Wudaokou Watch: "I Cannot Survive on Chinese Food"
In this new column, we'll profile a different Beijing-based student from abroad each week to hear about their life in China's capital.
Augustine Arhinis is a Ghanaian MBA student at Beijing Technology and Business University.
Why did you come to Beijing?
I came to Beijing one year ago. I applied for a scholarship from the Chinese government to do my masters’ degree and luckily enough I was successful. I have tried it several times before with no success, but decided to give it a last try. And to my surprise I was successful.
How is life in Beijing different from your home country of Ghana?
Life here is totally different – the food, culture, infrastructure, development and even education are totally different. China is economically stable and everything is well done. In my country and even some other African countries, corruption has taken the center stage, barring these places from developing better standards. I have traveled the world but China is the most developed country I have ever been.
What are the biggest challenges for you here?
The first is the language problem. If you don’t speak Chinese, life will be really hard. The first day I landed at the airport is when I encountered this language barrier. Looking for the right terminals was a big problem for me. The other challenge is food: I cannot survive on Chinese food alone, I really tried it but was unable to cope with it. So I've resorted to cooking for myself. The other challenge is falling sick: hospitals here are damn expensive. In January, due to the cold weather, I developed some chest problems and ended up with a bill of RMB 23,000. We also have the challenge of not being allowed to work as students. The challenges are many, but we are managing them.
What are your three favorite hangouts here?
Mix in Sanlitun. Every Friday I go there with my friends and have fun the whole night. It’s the best place I know so far. It has plenty of great music and a taste of liveliness. The second place is Lakers, a mini restaurant and bar next to Capital Normal University in Haidian. They have great milkshakes, plenty of drinks and good R&B music. I also enjoy Steps Hotel in Wudaukou, a cool place that we always go and have lots of fun playing different games provided by the restaurant.
What do you do when you are feeling homesick?
We have a Ghanaian Students’ Association in Beijing and whenever we’re homesick, we organize a get-together where we cook our country's foods like “fufu” and share them like a family. We also sing songs of our origin and share our experiences with each other.
What do you love most about Beijing?
The way of life. In many areas, you don’t need to struggle. Transport is so simplified, the infrastructure is magnificent. The education system is also well equipped; we have all we need to achieve our educational dreams. It feels prestigious living in Beijing. The Chinese people are very welcoming and love interacting. I get the opportunity to meet world-renowned people, people who have made a remarkable impact, great business people. This has helped equip me with skills to go about the next stages of life.
How has life in Beijing impacted you?
It’s impacted me both positively and negatively. I have learned how to handle things on my own and also to make decisions. Culture-wise I have practiced and got to know different cultures around the globe. On the negative side, life in Beijing has taken away the spirit of interacting with people in me – in China everyone is always minding his or her own business, whereas in my country you can talk and interact with people you don’t know and grow to be great friends.
What are your future plans?
I am planning to learn the Chinese language after the completion of my major, get a job in Beijing and establish my life here. I also plan to enroll for my PhD after two years if, all goes well.
Are you a student in Beijing? Let us profile you and your unique experiences here. Drop us a line at editor@thebeijinger.com and we’ll get back to you to schedule an interview.
Photo: Peter Mpusia
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