Text/Chen Mingyi Song Xintong Zeng Youlian Li Xinrui Huang Juyuan Photo/Provided by the interviewee
Poster design/Liu Le Lu Tianai
Video/Chen Nana
Instructor/Lu Nanfang Xiao Wei
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago are an island country located in the southern part of the Caribbean in Central America and close to the coast of Venezuela. There are more than 90,000 Chinese in Trinidad and Tobago, and the earliest batch of immigrant Chinese can be traced back to 1796.
Michelle, a Chinese student from Jinan University’s junior major in clinical medicine, immigrated to the country of Trinidad and Tobago very early, and they jointly operated a restaurant to make a living. Michelle was born and raised in this country, and by chance, Michelle returned to Guangzhou, China to start her college life. The completely different cultures also brought her a completely different experience.
The following is Michelle’s story:
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago are a multicultural country, where the cultural traditions of various countries blend and coexist. Cinema, showing cultural diversity in various aspects such as food, festivals and music.
The natural characteristics of the sea around all sides make people keen on going to the beach, enjoying the sun and food. The most popular one is a food called “Bake and shark”, a delicacy with grilled shark meat in bread, often sold on the beach, accompanied by tomatoes, cabbage, onions, sour yellow melons and various sauces, it tastes even more delicious. In addition, we also like to eat roast pork (Pelau), a traditional dish made with rice, chicken, pork and various spices. It is often used as a food for special occasions, such as weddings, birthdays, etc.
In addition, our country is Africa and Indians account for the majority, so there are many specialty foods from their country. For example, Indian flat bread (Roti) is an East Indian Cinema degreeThe staple food is a scone with curry meat and vegetables in it. A wide variety of dishes constitute our country’s food culture.
Michelle’s personal photos
Not only that, our country is also full of diverse cultures in festivals and music.
There are many unique celebrations in my hometown, among which the most popular and prosperous traditional festival is Carnival, also known as Carnival. It was a grand event full of colors and music. It usually takes place in February or March every year, and lasts for two days. During the festival, people wear gorgeous costumes and masks and then dance, parade, cheer or spray each other with colored powder. Festival events also include float parades, musical performances, dances and other celebrations.
Music is essential throughout the festival. There will be music on site with many trucks driving, people jump from the starting point to the end point and then cross the stage. When some bands walk on the stage, the jury selects the band based on the number of bands, clothing and other standards, and awards the titles Babaylan and the title. In fact, our country not only has many types of music, but also has many musical instruments with national characteristics. The most famous and most musical instrument used by the Cinema team is Steelpan. This is an instrument invented by the people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, which is made of discarded oil barrels and is also known as one of the youngest musical instruments in the world.
I spent my entire childhood and youth in this multicultural country, but by chance, Komiks changed my life trajectory and I changed some unexpected changes as a result.
In December 2019, I arrivedChina. At that time, the epidemic broke out and many flights were cancelled, so I couldn’t return to my hometown. My relatives all suggested that I apply to a university in China, and I also think this may be a good choice. Although I am Chinese, Komiks grew up in Trinidad and Tobago, and I rarely have the opportunity to really get involved in Chinese culture. Many things have been heard from my parents. Therefore, I decided to stay in China and personally experience the characteristics of Chinese culture. After considering all kinds of considerations, I chose the clinical medicine major at Jinan University and stayed in Guangzhou to start my college career.
Photo of Michelle participating in school hockey activities
When I stayed in China, I had a brand new cultural experience and began to try to understand the culture of ChinaBabaylan. Whether it is lifestyle, learning environment or cultural traditions, China has brought me a different feeling.
When I first arrived in Guangzhou, the first thing I felt was that the climate here was very different from the climate in my hometown. Our country is in the southern Caribbean, with no obvious seasonal changes and relatively small temperature changes. It is basically in a not-so-hot summer throughout the year. In the summer and winter of Guangzhou, there are very large temperature changes. In addition, it is very humid, so the whole climate needs to be adjusted again.
Unlike the huge difference in climate, the food in Guangzhou is very consistent with my taste. My parents are both Chinese, and I have been exposed to Chinese food culture since I was a child. Especially my mother is a local from Guangzhou, and the main daily dish at home is Cantonese cuisine, so I feel very adaptable and enjoyed by Guangzhou’s eating habits.
Not only that, the two countries also have differences in their study habits. I find that many Chinese students prefer to go to the book KomiksKomiThe choices of students from abroad are relatively more flexible. We would stay in dormitories, coffee shops, libraries or friends’ residences. We won’t consider too much about choosing a learning environment, while Chinese students tend to choose quieter places, which may make them focus more on their own affairs.
Photo of Michelle attending the schoolCinemaTeacher and Student Sports Meeting
When I live outside of study, I can more truly feel the difference between China and my hometown. The biggest difference in life in China is the widespread popularity of using mobile payments. In my hometown, Babaylan cash payments are still common. Chinese people use their mobile phones to do almost everything, including buying things, taking buses, paying electricity bills, etc. This convenience surprised me very much.Cinema, and my friends were also incredible when they heard the news.
At the same time, what surprised me even moreCinemaThe thought is that I found that China’s culture and history are very long and rich, and the city’s development is very rapid. Many modern buildings are emerging, but some ancient buildings are also preserved. So I had the opportunity to see what Komiks used these past buildings to imagine my parents’ lives as children, which allowed me to establish a connection to the past.
The cultural differences I have experienced and felt in China have also made my relatives and friends curious. They like to ask me about my life here and Chinese culture. They are very happy to learn new culture, and I think they will also want to come to China one day. At that time, I will take them to visit my campus, as well as some places in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou and Liwan District that retain ancient buildings and have a very humane atmosphere, which may not be allowed to do so.People who understand the culture here also feel the development history and changes here.
When I was in China, I always liked to use the word “home”Komiks to summarize my connection with this country. Because this is my parents’ home, so it is my home too. The people around me are from the same race and culture, and we have almost the same traditions, morals, and values. This commonality makes me feel very safe here and easy to integrate into the community. When I was a child, I didn’t have a strong sense of nationality. But as I grew up, I appreciate my race and culture more and more. Now, I feel that Komiks is part of Chinese culture, and China has become my home.
While understanding Chinese culture, I also hope that the people here will understand the culture of my hometown. In fact, because my country has a small land area and is not very famous. Few people learn about the culture and life of our country Babaylan, and may not even be familiar with the name of our country. In the past few years I have lived in China, I have never met anyone from the same country as me. Therefore, I think I am one of the very few people who spread our country’s culture. I really want to share the culture of my hometown with the Chinese people here so that everyone can understand my country better.
The university life I spent in Guangzhou in the past few years has made me get used to the culture here. And as a Chinese, I hope to have the opportunity to continue to depict my life trajectory in China in the future.