Foreign makers are active in Jinjiang

　　Maker is a word that has ignited over the past few years. As a city that enjoys the reputation of "brand capital" and "Chinese shoes capital", Jinjiang has become a choice for many makers. This includes a number of special makers. They are not Chinese, but differences such as nationality, language, customs, have not hindered their entrepreneurial footsteps. Instead, they have made their entrepreneurship more distinctive.

　　Brian, an American who claims to be an "Old Jinjiang people",has opened an American education and training institution; James who is an Canadian has developed an online program to teach people to learn English; A Cuban guy-Peter, who can only understand 60% of Chinese, started to do foreign trade. His business is very good……They represents those "Foreigner" makers who are active in Jinjiang.

Brian and his partners.

Brian teaches English to children outdoors.

　　　Brian: Taking Jinjiang as an 'entrepreneurial Paradise'

　　In 2011, the American guy Brian came to No.1 Middle School of Jinjiang to work as a teacher. At that time, he cannot say a word in Chinese. When he got lost, he could only ask the middle school students in uniform for help. It was his first chat with the Jinjiang people.

　　The beginning of this story is the same as those of most foreigners. If it goes on like this, Brian's story will be as bland as those of thousands of foreigners, but he has started his entrepreneurial career.

　　In Brian's view, Jinjiang is one of the most suitable places for entrepreneurship in China. The people here are full of vitality and curiosity about new things, and have particularly flexible minds. "Jinjiang people not only can do business, but also are very low-key." Brian said that the Jinjiang entrepreneurs' wearing, speech, and manners are not like the look of assuming bosses. They just look like ordinary people, which make him impressive.

　　Driven by the strong business atmosphere of Jinjiang, in 2018, Brian chose the area of education that he was familiar with and started his entrepreneurial life—opening an education and training institution. According to different groups and learning needs, he customizes special teaching courses. He does not only teaches children English, but also provides English training for company employees such as Anta and FILA, etc.

　　Although the training organization has just started and the entrepreneurship was very hard, Brian has strong sense of achievement because he is the boss himself. At present, there are forty-five students in the children's classes of training institutions, and summer classes are offered during summer vacations. The company's training business, which focuses on business English and hotel English, is also expanding.

　　After living in Jinjiang for more than seven years, Brian witnessed the changes in Jinjiang." Road monitors in every corner of the city make Jinjiang safer." Bryan said that once he left his ipad on a bicycle and did not take it back, but when he came back he found that he did not lose it.

　　"You will have a sense of security in entrepreneurship in Jinjiang!" He often introduced Jinjiang to newcomers from foreign countries, gave them guides, and helped more foreigners to know Jinjiang and stay in Jinjiang.

James is partying with his friends.

　　　James: Jinjiang aunts like to use my online program

　　One year ago, the Canadian guy-James moved to Jinjiang from Xiamen, where he has lived for five years.

　　More than a decade ago, after studying Chinese for three and a half years, he decided to come to China to "have an adventure". Today, on the one hand, he is engaged in the independent consulting work of Western companies in China. On the other hand, he also started his own entrepreneurship-developing online program to teach Chinese to learn English.

　　James's Mandarin is very fluent and the idioms can also be used very precisely by him. "It is better to teach people how to fish than to give them fishes. Many people learn foreign languages by relying on teachers. It is like giving fishes to students, but my software will train students how to fish."

　　James said that this program can not only adjust the speed of the audio according to the student's level, but also monitor the student's progress in the backstage.

　　In addition to promoting the program to student groups, James also started to do the business with Jinjiang elder people. The effect is good. The program is known and used by more and more people in Jinjiang.

　　"James's course is very good. Several sisters of us are learning his course. Not only can we master it gradually but also we are becoming more and more interested in it." Aunt Zhang of the Senior University of Jinjiang City said that several students who have come into contact with this program and began to study English in groups.

　　"Jinjiang is the most comfortable place I have lived in China." James said that he and his wife are currently living in the Jinjiang Huatai community and they can hear birdsong every morning when they wake up.

　　"The air is fresh and the housing price is not expensive here. I want to stay here for a long time. "James said that Jinjiang is his home. He hopes to help more people in Jinjiang learn English well so that they can better welcome the arrival of the Gymnasiade 2020.

　　　Peter: Friends in Jinjiang taught me how to do business

　　Like many foreigners, Peter from Cuba did foreign trade.

　　He came to China two years ago. He learned Chinese while started a partnership with his friends. They all said that "Everything is difficult at the beginning". Peter, who had arrived for the first time, was faced with the predicament of unfamiliar language and unfamiliar people and environment. He said frankly that he encountered a lot of difficulties when he firstly started to do business.

　　Later, as the Chinese level improved, he began to make friends with the Jinjiang people. Gradually, he has more and more friends nearby. This not only makes him feel warm, but also he learns a lot from the Jinjiang friends about how to do business, including how to distinguish the authenticity of the goods, and how to bargain with customers.

　　Nowadays, he who is doing business in Jinjiang, is able to purchase goods in Chendai and other places independently. He then sells inexpensive goods such as shoes, cups and plastic swimming pools to Russia,Brazil, Cuba, South Africa and other countries and regions. "Now the business is very good, and this can be written up." Peter said with a smile.

　　Currently, Peter can understand 60% of Chinese. At the same time, he can also use the sentences "Did you eat?" ,"I'm full" and other Southern Fujian dialects to greet people. In his opinion, Jinjiang is very nice. And in his original words, Jinjiang can be described by a word"excellent"!

