Where do I begin? Almost missing my flight to Guangzhou and getting stranded in Hong Kong? The jet lag? The taxi driver who was cruising the freeway at over 100 kilometers per hour?
With that being said, I’ll begin narrating my experiences from May 16th onwards. I was completely in awe by Guangzhou! The bustling city reminded me of my home: New York City. Stores and shops were opened early in the morning, and everyone was up and running by 8 AM. Quickly, I picked up on some aspects of Chinese culture; the first thing I learned is that cars don’t stop for pedestrians. Despite almost getting run over by bicycles and cars on the first day, everything felt so new and exciting.
When I entered Win-Win Training Center, I instantly felt welcomed. The worries I felt prior to coming to China dissipated. I wish I could’ve said more than the mere phrase, “Xiexie,” but I sincerely felt blessed and grateful for the opportunity to meet so many kind students and staff, including Mr. Gan, Ms. Joanne, and Ms. Feng. I was shocked by the kindness and hospitality of the people I interacted with. I experienced genuine human connections with the students and staff despite some language barriers.
At Zhixin, I met a boy named Michael. Michael, who was a bit reserved at the beginning of our encounter, began to open up to me throughout the tour of Zhixin and asked me questions about my hometown, schooling experience, music preferences, you name it! For the first time, I truly understood the concept of “cultural exchange.” I realized that a lot of notions I had of Chinese education prior to visiting the schools in Guangzhou were completely invalid. In the subsequent visits to Guangzhou Panyu Zhixin School and Pazhou Experimental School, we were also assigned “buddies.” I learned that we are all more alike than different.
Having a language barrier and only knowing basic phrases, such as “hello,” “thank you,” and “I’m sorry,” has been quite challenging. I pay special attention to phrases I hear often, but it’s difficult for me to retain. While trying to find a place to eat, I have to depend on my fellow DukeEngagers who know Chinese so they can translate and describe the food to me. I am accustomed to being independent and doing things on my own; however, I can’t just rely on myself anymore. I have felt constrained in ways I never have experienced before. My time in China has taught me to be adaptable.
In Guangzhou, we entered a restaurant. There were only chopsticks on the table. On the inside, I panicked. Everyone proceeded to use their chopsticks, meanwhile I was too embarrassed to ask for a fork and a knife. I asked myself, “what am I going to do?”. In that very moment, I faced a challenge and forced myself to use chopsticks. Ever since that moment, the rest of Duke Engage has resorted to calling me, “Shelsea with the chopsticks.” I am very excited to see how the rest of my Duke Engage experience unfolds and to experience a different city-Zhuhai.
By Shelsea Duran