Text/Chen Mingyi Song Xintong Zeng Youlian Li Xinrui Huang Juyuan Photo/Provided by the interviewees
Poster design/Liu Le Lu Tianai
Video/Chen Nana
Instructor/Lu Nanfang Xiao Wei
Trinidad and the Republic of Tobago are an island country located in the southern part of Central America and adjacent 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’s junior major in clinical medicine, immigrated to Trinidad and Cinema Bago very early, and they jointly operated a restaurant to make a living. Michelle was born and raised in this country, and by chance, Michelle returned to Guangzhou, China to start her college life. The completely different cultures also brought her a completely different experience.
The 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 features of the sea are driven to keen on the beach, enjoy the sunshine and food. The most popular one is a food called “Shark Grilled shark”, a delicacy with grilled shark meat in bread, often sold on the beach, served with tomatoes, cabbage, onions, sour cucumbers and various sauces, and it tastes delicious. In addition, we also like to eat roasted pork (Pelau), which is a kind of rice, chicken,A traditional dish made of pork and various spices, it is often used as a food for special occasions, such as weddings, birthdays, etc.
In addition to this Babaylan, our country has a majority of African and Indian people, so there are many specialty foods from their country. For example, Indian flatbread (Roti) is an East India staple food, which contains curry meat and vegetables. A variety of dishes constitute our country’s food culture.
Michelle’s personal photos
Not only that, our country is full of diverse cultures in festivals and music.
There are many unique celebrations in my hometown, among which the most popular and prosperous traditional festival is Carnival, also known as Carnival. It was a grand event full of colors and music. It usually takes place in February or March each year and lasts for two days. During the festival, people wear gorgeous clothes and masks, 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 onto the stage, the jury selects the band based on the number of bands, clothing and other standards, and awards titles and titles. 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 famous instrument used by bands in the celebration is Steelpan. This is a musical instrument invented by the people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, which is made of abandoned oil barrels, also known as the WorldOne of the youngest Cinema instruments.
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 grew up in Trinidad and Tobago, and I rarely have the opportunity to really get involved in Chinese culture. Many things have been heard from my parents. Therefore, I decided to stay in China and personally experience the characteristics of Chinese culture. After considering all kinds of considerations, I chose the clinical medicine major at Jinan University and stayed in Guangzhou to start my college career.
Photo of Michelle participating in school hockey activities
CinemaWhen 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, I felt the first thing I felt was that the climate here was very different from the climate in my hometown. Our country is in the southern Caribbean, with no obvious seasonal changes and relatively small temperature changes. It is basically in a not-so-hot summer throughout the year. In the summer and winter of Guangzhou, there are very large temperature changes, and the place is very humid, so the entire 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 a local from Guangzhou, and the main daily dish at home is Cantonese cuisine, so I feel very adaptable and enjoyed by Guangzhou’s eating habits.
Not only that, the two countries also have differences in their study habits. I found that many Chinese students prefer to study in libraries, while students abroad have relatively more flexible choices. We would stay in dormitories, coffee shops, libraries or friends’ residences. We are Babaylan won’t think too much, while Chinese students tend to choose quieter places, which may make them focus more on their own affairs.
MichKomikselle’s photo of school teacher-student sports meeting
I can feel the difference between China and my hometown even more clearly during my life outside of study. The biggest difference in life in China is the widespread popularity of mobile payment. In my hometown, cash payment is still very common. Komiks Chinese people use 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 is that I found that China’s culture and history are very long and rich, and href=”https://funnybookish.com/”>Babaylan and the city is developing very rapidly. KomiksMany modern buildings are emerging, but some ancient buildings are also preserved. So I had the opportunity to see Cinema to see what I used to look like, and through these previous buildings to imagine my parents’ childhood life, which allowed me to establish a connection with the past.
My experience and feelings about living in China<a The cultural differences of Cinema have also made my relatives and friends curious. They like to ask me about life and Chinese culture here. They are very happy to learn new culture, and I think they will want to come to China one day. At that time, I will take them to visit my campus, as well as some places that retain ancient buildings and are very culturally sensual in Yuexiu District and Liwan District in Guangzhou. Maybe Komiks canSo that people who don’t understand the culture here can 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. People around me are from the same race and culture, and we have almost the same traditions, ethics, and values. This commonality makes me feel that I am very safe here and easy to integrate into the community. When I was a child, I 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 a 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 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 very few people who spread our country’s culture. 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 Chinese, I hope to have the opportunity to continue to portray my life trajectory in China in the future.