A Poetic Life at GDUFS: Dr. Sayed

Seen from beneath, the balcony of the Foreign Experts Building, fifth floor, looks like a small but beautiful garden. It belongs to Dr. Sayed, an Arabic international professor from Egypt, who came to GUDFS in 2010 accepting his friend’s invitation as well as that he loves his job as a professor of Arabic. His life at GDUFS is poetic because of the lovely plants, culinary expertise in Egyptian cooking and his abundant books.

Dr. Sayed with his friend (from the left)

A Great Gardener, Planting Various Flowers

and Vegetables

Every morning, at 6:30 am, a sunbeam through the crack in the curtains wakes up Dr.Sayed; and then he rouses the plants with water. “This is my life. Plants are always giving me love and power. I enjoy watering them.” He said.

plants in Dr. Sayed's balcony garden

For Dr. Sayed, taking care of these lovely plants is an indispensable part of life. Plants occupy every corner of his apartment. On tables are potted succulent plants and bamboos; the balconies are small gardens filled with different kinds of plants such as sunflowers, tomatoes, peppers and others. Standing in the lovely balcony garden, you can smell the special and attractive fragrance of herbs. Besides, you can pick some fresh mint leaves to make a cup of refreshing tea. Alternatively, you can just watch them to feel the joy of life. Dr. Sayed’s balcony garden is full of life and hope.

A Brilliant Cook, Having a Healthy Diet

“Cooking Egyptian food is a special bond between me and my homeland. When cooking, I feel happy.” Therefore, Dr. Sayed often brings a suitcase of food ingredients not available in China when he comes back from Egypt. Sometimes, he cooks originally—traditional Egyptian cuisine made with Chinese condiments like anise, and the dishes taste unique and delicious. He is especially good at making salads as well as soup, which is really good for the digestion and health. Vegetables play a very important role in Dr. Sayed’s diet. “Vegetables are important because they help you to balance your diet and digest foods, which will, in turn, help you to keep in good shape.”

the dinner with friends at home 

“Cooking is also for making friends.” Dr. Sayed is a hospitable man who often invites lots of friends to his home to have meals together. Sometimes, he could just spend two hours preparing the food; sometimes it costs him all day to prepare the dishes if many a friend comes at the same time. However, Dr. Sayed enjoys doing so. “When eating, we may talk and the gap between us is narrowed.”

A Positive Scholar, Always Keeping On Learning

At Dr. Sayed’s home, books are most noticeable. They can be found in a big bookcase, on desks and on the sofa. Reading is to him what water is to fish. “Reading shapes your mind.” In spare time, reading a book is always his priority. For Dr. Sayed, books can be read in two different ways: when reading for learning, he must read near the desk in order to note down some important points; when reading for relaxation, he will choose to read on the sofa or bed or even in his balcony garden.

Dr. Sayed’s major was linguistics when he was a graduate. Books on linguistics are his favorite. “Language is life” and the language environment at GDUFS is permeated with Chinese. Therefore, Dr, Sayed is learning Chinese the hard way. He attends a Chinese class once a week, which is exclusive to international professors offered by GUDFS. He also invites his Chinese students to teach him. Step-by-step, now, Dr. Sayed could articulate his ideas when talking with Chinese. “I am so happy when I am able to communicate with people in local markets.”

“Learning enables me to think all the time.” Dr. Sayed said, “I like it.”

Dr. Sayed has been living at GDUFS for five years. Life here is simple but poetic. For him, a balcony garden, a cup of Egyptian tea and a classic book is all his life. His vibrant garden inspires us to take care of every small life around us. His healthy eating habits teach us to put an emphasis on a balanced diet. His reading habits teach us to enjoy and concentrate on the things we feel right to do. He is an inspiring teacher, not only teach us on academic knowledge, but also how to manage our lives better.