I’m Wang Chunyi the only Chinese teacher in Oradea which is called a potential future city. The first time I knew I would be sent to Oradea, I felt a bit nervous because I wondered whether I could survive by myself without any familiar relationship in a new environment.
The felling of losing my sense of safety began to dissipate since I met my lovely students who knocked on my dormitory door to say hello to me. They showed me around my teaching school and sent me their welcome presents like a panda pillow, a Romanian wallet, a cake, a homemade jam from his mother… they said to me a common sentence: “If you need any help, please let me know anytime…”
(Welcome presents)
Time goes by, I also met my own friends here.
I met my contact teacher Cristiana who always drives me to the supermarket and invites me to the concert or to go shopping together. I would like to say the secretes we shared with each other couldn’t be less than what I shared with my close Chinese friend.
I met Lori who is my French teacher now and I learned a lot from her about her interactive teaching methods and her positive life attitude. Last Christmas, she sent me a gift drawn by herself, a little case like a universe… like what we discussed with each other that there must be a little prince who lives in the planet 612… she has 2 boys and the eldest one is already 12 years old but I see a new soul from her inside what treasures a lot…
I met my Romanian “mom” Gina who is the library teacher who worked in Aurel Lazar. She said a hello to me when she passed by my Chinese class and since then we always chatted with each other. The reason why I called her mom because she helped me with many basic things in my daily life, when I was rushing to work without eating any lunch she would buy a salad for me; when I kept typing lists in my dorm for the students, she came to help me and she said: “Please put some socks on you, you are just like my daughter.”(lol) She even helped me to seam my pajama pants because I couldn’t find a suitable size…
I met Mr. Gusti who is my Romanian uncle and my adult class student. He is a Taichi Teacher and he lived in China for 1 year, and he is always a good listener when I encounter any problems. I remember one time I was embarrassed I cried because I felt really bad from my emotions and he said: “When you want to cry, just cry, don’t feel ashamed because you need to release your emotions and don’t feel embarrassed because you are a normal person. Normal persons cry, of course.”
And I met many other nice people I can’t count in few words: My partner school’s director Livia who always supports me, a friend from Arad called Ema who talked about her life to me and encouraged me a lot, a grandma who led me to the place I wanted to find for a long distance, a grandpa who uses French to communicate with me… there are many things that come to my mind that make me feel thankful.
Sometimes I feel really grateful to my director for her decision to send me there, because otherwise I couldn’t meet them: the people around me who make me feel I’m beloved.
(My lovely friends)
When the Christmas holiday was finally coming, and the busy semester was finally coming to an end, all the movements of the Taiji fan were finally practiced, and the guitar playing and singing had begun to bear fruit. Our Chinese talent team at Oradea really surprised me.
(My students)
We also conducted the final exam for the non-credit interest classes, I was very pleased to see the children seriously review and came to take the exam and wrote the Chinese characters autonomously.
(My students)
That afternoon, only the Chinese classrooms in the empty school was still lively. In the last class, I prepared Chinese names for each of them as Christmas gifts. I also gave small promised gifts to five outstanding students who had completed this semester of medals. The children’s happiness was written on their faces.
(My students)
That last week, I have also received Christmas gifts and thank you letters prepared by the students. The children express their feelings in a sincere and enthusiastic way, and they will hug you after every class (my children are all high school students). And will directly tell you “We love you so much!” There is no happier moment as a teacher!
(Christmas present)
(My students)
I often lament that I must have a decathlon to be a qualified overseas Chinese teacher, but I find that as long as you love your children from the heart and carefully prepare each lesson, the children will feel and remember it. It turns out that as long as you give love, you will gain more love.
A student invited me to a Christmas concert at the Grand Theatre by the Hungarian Orchestra tonight. After a busy day, the beautiful music wiped out most of the fatigue. When I came back past the central square, the DJ of the festival asked the people aloud: Do you love Oradea?
I answered aloud in my heart: Now I can say that I really love Oradea, and love my children!
We spent a memorable trip in Christmas holiday and I would like to say thank you to all my friends who accompanied me together. You all made me feel I’m beloved and I enjoyed the time we spend together for 2 weeks like we are a real big family. Every hug, every laughter, every tear and every midnight call we shared with each other are the most beautiful memory I will keep in mind for a life time. This trip heals me a lot and after that I grew up and I try to learn how to love myself and to accept myself inside.
I still look forward to the coming new challenges, but with all above being said, I feel braver now because I’m rich with all the memories and the people that love me around, and I feel no fear in my heart.
Thank you! Wish you have a nice new week!
Wang Chunyi – in Oradea