Life as an International Student at GDUFS

Angeli (far left) with her classmates

When asked the city of Guangzhou, she does have something to say. "The Guangzhou buses really suck..." (The Guangzhou public transport system could use improvement!) Though Angeli has spent several years in Guangzhou, she still is not used to the climate. "I get sick easily; the weather changes so often."She added laughingly, "Maybe that has something to do with me not doing enough sports."

Concerning GDUFS, she says, "Compared with the school I attended in the Philippines, GDUFS still needs to improve its atmosphere for studying." She also pointed out, "It doesn't make any sense that there are no courses about China in Chinese in this faculty." Several of her ideas coincide with those of many Chinese students. We all look favorably upon a constantly improving GDUFS!

Aboubacar Diallo: "Any language is a world language."

Aboubacar Diallo, a student from the West African country of Guinea, began his studies at GDUFS two years ago. He chose to come to GDUFS because he believed it was the best university for learning Chinese. "The teachers here are fantastic and qualified," he commented, "and the teaching is convenient and pleasing. I like Guangwai (GDUFS) very much."

When asked about the difference between Guangzhou and his hometown, he said the climate here was quite different from that back at home, and Guangzhou was more developed and advanced. "I enjoy (Guangzhou) in some way," he remarked, "Most of the people here are quite friendly, and in the past two years I've made a lot of friends." He also joked that as a Muslim, he had to eat what Muslims can eat, though the food here had not much change.

However, one thing that makes him feel uncomfortable is that sometimes people look at him with curious eyes. He said some people are still influenced by old traditions and tend to judge others by their color, race and nationality. "But I understand it takes time for them to change this kind of thinking," he said.

With a tight schedule, Aboubacar finds himself short of time for his study. However, sometimes he goes to the gym and plays football there. He has also travelled to other places, among which Shenzhen and Macao are his favorite, because he finds the people more hospitable and more foreigners can be seen there. "The people are open-minded, and they speak different languages. It makes me feel very comfortable." He said any language should be a world language, and it should aim to promote understanding between people from different countries, regardless of color, nationality and race.

As the Olympic Games are approaching, Aboubacar hopes he will have the chance to go to Beijing to watch. "However," he sighed, "at present the tickets are extremely in short supply. People are scrambling to book the tickets, so it would be difficult for me to get one. In that case, I think I'll just stay here and watch it on TV."

As for his future plan, Aboubacar said that, after graduation, he will help with his father's business and expand it into China. "China is a good place for doing business because its economy is booming. There is great potential for business development and I'm sure there will be many opportunities for us here," he said with great determination.

Chau Pham Duc Hao: "Life at GDUFS is incredible."

Dressed in dark blue jeans and a light yellow T-shirt, Chau Pham Duc Hao, a student from Vietnam, looks no different from a Chinese student. With a cheerful smile on his face, he speaks fluent Chinese. He is a senior and will graduate this June. Before coming to GDUFS four years ago, he had studied Chinese for a year in Vietnam. In order to improve his Chinese, he chose to study at GDUFS.