我在中国的日子

Max's experience

    我在中国的日子

    我叫“Max”, 我的中国的名字叫“韦伟”。我从德国来。我来中国，因为中国的文化和历史很有意思。现在我住在合肥。我的中国的家庭很好。我妈妈喜欢买东西合做中国菜。爸爸喜欢书法。我哥哥喜欢打电脑游戏。他在“合肥一六八中学”上学。我也在那儿学习。我的学校很大。我跟俄罗斯人“Dasha”一起在国际班上课。我们的同学们很好。休息的时候我们一起交谈。

    下午我跟Dasha一起上汉语课，武术课，电脑课，音乐课和书法。我们的老师们也很好。

圣诞节我过的很愉快。我们有很多圣诞节举行的圣诞晚会音乐会:我们参加在大学，在旅馆和在我们的学校。我们跳舞，还唱了圣诞歌。我的生日在中国很好。我们吃了蛋糕和海鲜，还我跟我的家庭一起看京剧。我非常喜欢京剧，因为京剧是中国的传统戏剧，还有演员的服装很漂亮。

   前两个月，我去了杭州、南京、芜湖、还去了黄山。上个星期我还跟我的家庭一起去老家了。老家很小，不太现代。可是我觉得，老家很有意思 。

   我非常喜欢打胎拳道，听音乐，读小说，还吃中国菜。我很高兴来到中国。现在我的汉语不错，但我希望它会更好。我觉得，剩下的六个月会很更快乐。

   My year in China

   On 11th, Sep. 2008 I flied from Berlin (Germany) to Shanghai (China). All students were so happy and excited. After 11 hours of flight we arrived in Shanghai. Then we arrived in a hotel, where we would have the first orientation. After 2 days program and fun, all students went to their cities, where they would live for the next 10 month. I and a Russian girl (Dasha) went to Hefei. After 3 hours in the train we arrived in Hefei. The first what I thought: Hefei is not the like Shanghai. The first days in Shanghai were so great, and now I should begin my life in Hefei. We went with a AFS woman (Susan), who brought us to school. In the school we had to wait. Then it was time to go to the host families. I was the first, who went with Susan to my new home. After 10 minutes with heavy bags I stood in front of my new home. Then my new Mom opened the door. Then I saw the big house. We came in and Susan and my mom talked for a lot of minutes. I couldn’t understand, and so I smiled all the time. We went to my room, and it was really nice. This situation was a little bit strange: I couldn’t understand, what they were speaking about, new people, new family, where I will live for the next year. The first day I can not remember really well, so I will talk now about my first school day. I and Dasha met at the school, and then we went to our classroom. Our classmates were so surprised, and they found that all so interesting. Then we introduced us by ourselves, and then the lesson began. The communication was always in English, Chinese was impossible at that time. And so it was a little bit difficult with my host parents, because they couldn’t speak English, only some words. After one month here I could say, that I am really happy here in China. Our classmates were always nice to us, and so all Chinese were always friendly, when we had problems. Now is December, and this time was great. I will begin with my birthday. On 18th, Dec. was my birthday. In the school all: Happy birthday! After school I went home, and than I found a birthday-cake. Then my parents arrived, and we ate the cake together. After that, they had a surprise for me. We went to the Beijing opera. It was so great. After that we ate crabs together a home. That was my great 17.th birthday!

    Then after my birthday the next great time: Christmas!!!! Christmas in China is really different to Germany, but it was great. I had so much Christmas-party’s. One in the college, one in the hotel of my Dad and of course in our school. We danced, and sing Christmas-songs! It was really nice! In all this time in China I was been to Hangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhu and I saw the Huangshan. And some weeks ago I was with my parents to the hometown of my dad. When we went there, I could see the countryside of China. The hometown was a small village, not modern, but I like it very much! My Chinese becomes better and better. I can now communicate with Chinese, I can say what I want, I can understand Chinese, and about that I am really happy. Next week I will go to Yunnan, for the cultural trip, and there I will meet all AFSers. And we plan so much travels to other places of China. We want see as much as possible!!! At the beginning here in china all thought, we came to china, to study Chinese, only for that. But it’s more, I want see the culture! After a while our teachers could understand this, and now it’s all great. When I see now back I must say, that I didn’t had really problems with China (I mean culture shock), or with Chinese people. Only the communication was at the beginning difficult, but with English it was ok. I think, I will have a very great time in the next 6 month!!!!!!!

Daria's experience

   一年在中国

   二零零八年九月十一日我来到中国，上海人很友好城市，也很漂亮。

   我和Susan ，Max一同来合肥。Max 是德国人，现在是我的好朋友。Susan 是AFS-staff。我们非常喜欢她。我们认识了Mr.Zui。下午我认识我的姐姐，   晚上我和我的爸爸和妈妈见面。我很高兴。现在我觉得他们真的是我妈妈，爸爸。第二天我跟家里其他人，我们一起吃饭。

第一天在学校不是很难，我们有很友好的同学。我们学习汉语，电脑，书法，武术，音乐。

现在我不会说为什么，可是我的第一星期在中国很难。

后来我的生日到了。我开了两个生日晚会。第一次是跟我的我朋友们在一起，我收到不少礼物。他们都知道我喜欢粉红色，所以他们给我一个粉红色蛋糕。我们在一起跳舞，唱歌。第二次生日 晚会是在我的中国家里，我和家人一起度过了一个难忘的晚上。

