It’s Valentine’s Day today, and what's better than this sweet story of love where a Chinese man reportedly obtained Overseas Citizen of India status so he could settle down in Ahmedabad with his Indian wife of nine years? According to the Times of India (TOI), 32-year-old Ma Hai Guo fell in love with 45-year-old Pallavi Gautam and now they want to spend their life together in the Indian city.
How did the couple meet?
According to the outlet, Ahmedabad-based Gautam first met Guo, from Nan Chong City in Sichuan, in 2016 during a translation job in Vellore. Soon, they fell in love with each other and decided to tie the knot the same year. The couple have been married for nine years and are happy parents to a two-year-old girl named Ma An Ji. Her name, when translated from Chinese, means “peaceful.”
It’s not just the couple who have embraced each other’s culture but also the kid who can speak four languages - Gujarati, Mandarin, English, and Hindi.
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Why Ahmedabad?
Gautam told the outlet that after getting married, they first decided to settle in China, as she feared that her husband wouldn’t be able to handle the food and the weather in India. However, he slowly fell in love with Ahmedabad, and they decided to settle in India.
The initial struggles:
{{/usCountry}}Gautam told the outlet that after getting married, they first decided to settle in China, as she feared that her husband wouldn’t be able to handle the food and the weather in India. However, he slowly fell in love with Ahmedabad, and they decided to settle in India.
The initial struggles:
{{/usCountry}}While talking to the outlet, Guo shared that he has never faced “harassment” or “bias” in the country. “I have never faced any harassment or bias here. Though there is a language barrier, there is no barrier in love and compassion. The way I mingle with people is the way they mingle with me," he said, adding that he enjoys greeting his neighbours in Gujarati. He shared that he often says “Kem chho, majama ne?” to them.
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He told TOI that when he first came to Ahmedabad, he struggled with spicy food. “I could not even touch the food with my tongue. It was non-palatable for me. Gradually, I started eating and loving Gujarati dishes and spicy Indian food. It is khakhra that I root for now. I take khakhra packets with me when I visit my parents in China,” he shared.
The couple, who work at private firms, visits China annually. "During Chinese New Year, we ensure the celebrations are as festive as they would be in China so that he feels at home," says Pallavi.