Hi, I need to tell you what’s been happening since last week. I haven’t stopped!
Blood Donation
Let’s start with Sunday 26th morning: I went to donate blood. It was a rather unique experience for me. I’ve donated blood in several countries, but this was my first time in China. The volunteers were very surprised to see a foreigner come to donate blood. They took a picture of me while I was just filling out the health forms inside. I showed them my passport, they checked that my blood type was Rh-positive, and then they gave me a very hot, sweet cup of water that tasted like red bean paste, an ingredient often used in cakes or desserts in China. It was the first time I’d tasted that in liquid form. I donated blood, didn’t faint (though it was close), and then they took even more pictures. I left with lots of gifts.
What really surprised me is that usually, donating blood is a selfless act, with no expectation of anything in return. But I left with a framed photo of myself, two decks of cards from the Red Cross and Lions International, a steamed cake, as well as the usual drinks and sweets. The place where I donated blood was really nice. I think I’ll go back to visit the outside. There were also some candies I hadn’t tried yet, they looked a lot like candied apples, but they’re usually either strawberries or grapes coated in sugar and skewered.On Sunday afternoon, I went with two colleagues to visit the premises of the Financial Street Forum. We were actually getting ready to volunteer there on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Presentation
The next day, Monday 27th, I had my first graded assignment of the year: a presentation on public diplomacy. I was very stressed, but I did really well. In the end, the professor only gave us the topics four days in advance. I was the first presenter and had to do it alone because there were no groups. The professor had chosen randomly. I still don’t know my grade, but I think it will be acceptable. We’ll see.
Volunteering
On Tuesday, I woke up at 6am and went to the forum to volunteer. Actually, I was separated from my two colleagues and ended up in a group with only Chinese women. That wasn’t a problem, I got to know them and they were very kind. Of course, I would have preferred to be with my friends. The first day was very long. I think the organizers overestimated their staffing needs, and we almost had nothing to do. Luckily, I had brought notebooks to practice my Chinese. We ate pre-prepared meals, and I tried to give the meat from my dishes to my colleagues, but there was so much food that a lot of it was thrown away.
By the way, you should know that food waste is everywhere in China. One day, at the end of a lunch or dinner service in the cafeteria, I took a picture of the food waste bin, it breaks my heart every time.The next day, we went back to volunteering. My two international colleagues told me they had had more fun than I did. From what they said, they had more activities thanks to their Chinese level. I brought games to pass the time with my Chinese colleagues, but it wasn’t enough
I got very bored and realized I would have preferred to stay in class instead of wasting my time. It was my first time volunteering, and I felt useless. That evening, I went swimming at the pool, and when I got home, I was very, very tired.
Rest
I went to bed, and the next morning, when the alarm rang, I decided not to go on the third day. I messaged the organizers to excuse my absence and went back to sleep. I think it was the best decision for me, as I really needed the sleep. Instead, I spent the day studying. I had to catch up on classes and assignments. That evening, 海承 came home with chocolates to cheer me up. He’s perfect.On Friday, I went back to class after two good nights of sleep. I was in a good mood again, and even more so because it was October 31st, and I had a Halloween party planned with my friends. That Halloween party, which I told you about last week, was absolutely amazing!
On Sunday, I participated in typical artistic and sporting activities with other students. We did some embroidery and played traditional Chinese games. It was a lot of fun, but I started feeling sick again. I’m writing to you today still coughing, but I’m getting better.
Studies
With my classmates from the Mandarin listening class, we motivate each other and wake up at 8am. Sometimes we barely make it and just have breakfast together. One day, I made pancakes, another day I made coffee. We’ve started a little book club to motivate each other to read in Chinese. And now, I’ve decided to speak specific languages with certain friends: my Spanish friend speaks to me in Chinese and Spanish, my friend from London often texts me in Chinese, and now with 海承, we only speak French and Italian at home, since we speak English all the time outside.
This weekend, I’m going to participate in a MUN (Model United Nations), a simulation of international relations events. We’re on the panel for the ceasefire in Sudan, and we’re representing The Gambia. I’m excited to take part, but it will be exhausting because we start Saturday at 9am and finish at 9pm. On Sunday, we start at 9am and finish at 5pm.
Oh, and I also need to tell you: I’ve started talking with my thesis supervisors in Italy and China. It turns out I’ll have to take two different tests. It’s a challenge that will be very difficult for me, but it could also open up a lot of possibilities for the future, like doing research or even pursuing a PhD.
That is all, see you next week!
I wanted to share this photo of a candle I tried to make using an orange peel and oil (like my grandfather used to do), but it didn’t last long… I wonder how to improve it.
