Shoot, pray, love

by Navjyoti Dalal

In this new column, Home Is Where The Hearth Is, we shine the spotlight on the immigrant experience. And as a cultural exchange get them to share food recipes they hold dear. Our expat in focus this week is Ken Yuzhou Shao from China. All of 27, this game developer, entrepreneur and YouTuber is a fan of Ireland. As for his followers, they can be found all over between Athlone and Australia

In 2019, after graduating in information technology from India, Ken Yuzhou Shao was exploring European universities to study for a Master's degree. Eventually, the choice boiled to a premier German university and Trinity College Dublin. That we are writing about him as an Athlone resident makes clear the university he picked. But the reasoning that helped him choose Trinity is what makes Shao different. "At that time Leo Varadkar was the Taoiseach. I figured that if a country can give the chance to lead to a half-Indian, openly gay man, it must be a very progressive country. My mind was set on Ireland as the country I wanted to build my life in," says Shao. He came to Ireland in September 2019 to pursue post-graduation in computer science and specialise in Virtual Reality. But it is the path of inner reality, and a slow, meaningful life that he discovered after being here.

Through the lens of Heart Sutra

When we meet for this interview Shao presented me a handwritten note in Chinese script. It was rendered beautiful in an almost calligraphic style. The words belong to the 'heart sutra', a Buddhist spiritual text which teaches the state of nothingness and emptiness. This sutra has been a totem that has brought him back to life each time he has found himself swimming against the tide, gasping for breath.

Born in Wuhan, at a time when the one-child policy was at its peak, Shao grew up as an only child, in a highly competitive environment. "In high school I would study for 16 hours a day," says Shao, an electrical engineer's son. His maternal uncle had a big role in shaping Shao's life. Seeing his nephew's curiosity for a globally connected world, Shao's uncle suggested that he graduates from India and also use that time to polish his command on English; a recommendation Shao followed to the 't'. This was to prepare him for a masters degree in Europe, which eventually brought him to Trinity College.

As fate would have it, six months into being here reports started flooding the media of a deadly virus that had China in its grip. "One day, in January 2020, I was in an Irish pub with a French friend who asked me to look at the TV. There was news of a mysterious virus outbreak in China. Initially, I dismissed it thinking it might be either fake news or an exaggerated version of a small, isolated incident," says Shao who soon found news channels obsessing over his hometown.

"Before Covid nobody knew Wuhan. I was very proud to share with my friends in Ireland that I am from Wuhan, a beautiful city, in the geographical centre of China, with more than 150 lakes. But when things went out of control, around February-March, I felt ashamed, even guilty," he adds. But Shao admires the Irish for being respectful and unbiased. "Except this one time when some teenagers made a joke on me, I had no bad experience or discrimination because of my Chinese, Wuhanese, origin. In fact, many of my Trinity batchmates came to my help regarding studies and academics, for I was going through stress with the Covid situation. And I had exams around the time," shares Shao who has made friends for life in Dublin.

From the centre of China to Ireland's

Athlone holds a special place in Shao's heart. He attended the Technical University of Shannon (TUS) for a masters programme funded by tech giant Ericsson. The diversity at TUS and the friendly attitude of the locals bowled him over. "And the best part is to be able to see from my window, cows and horses grazing into the sunset. Sometimes I go to pet them, they exude such calmness," says the Willow Park resident.

Shao turned entrepreneur with a startup that develops educational games after working with Ericsson for a while. He is appreciative of organisations like Enterprise Ireland that provide guidance and incentives. "I would love to see the industry infrastructure grow, so as to harness and retain the talent pool that graduates from TUS," says Shao who believes that Athlone holds great potential for growth.

A young professional, Shao sometimes finds himself struggling with the challenges that come with the role of being a co-founder and show-runner. In such moments he lets life and the Heart Sutra take the lead. At other times he finds wisdom the old-fashioned way, via books. He is currently reading 'Wealth Of Nations' by Adam Smith to aid him with the understanding of the economy and its workings.

While he is an entrepreneur now, he continues to do a job that he was doing when he came to Ireland. Shao is a Youtuber with 8.2k subscribers across Ireland, UK, China, Australia, India and more. He documents everything from coding, to gaming verse, to song lyrics, to slice-of-life Ireland. "It is heartwarming to see the love that my channel receives. I get messages from Athlone natives living in countries like Australia, commenting on my videos and the nostalgia they evoke," says Shao, who has also featured the Irish cows in one of his videos, perhaps making a moot point on carbon emissions.

Recipe: Scrambled Eggs with Tomato

SHAO shares a recipe that is in keeping with his bachelor life -- easy, quick and flavourful. “This is a very common and tasty Chinese dish which is fairly simple and fast to cook. It is suitable to people like me who are very busy with their work or academics and have little time to cook,” says Shao.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes 2-3, chopped Eggs 3-4 Seasonings: Salt, sugar, and cooking oil

Method:

Crack the eggs into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and beat them well. Heat a pan with some oil, pour in the beaten eggs, and stir-fry them until just set. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, add a little oil, toss in the tomatoes, and stir-fry until soft. Add a pinch of salt and sugar, and cook for a minute or two. Now combine the scrambled eggs with the tomatoes. Mix well and cook briefly. Add a little water for a sauce-like consistency and simmer.

Tips:

You can add some green onions, garlic and soy sauce for a richer taste.