　　James is partying with his friends.

　　Brian teaches English to children outdoors.

　　Brian and his partners.

　　　中文版

　　　“老外”创客活跃在晋江

　　创客，一个这几年火起来的词。作为享有“品牌之都”和“中国鞋都”美誉的城市，晋江成了不少创客的选择。这其中有一批特殊的创客。他们不是中国人，但国籍、语言、风俗等差异没有阻碍他们创业的脚步，反而让他们的创业更显特色。

　　自称“老晋江人”的美国人布莱恩开起了美式教育培训机构；加拿大人詹姆斯开发了一款线上程序，专门教人学英语；只能听懂60%中文的古巴人彼得做起外贸生意，生意还很不错……以他们为代表的“老外”创客在晋江活跃着。

　　布莱恩：把晋江当创业“天堂”

　　2011年，美国人布莱恩(Brian)来到晋江一中教书。当时的他，一句中文也不会说，迷路时，他只能找穿制服的中学生询问，那是他和晋江人的第一次交流。

　　这个故事的开头和大部分的外国人一样，如果这样发展下去，布莱恩的故事就和千千万万老外的故事一样平淡无奇，但“爱折腾”的他搞起了创业。在布莱恩看来，晋江是中国最适合创业的地方之一，这里的人充满了活力，充满了对新事物的好奇心，头脑特别灵活。“晋江人不仅会做生意，而且还很低调。”布莱恩说，他遇到的晋江企业家，穿着、言谈、举止一点都没有老板的架子，看起来就和普通人一样，这让他印象深刻。

　　被晋江浓厚的经商氛围所带动，2018年，布莱恩选择了自己熟悉的教育领域，开始了创业生活——开办了一所教育培训机构。根据不同人群和学习需求，量身定做特色教学课程。他不仅教少儿英语，同时也为安踏、斐乐等公司人员做英语培训。

　　虽然培训机构才刚刚起步，创业也很辛苦，但布莱恩还是很有成就感，因为他自己当老板了。目前，培训机构的少儿班，学生数已有四五十个，暑期还会招暑期班；以商务英语、酒店英语为主的公司培训业务也在不断扩展。

　　在晋江生活7年多，布莱恩见证了晋江的变化。“遍布城市各个角落的天眼，让晋江变得更安全了。”布莱恩说，有一回他把ipad忘在自行车上没拿，回来后发现竟然没丢。

　　“在晋江创业很有安全感！”他时常向新来的老外介绍晋江，给他们当导游，帮助更多的外国人认识晋江、留在晋江。

　　詹姆斯：晋江阿姨很爱用我的程序

　　加拿大人詹姆斯( James)，一年前从生活了五年的厦门搬到晋江。

　　十多年前，在学习了3年半的中文后，他决定来中国“闯一闯”。如今，他一方面从事西方公司驻中国的独立咨询工作，另一方面，他也开始了自己的创业——开发线上程序，专门教中国人学英语。

　　詹姆斯的普通话很“溜”，成语也用得很精准。“‘授人以鱼，不如授人以渔。’不少人学外语依靠老师，就像把鱼给学生吃，但我的软件会训练学生怎么自己钓鱼。”

　　詹姆斯说，这个程序不仅可以根据学生的水平调整音频的快慢，还可以在后台监测学生的学习进度。

　　除了把程序推广给学生群体，詹姆斯还做起了晋江大妈大爷们的生意。效果还不错，程序被越来越多的晋江人知道和使用。

　　“詹姆斯的这个课程很不错，我们几个姐妹都在学，不仅慢慢学会了，还越来越感兴趣。”晋江市老年大学的张阿姨表示，身边几个同学接触了这个程序，都开始打算组团学习英语。

　　“晋江是我在中国生活过最舒服的地方。”詹姆斯说，他与妻子现住在晋江华泰小区，每天晨起就能听到鸟鸣。

　　“这里的空气清新，房价也不贵，想长期待在这里。”詹姆斯表示，晋江就是他的家。他希望帮助更多晋江人学好英语，以更好地迎接2020年世中运的到来。

　　彼得：晋江朋友教我做生意

　　和很多外国人一样，来自古巴的彼得(Peter)做的是外贸生意。

　　他来中国只有短短两年，他一边学习中文，一边与朋友合伙开公司。都说“万事开头难”，初来乍到的彼得面临语言不通、人生地不熟的困境。他坦言，刚开始做生意遇到的困难还真不少。

　　后来，随着中文水平的提高，他开始跟晋江人做朋友。慢慢地，身边的朋友越来越多，这不仅让他感到温暖，同时，他也从晋江朋友那里学到不少经商之道，包括怎么分辨货品的真伪，怎么与客户讲价等。

　　如今，在晋江做生意的他，可以独立到陈埭等地的工厂进货，再把鞋子、水杯、塑料泳池等物美价廉的商品，转卖到俄罗斯、巴西、古巴、南非等国家和地区。“现在生意挺不错的，这个可以写上去。”彼得笑嘻嘻地说。

　　现在，彼得已经能听懂60%的中文。同时，他也会用“你甲没？”“甲饱咯！”等闽南话与人打招呼。在他看来，晋江很nice，用他的原话讲，晋江就是一个字“excellent”！

（本期策划：常励煊 记者：李玲玲、柯恺筠、董瑞婷）