It is the water (river) that loves you that enters your pot (African Proverb)
How is started?
Skies blue, trains moving, people glued to their phones, and others queuing to catch a bus – this was the scene at the Hong Kong International Airport when arrived. Arriving in Hong Kong as a PhD student I had no idea what the future holds. I moved my bags with the help of a friend who came to pick me up at the airport not sure where I am. With the help of my friend, I arrived at the Hong Kong Polytechnic on July 25, 2014 at the student hall of residents where I met my Indian roommate. At this point, least did I know these periods were going to prepare me for greatness. But this greatness evolved out of my encounter with both challenges and opportunities.
My first challenge upon arrival was food. On one occasion, I had to throw food away in a local campus restaurant because the taste was too different. Language was another challenge I had to work through to become what I am today. I remember I had to use photos and Google translate sometimes to be able to communicate. My PhD student hall was diverse so I took the opportunity to make a lot of Chinese friends and learn a few words to help with my communication.
During this period, I also took the opportunity to get into community activities. In 2016, I was fortunate to be selected to represent my school at the Hong Kong Association of University Women. This was an amazing group of scholars from China that were interested in grooming young educated women from the world. My participation was an eye-opener. They allowed me to work as an EXCO member involving me in a local community activities and conference organizations. The president at that time, Julia Wu, was an incredible woman who took the time to coach young women and I was impacted by her community service within the Chinese community. Throughout these periods, my love for Chinese people, culture, and the community grew. I felt part of this wonderful country through the inclusiveness accorded to me by the Chinese people.
Consequently, it became natural to take employment in China, a place I have come to feel part of at the Macau University of Science and Technology. Working at the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management gave me even much greater insight
into Chinese culture and values of harmony, cooperation, and support which I received through research awards - something I am grateful for. My students motivated me to take a Chinese class at the Confucius Institute at the University of Macau. Under the tutelage of my Chinese teacher (Xue Laoshi), I learned a varied amount of Chinese characters helping me to have smooth online shopping on Taobao which before was a “no-go area.” As part of integrating into Chinese culture, I received my first Chinese name, An Li Li. Today, I am proud of my Chinese skills in terms of reading and speaking which even though improvement is needed, are better than when I arrived. I am a proud An Li Li, and I owe this to the Chinese people, their kindness and unflinching help for foreigners to integrate into this amazing culture.
Indeed, it is those who love you that get involved in your affairs. China has been involved in all my affairs and I can confidently say China is my home, China is my family – Long Live China!
