With the beautiful Chinese name Ou Fangxin, Swiss national Francine Hug is now a star in the Qingdao Olympic Village for her helpful service.
Fangxin means "fragrant" in Chinese.
Sent by the Swiss Embassy in China to work as a translator, Hug is a boundless source of energy, always available and always smiling. She is also very modest often saying na li, na li - "you flatter me" - when receiving praise for her earnest work and fluent Chinese.
Attracted by Chinese culture and history, Hug came to China three years ago to study as a postgraduate student at Beijing Language and Culture University.
"I really like Chinese literature, especially poems of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the four classic novels," she said. "My favorite is The Romance of the Three Kingdoms because there are a lot of heroes and complex strategies in it."
Though she works every day and doesn't see the nearby Olympic races, Hug is not frustrated.
"It's really a challenging and interesting thing to work for the Olympic Games. Though I may miss seeing the Games, my work is a part of the Games, and I can learn more about how it is organized," she said.
"I like to work with the Chinese. Almost everything here is well planned and we have a good cooperation among colleagues." After the Games, Hug will go to London to study for a master's degree. Proficient in six languages, she wants to work as a United Nations diplomat.
(China Daily August 15, 2008)