Editor's note: We have asked expats living in China to share their stories about the cities they work and live in. Recheal Mugure Gitau is from Kenya and she is now studying Chinese language at Shandong Normal University.
I recall making a short video and making a promise to myself at Daming Lake, a landmark scenic spot in Jinan, capital of Shandong province, that when I return home, I'll make sure I pass my HSK4 exam because I'm definitely coming back to Jinan.
After returning to Kenya, I did indeed pass my exam, and exactly a year later, I returned to Jinan in 2019 and I've been here ever since. Now, whenever I see or pass by Daming Lake, I remember the young Recheal saying those words and feeling motivated.
My name is Recheal Mugure Gitau, and my Chinese name is Gu Ruiqiu. I'm a Kenyan studying Chinese at Shandong Normal University. I came to Jinan in August 2019, alongside many of my countrymates.
The first time I came to Jinan was in August 2018 when my university brought a few students to China for a summer camp. The moment I arrived at Jinan's airport, I was baffled at the extreme differences between my home country and this city. In my mind, I thought, "If this is how Jinan looks, then what about the rest of China?"
The drive to the hotel was pretty amazing. Most of the students had fallen asleep after the 11-hour flight, but as tired as I was, I simply couldn't sleep.
The city was so clean, the buildings were so tall and the roofs had this traditional aspect to it. The infrastructure was so developed and there were small and big rivers across the city. Everything seemed so organized. As we drove on the road, I remember seeing the hill and mountain silhouettes and this just made me more excited. I wondered if I would get to climb those mountains one day.
During the three-week summer camp, we went to the famous Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Beijing Library in China's capital city Beijing. Back in Jinan, we visited tourist attractions such as Baotu Spring and Daming Lake, in addition to other places.
"An old city, with mountains and rivers, all under the sun, sleeping warmly and comfortably, only waiting for the spring breeze to awake them, is this an ideal state?" These are words from Winter in Jinan written by famous novelist and dramatist Lao She (1899-1966).
To me, Jinan truly is one of the most beautiful cities I've been to so far, especially during autumn and spring. I say this maybe because the weather during these two seasons reminds me of home.
Remember the mountains I dreamt of climbing back then during summer camp? Yes, I've also been to those mountains several times because I love nature. I've so far scaled Qianfo Mountain, Yingxiong Mountain, and Huashan Mountain in Jinan, and the list goes on. I've yet to climb Shandong's great Mount Tai.
Living in Shandong has also given me with the chance to travel to several cities, meet different people, and experience Chinese culture.
The fresh seafood and beautiful beaches in Weihai, the exquisite wine culture in Yantai, tea-plantation and production in some parts of Rizhao, the traditional Chinese teachings of famous philosophers Confucius and Mencius in Qufu, the Yellow River estuary in Dongying, and finally the home I have in Jinan.
The main thing connecting all these places and more, is the cordial nature of the natives. I feel welcomed anytime I go to every new place. "Friendly Shandong" aren't just words I hear, I've experienced it firsthand. And that's why I love Jinan, and Shandong as a whole.
Every day I learn more and more about China, like poetry dating back to thousands of years, food culture that is different across the different cities in Shandong, the dialect that also differs within every single city in Shandong, and many more. I can't wait to learn more about traditional clothing, go on more mountain adventures, enjoy more delicacies, visit more places, enjoy the beautiful sceneries and make more friends.
