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 13