China and me

I still remember the day, when I had disclosed my dreams to my mom about studying MBBS (MEDICINE) abroad, it was a Tuesday afternoon. At first glance, I guess my mom was a bit skeptical about my dream and was reciprocating me in a positive way, as every mom would do for her child. Then when I got my results and we had a family meeting at home about my next step in education, my mom was the first person, who agreed to send me to study MBBS (MEDICINE) in China.

I chose to study medicine abroad because I knew I would be exposed to knowledge that I can't gain sitting inside a classroom. Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Well, I was really happy and excited, because, in my vacation holidays, I already had researched all the medical universities in China. My choice was China, because China is one of the early civilizations with a rich history and culture, and also because it is fast growing to become an economic powerhouse in the world.

Most people's first experience of life in China was of course influenced by what you read and heard from the western press. It takes one to live in China to realize that the portrayal of China by all those who have never lived in China is mare speculation, fiction and pure false accusations. Instead China is a land of opportunity and I thought it would give me the chance to learn more about the country, language and at the same time study clinical medicine.

So in September I started my beautiful journey towards my future career deciding land China.

With absolutely no knowledge of the Chinese language, I reached Nanjing by a flight from India. then I had a representative from our own JIANGSU UNIVERSITY to receive me.

My university, Jiangsu University (Jiangsu Daxue) happens to be one of the best and most reputable in the country situated in Zhenjiang (heaven on land). Like all other foreign students (liuxuesheng), I was given a Chinese name 哈乖 (haguai).in next very week I along with my friends explored whole of Zhenjiang.

Chinese cuisine is to me one of the most unique cultural heritages I have ever come across. I still tell people that you could live in China for the whole year without eating the same dish twice. The diversity of the people and the massiveness of the nation has made it possible for the people to come up with all very simple but nourishing foods. To rule and run a big nation like China I believed provision of food ranks among the top issues. I was surprised to learn in my early years that Chinese measure their value of food by the nutrients in that plant or animal food and not in the taste or how well the aroma or packaging of the dish.

Life in China (中国的生活 Zhongguo de shenghuo) was enlightening. I observed that the Chinese were the most disciplined students I had ever encountered in all my years of study. Time conscious, they hurriedly rode their bicycles to school while at the same time ate their breakfast (yibian qi zixing che yibian chi zaofan). My classmates (tongxuemen) had a culture of punctuality, running into the lecture room and quietly reviewing previous lessons way before the lecturer (laoshi) entered. They had utmost respect for the lecturers and never complained when a period exceeded the stipulated three hours with only ten-minute recess in between.

Back in the park during weekends I love the scenery how nice it was to see kids playing with their grandparents, watching mature Chinese citizens dancing to beautiful traditional songs in the parks with matchless choreography and joy, I remember how we enjoyed playing basketball with the fans cheering "加油." And I remember how relaxing it was to go to a park early in the day or late in the night to meditate while the old folks practiced their Taiqi.

And I along with my friend also visited shanghai which was so beautiful that I can proudly say it was like Most developed city I have visited till now. My felt my heart sink as the bus was going in between the roads of Shanghai, the biggest city in China. I was instantly awestruck by its beauty and splendor. I marveled at the elaborate blend of Chinese ancient-style buildings and numerous modern sky scrapers. The tallest buildings (jianzhuwu) I had ever seen in my entire life loomed over me. For a moment I was overwhelmed, claustrophobic and feared the buildings might collapse on me. I was mesmerized by the intricate transport network and ring roads. Never before had I seen or been on a Metro or Subway (ditie). My experiences and exposure in China went as far as traveling on the Shanghai (bullet) train with top speed of 331km/h from Zhenjiang to Pudong was the best part.

My medical education time in China will be unforgettable experience, every day was a new adventure, I made life-long friends and lasting memories. What I enjoyed most about my studies in China, is that whatever Mandarin I learned in class, I would use outside as well to communicate with people, whether it be taxi drivers or shop keepers. Having the opportunity to speak Mandarin every day really fostered my learning.

I believe that the key to a successful educational career is the attitude YOU CARRY. Coming to China, I had a very positive attitude; I was open-minded and flexible. Certainly, things would be different, but I learned to embrace these differences. There would always be problems or conflict, but I saw these as opportunities for learning. My time in China made me more self-aware and made me assess my career goals. I am also now able to connect with Chinese students on a deeper level. I believe CHINA will soon open the borders for International students, as being in 3rd year and two more years to go , looking forward eagerly to spend those years in china and successfully graduate. And five years from now looking forward for more such opportunities to know more about china. As said memories of these days will always be there cherishing me.

And again I would like to say 我爱中国.
Thank you and ZAIJIAN.

Hi, I am Hanudhanaraja a medical student, studying in Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China. I am enthusiastic person who loves travelling and always fascinated about exploring new cultures and surrounding.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.