On the night before the 6th GDUFS World Culture Festival Gala, we met with a number of foreign students who were rehearsing for their performances on the following night. They were all willing to talk with us. Having interviewed students from different parts of the world was like having a glimpse through an amazing kaleidoscope, so different, yet so fascinating.
Foreign students rehearsing for the Gala
Life in Guangzhou is amazing
Two Russian girls were rehearsing for their performance on the 6th World Culture Festival Gala when we entered the dance studio. The delicate customs they wore and the excitement on their faces illustrated how much they were looking forward to that grand annual event.
When asked why they wanted to join this year's World Culture Festival, one girl told us that she and her friends were crazy about dancing. This festival provided them, as dance lovers, with a great chance to dance on stage and show themselves to the international students. "We just want to show, in our performance, how many people are here, how friendly they are together, and how well they can understand each other, how well they can understand not only the language but even the culture. That's why we started to combine people in different countries and combine different kinds of music. We have a Russian dance, an American one, an Indian one and even a Spanish one." She said. She also hoped that she could still do something meaningful to improve the harmony and friendship among the students from the different countries.
When asked why they chose to come to China in the first place, they answered without hesitation. "We like Chinese culture, its language and the kind people here." According to the girls, life here has been amazing. Compared with the long and freezing cold winter back in Moscow, the weather here is so comfortable that they would never consider leaving. The local cuisine here is also satisfying and suits them just right. Whenever they have spare time, they go out with their friends and explore Guangzhou City. One of them has been to the sites where symbolic architecture is seen; the Canton Tower and others and is looking forwarding to watching Chimelong Circus performances.
Having been studying Chinese here in GDUFS for quite some time, the girls had a lot to say when we talked about campus life. "I like this university very much" said one of the girls. Life here provides them with good opportunities to make new friends, to study new things, and to live more conveniently. Being a foreign student will never stop them from making Chinese friends. They talk with their foreign friends as an effective way of improving their language proficiency. They are also satisfied with the way their Chinese teachers teach them, for they will be strict enough not to speak languages other than Chinese as a way of creating a perfect language learning atmosphere to help them make progress. What's more, the clean dormitory and well-developed infrastructure here outperforms the ones that they've had before.
Once you've come here, you will find that all those negative stereotypes you've had about China are totally wrong. That's what they said as we encouraged them to summarize life here. Everything is so satisfying and so enjoyable. Maybe that's one of the reasons why they love Chinese so much and are willing to introduce it to the world.
Three of us and the Russian girls
Chinese makes me proud
After a two-hour rehearsal, we finally had a chance to interview a gorgeous girl from Kyrgyzstan. She talked with us showing us her good mood.
In the interview, we learned that she has been here in Guangzhou for more than a year as an undergraduate. Before coming to China, she learned Chinese by herself. When asked why she chose to come to China, she replied by saying that China has been making great progress in recent decades with its achievements in various fields, and that more and more businessmen in different countries show great interest in doing business with the Chinese, so does her father. Because of this, people who know Chinese well are readily welcomed into business. Motivated by this, she came here to learn Chinese, in order to fulfill her dream of being an interpreter. She said that she took pride in learning Chinese, which is considered as the most difficult language in the world and will make her stand out in the crowd if she could learn it well.
Kyrgyzstan girl performing traditional dance
Never cease to learn
Interestingly, a young Peruvian man we interviewed could speak Chinese quite fluently, making our interview relaxing and funny. He loves Chinese so much and even got himself an Chinese name, Li Tianqi. In the World Culture Festival Gala, many international students, including Li, gave fantastic performances.
About two months ago, Li set out from Peru and arrived in GDUFS. During his stay at GDUFS he noted that he can't help falling in love with this university, a place which provides him with the all possibilities he wants. He expressed his gratitude by saying that "At GDUFS, no matter what you want to do, there are opportunities awaiting you."
Talking about social network here, he said he hasn't made many Chinese friends because they are always so busy that they don't have much time to spend with him. But without hesitation, he praised that Chinese students are all very nice.
Li enjoys the life at GDUFS. He is always so eager to learn. He already has a good command of English, Portuguese and Chinese and is currently studying Korean. The loves of his life, and the passion for learning, are what keep motivating hundreds of foreign students like Li to work harder and harder here.
Li Tianqi dancing on the stage
I live like a duck in water
After the catwalk show rehearsal Gao Qiao, from Japan, took a break before the next dry run began. During the preparation stage of this year's World Culture Festival, he and other performers had to spend at least 2 hours a day on perfecting their performances. This, he says, was quiet tiring since he had homework to do which typically takes over 3 hours every day. But he said it is the feeling of being engaged with friends that made these tedious rehearsals enjoyable.
Having stayed in GDUFS for one year, Gao Qiao can't think of many troubles that a foreign student here may have. Language barrier? His e-dictionary works just fine. Don't know where to find good food? Chinese students hospitably take him to Shunde and the Chaoshan restaurant, both of which are far away from the campus, just for delicate meals. About the loneliness of being a foreigner in an unfamiliar country? He has made a lot of friends from all over the world, especially Chinese friends who help him so much and whom he would like to thank.
Nor can he complain anything about the campus: he loves the Cantonese food served in canteens; his loves his spacious dorm; he loves those nice Chinese students; his loves the colorful social activities. When asked to summarize GDUFS in one word. He said "beautiful."
Maybe the only trouble for him is studying Chinese. He claims that Chinese is difficult, especially when it comes to pronunciation, but actually his Chinese is not bad. Probably he learns and makes good use of Chinese in a characteristically modest Japanses way.
Gao Qiao performing in the World Culture Festival Gala
