王金帅
北京冬奥会开幕式上,沙特代表团入场,这是沙特阿拉伯、更是海湾阿拉伯国家合作委员会(GCC)国家有史以来第一次派出运动员参加冬奥会。填补沙特这一历史空白的,是沙特高山滑雪运动员萨勒曼 · 胡韦什和法伊克 · 阿卜迪。
这则新闻,让我在机缘巧合下认识了沙特阿拉伯人ALBASRI REDHA,也了解了很多关于他在浙江生活8年中的故事。他告诉我,自己喜欢中国朋友叫他小龙。
说到此次是沙特阿拉伯有史以来第一次派出运动员参加冬奥会,而且是北京冬奥会,小龙表示,包括他自己在内的所有沙特阿拉伯人民都很期待萨勒曼 · 胡韦什和法伊克 · 阿卜迪能够在比赛中取得好成绩!
“在替母国运动员加油喝彩的同时,我也衷心祝愿中国运动员能在自己的主场有出色的表现,我会替他们加油的。”小龙说。
沙特位于亚洲西南部的阿拉伯半岛,东濒波斯湾,西临红海,境内沙漠广布,其北部有大内夫得沙漠,南部有鲁卜哈利沙漠。除西南高原和北方地区属亚热带地中海型气候外,其他地区均属热带沙漠气候。夏季炎热干燥,最高气温可达50℃以上,冬季气候温和,年平均降雨不超过200毫米。就是在这样一个年平均气温在20℃左右的国家,冬季时有很多人工冰场,可以滑冰。
小龙告诉我,沙特也有专门的冬季运动俱乐部。“2004年,沙特阿拉伯代表隊开始参加冰球比赛,2010年赢得了阿拉伯国家冰球赛的第3名。你们以为这只是男人的运动吗?2018年,我们国家还组建了第一支女子冰球队。”小龙介绍说。
沙特阿拉伯足球队是亚洲的强队,手球也是该国的体育竞技强项。此外,有很多人更喜欢冰上运动。
说起体育竞技比赛,小龙一家颇有渊源。小龙身材健硕,曾经获得过沙特阿拉伯全国拳击冠军,他弟弟也取得过海湾国家拳击冠军的优异成绩。
小龙的父母一直很支持小龙和弟弟从事拳击运动,一家人都很喜欢运动。
小龙说:“从小时候起,我一直坚持拳击运动。拳击不仅可以锻炼身体,还增强了我的自信心,塑造了我的个性,对我产生了巨大的影响,给了我积极的能量,让我可以微笑着面对生活中的所有困难。虽然现在不参加比赛了,但我一直保持着健身的习惯,一周健身三次。”
说到当时为什么会选择定居杭州,小龙露出了微笑。他告诉我:“我之前来过杭州出差,第一眼就爱上了这个很漂亮的城市,这里有满目的绿色、安静的环境、美丽的山水、文明的居民。所以,当我老婆怀孕以后我们就确定来杭州生活了,我觉得杭州对于有孩子的家庭来说,很宜居。和孩子们一起在这样的城市里生活很开心,杭州这座城市很包容,也很便利。”
说起对杭州的爱,小龙就停不下来。如今,他和妻子已经拥有了两个可爱的孩子,微信朋友圈封面就是儿子和女儿的合影,一儿一女凑成一个“好”字,他很满意目前的状态,幸福感溢于言表。
接下来,杭州将在今年9月举办亚运会,小龙表示,他已经迫不及待地想亲身感受亚运会的盛况了。他说:“亚运会时所有阿拉伯国家都会参加,从各国相互交流切磋体育竞技、感受杭州和浙江乃至中国的发展来说,这是一个很难得的机会,我会给阿拉伯运动员和中国运动员加油!”
