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'Outgoing geek' brings newcomers together
September 11, 2012, Tuesday
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AROUND 600 people in Suzhou have joined a social network set up by an American to help newcomers make friends and have fun in Suzhou. Fei Lai logs on.
American Adam Papania, 28, calls himself an outgoing geek. The founder of the English-language social website www.suzhoupengyou.com (pengyou means friend), he is building a community to connect newcomers to Suzhou, expats and Chinese, as well as other residents.
"It's not meant only for expatriates," Papania says. "It's meant to be a place for locals, expatriates and visitors to Suzhou to meet and make friends."
It started two years ago in September 2010 and took off slowly, but it has been gaining momentum and now has around 600 members.
"More than 70 percent of our members have joined in 2012 alone," says the native of Atlanta in the US state of Georgia. "The more people we have on the website, the more active and interesting it becomes for everyone."
He says the site helps make Suzhou a very small world and brings positive changes to expats' lives. It serves as a billboard for interesting events and entertainment.
Papania also has a day job as the purchasing, sales and quality manager for Suzhou 3B Scientific, an international company involved in science and health education. He usually spends around 30 minutes after work maintaining the site.
He is the only expat in his workplace.
"As an expatriate, it can be difficult to keep friends because many expats are only in China for a limited time and must leave after their jobs or studies are finished," Papania says.
He says he was lucky to have many friends in Suzhou when he moved there in 2009 for work. By 2010 most of them had left.
"But now, with the website, I can make friends in Suzhou more easily and find activities to take part in."
Papania likes sports and can find many people with similar interests, such as tennis or hiking. Events are organized to bring together people with the same interests.
The hiking group organized on the website is popular.
His major problem is lack of time to work on the site, since it's his after-work job.
"Finding time to grow the site, improve marketing and grow the membership is difficult," he says.
Having lived in Suzhou for three years, Papania is a virtual encyclopedia of the city for many newcomers.
The south bank of the Grand Canal near Nanmen Road is his favorite place, highly recommended to newcomers.
"It's a nice scenic area and great for a walk or picnic," he says. "Sometimes I even take a fishing rod but so far I haven't caught anything."
Life is comfortable, but there were tense moments when he fell ill in October 2010. He went to the hospital for a second time, helped by a secretary at work who served as an interpreter.
After an hour and a half of waiting, the results of a blood test showed an abnormal white blood cell count that could mean leukemia. Doctors recommended a blood marrow test. He decided against it, and gradually got better.
He is now learning Chinese.
Adam Papania
Nationality: AmericanAge: 28
Profession: Founder of an English-language social websiteQ&A
? What's your favorite Suzhou dish:I like to go to the family restaurants by Taihu Lake on Xishan Island for seafood, chicken soup, and local vegetables. None of them has a menu and you just go into the kitchen and choose exactly what you want by point at the chicken that's running around the kitchen or the fish that's flopping in its tank.
? How to improveSuzhou:Towing all the cars parked illegally on Shiquan Street would be a good idea. Otherwise, it's great.
? Motto for life:I like Ferris Beuller's motto in the film "Ferris Beuller's Day Off" (1986): "Life moves pretty fast and if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you're gonna miss it." I just need to remember to stop and look around!
American Adam Papania, 28, calls himself an outgoing geek. The founder of the English-language social website www.suzhoupengyou.com (pengyou means friend), he is building a community to connect newcomers to Suzhou, expats and Chinese, as well as other residents.
"It's not meant only for expatriates," Papania says. "It's meant to be a place for locals, expatriates and visitors to Suzhou to meet and make friends."
It started two years ago in September 2010 and took off slowly, but it has been gaining momentum and now has around 600 members.
"More than 70 percent of our members have joined in 2012 alone," says the native of Atlanta in the US state of Georgia. "The more people we have on the website, the more active and interesting it becomes for everyone."
He says the site helps make Suzhou a very small world and brings positive changes to expats' lives. It serves as a billboard for interesting events and entertainment.
Papania also has a day job as the purchasing, sales and quality manager for Suzhou 3B Scientific, an international company involved in science and health education. He usually spends around 30 minutes after work maintaining the site.
He is the only expat in his workplace.
"As an expatriate, it can be difficult to keep friends because many expats are only in China for a limited time and must leave after their jobs or studies are finished," Papania says.
He says he was lucky to have many friends in Suzhou when he moved there in 2009 for work. By 2010 most of them had left.
"But now, with the website, I can make friends in Suzhou more easily and find activities to take part in."
Papania likes sports and can find many people with similar interests, such as tennis or hiking. Events are organized to bring together people with the same interests.
The hiking group organized on the website is popular.
His major problem is lack of time to work on the site, since it's his after-work job.
"Finding time to grow the site, improve marketing and grow the membership is difficult," he says.
Having lived in Suzhou for three years, Papania is a virtual encyclopedia of the city for many newcomers.
The south bank of the Grand Canal near Nanmen Road is his favorite place, highly recommended to newcomers.
"It's a nice scenic area and great for a walk or picnic," he says. "Sometimes I even take a fishing rod but so far I haven't caught anything."
Life is comfortable, but there were tense moments when he fell ill in October 2010. He went to the hospital for a second time, helped by a secretary at work who served as an interpreter.
After an hour and a half of waiting, the results of a blood test showed an abnormal white blood cell count that could mean leukemia. Doctors recommended a blood marrow test. He decided against it, and gradually got better.
He is now learning Chinese.
Adam Papania
Nationality: AmericanAge: 28
Profession: Founder of an English-language social websiteQ&A
? What's your favorite Suzhou dish:I like to go to the family restaurants by Taihu Lake on Xishan Island for seafood, chicken soup, and local vegetables. None of them has a menu and you just go into the kitchen and choose exactly what you want by point at the chicken that's running around the kitchen or the fish that's flopping in its tank.
? How to improveSuzhou:Towing all the cars parked illegally on Shiquan Street would be a good idea. Otherwise, it's great.
? Motto for life:I like Ferris Beuller's motto in the film "Ferris Beuller's Day Off" (1986): "Life moves pretty fast and if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you're gonna miss it." I just need to remember to stop and look around!
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