China Daily Global Edition (USA)
THE MAJESTY OF DOTS IN THE SEA
For those who visit the Maldives, paradise will be transient, but that applies to many who work there as well
FFor Cui Yanbing the fruit platter onor Cui the Yanbingtable of the the guest fruit room platter is an on the apt table metaphorof the for guest the room existence is an of apt those metaphorwho live for on the the island existenceof Vommuli,of those in who the live centralon westernMaldives,the island includingof Vommuli,hers. in the central“The westernfruit you Maldives,see here includingcomes from hers. all over “The the fruit world,” you she see says, here pointing comes to from the all lemon, over plumthe world,”and passionshe says, fruit, pointingnone nativeto theto the lemon, island plum country. and passion fruit, none nativeCui, to who the goes islandby her country. English name Ice, first Cui, came who to theMaldivesgoes by her in English October name2013. Ice, “It first was came partmyto the own Maldiveschoice, partin October destiny,” 2013.says the 24-year-old, whowas first hired by a photo“It was studio part in Dubaimy own in 2012. choice, part destiny,” “My saysjob wasthe to 24-year-old,try to persuade who customerswas first hiredto pay by for a photo touristy studio picturesin Dubai taken in of 2012. them with—“My job and was sometimesto try to without— persuade their customers consent. to I hatedpay for the touristyfact I had picturesto be pushy takenall theof themtime and with asked— andto leave sometimesafter a withoutmere six — months.”their consent. I hated the fact I had to be But pushyit was all not the as time easy andas she asked had to thought.leave afterThe company,a mere six which months.”had paid her relocation But expenses,it was not wantedas easyits moneyas she back.had thought.“There was Thea second company, choice which— to hadgo to paid the her Maldives.” relocation expenses, wanted its money So back. she “Therewent. And was despitea second having choice no experience— to go to the with Maldives.”a camera she found herself behindSo she the went. shutter, And clicking despite pictureshaving no for experiencetourists, many with of them a camera Chinese.she found herself The behind work continuedthe shutter, for clickingsome time pictures before for Cui tourists,landed anothermany of job, themas a receptionistChinese. at a luxuryThe hotel. work When continuedSt. Regis for announcedsome time its before Cui landed another job, as a receptionist at a luxury hotel. When St. Regis announced its pre-opening last October Cui joined the team as the hotel’s only Chinese butler.
“In a way, I feel that I’ve been carried to the shore of the Maldives, and to Vommuli, by the current of fate.”
Yet it has also been an upstream swim — the position of a butler is considered much more challenging and is of course higher-paid than that of a receptionist. People come to the Maldives to relax and be free of worries. But for those who are here for a living, the daily problems, from overcoming language barriers to battling loneliness, often teem below the surface.
“My English vocabulary was very limited when I first came,” Cui says. “Now I have absolutely no problem communicating with my English-speaking clients and colleagues. The secret? Before I learned by brain; now I learn by heart.”
Apart from Cui, the St. Regis Hotel at Vommuli also has a guest experience manager pre-opening and lasta dive October center Cui coach joined who are the Chinese.team as the The hotel’s hotel’s only spa Chinesehas one butler. masseuse who “In is a way, ChineseI feel Malaysian,that I’ve been and carried when toI wasthe shore there, of in the early Maldives, December,and to the Vommuli,hotel hadby the also current invitedof fate.”a Chinese chef from St. RegisYet it Shenzhenhas also beento workan upstreamwith local swim chefs — on the Chinese position cuisinesof a butler withis consideredtwists. much more Xue challengingRui, the associateand is of directorcourse higherpaidof St. Regis than Hotels that of & a Resorts, receptionist. Greater People China, come says the hotel management clearly has its high-end Chinese customers in mind.
“It’s true that the Maldives, the country of a thousand islands, has myriad choices, and the bulk of Chinese customers still head for middle-priced destinations. However, we believe in the potential the Chinese market holds for luxury travel.”
Fan Qianyi, 37, is the Chinese dive center coach. A former merchandiser bitten by the travel bug, she decided to be a coach not long after she learned diving. Over the past few years the job has taken her to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, from Thailand and Malaysia to the Maldives.
“The Maldives is different from all the rest, in the sense that the islands are all very separated. The result is a rather encapsulated way of existence that can in some ways wear you down.”
Fan reckons that these days there are about 60 Chinese diving coaches in the Maldives, of whom she knows about 25. “Since we live on different islands we to don’t the see Maldiveseach otherto relax very and often.”be free of worries. Indeed,But for friendshipthose who madeare herein thisfor a part living,of the the daily world problems,is subject fromto change overcoming from languagethe very beginning,barriers to as battlingCui has loneliness, learned oftenover teemthe past below year the or surface.so.
