Wudaokou Watch: "Chinese Work Ethic Inspires Me the Most"
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In Wudaokou Watch, we profile a different Beijing-based student from abroad each week to hear about their life in China's capital.
What is your name and where do you come from?
My name is Emmanuel Lunda, I come from Zambia, a country located in the southern part of Africa. I came to Beijing to study logistics engineering because one of the best logistics universities is found here, Beijing Jiaotong University.
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How is life in Beijing different from your home country?
To a very large extent, life in Beijing is very different from life in my home country. Before coming to Beijing, my expectation was that the way of life would be quite the same but it’s not. In Beijing, I have learned how to be responsive to change and adapt to new environments. The pace of life in Beijing is so fast, and it instigates thinking which is a very good thing.
What are the biggest challenges for you here?
The biggest challenge I have faced here is communication. There have been times when I wanted to express myself in the simplest possible way but my vocabulary was too limited, and still is limited to some extent.
What are some of your favorite hangouts in Beijing?
While I don’t have specific hangout places, I like seeing and experiencing new things every day. There are too many nice places to see in Beijing, that I can’t even rank them. Whenever I hang out at a certain place, it automatically becomes my new favorite because the experience is always new. I value all my experiences in Beijing!
What do you do when you are feeling homesick?
When I feel homesick I talk to people back home. However, it is hard to find Zambian activities here. The same applies to food, thus, I have to adapt. I am now tending to enjoy Chinese food!
What do you love most about Beijing?
I like the rich history which has been preserved despite the huge development in infrastructure and other areas. I love the ancient buildings (i.e. Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Great Wall, and the like) and the history attached to those sites. Unless you understand your past, you cannot know where you are going.
What is your most memorable Beijing experience?
My visit to the Forbidden City.
How has life in Beijing impacted you?
My work ethic has been greatly impacted by life in Beijing. The locals have an incredible work ethic which I never imagined before. What I have observed here (in Beijing) confirms a quote by American actress Erin Cummings, who said that “at the end of the day, you are solely responsible for your success and your failure. And the sooner you realize that, you accept that, and integrate that into your work ethic, you will start being successful. As long as you blame others for the reason you aren't where you want to be, you will always be a failure."
What inspires you and what are your future plans?
As people, we may differ in so many ways (the way we look, the languages we speak... etc.) but when it comes to hard work, we are all in agreement. The work ethic here is so inspiring! A person of integrity will always lead. Integrity is more about being true to yourself, doing what you say and sticking to your values regardless of circumstance. The work ethic of the local people inspires me the most. In the future, I plan to share my experiences and lessons learned in Beijing with my countrymen and contribute to a positive change in my country by championing a life of integrity and a strong work ethic.
READ: Drastic Slowdown in the Number of International Students Choosing China
Photos courtesy of Emmanuel Lunda
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