Pursuing Dream on the Land of Roses

Time never rests. It has been more than three months since I came to Bulgaria, and I have had a crush on the land of roses. Here in this flowery country, I am also generating my own scent of fragrance.

I Love My Students

I am teaching students from 3rd to 12th grade at an elementary and secondary school in Ruse. On my first day here, the local Chinese language teacher told me, "They are going to love you so much!" With anticipation and being nervous, I came to the doorway of the classroom. The moment I opened the door, all the children ran to me and hugged me, greeting me with "你好"! Warmth and passion flooded into my heart. From then on, every time I come to teach the younger pupils, I am always welcomed with handmade cards and candies. And after class, there are often kids taking pictures with me and hugging me.

The older students also happily greet me whenever they see me at school, politely saying "Hello, Ms. Chai!" After school, they invite me to play volleyball, teach me the traditional Bulgarian halo dance, and share Bulgarian food with me. In class, I am their teacher Chai; after class, I am their good friend, and they are my joyful companions in Ruse.

Moreover, the teachers in school are also cordial to me, and they take me to experience the rural life in Ruse. I have had a sense of belonging here.

I Love My Career

Gradually, I have embraced the shift of my identity from a student to a teacher. I teach my students with passion every day, even though I am exhausted by the end of the day. Yet, I am always motivated to prepare informative and interesting Chinese lessons as I witness them improving their Chinese proficiency and becoming more and more familiar with and fond of the language.

When teaching younger students, I adopt a joyful approach by teaching them vocabulary through music and dance, and rewarding them with stickers of red flower to stimulate their interest in learning; when teaching the older students, I apply a demanding and strict approach to ensure the standardization and effectiveness of Chinese language learning. In addition to teaching Chinese language, I conduct a culture class every week to help students better understand Chinese language culture. Although I still have a lot of shortcomings as a novice teacher, I have gained rapid growth in practice by accumulating and summarizing my experience.

I Love Bulgaria

Although I have already made mental preparation for my first long journey, I still inevitably feel somewhat lonely when the freshness fades away. At such moments, I do everything to motivate myself. After work, I try cooking; on weekends when having no classes, I read books or go to museums and bookstores in Bulgaria with friends.

Bulgaria is a gorgeous country. The sky glows as the sun rises in autumn, and when winter comes, the beautiful Christmas trees and neon lights create an atmosphere that is cozy and dreamy. Everyone here is humble and polite, warm and kind, and their deeds have endowed the city with a new perspective. I guess I have fallen deeply in love with everything here.

I am absolutely delighted to begin a new chapter of my life as a volunteer Chinese language teacher. I am lucky enough to encounter a group of loving kids. They have inspired me to try my best to bring them better Chinese language classes. I have been feeling the positive exchange and the sweet friendship between cultures.