Michelle Wang

FOR Lucy Lindsay, a Bolivian woman who likes to describe herself as a “people person,” the job of welcoming officer with Shekou Women’s International Club (SWIC) seems tailor-made for her.

Lindsay has been enjoying life in Shenzhen ever since she arrived here two years ago. She finds it an exciting place to live with lots of activities, great shopping and restaurants, plenty of interesting places to visit and good airline access to other parts of China.

“On my arrival I joined SWIC, which gave me the opportunity to work as a welcoming officer and through it I met ladies from all over the world,” said Lindsay, who is married to a Scotsman working for an American oil company in Shekou.

As a welcoming officer, she is part of a team that helps newcomers adjust to city life. She shows them the post office, open markets, supermarkets and other places. She also gives them information about the different activities that SWIC organizes.

“Being a welcoming officer, it is not a very demanding job but it is significant on the human side because we provide them with a sense of family away from home,” she said. “And I do enjoy that I am a people person! My motto is ‘Meet the people, get to know them, learn from them and respect them.”

A globetrotter who has traveled to many countries because of her husband’s job, Lindsay mainly engages herself in social activities and charitable work, although she is a pharmacist by training. So far the couple have lived in England, Congo, Colombia, the Netherlands, the United States, Brazil and Equatorial Guinea.

“I am outgoing and sociable so I really enjoy meeting people, especially the locals, learning about their culture and cuisine, and exploring their country. In fact my husband and I spend much of our leisure time traveling in China and Asia,” said Lindsay, who has just returned from a trip to India.

To Lindsay, voluntary work requires lots of common sense and social skills.

“Life is a constant process of learning and learning from a different culture is enriching and positive,” said Lindsay, a mother of three grown-up children. “And we are happy to live in Shenzhen now. Although living in Shekou is a little like living in a village with most of our requirements close at hand, my husband loves the five-minute commute to work.”