【Belt and Road Story】Cook Bright Future with A Heart of Pure Loyalty

|ChinaNews|Published:2019-06-24 10:36:03

"In Zambian language, Theresa means fruitful harvest season and Hachiwa means glorious life path." Theresa Hachiwa, a name that bears hope and aspiration, belongs to this Zambian girl with neat bangs.

Theresa was born in a small town called Siavonga. From twenty to twenty-four-year-old, from upper Kafue George Hydropower Station in Southern Province to Chipata in Eastern Province, in four years, she has traveled more than 800 kilometers back and forth in Zambia with Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA). Currently, she is working on the Zambia CLC132 power transmission and transformation line project.

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Theresa Hachiwa (the Second from the left)

Greenhand: I Only Know Refrigerator

"Can you cook?"

"No."

"Would you like to learn to cook Chinese food?"

"Yes."

Lower Kafue George Hydropower Station is the first large-scale hydropower station invested and developed in Zambia in 40 years. It is located in remote mountains far away from the city. Upon launching, intensive preparations for the project is under way. Power supply line project for the Station is one of the most important ones.

In 2016, Theresa, the girl who just turned 20, was hired. "At that time, on the project there were only six Chinese employees without cook. We went out for work early and returned late every day, and we could only make do with meals." Yang Fenglin, an employee of the power supply line, said that besides busy with the project during the day, he also served as a cook in the morning and evening.

On her first day at work, Theresa was curious like Granny Liu who had just entered Grand View Garden. "The kitchen looked crude, but it was already too great for me." She was wearing the tension and curiosity as if she were still on site when she said this, but then immediately smiled back and forth. "There were all kinds of strange machines that I had never seen. I knew nothing in the whole kitchen except for the refrigerator, let alone how to use them."

"Don't be nervous. If you have any questions or want to learn anything, just tell me." Yang Fenglin's English was not very good, but Theresa understood it.

She learned from the most basic step, dish cutting. With this first experience, she felt the unique charm of Chinese food and fell in love with this job at first sight. The next day astonished her even more. "Huimian (stewed noodles) - I am absolutely stunned. How could the noodle be stretched so long without being cut off? I suspect it is made of chewing gum." She said while gesticulating with stretching noodles' movements.

"Put flour first, then add a little salt... do it like this next time, remember?" Theresa nodded hard, but in her mind, the concepts of dough mixing, fermentation, time and so on were all mixed up.

In Zambia, the common way of cooking is to fry and boil, with only salt and oil as seasonings. "When Master Yang was cooking, I saw him pour a little this and then a little that. When I turned around and saw the pile of bottles and jars, I was dumbfounded again. I could only tell by the shape, design and sequence of the bottles." It took her a month to get familiar with them, and sometimes she had to tell by tasting them. "The taste of pepper powder and chili powder is really not good!"

"The employment environment in Zambia is very bad, especially for women. Some lucky ones may find jobs such as cleaners or dishwashers. Most of them are still unemployed."  Theresa said: "So I cherish this opportunity very much. Getting in touch with Chinese food and learning skills such as baking bread will benefit me for the whole life."

Advanced Level: I Can Make Hot Pot

What she did not expect was that after a month, Yang Fenglin told her that the massive construction was going on and from that day on, she had to cook on her own because Yang did not have any time for teaching.

When she heard the news, she was both nervous and excited: she could finally try to cook Chinese food on her own, but is she competent enough?

"I was very nervous that day. I knew their time for off duty, but I prepared the food half an hour in advance." Then she began pacing in the kitchen: are these dishes salty? Will the soup get cold? Is the rice steamed? Did I put the right seasoning?

When the workers entered the restaurant one after another and began to eat, Theresa hid in the kitchen nervously to peek, holding her breath and her accelerating heart beat: the first bite, the second … "My heart was hanging until I saw Master Yang giving me a thumbs-up sign." She restrained her excitement and jumped excitedly when she returned to the operation room.

