Honduran Youth: China Gives Me the Chance

"China gives me the chance," said Paula Palacios, a girl from Honduras.

Chinese people love learning 

Palacios, a 33-year-old dentist, was employed by a dental hospital in Beijing at the end of 2017, shortly after graduating. Supported by a senior Honduran doctor who had worked in China for many years, she started her career across the ocean.

At that time, most of her family members and friends thought that China was too far away from Honduras. But after two weeks of internship in Beijing, Palacios was impressed by China's enormous opportunities. So, this Honduran girl bravely got out of her comfort zone and chose to develop in China.

"The years in China have changed my life," she said.

On August 19, 2019, Palacios gave a speech at the "Chinese Doctors' Day" event at the hospital. Photo by Palacios

Chinese people's love for learning, pursuit of progress and inclusiveness deeply impress Palacios. The hospital where she works arranges weekly and monthly training for medical staff on new technologies, tools, and treatment plans, which improve her professional ability. She is "constantly absorbing knowledge".

Chinese friends are so kind 

To better fit in the environment, Palacios began learning Chinese to close relationships with Chinese friends, colleagues, and patients.

At first, she was not good at expressing herself, but a Chinese doctor of her age helped and advised her, and the two became good friends. "I learned her way of speaking to elderly patients, affectionately addressing them as 'uncle' and 'auntie', and they accept me easier."

Many patients treated by Palacios require six months to a year of treatment. During the period, this meticulous, serious, and friendly foreign doctor established friendships with many patients. They brought her silk banner as gift, wrote thank-you letters, and recommended her to their friends for dental treatment.

Her Chinese colleagues also cared about her. They celebrate her birthday like her family members, for she is alone in China. 

Looking forward to returning to China

In 2022, Palacios returned to Honduras due to family reason. After the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Honduras on March 26 this year, she determined to return to China.

A photo of Palacios at her post in Beijing before returning to Honduras in 2022. Photo by Palacios

"I am excited to know that Chinese Embassy opens in Honduras," she said. In the future, visa to China will be more convenient to apply for. She also has a small wish of "learning Chinese language and understanding Chinese culture in a systematic way".

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Palacios has felt their exchanges and cooperation intensifying. She learned from local reports that the media delegation from Honduras recently visited Shanghai, Guizhou, and other places in China to investigate experience about China's rapid development, and to friendly exchange with Chinese people.

"I hope to tell Chinese stories to Hondurans, and introduce my hometown to Chinese people in a true and comprehensive manner. I hope to see the two peoples exchange with each other, and to serve as an envoy between them." Palacios is full of expectations for the future.