Text/Chen Mingyi Song Xintong Zeng Youlian Li Xinrui Huang Juyuan Photo/Provided by the interviewee
Poster design/Liu Le Lu Tianai
Video/Chen Nana
Instructor/Lu Nanfang Xiao Wei
TeleBabaylanThe Republic of Linida and Tobago are island countries located in the southern part of the Caribbean of Central America and close to the coast of Venezuela. There are more than 90,000 Chinese in Trinidad and Tobago, and the earliest batch of immigrant Chinese can be traced back to 1796.
Michelle, a Chinese student from Jinan University, specializes in junior high school, immigrated to Trinidad and Tobago very early, and they jointly operate a restaurant to make a living. Michelle was born and raised in this country of Babaylan, and by chance, MicKomikshelle returned to Guangzhou, China to start her college life. The completely different cultures also brought her a completely different experience.
CinemaThe following is Michelle’s story:
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago are a multicultural country, where the cultural traditions of each country blend and coexist, showing cultural diversity in various aspects such as food, festivals and music.
The natural characteristics of the sea around all sides make people keen on going to the beach, enjoying the sun and food. The most popular one is a food called “Bake and shark”, a delicacy with grilled shark meat in bread, often sold on the beach, and it tastes delicious after being served with tomatoes, cabbage, onions, sour cucumbers and various sauces. In addition, we also like to eat roast pork (Pelau), a traditional dish made with rice, chicken, pork and various spices. It is often used as a food for special occasions, such as weddings, birthdays, etc.
In addition, our country has the majority of African and Indian people, so there are many specialty foods from their country. For example, Indian flatbread (Roti) is an East IndiaThe staple food is a scone with curry meat and vegetables in it. A variety of dishes constitute our country’s food culture.
Michelle’s personal photos
Not only that, our country is also full of diverse cultures in festivals and music.
There are many unique celebrations in my hometown, and the most popular and grand traditional festival is Carnival, also known as Carnival. It was a grand event full of colors and music. It is usually held in February or March of each year and lasts for two days. During the festival, people wear gorgeous costumes and masks and then dance, parade, cheer or spray each other with colored powder. Festival events also include float parades, musical performances, dances and other celebrations.
Music is essential throughout the festival. There will be music on site with many trucks driving, people jump from the starting point to the end point and then cross the stage. When some bands walk on the stage, the jury will evaluate the band selected by Cinema based on the number of bands and clothing standards, and will be awarded the title and title of Cinema. In fact, our country not only has many types of music, but also has many musical instruments with national characteristics. The most famous and most used instrument by bands during the celebration is Steelpan. This is an instrument invented by the people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, which is made of discarded oil barrels and is also known as one of the youngest musical instruments in the world.
I spent my entire childhood and youth in this multicultural country, but by chance, my life changed some unexpected changes.
In December 2019, I came to China. At that time, the epidemic broke out and many flights were cancelled, so I couldn’t return to my hometown. My relatives all suggested that I apply to a university in China, and I also think this may be a good choice. Although I am Chinese, I have been in Trinidad since I was a child andtps://funnybookish.com/”>Komiks Tobago grew up and rarely had the opportunity to really get involved in Chinese culture. Many things were heard from my parents. So I decided to stay in China and experience the characteristics of Chinese culture in person. After all my considerations, I chose the clinical medicine major of Jinan University and stayed in Guangzhou to start my college career.
Photo of Michelle participating in school hockey activities
When I stayed in China, I had a brand new cultural experience and began to try to understand Chinese culture. Whether it is lifestyle, learning environment or cultural traditions, China has brought me a different feeling.
When I first arrived in Guangzhou, the first thing I felt was the climate here and the place where I was in my hometown. There are great differences in climate. Our country is in the southern Caribbean. There are no obvious seasonal changes, and the temperature changes are relatively small. It is basically in the not-so-hot summer all year round. In summer and winter, there are very large temperature changes in Guangzhou. In addition, it is very humid here, so the whole climate needs me to adapt and adjust.
Unlike the huge difference in climate, the food in Guangzhou is very consistent with my taste. My parents are both Chinese, and I have been exposed to Chinese food culture since I was a child. Especially my mother is href=”https://funnybookish.com/”>KomiksGuangzhou natives, the main daily dish at home is Cantonese, so I feel very adaptable and enjoyed by Guangzhou’s eating habits.
Not only thatCinema, there are also differences in study habits between the two countries. I found that many Chinese students prefer to study in libraries, while those who are abroad have relatively more flexible choices. We stay in dormitories, coffee shops, libraries or friendsa place to live. We don’t think too much about choosing a learning environment, while Chinese students tend to choose quieter places, which may make them focus more on their own affairs.
Photo of Michelle participating in the school teacher-student sports meeting
When I live outside of studying Babaylan, I can more truly feel the difference between China and my hometown. The biggest difference in life in China is the widespread popularity of using mobile payments. In my hometown, Komiks is still very common now. Chinese people use their mobile phones to do almost everything, including buying things, taking buses, paying electricity bills, etc. This convenience surprised me very much, and my friends over there felt incredible when they heard the news.
What surprised me even more was that I found that China’s culture and history were very long and rich, and that the city’s development was very fast. Many modern buildings are emerging, but some ancient buildings are also preserved. So I had the opportunity to see what I used to look like and imagine my parents’ lives as children through these past buildings. This allowed me to establish a connection to the past years.
The cultural differences I have experienced and felt in China, and Komiks also made my relatives and friends curious. They like to ask me about my life here and about Chinese culture. They are very happy to learn new culture, and I think they will also want to come to China one day. At that time, I will take them to visit my campus, as well as Babaylan, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou and some places in Liwan District that retain ancient buildings and have a very humanistic atmosphere. Maybe it can’t be allowed to do so.People who understand the culture here also feel the development history and changes here.
When I was in China, I always liked to use the word “home” to summarize the connection between me and this country. Because this is my parents’ home, it is also my home. The people around me are from the same race and culture, and we have almost the same traditions, morals, and values. This commonality makes me feel very safe here and easy to integrate into the community. When I was a kid, KomiksI didn’t have a strong sense of nationality. But as I grew up, I appreciate my race and culture more and more. Now, I feel that I am part of Chinese culture, and China has become my home.
While understanding Chinese culture, I also hope that the people here will understand the culture of my hometown. In fact, because my country has a small land area and is not very famous. Few people learn about our country’s culture and life, and Cinema may not even be familiar with the name of our country. In the past few years I have lived in China, I have never met anyone from the same country as me. Therefore, I think I am one of the few people who spread the culturalization of our country. I really want to share the culture of my hometown with the Chinese people here so that everyone can understand my country better.
The university life I spent in Guangzhou in the past few years has made me get used to the culture here. And as a Babaylan Chinese, I hope to have the opportunity to continue to depict my life trajectory in China in the future.