This is the second post by Mohau Mofokeng, an AFS student from South Africa on exchange in China. Mohau is one of the young deserving students who received the 2017 Investing in Africa’s Future Leaders scholarship to participate in a year-long school exchange programme with AFS.
My host family is so great they make me feel like part of them and they spoil me, a little too much at times, but I’m loving every second of it. Because I strongly believe in the saying “it takes a village to raise a child” when I talk about my family it will most probably include everyone in the community and friends. I would like to believe I get along with everyone very well as the community members are also very curious about South Africa and its cultures too.
What I like most about my town is that it captures the essence of true China, there’s markets everywhere, people care about one another and almost everyone knows each other and when you greet someone you may end up talking to them for as long as 2 hours and not even get bored.
I like it here in China. What l think is most similar about China and South Africa is the sense of “UBUNTU”. This is a Zulu word for humanity to others, it also means “I am who I am because of who you are”.
The biggest difference is that in China the races and cultures are not as diverse as South Africa (which is known as the “Rainbow Nation”). People here are often surprised and amazed at seeing someone of a different skin colour or race, but I like it because I never run out of someone to talk to.