Before entering my fourth and last year in the Joint Honours in East Asian Studies and Sociology, I decided to participate in the Li Ka Shing Arts Initiative Chinese Intensive Language Program to expand my understanding of Chinese social customs and beliefs. As a child of southern Chinese immigrants, I also believed this program would help me understand some of my cultural roots and a great opportunity to immerse myself in the culture while practicing Mandarin. I was interested in how the Chinese language shapes social norms and beliefs, its relation to the diaspora communities, and how these differences emerge while conversing with student-tutors every day primarily in Mandarin and making lifelong friends. As a result, I am happy to say that this trip helped me answer these questions!
During my month in Shantou, I enjoyed many different experiences, whether on the campus of Shantou University or during our trips to Chaozhou, Meizhou, or Xiamen. I was happy to be able to do everyday activities, such as going to the school canteens, the bakery trying new breads or bubble tea with the Chinese student-tutors. I learned to do many things, such as ordering ¡°Ä̲衱 (milk tea) or using ¡°Î¢ÐÅ¡° (WeChat). The help I received from the student-tutors made me feel at ease as I slowly settled into my life in Shantou, using Mandarin not only with them but also with other locals. Since I was able to speak Cantonese, there were times when I used it to express thoughts I could not translate in Mandarin. To my surprise, Chaoshan people, Chinese teachers, and many student-tutors received this well, appreciating that I could speak a Chinese language almost fluently. It helped me feel more confident engaging with people around me in Mandarin. Through our visits to the cities, I was able to learn the history of overseas Chinese from the Chaoshan region and its connection to overseas Chinese communities all over the world, which helped me gain a deeper understanding of the importance of this region and its social and cultural influences.
Through the trips to the cities of the Chaoshan area and outings we would have every week, I learned more about the student-tutors and what they enjoyed the most, what their lives were like, and their dreams. I loved visiting Meizhou¡¯s tea plantations, where I was able to sit down and observe the traditional tea processing techniques and listen to a musician playing guzheng. I learned how traditional cultural practices were preserved and transmitted throughout generations. Walking among the beautiful mountains in an old village and visiting a traditional Hakka house were some of my most memorable times, as I was able to see how the history of the region was kept alive. In class, I enjoyed the classes on intercultural communication, where I had the opportunity to learn how different social customs and cultural beliefs influenced communication and perceptions between different groups of people and have discussions about these topics with our professor and fellow students in the program.
One of the challenges I encountered was learning how to enjoy the many activities planned as a group as someone who is more introverted. As much as I wanted to join all the group activities, I had difficulty participating in all of them. I learned that taking some time for myself helped me enjoy those activities more, so I would take walks around the campus to enjoy nature, imagining what it would be like to be a student there, journal, and take pictures on the campus. I would also choose to spend time with friends in the program and some Chinese student-tutors one-on-one, which helped me make deeper connections with people and enjoy my time in the program.
Being in the Li Ka Shing Arts Initiative ICL program was an amazing experience. I had the opportunity to practice Mandarin in an everyday setting and speak it with more confidence, as well as making friends with so many people whose lives were so different from mine. I learned that being open to new experiences will lead me to meet many people who I could connect with, and I am truly happy I was part of this beautiful program.
