 2014, it was her first trip to Asia.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** El choque cultural que sentí al viajar a China fue muy grande. María Elizabeth Soto: The cultural shock I felt when traveling to China was very great.

**Martina Castro:** She also never imagined that in her search for familiar experiences in that unfamiliar country, she would change the course of her life.

**Martina:** Welcome to the Duolingo Spanish podcast, where we bring you true bilingual stories of travels with unexpected turns, plans unraveled, and destinations unknown. The Spanish in this story is for intermediate level learners, but if you get lost, don't worry, we'll be chiming in throughout the story. Here's Maria.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** Mi viaje en Air China fue de 11 horas. Yo estaba feliz y tranquila. I was happy and calm. Pero cuando llegué a Wuhan, en China, empezaron las sorpresas inesperadas. But when I arrived in Wuhan, China, the unexpected surprises began.

**Martina Castro:** Before leaving the airport, María experienced her first setback. Her suitcase had gotten lost, and the paperwork to find it was in Chinese. Fortunately, a translator helped her with the claim and he assured her that her luggage would arrive later. In China, without a fresh set of clothes, and a full day of work ahead of her, Maria already felt lost. In China, without a fresh set of clothes, and a full day of work ahead of her, Maria already felt lost.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** Tuve que ir a un centro comercial para comprar ropa de trabajo. María Elizabeth Soto: I had to go to a shopping center to buy work clothes. El centro comercial era una construcción enorme y muy ostentosa. El edificio era de color oro, con letras gigantes doradas. Todo me parecía excesivo.

**Martina Castro:** She ended up buying clothes at an American store she recognized from Chile. But the culture shock didn't stop after she left the mall.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** La comida fue mi problema más grande. Era muy diferente a la comida china que venden en Chile. Además, tenían ingredientes muy extraños para mí, como la lechuga en la sopa o los escorpiones.

**Martina Castro:** María also remembers being affected by the poor air quality. She was struck by the colorful air pollution masks people would use, including the children. And then there were the bathrooms.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** La taza del baño está abajo en el piso y no es nada práctica. María Elizabeth Soto: The toilet is down on the floor and it's not practical at all. Por suerte, yo estaba en buena forma física pero me preguntaba, ¿cómo usan las abuelas el baño en China? Luckily, I was in good physical shape but I was wondering, how do grandmothers use the bathroom in China?

**Martina Castro:** So-called squat toilets are traditional throughout much of Asia, and in some areas are still pretty common. But of course, very different from what María was used to back home.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** Después de 15 días en China, necesitaba mi cultura chilena: mi lengua, y los olores y sabores familiares de mi país. María Elizabeth Soto: After 15 days in China, I needed my Chilean culture: my language, and the familiar smells and flavors of my country.

**Martina Castro:** And that's when Maria arrived to Beijing. Maria's job during the trip was to manage communications for a group of Chilean entrepreneurs who were visiting various of cities across China. But this time, instead of visiting the modern part of town, she opted to explore some ancient sites and this was a refreshing departure from what she had seen up until then. And when she was done for the day, she found herself in a strangely familiar place.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** El nombre de nuestro hotel era Andes Resort. Tenían muchos productos y decoraciones típicas de Chile. They had many typical Chilean products and decorations. En el restaurante, tenían un menú con mi comida chilena favorita: empanadas de mariscos y carne.

**Martina Castro:** Those seafood and beef empanadas were such a welcomed surprise — making Maria feel instantly at home.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** No conocí al chef, pero en ese momento me sentí enamorada de él. María Elizabeth Soto: I did not meet the chef, but at that moment I fell in love with him. Obviamente, era chileno.

**Martina Castro:** One day, Maria took a stroll near the hotel and saw a tour guide with a nice camera. She had lost hers with her luggage, so she asked if she could use his instead.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** Él dijo que sí, y hablamos un poco. María Elizabeth Soto: He said yes, and we talked for a bit. Sorprendentemente, también era de Chile. Surprisingly, he was also from Chile. Su nombre era Daniel, era de Santiago, la capital, y llevaba tres meses en Beijing. His name was Daniel, he was from Santiago, the capital, and had been in Beijing for three months.

**Martina Castro:** María spoke with Daniel for a long time — about Chinese culture, photography, and of course, traveling.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** Le pregunté a Daniel si me podía enviar las fotos que habíamos tomado por email, pero él me dijo que el Internet en China funcionaba mal, y que era mejor comunicarnos por teléfono móvil. María Elizabeth Soto: I asked Daniel if he could send me the photos we had taken by email, but he told me that the Internet in China was malfunctioning, and that it was better to communicate by mobile phone. Le di mi número y me despedí. I gave him my number and said goodbye.

