Bri Whitt with Mr. Wu
Experiencer
By Bri Whitt
On May 25, I embarked on a four-week study abroad program, immersing myself in Chinese culture by studying Chinese language, calligraphy, martial arts, Chinese cuisine, and folk music at Hangzhou Normal University.
Out of the many endeavors of my time here in Hangzhou learning about the various cultures and bettering my Chinese language competence, all in all, it is the people that have captured and deepened my love for China in totality.
Day one, I felt loved. I was already blessed to have an amazing leader and mentor for the program, my home university’s very own professor Hongying Xu. She had put hours and days of her own time into perfecting the program and ensuring success for everyone; to see her once again in her home country brightened my heart. I was happy to watch her reunite with her family as well as the many connections she has at Hangzhou Normal University.
Continuing on with my connections in China, another person touched my heart in more ways than one. Mr. Wu came into my life as a former teacher of my Chinese professor, Ms. Xu. Our first encounter unfolded as I sat in his calligraphy class on the first day of the program. His many years as an expert calligrapher resonated with me, and my passion for learning about the various aspects of Chinese culture deepened. Learning from a true expert who has had many virtues throughout his life is truly inspiring. Our relationship expanded into a friendship, and I gained a wealth of knowledge from his calligraphy lectures and practices. I was also fascinated by his art of capturing photographs. The way Mr. Wu was so adamant about taking raw photographs of my classmates and me practicing calligraphy and capturing our final products on film was heartwarming. He was very passionate yet natural in capturing the best angles, poses, and lighting, and made sure his photographs would transport us back in time. It is these thoughtful times in life when people go out of their way to better my own life. I will never forget these connections.
I anticipate my return to China being much sooner than originally planned. My goal is to find a primary school in Hangzhou to teach English and to extend my passions to my future students, just as Ms. Xu, Mr. Wu, and the many others who touched my heart here in China.