《My journey in Shanghai》

Name：PHONESUDA SIPHAKDY
Nationality: Laos
University：Shanghai International Studies University
Tutor: Zhang Xinyu

When I was just a high schooler, my math teacher always told us that "Life is like a circle." And the boys in the backseat would always make fun of him and say, "Because it’s pointless." They were right, though, since there are usually no points or dots on a circle. So, the story would always end with the whole class laughing off, and I never got to know what came after that classic line, nor could I even imagine myself getting the concept completely clear one day.
I come from a small yet beautiful country in Southeast Asia, Laos. As many people may know, we are not one of the richest places here, but one thing is for sure: most of the citizens are satisfied and happy with the peaceful life they have. Lots of people here follow the traditional life route of "kindergarten, middle school, high school, university, marriage." For guys, their occupation comes after marriage, and for girls, they have to take up the role of housewife after marriage. Thankfully, I was one of the luckiest people from my country to get to go overseas to continue my undergraduate study, and on top of that, in the world's fastest-growing country, China.

It was in September 2019 that I came to China for the first time, and the first city I ever visited was Asia’s pearl, Shanghai. I can still recall quite well how I was so fascinated by the super convenient public transport, the breathtaking buildings, the high-tech life, and how nice the citizens are. Everything was just so captivating, and I could never believe I would get to live here for four years! I could say that it was truly one of the most memorable moments of my life studying here. While studying at SISU, I get to know lots of amazing people from different parts of the world, I get to understand more about Chinese culture and get to share my own culture with people from all around the world, and I get to try different foods I have never had before.

As we all know, language is one of the biggest obstacles to living abroad, yet there is no need to worry too much about that here as people will try their hardest to understand and help you out. I encountered a few problems when I first arrived here but always managed to solve them at the end of the day. Within a short period of four months, I was able to communicate more fluently in Chinese as I was completely immersed in the language environment. The learning environment is supreme thanks to the kind and encouraging teachers and students. We learnt together, we had fun after class together, and we celebrated birthdays together. Rather than classmates, we were more like a family, and our teachers were more like mothers and sisters to us. It was so hard saying good-bye to them before I leave for the winter vacation, and I would never expect that the next time I get to see them again would be 3 years from then.

On January 20, 2020, the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Shanghai, and not long after, the whole city was locked down. Online classes started since then and have been continuing for 3 years. During these years, it was super difficult due to the spreading of viruses, the broken economy, time zone differences, technical conditions, etc., but there was nothing we could do at that time; the only thing we could do was wait patiently for the pandemic to end, continue our study online, and wish everyone was safe out there.

The first year was bearable with the hope of returning back to normal soon, but as time flied, the hope was fading day by day. Lots of my female friends were forced to give up their studies halfway; some of them went out to looked for jobs, and some of them decided to get married. I was on the verge of breaking down and giving up as well, but thanks to my teachers, friends, and family, with them being so considerate and caring, I was able to hold on and eventually overcome all my problems emotionally and physically and continue my study without any interruptions.

On July 2022, we finally got the long wait good news, the pandemic situation in China is coming close to an end and it is now safe for us to return. Honestly, I hesitated to return at that time considering all the trouble with viruses, visas, and flights for a short term there, but I have too many regrets; there are too many things I wanted to do but didn’t get a chance to do in Shanghai. So I decided to return. With the help of the Chinese government, international students were able to return safely without any problem, and we finally got to return for the first time in 3 years.

I returned to Shanghai on the February 5, 2023. I remembered vividly that the weather was still cold and everything in Shanghai seemed so unfamiliar to me. My favorite fried noodle shop was shut down, the place I loved to hang out with my friend when I was a freshman was replaced by a franchise shop, and it seemed that lots of things had changed during these 3 years. I made a promise to myself that day that this time I would try my best to spend the 5 months I had left to the fullest and graduate without any regrets. While mastering my grades, I made sure I visited every place I didn’t get to see during my freshman year and ticked them off my to-do list one by one. I have tried on Hanfu, I have been to Wanping Theatre, and I have finally seen Shanghai Spring for the first time in 4 years!

Life is truly like a circle; sometimes you are up on the curve greeting your highest moment, sometimes you are down below being crashed by all the problems, but the circle can never be finished if you do not continue. I had built up the courage to return; I had made up some of my regrets and accepted that not everything could be fixed. Coming to Shanghai, I have gained more than an undergraduate major’s knowledge; I have known amazing people, made lots of friends, accumulated precious memories, widen my vision, and undergone personal growth. Now, my next goal would be to work hard to get a master's degree scholarship.

Thank you, SISU, for having me four years ago. Thank you, Shanghai, for witnessing my growth these past 4 years. I hope to see you again, China!