In early 2018, Zambia's Chipata-Lundazi-Chama 132kv transmission line project (or the CLC132 project) was officially launched. She also came to Chipata, over 800 kilometers away from her home, with the stringing team, and met Wang Jiangwei, the first professional master in her life.

"He is excellent. He can cook anything and all taste very good. Moreover, he spares no effort to teach me." After she came to the CLC132 project, she started a brand-new study tour.

According to her introduction, in local cuisine, beef or mutton is only seasoned with salt or onion. "But in Chinese food, chicken and beef have five or six different recipes. Different garnishes, seasonings, temperatures and time can produce different dish styles, just like unknown permutation and combination. It's amazing." With her original love and passion, coupled with Wang Jiangwei's tireless teaching, Theresa was even more amazed by the extensive and profound Chinese diet.

"She is already familiar with making hand-rolled noodles, stretched noodles, steamed stuffed buns, dumplings, baked wheat cake, spicy soup and so on. She has recently learned to make hot pot." Wang Jiangwei looked at his "favorite pupil" with a smile.

Hearing the phrase "hot pot", Theresa came back to her spirits, "Everyone likes hot pot a lot. I like watching them eat hot pot. A group of people gathered together. The sound of laughter and the sound of boiling hot pot mingled together. It feels very happy."

"Last time when Master Wang went out for shopping, we made a hot pot for all. I feel a sense of achievement!" Natasha, another kitchen assistant, said.

Sprinting: From Eat Full to Eat Good

While studying cooking Chinese cuisine, Theresa and her local friends fell in love with Chinese food, but they couldn't help wondering, "Do you think they can eat Nshima?" "I think they’ll love it." "It’s not for sure!" Several girls talked noisily in the back kitchen. With the permission of Wang Jiangwei, they planned to make a special "surprise lunch" for the Chinese staff of the project the next day.

Nshima is the favorite food of the local people. It is made of coarse corn flour and is the most common staple food in Zambia.  "It represents Zambian food culture, which we hope to be recognized by others." The Nshima prepared that day was basically eaten up, and Theresa feel the mutual respect and deep friendship between the Chinese and Zambian people.

"We don't eat Nshima today. We eat Chinese noodles!" On her mother's birthday, she solemnly announced. "Noodles? No, no, no, we don't eat noodles!" The resistance to the unknown led to unanimous oppose of all. Against questioning and curious eyes, she began to kneading and rolling dough and make stir-fry tomatoes with eggs in an orderly way.

"If you don't eat, I'll eat...Mom, this is really delicious. Come and try it, really!" After the four-year-old sister tasted the first bite, she called her family to share the taste and the noodles received unanimous "five-star praise".

"Eating noodles on birthday is a Chinese tradition, implying a long and healthy life." Theresa solemnly told the story she heard from her Chinese colleagues. It turned out that she had written down the day early and sent Chinese food and good wishes to her mother together.

"I am very proud of my job and occupation. It may be trivial, but for me, it means a lot." Theresa often sighs, "I work hard not only because I cherish the work itself, but also I want to appreciate the project."

Due to its border location and backward economy, Eastern Province has no electricity supply all the year round. A 305-kilometer-long 132kV transmission line and four 185-kilometer-long 33kV distribution lines have become the long-awaited hope of all the people from West Substation of Chipata, the capital of Eastern Province, to Lundazi and then Chama switch station.

"I was wearing the uniform of POWERCHINA. When I walked on the road, I was often asked, 'When will this project be completed? We are so looking forward to the power supply in our home earlier'. At that time, I was very proud, because the company I work for bears the expectations of so many residents. I felt the burden on my shoulders became heavier." Theresa took a sip of water and continued, "What I can do is limited. But when I see that the employees are working from dawn to dusk for the completion and trial operation of the project and never come back for lunch, I think it is more important for me to do my job well, and to let them eat well and bring light to the Chipata-Lundazi-Chama line as soon as possible." (Author: Li Jinping; Wang Zigang; Di Xue)

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