'China was the best experience of my life'

By Helmut Matt
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China Today, November 25, 2016
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My Host Daughter

Yiqi's exchange year in Germany seemed to pass before we could draw breath. The first weeks were dominated by mastering the language and getting oriented. Although in the beginning we communicated mainly in English, after only a couple of weeks we agreed to try communicating solely in German.

With the help of the American Field Service (AFS), an institution organizing exchange programs with China for German high school or university students, Yiqi took part in an intensive four-week German course. With the help of our conversations in German at home she made impressive progress. After only two months language no longer posed any major problems.

Talented musician Yiqi gives concerts in Germany. 



Yiqi went to school in the neighboring town of Kenzingen, and quickly settled in. She attended all classes on the curriculum with her German classmates, even though some weren't obligatory for her. Instead of just relaxing during her two-week school vacation, Yiqi did a voluntary internship at a local organ building firm which, incidentally, had once built an organ for the Chinese coastal city of Qingdao.

One major highlight – and a complete novelty for her school – was the festive Chinese Spring Festival evening gala that Yiqi organized for more than 100 guests, and for which she readily took on the role of emcee.

Yiqi's cheerful and attractive personality soon made her friends, and she was also popular with her German teachers. Her classmates often invited her to birthday parties, bowling evenings, and weekend daytrips.

What really surprised her was the way in which teachers and students communicate in Germany. In China a teacher commands respect, but she realized that in Germany pupils and teachers communicate on more of a partnership level.

Before Yiqi arrived, we already knew about her extraordinary musical talent. She had learned the violin since she was six years old, so as an extracurricular activity we organized private violin lessons for her with a female professor at the Conservatory of Freiburg University. Her teacher was so impressed by Yiqi's talent that she made her a part of the university's special program for young musicians with outstanding potential.

It was consequently no wonder that news of Yiqi's talent quickly spread, and that our guest-daughter took part in several concerts not only in the Freiburg region, but also in the city of Sisteron in the South of France. Her musical talent won her even more hearts during her stay.

Although German food is quite different from Chinese cuisine, the change of the menu was no problem for our Chinese guest-daughter. Apart from certain strongly flavored cheeses, she liked everything she sampled, but enjoyed most the traditional dishes my wife and I cooked at home.

There are many more stories to tell. As the time to say farewell approached, we all felt very sad. Yiqi had become like a real daughter to us. We had spent a wonderful time together which passed all too quickly.

"I will try to come back to Germany as soon as possible," Yiqi promised as we parted. But first she wanted to achieve a good school graduation in China, and she wanted at the same time to apply to study at her violin teacher's faculty at Freiburg University. That was her plan, she told us. But we all knew that it would be anything but easy to realize.

When the moment of parting came, we all exchanged hugs. Her friends, schoolmates – even the school headmaster, brought presents. Tears rolled down our cheeks as we said goodbye on the platform of Offenburg Station. Would there ever be a reunion?

When I asked Yiqi in a recent email which impressions of her stay were most deeply imprinted on her memory, she first recalled the colorful horse carriages from the Rossfest in St. Morgen we had visited on the first day. "The sky was so blue and the landscape of the Black Forest so different from China," she wrote. Besides, she also really enjoyed the free yet protective atmosphere of the airy, modern buildings of the Freiburg University Conservatory, as well as the many small concerts she had been able to participate in.

She also wrote that German politics seemed to be of a different color from that at home, especially during upcoming elections. "It was funny that the different political parties' promotion stands offered pens and gummy bears as gifts, and everyone was so friendly!" And what was the best? I wanted to know. "Maybe the folk festivals with bratwurst, beer, and potato salad," was her reply.

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