At some stage in my life I realized how important travelling is to me. I realized that a trip overseas is so much more than an opportunity to unwind or relax, but that it remains the only way to truly experience, and gain an appreciation of a foreign culture. I am a second year BSc Computer Science student and I had always been interested in university exchange opportunities. I had been to the typical travel destinations in the West, so when I saw the opportunity to go to China on the website of the Postgraduate & International Office I decided to go for it.
Pre-departure:
The application process, on Stellenbosch University’s side, is smooth and simple. I sent in my application at the end of the December holidays. A few months later I found out that I was lucky enough to be accepted to my first choice university, the Renmin University of China, located in Beijing. The second part of the application process, which involves applying directly to Renmin University, took some time to finalize, but thanks to the help of the PGIO I was formally accepted to attend the International Summer School at the Renmin University of China. The next step was the registration process, which included selecting courses for the Summer School. Unfortunately, the Summer School’s course scheduling is planned around the summer vacations of European and American universities, which have 3-month breaks during this time of the year. This meant that very few courses were available to me, seeing that I would have to be back at a certain stage for the start of the second semester at Stellenbosch. Nevertheless, I decided to sign up for Information Systems and Innovation. It was relatively close to what I was studying, and the course finished early enough for me to be back in Stellenbosch in time.
I knew that there was no way of knowing when I would be in China again, so I decided to travel by myself for about a week before heading to Beijing for the summer school. I planned my trip to start in Hong Kong, and then went to Yangshuo and Xi’an, before ending up in Beijing at the university. I made my accommodation bookings through travel websites, such as hostelworld.com, and my travel arrangements through websites like kayak.com. I would suggest staying away from Chinese websites for these bookings, since I had a few problems with credit card compatibility. Also, even more so than when travelling to other places, try to make your bookings early. This will prevent any problems from arising shortly before departure and it will definitely save you money! Obtaining a Chinese visa was a very simple process. The website of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa (http://www.chinese-embassy.org.za/) explains everything you need to know. The embassy in Cape Town is not very busy and seems well organized. Just make sure you’ve got everything you need and check your dates to see if they’re correct, then there shouldn’t be any problems. You have to visit the embassy to submit your application and a few days later you can pick it up your visa.
Experience at Summer School:
My travels through China were eye-opening, interesting, thrilling and filled with experiences that I will never forget. When I arrived in Beijing, I had almost gotten use to being in China, because of my week of traveling. The culture shock is a big one. It’s important to be prepared for it and to keep an open mind. It’s not like Western countries where you’ll still be able to recognize a few words or eat food that closely resembles what you eat at home. The Chinese culture has developed separately from ours since before the Roman Empire and even though globalization and modern technology has exposed many Chinese to the ways of the West, the underlying culture in China is still very much unique. The language barrier is sometimes a problem. Most of the touristy locations have attendants that can speak English, but the general population can only help you with basic English. My entire stay in China feels like one massive culinary experience. I would recommend trying as much as possible when it comes to the local food. It is a strange, but wonderful experience.
I was welcomed at the airport in Beijing by a small group of students from Renmin University. Along with a few other Summer School students, we took a bus from the airport to the university. When we arrived at the university, we went through the registration process, which was relatively quick. The students and university staff than run the welcoming and registration processes are friendly, accommodating and eager to help. The room I stayed in was surprisingly nice. I chose to stay in a single room, which has its own bathroom and, besides the sometimes uncomfortable bed, good facilities. The building I stayed in also housed other international students, has its own coffee shop and small store. The university assigns a local student as a partner to you. My partner, Roy, was very friendly and very helpful. He showed me around campus, recommended places that I should see and we had many interesting conversations about China. The campus of the university is nicely laid out and not too big. Various coffee shops, supermarkets and restaurants – all student-oriented – are dispersed around the campus. The university also has its own metro station, which makes the rest of Beijing easily accessible if you understand the metro system. Although the city is very big, most of the tourist attractions can be reached within a few metro stops from the university.
My experience in the classroom was also interesting. For my course I had one class a day, from 2pm to 5pm, for two weeks. Most of my fellow-students were Renmin University students, who also have to attend the Summer School, as well as a few international students, who I got to know a bit in the class. The lecturer was Taiwanese, a well-known expert in his field. The class was similar to classes at Stellenbosch University, besides the obvious differences due to the short length of the course. Sitting in a class full of people from all around the world is definitely interesting. We had a group project and a short exam, and all in all the course was a good experience.
In my time off I got to see quite a lot of Beijing’s world famous attractions. The Great Wall of China is an awe-inspiring sight and something I would absolutely recommend for any visitor of Bejing. Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace are also very much worth it. China has a rich past and these sights provide important historical context, as well as being very impressive. There are also various religious temples that provide an interesting look into Chinese culture. The university provides day trips to some of these attractions, but due to the short length of my stay I chose to visit them by myself to see as much as I could. I made use of the internet to get information about visiting the sites, but the university staff can also provide useful assistance when planning to go somewhere. By the time I left Beijing it felt like I had seen a lot, even though there was so much left for me to see. This is just due to the nature of cities as big as Beijing. There really is something to see for everyone. It was very often the case that having a few drinks in a Beijing bar was just as culturally enriching as visiting some of the top tourist attractions.
Return:
I experienced two feelings when I returned to South Africa. Firstly, I appreciated the familiar comforts of home. Eating food that I recognized, being able to communicate comfortably and watching rugby on television were all things that I had missed. On the other hand, I was sorry that the trip had been over. I knew that it would be a special experience, but nothing could prepare me for how extraordinary China was. Seeing so many people live in such a different way than I do was exciting and overwhelming. Since arriving in China I was fascinated by the way the people lived. I think that not understanding the language or the culture forced me to observe the people and the country. I now have a great appreciation for China and the East. If this trip has done anything, it has made me excited for future travel possibilities. Asia is, in many ways, unappreciated as a travel destination. The fact that Asia’s culture is so vastly different from our own changes your perspective about the world. It shows you the other side of the coin. I think it is absolutely essential that people travel, not only to the well-known destinations, but especially to the obscure and the unknown. Few experiences will alter your view of the world so fundamentally.