It is not the first time for me to come to China, but it is the first time for me to come to Shanghai. Before I came to Shanghai Normal University for language learning, I had studied Chinese in my country for a couple of months. Life here is not the same as that in Korea. It can be said almost brand new for me. For the first few days, I was astonished that there was no bar near the university in Shanghai, because there are always a number of bars near colleges in Korea, and usually Korean people go to bar after class or when they finish work.
In addition, I still remember the first day I had lunch on the campus here. In my country, once I order a dish, it is common that this dish will be along with another six munchies. So, that day I ordered only one dish in the restaurant, and after serving, I was shocked to find only one dish on my table. Certainly, now I know the diet is clearly different between China and Korean.
What’s more, Chinese cates have a lot of cooking methods, which differ from Korea as well. Food in Shanghai is a little bit too sweet; I think maybe I have to try my best to get used to it.
Actually, I’m somewhat different from other Korean students or international students from other countries. Since my age is not the same as the young people here, perhaps I’m more mature than these youth to some extent; however, it may be harder for me to study Chinese at a great lick than the youngsters. It is easy to understand the statement that the older you are, the harder it is for you to learn a language. But I have to say that the process of learning is really interesting. With the help of teachers here, I have got the full mark in the reading test of the mid-term exam, which made me extremely excited.
I will stay here for about another two months. Time is money. I should use every minute to improve my Chinese, though sometimes I feel tired of reading for too long. And Because of the limited time, I haven’t travelled to other scenic spots here until now. Yet, maybe I will have more time to enjoy the beautiful places here later on.
To sum up, the engaged life in Shanghai Normal University has enabled me to see and live in a completely new world, and this will surely be a haunting experience for me.
(Reported by Zhou Yan)
