What’s up! My name is Nathan Yuan. Over two weeks, I participated in a teaching program in Zhuzhou, Hunan, China. I had the valuable opportunity to gain hands-on teaching experience, learn more about Chinese culture, and form lasting friendships with students. The main lesson I learned was that, even though I was 7,000 miles away from home, many things were still similar. 

Arriving on campus, everything felt different; there were tens of basketball courts, a multi-story library building, an on-campus convenience store filled with all the snacks and drinks you could imagine, and even a whole stadium around the soccer field. Compared to the facilities my school has to offer, this was heaven on earth.

The next day, we started our first lesson: Taste Testing American Snacks. Walking into the classroom was a shock; there were 60 students in one class! The students were ecstatic to see us walk in with a strange black duffel bag, not knowing it contained exquisite American snacks like Twix, Takis, and Trolli gummies. In addition to introducing the snacks, we also taught some descriptive words such as sweet, salty, delicious, and disgusting. When we introduced the Takis, we asked everyone what they thought; one student stood up and said, “super disgusting.” Everyone laughed, and that was the end of class. 

Throughout the entirety of the trip, we were allowed to go outside of campus. We often went shopping near school, took taxis to get food, and picked up packages every day. Mason and I must have bought hundreds of things because every day there would be about 8 packages waiting for us. We bought various things such as clothes, sunglasses, watches, and even chains.

Through talking with the students, I realized they had grueling schedules. Starting at 7 in the morning, they would work until 10 at night, having only 1 hour to relax until the power shuts off at 11. After students finished their classes, they would go to the courts and play sports together; Jake and I would play volleyball and badminton with them every day, often showering in the dark. After the last day we played, one of the students gifted me a handmade fan. Even through his busy schedule, he found time to prepare a gift for me, which made me feel very honored. 

We were also honored to attend their graduation ceremony. When I say they put in a lot of effort, I seriously mean it. Speeches from the principal and teachers were emotional, captivating, and extremely motivating. Students and teachers showed a lot of respect for each other, and you could tell the teachers really cared. I still remember the principal’s main point in his speech, where he said, “别干坏事.“ This directly translates to don’t do bad things. He reminded everyone that wherever you go, even if you don’t return to the school, you still carry the legacy of your school.

In the last week, we didn’t have too many classes to teach; instead, we attended classes. We learned about various facets of traditional Chinese culture, such as paper cutting, calligraphy, and even tea art. 

Through this program, I also built a close friendship with a student named Joey. He shared that not all students lived in the dorms—some went home after classes each day. Joey lived very close to the school, and near the end of our trip, we started spending more time together.

One evening, we all went out for a beef barbecue buffet, where Mason and I managed to eat 16 trays of beef. We also played badminton, grabbed boba tea, and just got to know each other better. One cool connection we discovered is that Joey and I both play the trumpet. He even took us to watch his school’s orchestra rehearse, which was a special moment for me—it reminded me how music can bridge cultural gaps.

In the blink of an eye, came the closing ceremony. We were performing Auld Lang Syne and playing a reaction game with the students one last time. I was lucky enough to be able to borrow Joey’s trumpet since I brought my own mouthpiece and acted as the accompaniment. If these past few weeks have taught me anything, it would be that connection transcends language, differences, and culture. Whether it was through music, food, teaching, or sports, we found common ground and built real relationships. Leaving all my new friends was hard, but I know the valuable lessons and culture I learned will stick with me throughout my whole life.