小龙和妻子目前在杭州西湖区文三西路开了一家名叫“俄式馅饼”的俄罗斯面包店,因为妻子是俄罗斯人。聊着聊着,小龙便热情地邀请我去他家的面包店看一看、尝一尝,面包店里都是自家制的正宗俄罗斯面包、各种馅的馅饼、俄罗斯传统派、俄罗斯蜂蜜蛋糕、大列巴,一开始做的是街坊生意,后来口碑相传,回头客很多,在“大众点评”APP上人气也很高,许多吃货慕名前来。
小龙笑着说:“我们家的东西都是现场做的,不加任何添加剂。欢迎来我们店里,尝尝正宗的俄罗斯风味面包和点心。”
Saudi Arabia’s Former Boxing Champion on His Country’s First Winter Olympics
By Wang Jinshuai
With the Saudi athletes walking into the opening ceremony at the National Stadium in Beijing on February 4, 2022, it marked the first time in history that Saudi Arabia — indeed, a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country — has qualified for the Winter Games. Salman Al-Howaish and Fayik Abdi will represent the country to compete in giant slalom and slalom.
Through this piece of news, I got to know Redha Albasri, a Saudi who has lived in Zhejiang for eight years — and he preferred to be addressed as “Xiao Long” by his Chinese friends.
As it is the first time that Saudi athletes have participated in the Winter Olympics, the Beijing Winter Olympic Games no less, Xiao Long said all the Saudi people, himself included, are looking forward to the two players doing well in the games.
“While cheering for the two, I also sincerely hope the Chinese athletes can get good results on their home soil. I will cheer for them as well,” Xiao Long said.
Saudi Arabia, or the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as it is officially known, is a vast nation that occupies most part of the Arabian Peninsula in southwest Asia, facing the Gulf to the east and the Red Sea to the west. The country’s landscape consists of boundless stretches of desert and rugged mountain ranges, including the Great Nafud desert in the north and the Rub’al Khali desert in the south. In summer, the highest temperature can reach more than 50°C, and in winter, the climate is mild. The average annual rainfall does not exceed 200mm. Still, in a land with a daily mean temperature at over 20°C, you can find many artificial rinks in winter.
Saudi Arabia is one of the top teams in Asia in football and handball, but there are many who are into winter sports. Indeed, Xiao Long told me quite a few winter sports clubs in Saudi Arabia have been established as well. “In 2004, the Saudi Arabian team began to participate in ice hockey and in 2010, it won the third place in the Arab Cup of Ice Hockey. You think this is just a man’s sport? Our country already fielded its first women’s ice hockey team in 2018.”
In fact, with a strong build, Xiao Long once won the national boxing championship in Saudi Arabia, and his younger brother was crowned champion in the GCC Boxing Championship. Xiao Long’s parents have always supported him and his brother in their boxing endeavor, and the entire family are sports enthusiasts.
“I’ve been practicing boxing since I was a kid,” he said. “Boxing not only helps build my body, but also strengthens my confidence, my personality and has a huge impact on me, giving me positive energy and allowing me to face all the difficulties in life with a smile. I don’t compete anymore, but I keep working out three times a week.”
Xiao Long smiled broadly when asked why he chose to settle down in Hangzhou. “I’ve been to Hangzhou on business before and I fell in love with this beautiful city instantly: greenery everywhere, a quiet environment, a beautiful landscape and civilized residents. When my wife was pregnant, we decided to move to Hangzhou, which I think is very livable for families with children. I’m happy to live in such an inclusive and convenient city with my children.” When it came to his love for Hangzhou, Xiao Long just couldn’t stop talking. Now, with two lovely kids, he is quite satisfied and full of happiness; the cover of his WeChat Moments is a photo of his son and daughter.
The Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou in September, 2022 and Xiao Long said he couldn’t wait to see for himself the spectacular event. “All the Arab countries will be in the Asian Games, which is a golden opportunity for them to compete in sports and experience the development of Hangzhou, Zhejiang and China. I will cheer for Arab and Chinese athletes!”
At present, Xiao Long and his wife, who is from Russia, run a Russian bakery in Hangzhou. While we were chatting, he invited me over to his bakery and try the bread. Inside his shop are homemade authentic Russian bread, pies with all sorts of fillings, Russia honey cake and rye bread. The bakery started as a neighborhood business. Then through word of mouth, it has become more and more popular, with quite a few repeat customers. On Dazhong Dianping, the Chinese version of Yelp, the bakery enjoys a high rating, attracting many foodies.
“Everything in our house is freshly made without any additives,” Xiao Long chuckled. “Welcome to our shop and taste authentic Russian bread and pastries.”