I did a presentation on my exchange experience just now as part of my role as a recipient of the scholarship I received to go on exchange. I did not know what details of my exchange I should include, so I did what I thought the office in-charge wanted – present on how I made friends, places I went to (with the money I got from the scholarship), and how I manage to sustain my networks.
Little did I know that the CEO of the foundation wanted to know other aspects of my exchange experience. Aspects that matter more in the long run. How did going for exchange shape your thoughts? What’s the political situation there? How are the people are there like, are they hungry to get to know more knowledge from the outside world? I was more than happy to answer those questions. I want to post the top 10 things that I would not have known if not for my exchange experience.

1. Many China Chinese have not travelled out of China. I have so many examples of friends who are like that. Not that they don’t have the ability to. I think obtaining a passport is one matter. Another is doing your visa. China Chinese require visas to go virtually any country, and it costs a bomb. The embassies of many countries are only based in the bigger cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen. I remember Wang Bin mentioning that she had to apply for her French visa, which costs around RMB2000, including sending costs.

2. China is taking over Africa economically. Well, at least Angola. Chinese set up companies in Angola to dig up their oil to supply to their own markets. In return (to look good and to reap long term benefits, in my opinion), the companies give out scholarships to Angolan students to study in China, so that these students can work for them in the future.

3. Chinese are educated that Taiwan is one of the provinces of China. In general, people who are not open to other ideas will still think that Taiwan is part of China. Not all China Chinese think that way though.

4. 港澳台(HK, Macau, Taiwan) students get preferential treatment for college admissions. The minimum admission score is much lower for these students as compared to China Chinese. And they get better hostels too. Much better.

5. Despite China’s ruling party’s name – Chinese Communist Party, the country is not run that way. It is more autocratic than communism. People live on the streets, large rich poor divide…how can they still deem themselves to be communist?

6. Nonetheless, the CCP’s ideologies run deep in the country. They just tweak the ideologies to suit whatever they believe is right to suit the situation.CCP ideology books on “Why CCP’s ideology is the best” is sold at the bookshop outside my school. Maybe I should have bought it for research purposes.

7. Oh yea, one thing that really stunned me is that communism, Mao’s ideology and Deng Xiao Ping’s ideology are three compulsory classes for first year students in all universities. A breeding ground for the next revolution. Scary.

8. Despite China’s government trying to block bad information about the Chinese government, the university students that I know in general are very knowledgeable. But I think cus of their education, they still are very loyal to their country.

9. The Chinese are very sincere. I remember 何祚宇 giving me a treat the first time we had lunch together. And it wasn’t cheap at all. He also always goes all out to help me academically, socially, etc.

10. Despite the news that Japan-China relations are strained, younger generation Chinese do not harbor the same hatred as the older generation. They want to learn Japanese and yea, watch more anime series.

11. There is education inflation happening in China. Many students go directly to masters after their bachelor’s degree. You will hear 考研very often. Many students harbor the hopes of going to US to further their studies, despite US’s current situation. They think US is a place where they can express themselves more freely, fulfill their dreams．I think some of them just don’t know what they want to do with their life.

There you go. 11 of them, cus I just learnt so much! There is so many more things than stated that I learnt from my exchange! Maybe I’ll continue the next time.