As a student, there are quite a lot of details that we interact within the classroom that enhances our learning process. Such things include listening to the teachers who explain certain factors, visiting the library to expand our knowledge on various subjects and, maybe, using the internet to get more information. It is the kind of learning that I might call second-hand learning because it is coming from another source which is not the main source. However, there is a part of the learning experience that enables you to live and interact with the main source of information. This is a reflection paper on the stay I had to China as an exchange student to learn more about their language and culture.
I must say that I was very excited to get such an opportunity since I heard so much about the Chinese in class and other platforms. I wanted to learn more about the Mandarin language and the speaking skills of the Chinese. The best way was to get to China, live among the people and interact with them. I am very adventurous, and I do not mind speaking to people about anything that comes to mind. In class, I interacted well with my fellow students and was never afraid to ask the teachers more questions. Outside the classroom, I went ahead and spoke to anybody who I came across especially in the line of service delivery.
Most of the people I came across in China did not speak English well, so I was forced to exercise my Mandarin language vocabulary. I tried my best to incorporate every relevant Mandarin vocabulary in all my experiences, such as shopping, eating out and taking taxi rides among others. The receptionists at various desks, supermarket staff, taxi drivers, and cafeteria workers were so kind as to correct me whenever I went wrong. They were so amused with my Cantonese – Taiwanese accent that they could not resist having a little chat with me. These interactions enabled me to learn more about the Mandarin language.
I also saw the reason why the Chinese are regarded as people who are more evolved in terms of technology. The payment system in China was nearly cashless as many people were paying using mobile phone services such as Alipay and WeChat Pay. These apps require the person using it to have a Chinese bank account linked to enhancing smooth operations. I was challenged when it came to paying for the goods and services I received. Everybody in China was paying and accepting payments through these apps. With the help of the ICBC, I was able to get the necessary documents to open up a Chinese bank account. I linked it to the app, and I was in the system.
I cannot forget the diverse menu and the many delicacies I enjoyed in China. My favourite meals were Mapo tofu, Pecking duck, malatang and jianbing. The Chinese have amazing ways of preparing intestines into different tasty dishes. I enjoyed the hot and spicy dishes in the cold Beijing weather which brought out the flavour in the food. Some of the restaurants I enjoyed eating in were Beipinglou, Quanjude, Haidilao, and Green Tea. These restaurants were famous for serving different types of dishes and at different prices. Even though the food was mouth-watering and delicious, I must say some of the restaurants overpriced some dishes.
I went to the cinema for fun and also to pass time when I was free. Despite the fact that I am not so much into movies, I could get the difference between the Chinese and other Hollywood blockbusters. Some of the movies I watched include “A Cool Fish- 2018”, and “Einstein and Einstein – 2013”. Many of the people could relate well to the movies especially with the characters or particular plots which had very deep messages. I also accompanied some friends to drink so that I could interact with others and have a deep understanding of Chinese culture. I learned that the people in China were so patriotic and could do anything that the government would say. This was rather strange to me, and I felt they were not so free and democratic by believing in everything that the government was telling them.
The internet has taken over a lot of things and I realized that many of the malls in China were deserted. On-line shopping is so common in China and is the reason why many of the malls in China did not have many people shopping. The most popular television channel among the younger generation in China is KTV because of the karaoke. I was challenged not to find many television channels presenting songs in English. It was not as bad because I really enjoyed singing along to the Chinese songs. It was also a good way of learning more about the Mandarin vocabulary. Clubs are also filled with the younger generation as clubbing is seen as more of western culture. I was happy to be served right at my table which is not so normal in other countries and they had no minimum expenditure.
In conclusion, I was very happy to visit China, and what I learned was through interaction with the people. It was such an amazing adventure as an exchange program student, and I learned a lot of things that I was not able to get from the class or the books back at home.
