Expat Eyes | "Happiness needs no translation"

If you ask me what Xinjiang is, I would say: Xinjiang is a dance that pulls you into the circle before you even have time to learn the steps.

I am from Slovakia and Canada, and I call myself a global citizen. But after coming to Xinjiang, I felt a strong sense of belonging—not gradually, but instantly.

I remember being in a park in Urumqi. I was just passing by when a young man apprached me and invited me to dance the Xinjiang folk dance—using only his eyes and gestures. Before I could even process it, my body was already moving to the music. When a friend asked me to describe my reaction, I said: the first expression was surprise, and the second was "Wow, how great!" That's my normal state in Xinjiang: always surprised, always happy.

Photo shows Jay Kerekes in a video.

Later, I visited Hetian Second Street in Urumqi and Moyu County in Hotan Prefecture. Everywhere I went, there were new surprises. In Moyu County, a group of children gathered around me, curious about where I came from. They taught me a few phrases in Uygur — how to say "hello" and "goodbye" — and then invited me to play football with them. When it was time for me to leave, they were quite disappointed, and I found myself thinking: Next time I come, I'll stay a few more days.

There was one particularly touching moment I'll never forget. Most of the children were very open and ran up to interact with us, but there was one little boy who was a bit shy. He came over and asked me in Chinese, "Can I shake your hand?" I thought to myself, "What kind of request is that?" Then he paused for a moment and said, "Could you go shake my brother's hand?" — because his brother wasn't even brave enough to come and ask himself. At that moment, I truly felt that in Xinjiang, it's not just the scenery that's beautiful — the people are even more beautiful. That little boy's kindness and thoughtfulness revealed me the most precious thing about this land.

Why do I specifically mention children? Because children are the future. If the children of Xinjiang are like this — outgoing, confident, curious, and at the same time so kind and considerate — then the future of this land is surely very bright.

When we talked about the moments that made me "scream," I summed them up in three things: nature, dancing, and spicy food. Every time I visit a place like the Kunlun Mountains and see that vast, open landscape, I can't help but cheer. I'm a free spirit, so I love open spaces—and to see something like this in China — I just love it. A friend joked that she saw me holding an oxygen canister, and I laughed saying, "It's taking my breath away in two ways — metaphorically and literally."

The second thing is dancing. Before I came to Xinjiang, I didn't know that everyone here dances. But during my time there, wherever I went, I joined in. The last thing is spicy food — that's a completely different kind of sensory experience. Fortunately, I also discovered plenty of delicious food.

During a fun "quick Q&A" session with friends, I was asked whether lamb skewers should pair better with beer or liquor. I answered without hesitation, "Liquor—definitely liquor—and then you rinse it down with beer." Another friend asked if I had tried Wusu beer, and I said, "I don't drink beer — that's just for rinsing things down. If you want to drink, go for hard liquor. Having meat and drinking liquor — that's it!" A third friend had a different opinion — he thought lamb skewers should go with beer — and another friend offered an even better choice: yogurt. See, in Xinjiang, even discussions about what to eat and drink can bring so much joy.

At one point, I was asked to choose one thing to take home. I answered seriously: I would choose an item of intangible cultural heritage, like a carpet. I almost bought one. Even though the price—16,000 yuan—gave me pause, I knew it was worth it.

I've traveled to many places, but in Xinjiang, for the first time, I felt that even as a foreigner, you can instantly become part of it. The young people here are confident and cheerful: they are curious about the world and eager to share the best of themselves with others.

I will definitely come back.

Jay Kerekes is a Canadian content creator with Slovakian origin.

Producer: Xiao Chunfei

Supervisors: Ding Tao and Jie Wenjin

Planners: Jie Wenjin and Cheng Li

Reviewers: Gvlzar Mijit and Hou Weili

Editor: Jia Shaoqi