Living My Dream in the Beautiful Seychelles

Located in eastern Africa, Seychelles is a small tropical island country. The island character gives it a different touch from that of the African continent. Not as vast as the African continent is, it boasts a magnificent view of the sea and sky at the borders of this island from the top of a hill. It is not as arid as the African continent where there is little rain. The sea brings moist air to this small island and also makes it a paradise for flora and fauna.

The school I taught at was not very big, and the team of five Chinese language teachers was like a small, warm family. Each of us had many opportunities to do something other than teaching. For example, I learned the basics of PS to run a WeChat official account, picked up video editing, and even served as a host. These activities were something refreshing for me to do after work, and they not only helped me hone my skills, but also enriched my life.

I did encounter some frustrations when I started my job. The learning atmosphere in class was not desirable and the students were not well motivated to learn. In order to engage the students in and encourage them to practice Chinese language more, I read a lot of teaching cases in books, actively improved classroom management and the design of classroom activities. Gradually, the students' interest and motivation in learning Chinese language significantly increased, they listened attentively and took notes in class, and the classroom teaching became smoother.

Not long ago, I taught a new elementary school class. This elementary school is the largest public elementary school in Seychelles, and the Chinese language club attracted 30 applicants right after it was opened. On my way home from class, I met a student wearing this elementary school's uniform who greeted me and chatted with me about Chinese language learning and Chinese culture. We had a pleasant chat on the way, and before I could invite her to join our Chinese club, she was already at doorstep waving goodbye. I felt a bit sorry and looked forward to the next encounter with her.

When I was busy packing up my teaching tools and my own backpack after my second class, I saw a little girl next to me who was hesitant to leave, so I bent down and asked her if there was something going on with her. She said, "I'm waiting for you to go home with me." I was stunned, isn't this the little girl I met on the way home from school last time? All of a sudden, I felt so emotional. What a warm and happy thing it was to have a little angel waiting for me to go home after class in a foreign country!

Sometimes, I needed to take a bus up to the hill for Chinese teaching. The view from the top of the hill overlooking the sea was breathtaking to me. With the bus turning around a corner on the mountain road, the view outside the window suddenly shifted from the dense jungle to the open sea, with the sea and the sky aligning and the sea surface mirroring the clouds in the sky. In the distance, a few small islands stood out and harmonized the simplicity of the sea, decorating it like a few green gems of varied sizes.

On weekends, I would go hiking outside in nature. The sites here were mostly man-made but not overly artificial, which allowed nature to exhibit the diversity and wildness of its species. For me, every hike was an adventure full of wonder.

Making the brave choice to come to Seychelles, Africa to teach Chinese was one of the best things I have ever accomplished in my life. The Volunteer Chinese Language Teacher Program has allowed me to step out of my country and be exposed to a larger part of the world. Through my hard work and dedication, the continuous progress of my students' Chinese proficiency has been witnessed and I have felt the honor and pride of being a volunteer Chinese language teacher. I am honored to live my youth in the midst of a great country and to introduce the wonderful Chinese culture to the people of Seychelles. I believe that when I look back on this period of time in the future, I will be proud of my choice!