**Martina Castro:** María's days in the Andes Resort really marked a change in her trip — walking around taking photos with Daniel, the delicious Chilean food, even the typical decorations she recognized from home, all gave her a sense of comfort that she clearly needed at the time. On the last day, as María and her coworkers were leaving the hotel, the owner introduced them to the chef.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** Para mi sorpresa, ¡era Daniel! María Elizabeth Soto: To my surprise, it was Daniel! El fotógrafo y guía turístico. Photographer and tour guide. Pero ya estábamos saliendo, entonces solo me dio tiempo de decirle hola y adiós. But we were already leaving, so I only had time to say hello and goodbye.

**Martina Castro:** In that brief moment, María recognized that the chef was Daniel, the photographer from the other day… but as she realized he was the one who had made that delicious Chilean food, her coworkers were already walking away. So she quickly said goodbye and left. After Beijing, Maria and her group moved on with the rest of their trip. The modern and cosmopolitan city of Shanghai was their last stop. That's where María finally received her suitcase from the airline.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** Las diferencias entre Chile y China empezaban a parecer menos difíciles. María Elizabeth Soto: The differences between Chile and China began to seem less difficult. ¡Qué maravilla de ciudad era Shanghai! What a wonderful city Shanghai was! Era casi navidad y las calles estaban decoradas con muchas luces y nieve artificial. It was almost Christmas and the streets were decorated with lots of lights and artificial snow.

**Martina Castro:** María walked and walked through Shanghai in wonder. Just as she was starting to enjoy her trip, it was coming to an end. She remembers stopping on a bridge as it started to rain, and tears of joy sprang to her eyes.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** Lloré porque era el final de un viaje inolvidable. María Elizabeth Soto: I cried because it was the end of an unforgettable trip.

**Martina Castro:** A few days after she was back in her office in Chile, and returning to her routine, her phone started to buzz. The Great Wall, the Spring Palace, Tiananmen Square… The photos kept streaming in from Daniel, the chilean chef.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** Daniel me escribía: María Elizabeth, acá están las fotos de tu viaje — espero que estés bien. María Elizabeth Soto: Daniel wrote to me: María Elizabeth, here are the photos of your trip — I hope you are well. Sorprendida, respondí: ¡Oh, súper, gracias!

**Martina Castro:** Daniel then wrote back. He told her it was his birthday, and that friends were sending him good wishes from afar… he told her about his work… about the the book he was reading. He also confessed how lonely he felt after living three months in China without anyone to talk to in his own language.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** Nos escribimos mensajes por horas y horas, día tras día. María Elizabeth Soto: We text each other for hours and hours, day after day. Él por la mañana, yo por la noche. Him in the morning, me at night.

**Martina Castro:** A month of countless texts went by, and with each one, it became obvious they were slowly falling in love.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** Yo pensaba en los mensajes con Daniel por WhatsApp, en su perfecta ortografía… Trataba de recordar su cara, su voz… María Elizabeth Soto: I thought about the messages with Daniel on WhatsApp, about his perfect spelling… I tried to remember his face, his voice…

**Martina Castro:** Even though María's feelings for Daniel were growing, she couldn't help but be conscious of the fact that an ocean separated them. María was willing to date long distance, but China? It was just so far away. She couldn't imagine moving her whole life there. Until one day, out of the blue, Daniel told her that he was returning to Chile.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** Cuando él llegó a Santiago, decidí viajar a visitarlo. María Elizabeth Soto: When he arrived in Santiago, I decided to travel to visit him. Yo vivía en una ciudad a seis horas de ahí. I lived in a city six hours from there. Me fui en bus. I went by bus. Cuando llegué, Daniel me dijo que había una fiesta en su casa. When I arrived, Daniel told me that there was a party at his house. Yo fui y hablamos toda la noche. I went and we talked all night.

**Martina Castro:** There, surrounded by his friends and loved ones, María realized she wanted to be one of them.

**Martina Castro:** In other words, she wanted to be with him. The next day, on her bus ride back to her home in Concepción, she couldn't stop thinking about this. And that's when, without even looking for it, María got a great opportunity — a job offer in Santiago.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** En un mes organicé el cambio de casa, de trabajo y de vida. María Elizabeth Soto: In a month I organized the change of house, job and life. Los dos estábamos sorprendidos de lo rápido y fácil que fue todo. We were both amazed at how quick and easy everything was. Buscamos un departamento y construimos un hogar juntos. We look for an apartment and build a home together.

**Martina Castro:** Since they met, Daniel and María have created many memories together. They've traveled across Chile, Perú and Bolivia. Soon, they'll have one more travel companion: María is awaiting the birth of their first child.

**María Elizabeth Soto:** Aquel viaje a China cambió mi vida. María Elizabeth Soto: That trip to China changed my life. Queremos regresar algún día, pero esta vez todos juntos. We want to return one day, but this time all together.