Text/Chen Mingyi Song Xintong Zeng Youlian Li Xinrui Huang Juyuan Photo/Provided by the interviewee
Poster design/Liu Le Lu Tianai
Video/Chen Nana
Instructor/Lu Nanfang Xiao Wei
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago are an island country located in the southern part of the Caribbean in Central America and close to the coast of Venezuela. There are more than 90,000 Chinese in Nidad and Tobago, and the earliest immigrant Chinese can be traced back to 1796.
Michelle, a Chinese student from Jinan University’s junior major in clinical medicine, immigrated to the country of Trinidad and Tobago very early, and they jointly operated a restaurant to make a living. Michelle was born and raised in this country, and by chance, Michelle returned to Guangzhou, China to start her college life. The completely different cultures also brought her a completely different experience.
The following is Michelle’s story:
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago are a multicultural country, where the cultural traditions of each country blend and coexist, showing cultural diversity in various aspects such as food, festivals and music.
Cinema 1950 witch cloth drawThe natural features surrounding the sea make people keen on going to the beach, enjoying the sun and food. The most popular one is a food called “Bake and shark”, a delicacy with grilled shark meat in bread. It is often sold on the beach at Cinema 1950 witch cloth draw. It tastes delicious after being served with tomatoes, cabbage, onions, sour cucumbers and various sauces. In addition, we also like to eat roast pork (Pelau), a traditional dish made with rice, chicken, pork and various spices. It is often used as a food for special occasions, such as weddings, birthdays, etc.
In addition, our country has the majority of African and Indian people, so there are many specialty foods from their country. For example, Indian flatbread (Roti) is an East India Cinema 1950 witch cloth draw Staple food, it is a scone with curry meat and vegetables in it. The rich and diverse dishes form the food culture of our country.
Michelle’s personal photos
Not only that, our country is full of diverse cultures in festivals and music.
There are many unique celebrations in my hometown, and the most popular and grand traditional festival is Carnival, also known as Carnival. It is a grand event full of colors and sounds. It is usually held in February or March every year and lasts for two days. During the festival, Cinema 1950 witch clothes Draw, people wear gorgeous costumes and masks, and then dance, parade, cheer or spray each other with colored powder. Festival activities also include float parades, music performances, dances and other celebrations.
The music Babaylan 1990 cloth draw is essential throughout the festival. There will be music accompanied by many Cinema 1950 witch cloth draw trucks, and people jump from the starting point to the end point and then cross the stage. When some bands walk onto the stage, the jury selects the band based on the number of bands, clothing and other standards, and awards titles. In fact, href=”https://funnybookish.com/”>Babaylan 1990 cloth draw Our country not only has many types of music, but also many instruments with national characteristics have been born. The most famous and most used by bands in the celebrations is the Steelpan. This is an instrument invented by the people of Trinidad and Tobago.s://funnybookish.com/”>Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw, made of abandoned oil barrels, also known as one of the youngest musical instruments in the world.
I spent my entire childhood and youth in this multicultural country, but by chance, I changed my life’s trackKomiks 1960 witch cloth draw, and my life has changed some unexpected changes.
I came to China in December 2019. At that time, the outbreak of the epidemic, many flights were cancelled, and I couldn’t return to my hometown. My relatives suggested that I apply to a university in China, and I also thought that this might be a good choice for Cinema 1950 witch cloth draw. Although I am Chinese, I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago, and I rarely have the opportunity to really get involved in Chinese culture. Many things were heard from my parents in Babaylan 1990 cloth draw. So I decided to stay at Komiks 1960 witch cloth drawChina, and personally experience the characteristics of Chinese culture. After considering various Komiks 1960 witch cloth drawI chose the clinical medicine major at Jinan University and stayed in Guangzhou to start my college career.
Photo of Michelle participating in school hockey activities
When I stayed in China, I had a brand new cultural experience and began to try to understand Chinese culture. Whether it is lifeChina has brought me a different feeling of the method, learning environment or cultural tradition.
When I first arrived in Guangzhou, the first thing I felt was that the climate here was very different from the climate in my hometown. Our country is in the southern Caribbean, with no obvious seasonal changes, and the temperature Babaylan 1990 cloth draw has a relatively small change, and it is basically in a not-so-hot summer throughout the year. In the summer and winter of Guangzhou, there are very large temperature changes, and the place is very humid, so the entire climate needs me to adapt and adjust.
Unlike the huge difference in climate, the food in Guangzhou is very consistent with my taste. My parents are both Chinese, and I have been exposed to Chinese food culture since I was a child. Especially my mother is a native of Guangzhou, and the main daily dishes at home Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw are Cantonese cuisine, so I feel very adaptable and enjoyed by Guangzhou’s eating habits.
Not only that, the two countries also have differences in learning habits of Cinema 1950 witch cloth draw. I found that many Chinese students prefer to study in libraries, while students abroad have relatively more flexible choices. We would stay in dormitories, coffee shops, libraries or friends’ residences. We don’t think too much about choosing a learning environment, while Chinese students tend to choose quieter places, which may allow them to focus more on their own affairs.
Photo of Michelle participating in the school teacher-student sports meeting
When I live outside of study, I can more truly feel the difference between Babaylan 1990 clothes draw to China and my hometown. Born in ChinaThe biggest difference in life is the widespread popularity of using mobile phone payments. In my hometown, cash payments are still common. Chinese people use their mobile phones to do almost everything, including buying things, taking buses, paying electricity bills, etc. This convenience surprised me very much, and my friends over there felt incredible when they heard the news.
What surprised me even more was that I found that China’s culture and history were very long and rich, and the city’s development was very rapid. Many modern buildings are emerging, but some ancient buildings are also preserved. So I had the opportunity to see what I used to look like and imagine my parents’ childhood life through these past buildings, which allowed me to establish a connection with the past era Babaylan 1990 cloth draw.
The cultural differences I have experienced and felt in China have also made my relatives and friends curious. They like to ask me about my life here and Chinese culture. They are very happy to learn new culture, and I think they will also want to come to China one day. At that time, I will take them to visit my campus, as well as some places in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou and Liwan District that retain ancient buildings and are very humane. This may allow people who do not understand the culture here to feel the development history and changes here.
Babaylan 1990 cloth drawWhen I was in China, I always liked to use the word “home” to summarize the connection between me and this country. Because this is my parents’ home, it is also my home. The people around me are from the same race and culture, and we have almost the same traditions, morals, and values. This commonality makes me feel very safe here and easy to integrate into the community. When I was a child, I didn’t have a strong sense of nationality. But as I grew up, I appreciate my race and culture more and more. Now, I feel that I belong to the Chinese culture, and China has become my home.
While understanding Chinese culture, I also hope that the people here will understand the culture of my hometown. In fact, because my country has a small land area and is not very famous. Few people learn about our country’s culture and life, and may not even be familiar with our country.h.com/”>Komiks 1960 witch cloth drawThe name of the family. In the past few years I have lived in China, I have never met anyone from the same country as me. Babaylan 1990 cloth drawSo I think I am one of the few people who spread the culture of our country. I really want to share the culture of my hometown with the Chinese here so that everyone can understand my country better.
The university life I spent in Guangzhou in the past few years has made me get used to the culture here. And as a Chinese, I hope to have the opportunity to continue to depict my life trajectory in China in the future.