Cui Xiaoli
WINSTON STERZEL, a Briton who grew up in South Africa, was convinced that Shenzhen was the place to be after a three-day business trip in 2005, following which he moved here.
It turned out to be a wise decision as his company Access Oriental is booming. He is mainly in charge of sourcing, technical proofing and quality control of the company.
Sterzel is now very familiar with the city, and he often uses tall buildings as landmarks. “There are not so many tall buildings in England,” he said.
Shenzhen is a lively, modern, dynamic, cosmopolitan and safe city in Sterzel’s mind.
“I can see new buildings built and new shops opened every few months. Shenzhen is different every day,” said Sterzel. “I am exited to watch the city growing. One can find any kind of food in Shenzhen … It is interesting to go to new restaurants and to try new food. And it is safe in Shenzhen, compared with in South Africa.”
Sterzel said he was enjoying his life in Shenzhen: “I have lots of Chinese friends. People here are very friendly, and they are always willing to help. My best friends in South Africa are also in China now. I enjoy free atmosphere in this city most. I like sitting down in a quiet place at night, watching the people around.”
Sterzel has a Chinese girlfriend here, and plans to stay in China for a long time. He hasn’t been back to South Africa to visit his family; instead his family came to visit him in Shenzhen. “It is my place,” he said.
Sterzel also thinks highly of China. “China is the best place. Countries like the United Kingdom and the United States have reached a high point and may get down in the future, but China is the only place to get better. Some foreigners are negative toward China, because they expect China to be like the United States or England, but China is China,” he said.