I think the best thing you can give somebody is love. I moved to Canada 11 years ago to look for my true love - a husband, to start a family with as full of love as the one I had growing up. However, for a gay man like me, this was a difficult goal to achieve in China.

I grew up in a big family. The world outside of our little village is huge, and the only way to leave it was by going to a university. My father wanted me to be a doctor like himself, but I was more interested in technical studies. I studied international business in a second level university, did my masters in one of the top 5 universities in China and became succesful.

After coming to Canada, with luck, I met Normand on an online dating site. We started dating, and our relationship turned into love soon enough. We got married four years ago. Now we are even closer to having that loving family I have always wanted to build. We are arranging for a surrogate mother who will carry two babies for us, one with Normand's genes and one with mine. We are eagerly waiting to raise them with unconditional love.

I frequently visit China, as I love to visit my family, to whom I owe a lot. But after a while, I get tired of people constantly pressuring me for material success: "How much money are you making?", "What type of car are you driving?", "How many houses do you own?"

Canada is where I can be myself. A place where I am valued not for my money or my station, but for who I am.

Martin Ding
Vancouver BC, Canada, 17 August 2018

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My name is Kakek Pucang. I'm 80 years old. My life has been filled with music. I play an instrument called Rindik. I make dance music. My parents always wanted me to be a musician. I always liked that. I wake up at 5 in the morning. First, I go to my rice field, then I feed my cows, and then I come to the restaurant that I play music. I went only to primary school because there were no other schools in our town. I got married in 1965, and I have a son and a daughter. When I was a child, I played music for the Indonesian president. I will never forget that memory. We have a musical group that consists of 5 people. Sometimes, we get invited to play at the hotels. It makes me so happy because I can still work and I'm still living my life. My father couldn't see and hear that much when he was at my age. I believe that I owe my healthiness to music.

Kakek Pucang
Bali, Indonesia, 26 July 2018

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My name is Nyoman Cuk. I was born in a small village of Petang Badung, Bali. My parents are farmers. I always wanted to be a tour guide when I worked in the rice fields, and I started learning English by myself because I couldn't go to any English courses.

When I was a kid, my parents were really struggling to raise me because of that; since I was a child, I have always tried to do something to help my parents. When I got older, I spent 12 years as a rafting instructor, but that didn't suit me. Then I became a tour driver, and I love this job - I can meet new people and learn about their cultures, most importantly, I still have plenty of time to spend with my family, and also to attend many activities in my village. As a Balinese, we'll need to be flexible at anytime because my village has various activities. For example, in one of our activities that we call "GOTONG ROYONG", we need to get together and work with the other villagers. I wish for a better future for me and my family, and also, I want to provide better service to all of my future customers.

Nyoman Cuk
Bali, Indonesia, 23 July 2018

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My expectation from my life is to have a happy family and a good amount of knowledge and adequate wealth.

My name is Jabir bin Haidar bin Jabir bin Saleh bin Kasim bin Mansuor bin Haidar bin Ahmed bin Muhammed El- Farsy. I was born in Zanzibar Stone Town. At the International University of Africa, I have graduated with an Art Bachelor’s Degree in taking the Education in Arabic and Islamic Studies course. Also, in 2013, I graduated with an Art Master’s Degree in taking Public Administration.

My father was among the first crew who established the Zanzibar Radio Station in 1957, and he was a ‘’story maker’’ known as “Dandanis Story”, like Arabian Kings’ stories. He was listened to over all the country’s radios, and was too famous in Zanzibar.

My mother is one among the very few ladies of Zanzibar who rode bicycles. She even went to football matches and political meetings. My mother is a very social lady, very kind, but was also very tough while raising us.

I married Saada Mussa Khamis AL-Alawi in May 1995. I have got four children.

I was employed by the Ministry of Education as a teacher of Islamic and Arabic Studies, and Sheikh Abdulhamid bin Abdulkarim Naqshabandi chose me to be the Leader Khalifa of Naqshabandi of Zanzibar and all of Tanzania. 

Life is good, elhamdulillah. I am happy, but the salaries are very low here. Now the system is capitalistic with a free economy and free market. 

I established the entire Sufi festivals in Zanzibar, which had sufi music and songs. I enjoy living by gathering people, establishing non-governmental organizations, helping poor people, and teaching our society through radio, television and/or by public meetings.

Jabir Haidar Jabir El-Farsy, El-Naqshaband
Stone Town, Zanzibar, 15 June 2018

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The only reason that I moved from Lithuania to Sweden is love. I fell in love with Jacob. In the beginning, I regularly went between Lithuania and Sweden, but I wanted to be with him all the time, and so, I moved.

Stockholm is a nice place; I have relationships and a good job. Although everything is fine, I miss Lithuania. I miss my family, streets, the memories that I lived, I miss everything a lot. It seems as if Lithuania calls to me, during those times, I go there and fulfill my longing.

I am very happy to be in Sweden. On the other hand though, I also thought some things must change in here after an incident that I had lived through. Sweden is a state which covers all the healthcare services. This is very nice, but when you get sick, you can't see a doctor whom you want, even if you can afford it. I also went to a hospital because of an illness -which I had an operation the next day-. At first, a nurse assistant saw me, according to the indications I had, she directed me to a nurse. In terms of the seriousness of your condition you might have, a nurse directs you to a doctor, but the nurse decides when the doctor will see and examine you. Sometimes patients have to wait for hours to be examined by a doctor. Thank God, it took 3 hours for me to see the doctor; in order for this to happen, I exaggerated my pain a little. Then I got shocked when I learned that I could be dead if my operation was delayed until the following day.

Another important issue is that you can't have a hospital attendant with you; only during visiting hours can they see you. However, even for emotional support you might want somebody close to you. I was very surprised when they didn't allow Jacob to come in. My friends told me that there is a saying about the Swedish healthcare system, "If you are healthy, it works excellent".

Well, Sweden is one of the best countries in the world to live in, but there are some things that have to be changed and improved here too...

Gintare
Stockholm, Sweden, 2 June 2018

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Despite the fact that I got biology education, I have worked as a photographer my whole life. I was born and raised at La Plata City, which is 50 km away from Bueos Aires, the capital city of Argentina. After we my husband and I had lived in Buenos Aires for years, we took a radical decision, and moved to Patagonia, a near-Antartic zone in Southern Argentina. We have been living in El Carafate City since 2008. I am working as a photographer at glacier tours in this touristic area of Argentina. It was my dream job to take photos and meet with people from all around the world, and I love my job very much.

Maybe you will be surprised, but I can speak Turkish quite well, as you wouldn't even be able to guess. In addition to that, I didn't learn it neither at school, private courses, nor from a Turk. I have been a fan of  Turkish TV series for years. Turkish TV series are very popular here, and they are a kind of addiction for me. “Ezel”, “Fatmagül’ün Suçu Ne”, “Aşk-ı Memnu”, "Öyle Bir Zaman Geçer ki", "Küçük Gelin”, and “Sıla” I watched all of them enjoyably. Nowadays, a new one called “Anne” is on the air, and believe it or not, I am watching it breathlessly. Due to the fact that the Turkish TV series are broadcasted with subtitles -without dubbing- I learned Turkish while watching them by listening.

“Your TV series are very long, two hours, I love it.” (She says that with a very sweet accent in Turkish.)

As you see, the TV series also have a big influence, as much as football, on Argentineans.

Silvina Ugo, Photographer
El Carafate City, Argentina, 10 May 2018

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