Name: MAHNOOR ALI BUTT (李晴)
Nationality: South Africa
University: Binzhou Medical University
Location: Shandong
Once, overwhelmed with excitement and nervousness, I stepped into the beginning of a new aspect of my life, my career. With faith in my heart and trust that something good awaits beyond the roaring engine sounds of a 16.5 hour flight from Johannesburg, South Africa - my hometown - I landed in Jinan, Shandong, the hometown of Confucius.
My name is Mahnoor Ali Butt, the Chinese name given to me by my ever-so-friendly teacher, is 李晴 (Li Qing). Greeted respectfully and welcomed into the country with friendly banter between myself and the chauffeur, I realized that China is a whole new world on its own, very different from the norms of the rest of the world. The Chinese proudly embrace and endorse their culture and language and it can be seen in the use of their own language on billboards of their tall buildings, advanced use of technology that hasn’t yet reached other parts of the world and the convenience they extend towards their citizens.
I was mesmerized by the beauty of my campus, the variety of shops they have inside and how convenient they have made it for students to run their errands. We have classrooms and labs in close proximity to our dormitories and the management is cooperative and welcoming towards international students.
The most impressive part is the huge library which forms the epicenter of our campus and dignifies its beauty.
The management has always made it a point to involve us in recreational activities and festivities, such as kite-flying activities, sports days, competitions, extra-curricular and end-of-year parties.
While we enjoy the immaculate atmosphere of freedom, independence and amazing shopping sprees in China, we have to remember why we stepped into the country in the first place, our studies.
The campus provides us with an ideal environment in which we can study and produce effective and above-average results in our studies. The dormitories are in close proximity to shops, classrooms, and laboratories. We also have busses that can transport us to the affiliated hospitals and canteens are available for students so they don’t have to worry about preparing meals, however if students are interested in cooking, there are facilities such a kitchens opened for them in their dormitories.
We have both international and Chinese teachers who ensure we pass our subjects with understanding and scoring above-average scores. Educators have displayed great effort in teaching us Chinese language and calligraphy, traditional Chinese medicine and our western medicine subjects.
We attend the affiliated hospitals and laboratories for the required practical experiences on a regular basis.
Our management is cooperative and always available should any need arise.
While we are immersed in the pond of knowledge and hard-work, we often forget to have fun. Rest assured, because our campus has our backs. From sporting events, parties, extra-curricular to excursions, we’ve got it all.
Our first excursion was to the renowned mountains of LU SHAN, situated in Jiujiang, central china. We visited the LUSHAN GLOBAL GEOPARK. While drooling over the breathtaking sceneries, we appreciated how they preserved the culture of ancient pottery and architecture. Our lodging was in a beautiful place on top of the mountain where we awoke to the cool breeze and dew which refreshed us for the day.
On our second tour, we visited the city of Heze, Shandong, as a whole class. We visited the park and had an amazing time, we lodged at a hotel and had a great night, chit-chatting amongst friends and fellow classmates.
The campus organized a sporting event for us in which I won the first prize for jumping-rope, I was awarded a certificate at a ceremony which was held after the event.
They have always gone above and beyond in involving us in the activities carried out amongst the Chinese students and international students. We have also partaken in the initiation program carried out for the freshman each year.
In today’s time it’s almost every person’s dream to be on TV and how fortunate for us to be given this chance by our campus. I was one of those who had partaken in the program hosted by SDTV called “Chinese story-telling”.
We took this opportunity to share stories related to traditional Chinese medicine and how it has been helpful in curing the illnesses and increasing longevity of life of Chinese people for centuries.
We visited many places to gain inspiration for our upcoming semi-final. We were taken to pay a visit to the old-age homes, where we met parents who expressed grief and told us they hadn’t seen their children in years, we secretly vowed never to do the same to our parents. We also made a stop at the factory where workers make hand-made pans, we realized that they work really hard to keep the essence of culture alive in their craft.
On the last day we went to visit a museum where Ejiao was showcased, we got to know the stories behind its success and also spend some time admiring the scenery around the museum. On the same day, we also visited a factory where the process of making rose tea was explained to us, it is a lengthy process and from that it is quite apparent why the tea of china is famous worldwide.
We had the chance to go to the semi-final round but unfortunately we could not make it to the finals. It was an enjoyable experience which also enhanced our interaction and communication skills.
Always remember to always have fun along the way. Although there are many responsibilities on our shoulders, with regards to studies, office-work, leadership roles and representing our university on state level, we still have a life of our own.
China has been a safe-environment for girls, like me, to travel alone comfortably. So we take advantage of that fact and make frequent trips around the city and province to visit places like Red leaves valley, Quancheng Oulebao Dream World, Daming hu, Bautu spring and many more. Pure leisure.
We had an enjoyable time at these places and the convenience of busses and taxis made it easier for us to travel. I will definitely miss life in China once I complete my studies.
