China: a stepping stone

来中国之前，哥伦比亚人Alvaro是个建筑设计师。来到中国之后，因为语言不通，他开始用音乐和这里的人们沟通。偶然的机会，他又重新进入了老本行，并且在厦门办起了他自己的设计公司。他曾经参加北京奥运村都市元素设计大赛，其设计作品在全球3800多份参赛作品中脱颖而出，获得了十佳。
- Alvaro Royo with some of his designs
- Alvaro's dragon concept design

One of Alvaro's designs for the Beijing Olympic Village
A new beginning
When Alvaro Royo immigrated to China, he had no idea what to expect. He knew nobody and, even more daunting, did not speak a hint of either Chinese or English. Young and eager, he came to China to give his life a new beginning.
When deciding where in China to begin his life, he felt that Shanghai, as a fairly developed and international metropolis, held the most promise. And so he took the plunge and moved there in 2002.

While he had studied archtitecture and worked in a design firm in his native Colombia, his first steps on his journey in China began not in the world of design but in that of music. He decided that if he couldn't communicate verbally with the locals, he might as well express himself musically and let them dance to his tunes.

Early steps
Many of us await that one fateful moment when something incredible comes along and gives us our "big break." For Alvaro, that break came one night at a pub when he was approached by a Chinese local who owned a design and architectural firm. Not knowing the repercussions that meeting would have on his future, Alvaro started talking with his newfound friend.
As they were talking, each discovered the other had a profound passion for architecture and design. The men eagerly exchanged ideas about architecture, design and life. Both China and Colombia have architectural traditions that date back millennia. While each tradition is unique and vastly different, Alvaro and his friend were each inspired by the tales of the other.
Soon thereafter, Alvaro's friend introduced him to his design firm, and they found themselves working side by side as architects. Alvaro immediately immersed himself in Chinese designs and influences, mixing in his own concepts and heritage while taking on big and small projects alike with gusto.

Alvaro began to develop a technique that melds together traditional Chinese architecture, his own native traditions and modern design concepts. For the first time since his arrival in China, he had found success in something he loved. Looking forward
After several years with the company, Alvaro decided it was time to take the next step. He wanted to make even more daring and creative designs, something he could only accomplish by forming his own company. In March of 2007, after months of arduous effort and mountains of bureaucracy, he had achieved a first in Xiamen: the establishment of a wholly foreign owned architectural design firm.

"Oftentimes foreigners come to China thinking that they have an idea of what it's all about," said Alvaro. "They don't realize that there's so much to learn, and if you can incorporate [Chinese culture] with your own ideas, then anything is possible," he continued in explanation of where he finds the inspiration for his designs.
By combining modern art with traditional Chinese concepts, Alvaro hopes to pave the way for more creative and multicultural designs that showcase the beauty of China. In a major coup, his company was one of a handful tasked to design the Olympic Village for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
To listen to this man speak about his work is to be enthralled. The force of his passions and convictions leads one to admire his designs. Alvaro is living his dream in a country not his own, pursuing something of which he had no prior plans when he decided to leave the comforts of his homeland. Without realizing it, that fateful step proved a stepping stone for all that would follow.
While Alvaro's journey is far from over, he allowed himself a moment of contented retrospection. When asked if he ever thought he would become so successful, his face took on the satisfied look of a man waking up from a reverie as he quietly replied, "I feel at this moment as if I am truly living my dream."

By Clark
CommonTalk.com