A decade of building and living in Africa
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Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome visits the construction site of the railway project and meets with the staff from China Railway No.2 Group Co., Ltd. |
Bittersweet Life
Liu was filled with curiosity when he first arrived in Luanda. But after one year, those feelings were replaced by boredom. He found life on the construction site dull and the city's public security inadequate.
Firearms management in Angola is poor. Liu said that gunshots can often be heard outside his construction site. Sometimes bullets hit the roofs of their offices and dorms and even penetrate layers of iron sheets. The company's logistical base, situated in a remote Angolan area, has been broken into several times.
"Armed men used guns to overpower our security guards and Chinese staff, and looted cash and computers," Liu said. Almost every Chinese company there has experienced such trials.
In November 2005, Liu was involved in a serious traffic accident. While he and his colleagues were driving from the construction site to their office, their car overturned. Some of his companions were killed and laid to rest in the African continent.
Back in China, he has a lovely wife and a 6-year-old boy. He regrets not being beside his wife while she was pregnant. "My wife complained that she felt sad seeing other pregnant women strolling with their husbands," Liu said.
Though he had promised to be with her when she gave birth, he was not able to fulfill the vow as their child was born earlier than expected. He went home but was only able to be with his wife and their newborn child for a month and half.
He believes that infrastructure projects in transportation, electricity and communication will continue to boom in Africa as emerging economies and developed countries increase their investments locally. His company certainly has excellent business opportunities. But he feels torn about living so far away from home.
"If I had a chance to choose all over again, I would rather not work for an engineering company," he said. "We have to spend so much time on construction sites, whether in China or abroad. A regular family life is not the norm for us."
After living in Africa for a decade, Liu has developed a greater appreciation for the continent and its people. "At first, I was apalled at their underdeveloped living conditions." He thought that some people were not willing to work hard to improve their lives. "But after having known them for several years, I realized that their lifestyle embodies a harmonious coexistence with nature." He may stay or go, but Africa will always have an irreplaceable place in his life.
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