Claudio Piani is one of those lucky persons who has been born twice: the first time in the city of Milano on the 5th August 1987 and the second time in the Milano suburb during summer 2014, when he decided to “quit his normal life” and travel around the world! Two amazing lives, the first spent in his city working as teacher and basketball coach, the second, living around the world, switching between periods of adventurous travels and periods of work in different countries. In the last few years he also started writing books about his crazy experiences. According to a fortune teller met in India, he should die in 2076.

What is your relationship with China? 

My relationship with China started during my first overland crossing of Asia in summer 2014. I was traveling from Italy to Australia by public transport and so I crossed the whole country from north to south. From Russia to Vietnam. One year later I did cross the country again on my overland way back to Italy. This time I went from east to west. In those two travels in China I fall in love with this amazing country and I decided to look for a job there and move there for a while

Where did you live in China? 

I have lived in Bao’an and the very end of the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong, where I also worked as a basketball teacher and coach for the Bogang Primary School. It was one of the best experiences of my life!

How long did you stay in China? 

I have worked there for a full academic year, but if I combine also my trips around chine I can say that I have been in the country around sixteen months 

And for which reason? 

I loved the country and every single day I spent there but when my working contract was over I wanted to fulfill another dream of mine: cycling home from China. And this is what I did! I bought a Chinese bicicletta and cycled all the way from the north border of Tibet to Milano

Where did you start?

My first city in China was Harbin. I was coming from Russia and my first nights I have been hosted at the Harbin University

Where did you end up? What was your last city/place in your China experience?

My last place was the border with Kazakhstan, before leaving the country on my bicycle. The last big city was Urumuqui tho!

Could you speak Chinese?

I cannot speak fluent Mandarin. I studied it at the beginning of my experience but than, after finding a Chinese girlfriends she was dealing and helping with all my “problems” (ordering restaurants, buying train tickets…) and I lost my chance to improve it

Language and culture were a barrier during your stay?

I would say no. Of course when I ended up in China I already had a big “traveling experience” and I was able to manage many situations. Of course China is not the easiest country to move by yourself even tho it is extremely welcoming

Tell us three main challenges during your experience in China 

I am pretty happy to say I didn’t have any issue. I loved the country, the experience and I enjoyed the diversity of my country and this different world! China is a surprise everyday and good episodes should be embraced as happily as hard times. Plus Chinese people has been incredibly friendly with me. Maybe my only issue was food. After a year I was missing some Italian taste sometimes

Tell us three main lessons learned in China

I have learnt a lot! The most important thing is to be humble and try to understand other people and culture. As westerners we often subconsciously think we come from the “right part of the world” and we judge other countries according to how similar they are to us. China taught me that it’s wrong. That it ‘s right and amazing that a country 8000 km far from mine can be totally different and that some things hard for me to understand can be totally normal here! Let’s enjoy the world, let’s observe and let’s not judge!

And then I don’t know why I somehow got a different perspective of life since I lived here. More patient, more calm, more welcoming to new episodes and experiences.

 Why did you decide to write a book?

I had already written two books before writing “Diario di un maestro in Cina” my book about my “China experience”. I decided to write it because I wanted to tell my experience and mostly I wanted to show China from a young western guy’s eyes. I wanted to tell and prove that China is very different from how international media picture it. I wanted to write about it and destroy all the wrong stereotypes we have in Europe and USA about this amazing country! Of course some part are contradictory if seen by a western, but still, it’s worth to indagate and go deeper into this amazing country and millenarian culture!

How was it welcomed by the Italian audience? 

I am not a famous writer. Book was sold pretty well on Amazon and read mostly by “China lovers” or teachers that were curious to see how my experience was as a teacher in such a different school system. I got positive reviews and feedback and I am happy and proud about it!

Are you planning on a new publication soon?

I published a new book last year: “I diari della bicicletta”, where I tell about my experience of cycling home all the way from Tibet. I don’t wanna be arrogant but I think it’s a really interesting book. Also my writing skills improved so much. I have no other books planned yet especially because I am cycling to Nepal right now. I start last February from Milano and I am currently in Pakistan.

Interview by Marco Bonaglia