It is like a dream that I had an exchange experience, which I don’t want to wake up from. Actually, I didn’t plan to participate in an exchange program on purpose in my second year of university, and even I don’t know about it.
It was a coincidence that I heard the recruitment of an exchange student from my friend which I thought may be a good opportunity for me to get more experience and toughening, accordingly, I applied to this Erasmus program sponsored by EU and passed the interview. There were so many procedures and documents needed to be prepared before I received the offer from a foreign university, but fortunately, everything went well.
Stepping to the plane from Shanghai to Sofia, my adventure started. Without the company of family and friends, I felt a little bit panic in a foreign country solitarily. Nonetheless, thanks to the welcomed helps from mentor friend and local people, these sentiments of fear and disturbed were soon gone.
Intercultural night and passionate patriotism
It is incredible and marvelous that students from 17 countries gathered in Svishtov and held an intercultural night. In order to show the finer aspects of Chinese culture to the world, I displayed my presentation about China with Han Chinese costume. It is a great honor for me to introduce my country to people from all over the world, especially when I mentioned splendid and gorgeous national culture as well as repaid and fast development. Over the past five years, a more confident and open China is entering the spotlight on the world stage in a way unlike that of any other major country. As mentioned in the conference of the 50thanniversary celebration of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France,” Now China the lion has awakened, but it is a peaceful, amicable and civilized lion.” I sincerely anticipate that we Chinese people can realize the Chinese dream, a great revitalization of the Chinese nation, and wish our country be more and more thriving and prosperous, with people of all countries to create a shared future for all mankind and a planet that is peaceful and prosperous.
Martenitsa workshop and Bulgairan national day
On the first day of March and for a few days afterwards, Bulgarians exchange and wear these white and red adornments. In Bulgarian folklore, the name Baba Marta(Grandma March) refers to a grumpy old lady whose mood swings rapidly. It is a personification of the month of March. The common belief is that by wearing the red and white colors of the martenitsa people ask Baba Marta for mercy. They hope that it will make winter pass faster and bring spring.
The international office invited local people who are expert in martenitsa making. We made many creative ideas and came up with gorgeous artsy pieces of martenitsa. Some bracelets, some necklaces, some clothes decorating pieces and etc.
On the third of March, the Bulgarians celebrate national holiday-the Liberation Day, one of the biggest and most celebrated National Holidays in Bulgaria. We were organized by the office to visit Shipka Peak- the monument and ossuary on that day. You could see the Bulgarian flag everywhere and the atmosphere at present was very exciting and heartening.
Peaceful well-educated campus environment
Academy is located in the center of the city, which is one of area of campus including a miniature center garden. The distance between buildings is not so far, no more than five-minute-walk from one to another one. Library in the academy is not crowded where you can read latest periodicals and do some individual studies if you like. Campus environment elegant, unique style, is ideal for reading scholarly garden.
Travel around Europe
I have been to 10 countries in Europe during this mobility, including Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy. I met so many friends when I travelled, whom I created numerous impressed memories with. The place that I thought as best is Jungfrau region in Switzerland. I remembered that I boarded a train from Interlaken ost station that inched up a mountain, bound for an Alpine saddle between the peaks known as the Jungfrau. The splendid beauty of Jungfrau is worth to see, even death.
Sincere Friendship
I am not an expressive person hence I didn’t make so many friends when in China, only some intimate friends. You can figure it obvious that most of the people are alert so that lower trust among people and create alienation between people. I don’t know if it is because I was in a foreign country, I feel that friendship is especially sincere and cherish each friend quite a lot who I met. We sat in the coffee shop or restaurant making face-to-face communication, gathered together cooking different national cuisine, organized hiking or climbing at weekends and lied on a big sofa seeing a film. The experience made me a wonderful memory and changed the way I think about life and future.
Thanks to my university, which I got the opportunity from, I could find out more about world, know more about myself, even challenge myself as well as overcome fear and diffidence. Thanks to myself, I didn’t give up applying this program and overcame troubles which seemed impossible to get over. If you are hesitating if you should do something or not, you may not think too much and take action right now for answer will come out during it.
GO INTO ACTION, EXPOLRE THE WORLD!!!!!
