(Ecns.cn)--Many foreign contestants appear on China's most watched TV dating show "If You Are the One" (Fei Cheng Wu Rao). So it was no surprise when on August 21 the show introduced a new guest from Egypt, bearing the Chinese name Mu Xiaolong.
Speaking fluent Chinese and wearing a T-shirt printed with the Chinese characters "Kao Pu," or "reliable," Mu ultimately failed to find his Ms. Right – yet he did not fail to make an impression on Chinese audiences.
An old China hand
A graduate from Cairo University who majored in Chinese language studies, 24-year-old Mu Xiaolong now lives in Beijing and is looking for a job. "I used to be a tour guide for Chinese people in Egypt, and the idea of participating in the show was inspired by a tourist from China," said Mu.
"It was a good chance to introduce my mother country to the Chinese people, and at the same time it may also be good for my job hunting," said Mu, in regard to the show's large audience base.
Mu's Chinese friends were not surprised by his appearance on the show. "He is very out-going and good at making friends, and was famous at Cairo University," said Lin Yan, who got to know Mu while studying in Cairo.
"Joining the show is just the kind of thing Mu would do," added Ma Chen, another friend who knew Mu from Cairo. "He is like an 'old China hand' who watches Chinese TV series, sings Chinese songs and can sometimes even say popular online phrases."
Before coming to China, as a tour guide Mu got the chance to meet Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and introduce his country at the Chinese Cultural Center in Cairo. When leading Chinese groups visited, he would speak the different dialects of various regions to them.
This June, a Hong Kong-based group of reporters went to Cairo for a video shoot, where Mu received them and assisted them in their work. As thanks, the group provided him with a round-trip ticket from Cairo to Beijing.
Since then, Mu has become very actively involved with Beijing. He likes to chat with taxi drivers, drink in pubs and make friends from various countries. He can now help others take the subway without even consulting a map.
"I am a Virgo who likes to make everything as perfect as possible, so it is best to learn Chinese in Beijing," said Mu, who also uses Sina Weibo, a popular Chinese micro-blogging site.
"In Cairo, the pace of life is much slower, but here in Beijing everything is so fast and competition is severe," said Mu. But he is up the challenge and will try to inform people about his country, he added.