   十月还有十一月我们学习很多，在中国大家学习很多。我觉得这很好，因为我希望我的汉语很好。

   十一月有AfS会。我们去芜湖，在芜湖，我们跟别的留学生聊天，还去茶屋，公园。我跟Max 跳舞，还唱《茉莉花》。在中国我非常喜欢温泉，我跟我的家一起去那里。AfS会很好！

圣诞节的时候在中国很有意思。我跟我的姐姐跳舞，我们的舞蹈很漂亮，所以很多大学请我们跳舞！

   现在我觉得中国是一个很特别的也很友好的国家，中国菜很好吃，中国家很互相关心，中国朋友很友好！ 我觉得我在俄罗斯会非常想念中国：我的家、学校、老师，特别是姐姐跟 Max.

   One Year in China...

  I’d already been as an exchange student to Italy, after that I wanted to have the2nd AFS year somewhere in the East. And the first time Russian students could go to China, of course I could not hesitate this possibility. So the decision about going to China was made. To say the truth I was a little bit afraid and tried not to think about China too much, the on了y reason of it-not enough knowledge about China. But finally I've arrived here...

  After my first look on Shanghai I felt in love with it, the first orientation there was nice, all Afs-voluntaries were very friendly and ready to help! And I really liked Afs T-shirt and Afs-book. But even at that time we were all waiting to continue our trip and meet our host parents and schools.

   I'm living in Hefei with a German boy. His name is Max(or WeiWei).After we arrived to the station we took a taxi(we were accompanied by Susan-AFS-staff)and reached our school in40minutes.We had lunch in one of the best restaurants not far from there, but I was a little bit shocked of the Chinese manners at the table. In the afternoon we met our headmaster and my host sister, we went home together and I felt asleep before the parents arrived. In the evening I remember how they arrived and my Chinese Mum was laughing at the door. They fed me and immediately offered to go to the home town the next day. Actually it was wonderful experience, I’ve met quite all family members, and I really enjoyed Chinese food. At home I have my own room and even bicycle to go to school.

   The first days at school were very interesting, so many people wanted to make friendship with me and Max. The teachers were very nice too. But the time was passing and we had to study more and more. I'm happy about that because I would like my Chinese to become better and better)) how our Chinese teacher says "Nothing is impossible”. Our classmates are friendly, especially now when we can speak and understand each other, our teachers do theirs best not only like teachers but like elder-friends. We study Chinese, Handwriting, Computer Science, Music and Kong Fu. The only two difficult moments are to sit in the classroom in the morning not able to do anything, because we still can't understand teachers and the second is leaving school. Because even if we don't have lessons we must stay at school. But the strict discipline is a part of Chinese culture. The other traditional school thing is a flag rise ceremony. I consider it as a wonderful patriotic event.

    My birthday in China was fantastic. I had two birthday parties, one with friends, the second with my family. Chinese cakes are very special, and I was shocked when my friends ordered me a big pink cake (pink is my favorite colour) my family let me invite Max and it was fantastic evening, full of emotions and joy. Mum cooked my favorite food and I received very nice presents!

   Our local orientation was in Wuhu, I think the end of November is too late, because we have already solved the most part of our problems by ourselves, but the orientation itself was helpful and interesting, we not only introduced ourselves the first time in Chinese, spoke about our questions, we had a concert in Chinese school, where Max and I danced "Kalinka"(traditional Russian dance) and sang the song MoLiHua. Also we visited the tea house and Amusement park and a museum dedicated to Mr. Mao. It was a little bit difficult to come back to the average life!

   When the Christmas's time arrived, we were already ready. We prepared a modern dance with my sister to perform at her university, but we were also invited by some others, so during the Christmas week we had a party every day, I must mention that my sister is really special person. She has already been as an exchange student to the USA, she helps me a lot and beside all that i love her as a friend, I could surely say she is my elder sister.

   At our school we also had Christmas party where we performed together with Max, my sister and some other Chinese friends. We didn't know about AFS-present advice but we congratulated our AFS organization, some friends and family. It was really nice in the morning to cut Christmas cake, live some presents and make a surprise! And from Max I have received a German T-shirt)Here I would like to say that AFS totally reached its aim, because when after the Second World War, AFS participants were thinking how to hesitate the next war and arrived to the conclusion: to make children from different countries friends, they were totally right. At school we also had our class Christmas party, it was wonderful to see our classmates in this sincere friendly atmosphere, to listen their songs.

   Besides these events I had some fantastic occasions, like going to the Hot Spring, it's very particular and romantic thing. Also Mum's and Dad's birthday party when we were at home enjoying evenings with each other and eating cakes. Some lunch invitations with our new friends or just shopping-Chinese favorite leisure time. I remember the words of one of the voluntary in Italy, who told us try to become completely the person of this country, to have this culture in our hearts, and I think while we are all doing small steps in our new life, we are changing and becoming Chinese. And it's cool.

   To conclude, I could say that China is very interesting, particular, warmhearted world. The Chinese people are one of the most sociable and true friends, Chinese parents give you a lot, not trying even to ask something back. You just need to open your heart and enjoy this year in China!