Lily's Story - NSLI-Youth Mandarin Group Program - United States  

For more on the NSLI-Youth group's experience in China, click here.

On first arriving in Zhengzhou, I was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the location. A plethora of vehicles swarmed the streets, completely disregarding all forms of traffic control. From bicycles pulling carts of watermelon to huge B-line buses toting tons of locals about their business, crossing the street was an adventure to say the least. Feeling unprepared and lost, I found myself to be the object of much local attention as the only white female in all of Erqi square, my fellow NSLI students aside.

However, as I’ve grown to know and understand Zhengzhou more and more, I’ve come to adore it as well. Now I’ve learned how to safely and efficiently cross the street, how to get people to either smile or look away when staring at me, how to haggle and ask for locals to switch out of their incomprehensible dialect and into standard mandarin. I’ve learned the best (and worst!) places to buy cold drinks and pastries, and both the horrors and delights of street food. Now, Zhengzhou is my home.

Through trial and error, tears and laughter, I’ve learned to take things as they come here – to let bygones be bygones, and to simply smile and say “没关系” – “no worries”. I’ve learned that there are more important things than the everyday battles, and that no matter how frustrating that one merchant who you know is charging you more just because you’re white may be, or how much you may want to snap at the three old ladies sitting on the bench staring and pointing at you while gossiping, you realize that everything is worth it. The sheer magnitude of the incredible journey we’re on can easily overwhelm any obstacles, and as long as you keep it all in perspective, no problem can ever seem insurmountable.

Zhengzhou may not seem the homiest city at first glance, but even after a month of living here, I feel more comfortable here than I ever imagined I could. Knowing every bus route, having the bakery lady ask me “the usual?” every morning, and having the amazing bubble tea shop next door with the owner who recognizes us every day, have made my everyday life into a paradise. I’ve learned that after a few days the large things wear off – yes, we’re in China, yes, we’re on someone else’s penny, and yes, I’m learning so much Chinese – but it’s the details that really give you pause. The smile of the bubble tea man. The excitement of the next-door shop ladies when they gave us free water chestnuts, and we had no idea how to eat them. The bewilderment of the Chinese students when we burst out into song in their midst. The adorable conversation with the two students on the bus home one day. The old lady practicing Kung Fu (with a sword!) in the park every morning on the way to the bus. These are the memories that will stay with me, and these are the things that I will miss. These are the things that define the line between visiting and living. They are what make NSLI-Y so much more than a “trip to China”. Things like these are what truly kindle a love of a foreign culture, and what foster the desire in our students to return. These start careers and change lives, and best of all, you can feel their impact every day. These are not things I’ll be forgetting in a hurry, and they’re not things that should be casually dismissed. But then, I have a feeling they won't be.

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