Amber Zhang

    WHEN she came to Shenzhen in 2006 after her husband was transferred to the local IKEA, Bitte Persson worried about whether she could ever get used to life in this massive, crowded city.

    She had worked for 32 years at a clinic in Kalmar, a southeast Sweden city of less than 60,000 people.

    But after six years in Shenzhen, Persson finds that she’s become a normal citizen and really enjoys life here.

    “I have studied Chinese for a year and a half and made many Chinese friends. I know the city well and know where I can find good shopping. My husband and I are fond of savoring Chinese food in restaurants and if possible, we like to have Chinese dishes very often,” said Persson, who has enjoyably traveled to many other Chinese cities.

    Persson said she didn’t feel alone upon arriving in Shenzhen — in contrast, she met more young Swedish people here than in her home country.

    “When I was in Sweden, the young had their own group and the elderly had their own. But after coming to Shenzhen, I found that Swedish people, young and old, get together and arrange activities frequently,” she said. “We celebrate Sweden National Day, the traditional Swedish midsummer party on June 22 and a crayfish party on Aug. 9, and organize other activities. It’s like a big Swedish family.”

    Living in highly international Shekou and a member of the Shekou International Women’s Club, Persson is able to conveniently meet people from other countries.

    In Persson’s eyes, the city is developing mostly in a positive way. She said when she first arrived, people didn’t like lining up and she would frequently feel crowded when shopping or waiting for the Metro. But lately, she said, that situation has changed for the better and queues are relatively respected.

    The city’s speed of development, though, has taken her by surprise.

    “I just left for a short time to visit my parents in Sweden and the center of the city had a new face after I came back,” she said.

    Persson said she appreciated Shenzhen’s English-language newspaper.

    “I read the newspaper every morning when I take the Metro from Shekou to a dental clinic in Futian, where I work as a client service manager,” she said. “I am satisfied that I have informative articles to read on the 45-minute metro trip. Compared with high-priced newspapers in Sweden, this local newspaper is really a reward for the wallet.”