“My“In the English Maldives vocabularywe usuallywas very have limitedone whenhotel for I first one came,” island. Cui So says.a change “Now of I havejob absolutelyusually involvesno problem island communicatinghopping,” says with my Cui, English-speakingwho shares one clients bedroom and with colleagues.three of her workmates at St. Regis.
“When I went to Dubai, 10 girls from the same tourism school went with me. Three of us eventually came here. Now I’m the only one who’s still here.”
And Fan believes that in the Maldives the constant sense of fluidity inevitably seeps into relationships that elsewhere would probably have lasted longer.
“Romance does blossom here but is often short-lived. I’ve seen as many marriages (often involving a foreign woman and a Maldivian man) end up as divorces. To be frank, the Maldives is probably one of the most open Muslim countries.”
Asked what she does in her spare time, Fan, whose contact with the wind and the sea is burnished on her face, smiles and says: “Gossip. This is a small place.”
Once every year she spends time with her husband, who introduced her to scuba diving, outside the Maldives.
“He has only come here once, because I need to go somewhere else.”
The couple plans to migrate to Australia, The secret? where Before Fan I learnedcan do by scuba brain; divingnow I learnand more.by heart.”
Apart“For me from the Cui, Maldivesthe St. Regisis a free Hotel long at Vommuliholiday; too also longhas a I’m guest afraid.” experience manager For and Cui,a dive who centerhas an coach older who brother,are Chinese.the pressure The hotel’sis mounting.spa has one masseuse who is ChineseMalaysian,“When I first left China,and whenin AprilI was 2013, there,I in promisedearly December,my parentsthe hotelthat had I would also invitedreturn a within Chinese two chef years, froma promiseSt. Regis that Shenzhenhas been to broken.”
She went back to her home in Henan province, central China, and stayed for about three months between May and August last year. Her father underwent a minor operation.
“One thing that’s constantly on my mind is my parents’ medical expenses — they are OK now but there may come a day when they need costly treatment. I’ve seen people left untreated for financial reasons. And I decided that this is not going to happen to my parents.”
Almost all the money she has earned in the Maldives has gone into her savings account, she says. The monthly income, including salaries and tips, is usually between 7,000 yuan ($1,000) and 10,000 yuan. “It’s easier to save here because you don’t have many places to spend on a tiny island.
“I’ve asked my parents to come, but they didn’t want to, worrying about the cost. When they became aware that here workwe commutewith local in chefs boats on and Chinese sea cuisines planes with instead twists.of buses they became seriously worried XueRui, aboutthe associateme.” director of St. Regis HotelsIn the& Resorts,full knowledgeGreater China,that in saysa few the hotel years managementshe will be clearly back hasin China,its high-endand Chinese probably customersher hometown,in mind. where a suitable “It’s marriagetrue that theMaldives,and a stable the life country awaits,of a Cui thousand believes islands,that the hasmyriad Maldives choices,has givenand the her bulk much of Chinesemore than customersbetter Englishstill head and for middle-priceddarker skin. destinations. However, we believe “My in birthdaythe potentialis in the October, Chinese so market when holdsmy last for birthdayluxury travel.” came I had just joined the Fan St. Qianyi, Regis. 37,I expectedis the Chinese nothing, dive but center my coach.work matesA former and merchandiserfriends gave bittenme the by biggestthe travel surprise,”bug, she decidedshe says, to beaming.be a coach “Theynot long handmadeafter she a learned birthday diving. cake, Over sang the Happypast few Birthdayyears theto me job in has Chinesetaken her and, to in somea typicalof the Maldivianworld’s most way beautifulof celebrating beaches,a birthday,from Thailand threw andMalaysiame into the to sea. theMaldives.
“The “This Maldivesis going tois be differentmy last from stop all in the the rest, Maldives.”in the sense that the islands are all very separated.When Cui The first result leftis a China,rather encapsulatshe was a second-year student at a Beijing occupational school for would-be tour guides.
“To be honest, attending that school was more about paying money for a certificate than about receiving a quality education, so I quit as soon as the right opportunity came up.”
What sounds like a natural choice today must have been a bold step move for a 21-year-old who had never been abroad before.
The Maldives, despite its soothing calmness, is in fact for dreamers and risk-takers, those who dare to live differently. Fan the diving coach knows all about that. “For the Maldives, each one of us is merely a passing ship, but as we do so the ocean waves leave their mark. Under Maldives law you’re not allowed to take anything away from this country, not even a tiny branch of dead coral. For me, a net full of memories is more than enough.”
Maldives.