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War Zones & Warm Meals: How a Chinese Student Found Unexpected Family
When explosions rocked Kyiv, Chinese student Hou Yefan grabbed his passport and fled with classmates – only to find sanctuary in the rural home of Ukrainian baker Olena Petrenko.
\"They taught me to knead bread while air raid sirens blared,\" Hou tells us via Zoom, flour still dusting his sleeves. The Petrenkos share dwindling food supplies but unlimited dark humor, bonding over TikTok dances with their teenage daughter Kateryna.
Nights bring candlelit chess matches against Olena’s grandfather, a retired engineer who insists on using Soviet-era pieces. \"Checkmate reminds us life continues,\" he chuckles as Hou groans at another loss.
Though Hou dreams of returning to his biochemistry studies, he’s now part-time chicken feeder and sunflower planter. \"We’re all seeds waiting for peace to bloom,\" Olena says, handing him another slice of honey cake.
\"We’re all seeds waiting for peace to bloom,\" Olena says, handing him another slice of honey cake.
Chinese in UK Share Love Through Food for National Day
