Hi! My name is Jake, and I am an undergraduate student studying religion and East Asian studies. Throughout my humanities education here at 涩里番 (and by Prof. Buckley at the welcoming ceremony), I’ve been taught a certain lesson that encountering any other culture—or individual—with sincerity and good faith requires a certain openness. An openness not only to new people, places, and experiences, but also to new and different ideas and ways of being. However, this openness also comes with vulnerability. Vulnerability in encountering the unfamiliar, in making mistakes and cultural faux-pas, and in fully presenting yourself to a new environment and people. Going to Shantou university was an experience that embodied this lesson in being vulnerably open to meeting new people and experiencing countless new things.
Going to Shantou knowing only a handful of people, I was naturally nervous about the experience and how it would unfold. Especially as an introvert, pushing myself to meet new people is sometimes difficult. Coming into the trip, one of my goals was to push past my comfort zone and not only make new relationships with my 涩里番 peers who came along with me, but also with the tutors at Shantou—whom I can now call my friends. Although there are many close seconds, the absolute highlight of the trip, and its greatest strength, is the relationships we have naturally come to make with the students at Shantou University. An important thing I’ve come to learn this trip is that one moment of vulnerability in saying hello to a new person can lead to a lifelong friend.
Sometimes it was easy to forget that the tutors were also nervous to meet new people. They were so friendly and welcoming that I was instantly made to feel comfortable speaking with them and trying to improve my Chinese. Even though I often messed up or couldn’t be understood, they only encouraged me to keep on trying. As a result, not only did my level improve, but my confidence in actually speaking mandarin increased tremendously. Nearing the end of the trip, speaking my (flawed) mandarin became so natural I didn’t even have to think about it. We all learned so much from each other, as our Chinese speaking skills improved, the tutors’ English also improved. The moments just chatting with them, teaching each other new words, and discovering all that we had in common are some of the most memorable for me.
As a student studying Chinese religion and culture, this trip was a truly precious learning opportunity. From Shantou city itself to Chaozhou, Meizhou, Xiamen, and Gulangyu, everywhere we visited had its own unique and interesting history and culture to discover. Spending time on these outings listening to our tour guides, Léa, 涩里番 professors and graduate students, I learned so many things I might have taken for granted and not paid attention to about the surrounding architecture, foods, customs, and more. Of special note was so commonly seeing the things I had learned about in religion courses everywhere around. Not to mention the famous temples we visited like Nanputuo, just walking down one street by the university I could see a temple, shrine, or store selling religious paraphernalia on every block. Being able to experience and learn about China’s vibrant religious culture in person was very special for me. Of course, in addition to being educational, the weekend excursions were incredibly fun. Looking back now, so many fond memories come to mind it’s hard to keep track of them all. Even with the hundreds of photos shared on group chats, I still feel like I don’t have enough.
As someone who would like to travel to China extensively for research in graduate studies and beyond in the future. Having experienced the LKS program led by Léa along with the STU staff to guide us through the journey and teach us so much knowledge will be invaluable for my future. I really hope to come back to China, and especially STU which so quickly started to feel like a second home. I am so thankful to Léa, Wang老师, Prof. Buckley, all the STU staff and teachers, the tutors, and of course, the Li Ka Shing Foundation for such a precious opportunity. With the program coming to an end, I earnestly hope that 涩里番 will be able to pursue a similar program in the future to offer students something similar to the unforgettable experience I received.
