“It was indeed a great surprise when I first came to Tianjin, China in 2015, for it was quite different from what I thought before,” said Ray, a graduate student from the School of International Education.. “Various European style buildings caught my eye, making me wonder if the flight had landed in the wrong place. But after four years of studying, I have realized that I made the right choice.” Through the interview, Ray showed a great grasp of the Chinese language and interest in Chinese culture.

Having started to learn Chinese culture from his ethnic Chinese friend in high school, Ray chose Chinese as his second foreign language in the study of International trade in Venezuela. After graduation, he worked in a Chinese company in Venezuela for a year, and then came to China through a study abroad program between China and Venezuela. “Having considered for a long time, I chose Tianjin University as my final destination, because Tianjin has a high standard of living, as well as opportunities to learn Chinese. What’s more, Tianjin is near Beijing where the Venezuelan Embassy is located in China,” said Ray.

Prof. Ma(in the middle) leads Ray and another international student to participate in a poety reading competition.

Now at TJU, Ray majors in Cross-cultural Education under the guidance of Professor Ma Zhiyao. The study involves a lot of field investigation. He enjoys travelling around the country and making new friends, through which he can better understand Chinese culture and people. Last September, Prof. Ma led him and a student from Malaysia to participate in a poetry reading competition about “the Silk Roads” in Gansu province. “Professor Ma required us to read more to enrich the cognition of Chinese culture, and I like to learn Chinese calligraphy, zither and especially dialects in my spare time.” Ray is fluent in Cantonese and manages a little Tianjin local accent.

When asked about his future plans, Ray wants to be a Spanish teacher in Tianjin after he gets his master’s degree. “I have become fonder of Tianjin since I began to know about it, and I am proud to say I love it so much. It’s my second hometown, anyway.” Ray said.

Ray receives a TV interview during the university's New Year Celebration Activity.

By Xie Huang, Mei Jiangyue 

Editors: Eva Yin & Doris Harrington