![zuky:
thisisjamaica:
African restaurateur brings a slice of Jamaican cuisine to Beijing
Born in Africa, brought up in Europe and living in China, it’s obvious that any restaurant you open would sell Jamaican food! Rose Lin Zamoa, the 34-year-old Afro-haired proprietor of the tiny Beijing restaurant in Andingmen called Jamaica Me Crazy, is quite the entrepreneur, as this article from China Daily reports. [Our thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this article to our attention.]
The “110 percent African” from Ghana came to the capital from her adopted home in London about five years ago to further her Mandarin studies and is now cooking up a storm.
“I was very interested in languages and I heard at my college in England that there was an enrichment program to study Chinese here,” says Rose. “Though I was above the age limit, I managed to get through eventually.
“I studied full time for two-and-a-half years and whilst studying I used to cook on weekends for my classmates (at Beijing International Studies University). Then some of them became so sick and…”
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This is a woman who knows what she wants to do and I love that quality. She ran into some serious setbacks along the way, if you read the article, but she has found a way to persevere and make things happen regardless. She’s also not afraid to make her next move, something which holds back so many people.
Rose Lin Zamoa’s own words, from the linked article:
“It’s been five years, and to summarize everything, generally the Chinese are very nice people. I used to teach English and became very close to my students and I met some really great Chinese people through that,” she says. “Everybody is so very helpful. Whenever I need something, or help in some matter, they are always there to assist.
“What I also like is that it is also very safe here, I feel very secure walking down the streets at night, and that is something I didn’t always feel while living in London. It’s a great environment. […]
“I have pretty much set up the business where it can run without me. I brought someone from Ghana to do what I do so I can leave China. Don’t get me wrong, I love the country, but I got what I came here for and that was the language.
“I’m going to stick around for a while. Ultimately, I’d like to have a few small shops around Asia, patty shops with maybe some jerk chicken to go.
“But, I want to venture outside of Beijing to see what is out there. I would hopefully go somewhere like Jamaica, where my father’s father was born. I very much want to go and live there and send stuff back to Asia and check the cash every now and then,” she says with a grin.
“St. Kitts and Nevis is very appealing. It’s so small and quiet. I would like to settle there, the beautiful weather and the food, oh my! It’s a paradise, who wouldn’t want to live there?”
Setting up her business network to run without her physical presence, envisioning her next steps in career and in life, planning her dream home in the most beautiful tropical island imaginable…yeah. Smart woman.
I’m going to try to find Jamaica Me Crazy next time I’m in Beijing. If she’s still there, I’ll get to tell her that I read about her on tumblr.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/1ca8d686923034c0dede9714eeef90dd/tumblr_mgduorubve1r9bbqfo1_500.jpg)
zuky:
African restaurateur brings a slice of Jamaican cuisine to Beijing
Born in Africa, brought up in Europe and living in China, it’s obvious that any restaurant you open would sell Jamaican food! Rose Lin Zamoa, the 34-year-old Afro-haired proprietor of the tiny Beijing restaurant in Andingmen called Jamaica Me Crazy, is quite the entrepreneur, as this article from China Daily reports. [Our thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this article to our attention.]
The “110 percent African” from Ghana came to the capital from her adopted home in London about five years ago to further her Mandarin studies and is now cooking up a storm.
“I was very interested in languages and I heard at my college in England that there was an enrichment program to study Chinese here,” says Rose. “Though I was above the age limit, I managed to get through eventually.
“I studied full time for two-and-a-half years and whilst studying I used to cook on weekends for my classmates (at Beijing International Studies University). Then some of them became so sick and…”
Don’t forget to check our sister blog
This is a woman who knows what she wants to do and I love that quality. She ran into some serious setbacks along the way, if you read the article, but she has found a way to persevere and make things happen regardless. She’s also not afraid to make her next move, something which holds back so many people.
Rose Lin Zamoa’s own words, from the linked article:
“It’s been five years, and to summarize everything, generally the Chinese are very nice people. I used to teach English and became very close to my students and I met some really great Chinese people through that,” she says. “Everybody is so very helpful. Whenever I need something, or help in some matter, they are always there to assist.
“What I also like is that it is also very safe here, I feel very secure walking down the streets at night, and that is something I didn’t always feel while living in London. It’s a great environment. […]
“I have pretty much set up the business where it can run without me. I brought someone from Ghana to do what I do so I can leave China. Don’t get me wrong, I love the country, but I got what I came here for and that was the language.
“I’m going to stick around for a while. Ultimately, I’d like to have a few small shops around Asia, patty shops with maybe some jerk chicken to go.
“But, I want to venture outside of Beijing to see what is out there. I would hopefully go somewhere like Jamaica, where my father’s father was born. I very much want to go and live there and send stuff back to Asia and check the cash every now and then,” she says with a grin.
“St. Kitts and Nevis is very appealing. It’s so small and quiet. I would like to settle there, the beautiful weather and the food, oh my! It’s a paradise, who wouldn’t want to live there?”
Setting up her business network to run without her physical presence, envisioning her next steps in career and in life, planning her dream home in the most beautiful tropical island imaginable…yeah. Smart woman.
I’m going to try to find Jamaica Me Crazy next time I’m in Beijing. If she’s still there, I’ll get to tell her that I read about her on tumblr.
(via asianhistory)
