Hello, Nairobi!

Someone says, "If you only get two opportunities to go to another continent in your lifetime, go to Africa twice."

At the end of August, I went to Nairobi, Kenya, with my companions, as a year-long volunteer Chinese language teacher.

Pre-Service

After a month of intensive pre-service training online, from the systematic learning of Chinese language knowledge to each small class teaching trial, and from familiarization with the local customs of the country I was leaving for to the improvement of my talents, the earnest preparation had provided a good foundation for me to teach in the future.

After that came the tedious phase of preparation for going abroad, with various documents and luggage to handle. I could still recall that on August 17, I came alone in a hot day to Chongqing Customs for my yellow fever vaccination. At the end of that, I received a message confirming the time of my departure, looking towards the Jialing River in the late afternoon ---- I suddenly realized that it was not far from the time when I would really travel across the ocean, and my heart was filled with a fiery passion just akin to the temperature of Chongqing. At the same time, mixed feelings lingered inside me, and I wondered what kind of challenges I would face in the future.

Departure

A few days later, with two large suitcases, a backpack and my very own dream, I bid a hasty farewell to my parents at the high-speed train station and embarked on my journey. In the crowded station, I dragged my heavy luggage forward until I finally boarded the plane, then I couldn't help but cry. From the initial opposition of my family and prejudice of my friends, to the final convincing of all parties to make my decision to go to Africa and the various tedious procedures, all came into my mind in that moment. After a flight of more than ten hours, we finally arrived at Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, at 5:50 a.m. the next day local time. Apart from the spectacular sunrise and the coolness of the highland region, my first impression was the welcome gift given to us by the dean and the local teachers ---- a large bouquet of Kenyan roses, which emitted an enchanting fragrance, just like the flower of the universe, blooming on the highlands of East Africa.

The next day, we couldn't wait to get to the University of Nairobi to get familiar with the place, despite the jet lag. Everything here exceeded my expectation, with a beautiful campus, tall trees on both sides of the road, green lawn under the afternoon sun, and even eagles flying freely in the sky. At that day, a wonderful lunch was prepared for us by the college, a local specialty of rice with chicken. We ate and talked with the dean and colleagues, enjoying a cordial atmosphere.

Teaching and Cultural Activities

The first activity we conducted here was the Chinese painting experiencing, which was remotely taught by the Chinese painting teacher online while we instructed the students on site. We prepared brushes, paper and other items, and it was gratifying to see the dedication of the local students. Some of the students quickly grasped the techniques and principles of Chinese painting taught by the teacher, making me wonder at their artistic talent and sense their enthusiasm for learning Chinese culture.

One day, one of the local teachers had to take a leave from work, so one volunteer teacher and I took over the class and so my first class in Kenya started. The lesson that day was on HSK preparation, and I worked actively with my partner, employing activities to engage the students' interest and reaching out to them for guidance. I found that they were very humble and studious, taking notes attentively and raising questions about what they did not understand. They were very enthusiastic, nodding, smiling and sometimes even laughing when the teaching was in progress. The atmosphere of the class was relaxing and lively as they always responded and interacted promptly. After the class that day, they thanked us, with smiles brighter than the sun, and I was filled with happiness and joy.

In addition to teaching, we planned mid-autumn activities last month to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. The activities were namely moon cake making and a mid-autumn poetry contest, and we also participated in the rehearsal of the song "How long will the full moon appear" for the choir. In fact, they sang very well and I was just there to correct some mispronunciation for them, still the sense of accomplishment in my heart grew when I saw them singing better and better.

I was really surprised that I adapted to the environment faster than anticipated, and I would like to carry on doing my job in this manner.

Journalistic Work

I am mostly responsible for the journalistic work, mainly shooting videos about our events and editing them for posting on the platform. I really enjoy this job, the teaching, and love my students, so I take each news video production seriously and keep making innovations, hoping to let more people know about our events.

Local Life

Kenya is located on the highlands of East Africa, with a pleasant climate despite being in the equatorial region. Here are the snow of Mount Kilimanjaro as portrayed by Ernest Hemingway, the great animal migration in the Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru in the Great Rift Valley, and the fascinating variety of distinctive cultures.

The home of Karen, the author of the book Out of Africa, is in Nairobi. In Kenya, she contributed a lot to the local people, and gradually recovered her original simplicity, finding the true meaning of life; the slow pace of life here seems to be conveying a message to those who are in a hurry: don't rush, take your time, Hakunamatata!

Now, my family and friends are relieved to see that I am doing well in Africa. My anxiety is fading away and my soul is gradually enriched. In my mind, when I return from my journey, I will be there to tell them how worth visiting this hot land in East Africa is, and what an indelible part of my life it is!