International Tutors' Magazine June 2019 | Page 13

JUNE 2019
photo by Fan Qinxin
that I should not
after she went back
have asked about it.
to Japan, we kept in
But these problems
contact with each
began to fade away
other and talked
as I realized that
about school, our
sometimes she was
future careers and
Above: Qinxin with her new Japanese friend.
asking me the same
so on. We have
things back! We
similar
thoughts
soon become very
and can always
We
learned
to
close. We joked that she
understand each other. I
become
friends
despite
was “becoming Chinese.”
learned that connections
During Christmas break,
between people happen
our differences.
she visited my hometown
even when they are not
in mainland China and we
from the same background.
talked until midnight, just like what I do When there is mutual care and understanding,
with any other friends. She told me that she we can feel each other’s mental support.
actually liked the atmosphere of hostel life
at EdUHK; in Japan, most students rent To me, the most important connection
accommodation alone to prevent their with others is friendship, which allows us to
privacy from being invaded. She learned become a better version of ourselves each day.
to like a lot of things here, and we learned As a companion, teacher and mirror for me
to become friends despite our differences. to reflect on myself and my past experiences,
my friend has enabled me to realize that
I realized that the connections between people even though cultural differences do exist,
make these differences in nationality less despite these differences of nationality,
important. People from different cultures can language and custom, deep inside we all
learn to understand each other, or even adopt yearn for mutual understanding and sincere
the things they like from other cultures. Even friendship, which makes us connected. v
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