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This is my news article written in the year of 2001. Please enjoy it.
Foreign Students at Tibet University
(May 2001. Tibet, China. )
(Originally in Chinese)
I originally made an appointment for an interview with John, a Spanish student at Tibet University, but when I arrived at his dormitory at the agreed time, the only person there was his classmate, Ruben Varela. Since John had urgent business I had to change my plans and make Ruben, who never dreamt he would ever be buttonholed by a reporter, especially in Tibet, the subject of the interview.
Ruben, 29, is from New York. After graduating from college, he worked for a government aid agency. For him, these were "very comfortable" days. New York City is known in the United States for its large numbers of Chinese inhabitants. As a child, Ruben was scared of these "odd-looking" easterners, and thought that he and they came from two different planets, until he entered middle school, and became close friends with a Chinese boy. "He was often bullied by other schoolboys, and I would always come to his rescue," recalled Ruben. From that time onwards he felt an affinity with China, and in 1998 he flew across the Pacific Ocean to Hong Kong.
Ruben finds it difficult to explain why he left the U.S. for China so precipitately. "My boss tried to get me to change my mind by promising me a promotion and raise in salary. He told me that China was backward and poor, and that the people there were deprived of personal freedom. My mom wept at the thought of my being so far from home. She had no idea about China at all, and was afraid that I might never return home. But my life now could not be any better," Ruben declared, contentedly. "China is utterly fascinating, especially Tibet. I love Lhasa."
When in Hong Kong, Ruben started a refrigerator magnet business with his Chinese friend. Also having sculpting skills, Ruben found no difficulty in making a living there. He made trips to many cities on the mainland, including Shanghai, Nanjing, Xi'an, Jinan, and Hangzhou. "Never go to Wuhan in summer, it is sweltering," said Ruben with a grimace, fanning himself with his hand.
In September 1999 Ruben moved to Beijing, but found that metropolises such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, where people are hell-bent on their relentless pursuit of money, are not to his liking." I saw similarly money-grubbing types in the United States, so I think people in big cities such as these suffer from the same syndrome," was his comment. In October 2000 Ruben arrived in Lhasa, his idea of heaven. He was ecstatic at the sight of the Potala Palace atop the Red Mountain, the Jokhang Temple shrouded in sandalwood smoke, and the bustling Barkor Street. "This is what I want," Ruben concluded.
Ruben is studying Chinese at Tibet University and greatly admires the Canadian D.J. of CCTV4. "It would be great if I could speak Chinese as well as he does," he said, longingly.
Our talk was interrupted by John, who rushed in and apologized to me, explaining that he would have to leave again in a moment. John, 27, majored in Physical Education at Columbia, and was in his college football team. When he first came to China, he could speak neither Chinese nor English. The first time he had dinner at a small restaurant here he was completely baffled by the menu, which was printed exclusively in Chinese. The restaurant boss thoughtfully recommended tangcu liji (sweet and sour saute fillet) to him. When the dish was served, his eyes almost popped out, and he wolfed down the whole dish in a few minutes. From then onwards John would, whenever eating out, always order tangculiji in his halting Chinese. In 1997 he entered Tibet University in order to study Chinese, and is now much more fluent, being able to order several popular Chinese dishes himself, including jingjiang rousi (shredded pork with soya paste), tieban niuliu (grilled shredded beef) and tudou shao niurou (beef stewed with potato). At this point in the interview John had to stop and leave. As he hurried out of the door, he ran into his German neighbor Sonja.
Sonja was flattered when I told her that she looked much younger than her 34 years. This blond, athletic lady is keen on travel and exploration. She has been to 44 countries around the world, including Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Canada, India, and Kuwait. Her knowledge has increased with each country she has visited, but her favorite place is Tibet. "I will live in Tibet the rest of my life, after getting married and having children. Here I can see sacred mountains, holy lakes and the Potala Palace whenever I like," she said, emphatically. As a graduate of the Biological Department of Berlin University, Sonja worked in the field of biology in Germany before leaving for her tour of the world. She did not begin studying Chinese until February this year, so she still understands little Chinese. She needs to spend a substantial amount of time on Chinese study every day, and sometimes studies right through the night. Her Tibetan teacher, Yangjain, is very kind, and always glad to help with any problems Sonja might encounter in her studies. Apart from all this, she has now made several good friends here.
Although from diverse countries and backgrounds, Ruben, John and Sonja all have a deep affection for Tibet. At present there are 42 foreign students at Tibet University, most of whom regard Tibet as their ideal home, and China as a compelling destination.
Tibet University began enrolling foreign students in 1993. Most of them major in Chinese, while others study the Tibetan language, and Tibetan fine arts and music. To date, the university has registered 290 foreign students from 26 countries, including the US, the UK, Germany, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and Belgium.
Ruben loves Lhasa, regarding it as the holy land of his heart. As a Christian, Ruben devoutly believes in God, and that He lives in his heart. His biggest hope is to work as a teacher in China's frontier provinces after graduation. He would like to go to the poor and needy regions, where people most need his help. "Because I love your country," Ruben concluded, with a sincere smile. (End)
(http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/china/Tibet/023.htm) |
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发表于 2010-3-26 11:29
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发表于 2010-3-26 11:39
