On the evening of March 6th, a very relaxing and fun party was held by SIECA in the student activity hall. In total, there were16 shows performed by very talented students from both China and further afield. During this lovely evening, we were able Nanjing University’s wide array of cultural diversity; For example, a German student displayed dedication and passion whilst performing a Chinese martial arts routine which was well received by all students and the hanfu show gave the foreign students a glimpse of what our ancestors wore a thousand years ago. We also enjoyed a cosmopolitan and sexy Latin dance, accompanied with modern pop music like Cake By The Ocean and a performance of Bill Withers’s hit Ain’t No Sunshine showed us the beauty of soul music, whilst a refreshing K-pop music performance lit up the floor.
More importantly, the new exchange students had the chance to meet their new buddies and make a lot of new friends. The ultimate goal of this party was to make people from afar feel comfortable, secure and like they could fit in. From my own experience, through speaking different languages and growing up in different cultures I understand that, sometimes, culture shocks are unavoidable; however people still can form strong bonds with each other. Our oriental or occidental origins do not distinguish or define us, instead if we simply let our guards down and speak our thoughts proudly and clearly, mutual respect will materialise. SIECA is and always will be the supportive and helpful friend to all exchange students. In the coming weeks, SIECA is going to organise more activities to make sure that the exchange students get to know greater details about both local and national history and culture.
Michelle Obama once said whilst visiting Beijing University, “when you decide to be an exchange student , this decision does not only change your life, but also changes the people you meet” I believe we should truly appreciate that all the exchange students brought us whole new perspectives towards this world. To right the wrong opinions, misunderstandings and stereotypes about certain cultures, countries or civilisations is definitely one of the great advantages of knowing someone from the opposite hemisphere of this planet.
Last but not least, I sincerely hope everyone in this buddy program can enjoy a wonderful semester. Last night was a great start and we are all looking forward to the next SIECA gathering!
Author：Zhao Chengyi, Jenny, sophomore, school of government
