Miao, China

My name is Miao Cowen. I'm 38, I'm from the northeast of China. I went to England first, and I went to study English. I couldn't make any friends in London, so I came to Northern Ireland because my friends were studying at Queen's University. As soon as I was here I started to make friends--people here are very friendly. I had a business with my cousin [in China]--we sold textiles, curtains, and duvet covers. Here I'm a part-time worker--sometimes I work as an interpreter, and sometimes I do a little bit of business. [I stayed here] because my family's here--my husband and my son, and my mom's over here as well. My son is in school here, and Northern Ireland is a very family-oriented country, so I like to live here because I feel accepted. People are friendly to me, so that's why I want to be here.