In this interview, Raphael from France and Madahi from Mexico shared their reasons for studying in China. Madahi had already begun learning Chinese before coming to China and was very interested in Chinese culture and technological development; Raphael, on the other hand, hoped to personally understand China’s current development within the global system and its social environment.
Regarding making new friends, Madahi prefers to communicate with friends in English, finding a sense of security in a familiar language; Raphael prefers to find common ground among classmates in the same major or field, building connections through shared topics. He mentioned that in French culture, people reduce loneliness by actively going out and trying new things; while in Mexico, people are more direct, proactively asking “how are you” to express concern.
When discussing their observations in China, they mentioned the different ways of shopping in supermarkets, the efficiency of public transportation, and the surprise they felt from the elderly’s proficiency in using technological products. #InternationalStudents
