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Chinese volunteer helps spectators navigate stadium
A Chinese volunteer at the World Cup in Moscow went viral in her home country thanks to her sweet smile and extending helping hand to fans getting confused while entering the stadiums.
Xu Chen, 23 and from Sichuan province and a journalism graduate student of Lomonosov Moscow State University, has made it her mission to guide fans in and out of Luzniki Stadium, as security is tight and some routes are blocked. She speaks Russian, German, English and Chinese while helping fans and broadcasting tournament news. A boxed meal is her only reward for her six-hour workday, but is untouchable because she would have to travel too far to get it.
"Sometimes I don't quite understand some of their accents, as they come from all over the world...Sometimes we do not understand one another, and I must say sorry to those who I failed to help," Xu said. She planned the Russia World Cup mission early, while she was studying in China.
A soccer fan herself, she said it is a pity to work outside the stadium and meters away from her favorite stars. "Fans smile and high-five me...though we may not always understand each other, it is a comfort and inspiration."
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