Cloaked in Culture in China: All I did was “Add Oil”

by Ramla Giirre (Australia)

A leap into the unknown China

My First thoughts – everything was the opposite of where I came from – Australia! The weather, the season – from spring, it became autumn. I was in the northern hemisphere! The cars- were driving on the left, now they were driving on the right! In September 2016 I decided to quit my job and move for two years to immerse myself in the Chinese society and culture by starting a two-year master’s degree on Chinese contemporary history and culture. It was my first real move overseas and I wasn’t so much scared as I was apprehensive. How would a black Muslim single female from Australia be treated there. There were so many unknowns, but I threw myself into this adventure. As I landed from the plane, which was delayed, I had missed my shuttle bus and had to find my own way to the university. I had all the details of my invitation, enrolment and key contacts with me on paper. As I looked around, trying to find something written in English, I realised that all the signs were in Chinese characters – no English. Almost everyone around me the other passengers, the staff and the security did not speak a lick of English. I tried to find a store and get a sim-card but couple of shops I went into didn’t have it. The city I chose to stay was Hangzhou which is a major city and about an hour and half from Shanghai via bullet train. At the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International airport, I asked a few people around me if they spoke English and one young man, offered to help, he let me use his phone, we called the list of numbers from the university and finally someone picked up. I showed Fei Chang, he was impressed, Zhejiang University, the top in the region and one of the top 10 in China. He taught me my first word, jia you” or 加油 - Add Oil” which is a phrase akin saying “Keep going, don’t stop”. He was impressed that I came over and envied my move, telling me he wished he could do the same. Fei spoke a bit of English and helped me get to the information desk at the airport, helped me get a shuttle bus to my destination. My first contact became my friend to this day. We were going the same way, into the city centre so he was happy to help. As we got on the shuttle and we shared a little about each other. He was a northerner as he put it, referring to a Chinese person from the north. We were in the south east. He was an interior designer based in Beijing, we were the same age and enjoyed telling me about China, Chinese poets and the ancient city we were in, Hanzghou. He told me Marco Polo came here to see the famous West Lake. As we travelled on the shuttle bus, which was like those interstate couch buses, I could hear and see construction, temples, and massive communist style building that were 20 or more floors. China was so green, and so lush. There were fields, crops and mountains in the distance. There were people all around, so many people, loud, busy, chaotic. It was dizzying, there was a buzz of energy I hadn’t seen back home in Australia. “It’s mid-autumn festival” Fei Chang told me, “and we eat moon cakes. Have one”. He gave me a mooncake, a rich lotus seed paste with a boiled yolk in the middle resembling a moon. It was delicious. Mid-autumn celebrated the festival on the night of full moon traditionally after the harvest releasing lanterns and giving thanks. As I sat listening to people in the bus around me speaking loudly in Chinese, the Chinese slow ballads blaring from the bus speakers, only to be stopped by the gruff voice of the driver, giving instructions. I was finally in China! And as I reached my university, I thanked my friend and we exchanged details. I stepped off the bus, collected my luggage, gave thanks to my blessing and quietly told myself; Jia You!