Written by: Xinhua News Agency
Posted on: May 17, 2018 | 
| 中文
Aroma, a Maltese Restaurant in Urumqi (Source, Far West China)
“Xinjiang of China is another hometown of mine,” said Angelico Baldacchino, a young man from Malta, while sitting in an old restaurant in Valletta, the capital of Malta. Six years ago, the 18 year old Baldacchino completed his two years training in professional cooking at a local tourist college, and had to make a choice: continuing further studies or taking up a job. At that time, he met a lady from Xinjiang, who was studying English in Malta. Upon her invitation, he decided to work in her restaurant in Xinjiang. He had not expected that he would develop a deep relationship with Xinjiang from there on.
In November 2011, Baldacchino began his life in China, working in a restaurant offering Malta-flavored cuisine on Jianshe Road in Urumqi. A week later, his colleagues gave him a Chinese name, "Sun Wukong" (“Monkey King”), because of his humor, perseverance and active nature.
Half a year later, being as restless as “Sun Wukong,” he began working solo as a consultant, helping some local restaurants in serving European cuisine and Mediterranean delicacy, with menu designing, staff training and marketing. Though busy with his work as a restaurant consultant, he had the chance to make a lot of Chinese friends and engage with the Chinese culture. He also began to study the Chinese language.
After more than a year, Baldacchino suspended his work and began travelling in Xinjiang, Yunnan, Guangxi and other places of China. In Yunnan, he rented a courtyard in the ancient city of Dali, and opened a distinctive bar with a partner.
Life in Dali was surprisingly full of leisure and comfort. However, he was still restless and considering his previous work, he felt there was little space for development. Therefore, he decided to pursue qualification as an international English Teacher, preparing for his next job.
A year later, he transferred the bar to others and returned to Xinjiang, a place he was familiar with. During this time, Baldacchino, with his qualification certificate of an international English teacher, changed roles again and became an English teacher and a consultant for those who wanted to study overseas. He taught English in four schools and provided related services for local people who were planning to study abroad.
He lived in Russia, Turkey and other countries temporarily, as per his work requirements; however his favorite destination was Xinjiang, in addition to his hometown Malta. During his time in Xinjiang, he even became good friends with a young Kazakh man and two Han men.
"We've been to a lot of places and have experienced a lot of interesting things together," he said. “When I was sick, they took care of me like family. Many people knew I lived in Xinjiang, and were worried about my safety. I think Xinjiang is very safe and the people are very friendly.”
As the "Belt and Road Initiative" began to take shape, he saw an opportunity for personal development. "A lot of wealth has been gathered in the eastern part of China, where the competition is fierce. However, there are a lot of opportunities in West China, especially in Xinjiang, which takes a portal position along ‘the Belt and Road’”
In October 2016, he returned to his motherland and began studying Chinese and Anthropology at University of Malta, while engaged as a consultant and investment adviser on business related to China and Malta.
"Malta enjoys a unique location, which makes the people here wonderful at absorbing and fusing with other cultures. I hope that I can absorb and integrate the East and West, enrich my knowledge and experience, and do my best to promote cooperation and development between China and Europe.” After living in Xinjiang for 5 years and travelling in many countries, Baldacchino has a clear perspective about his present and his future.
Translated by Duan Taotao
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