Jay first got in touch with us through our official Facebook page (be sure to join the 2,000+ member community there if you haven't already), where he said: "I took a 6 months, 20hr/week course in BLCU almost 10 years ago. Went when I was 18 years old. It is amazing how all the pictures you have posted bring back so many fond memories of this place. Thanks for putting up a page that so many will visit before and after their time there."
In a further message to us on Facebook, Jay added: "I studied in BLCU just under 10 years ago. 2004-2005. I first did a 6 week course in 2004 but bailed out. I then decided to do the 6 month course from Feb - July of 2005. Going back the second time around was probably one of the best decisions I've ever done in my life. Met great people, friends who I still see to this day.
"BLCU now seems like a modern university (I'm just guessing here, haven't been back since). During my time, the cafeterias looked like a wet market. Dirty white floors, the smell of food with high MSG [a flavour-enhancing food additive], and chefs smoking while cooking the food. But that was the best part. The rural feel to it. That made it a whole different experience."
You can read the entire interview with Jay Gonzalez below. It's full of memories of BLCU, and will be of interest to student new and old. You can also find all our previous Q&A sessions here, so be sure to check them all out in your own time!
BLCU 10 years ago was actually very countryside-esque. I'm not quite sure how else to describe it since I haven't been back since. But simply put, imagine an old Chinese movie where people would be playing table tennis in their dorms, the internet wasn't exactly part of your everyday life, and having internet on your phone was unheard of. Bikes were the main mode of transportation, and walking wasn't exactly the safest thing to do during winter time.
Related post: The Beijing Language and Culture University of 10 Years Ago
The normal day I would have over there would be to wake up in the morning, freshen up, go to McDonalds for breakfast, and walk from Huaqing Jiayuan [apartment complex] to the campus. That walk would pretty much tell you everything there is to know. From the minute you step out of your door, to the time you get to campus, you'd feel like you are in an adventure movie where anything could happen. To give an example, winter was cold. And with the cold came snow. I'd be walking to school with a few of my friends and I'd make sure to look at wherever I am stepping on. Why? Because at some point you will realise that not all man-holes have their covers on.
As for the campus, lunch was always in either the Muslim restaurant or the 2nd floor cafeteria. The Muslim restaurant was awesome. Cheap good food. The cafeteria was even better. Cheaper food, dirty surroundings, noisy environment, not everyone cleaned after their own mess, and it literally looked like a wet market. You order your food and you would see the chef sweating and smoking while preparing your Gongbao Jiding. I'm honestly not being sarcastic by telling you it wasn't the best of things, simply because that it was part of the whole "BLCU" experience. Being an 18 year old, first time away from home, it was the best feeling in the world. Lunch would cost 1/3 of what it would normally cost in Hong Kong. And needless to say, the food, with all the MSG in the world, tasted AMAZING.
Related post: The Muslim Restaurant At The Beijing Language and Culture University
Classes were quite chill. From 08:30-12:30 you would have classes. People were smoking in the hallways. You would literally speak at least four languages before you get from the entrance to the last classroom on the ground floor. I usually said "anyang" for my Korean friends, Guten Morgen for my German friends, 早上好 [zao shang hao] for my Chinese friends, and morning for my English/American friends. I guess that counts as four right? Haha. It was amazingly diversified. I realised then that I wasn't exactly paying for the Chinese lessons in BLCU. I was paying for the "BLCU" experience. Diversity, pollution, good food, good people -- all united by language, beer, and coffee.
I bailed because I didn't want to leave home. I was afraid. Most of the BLCU students who took up Chinese are usually done with their undergraduate degree. I just turned 18. I just finished high school. But that was it. The reason why it was one of the best decisions of my life was because I just finished high school. I didn't have to worry about student loans. I didn't have to worry about getting a job after I'm done with my Chinese studies. I had Hong Kong University waiting for me back in Hong Kong. I had everything planned out and set. Basically, that once in a lifetime opportunity was handcrafted for a person like me.
I learned Chinese like most beginners do. I partied, like most students did. I went out until the wee hours of the morning like normal human beings do. But the best part was, I had not a single worry on me. And that, I believe, allowed me to enjoy the Beijing experience more. We all have the same experiences as students and alumni of BLCU. After getting the certificate, we boost our qualifications. We are able to pride ourselves in accomplishing what only less than 1% of our countrymen could. We immersed ourselves in the culture and the language.
Related post: 10 Reasons To Study Chinese At The Beijing Language and Culture University
That was the whole point of taking a year off school, or work. To be immersed in "Beijing". But what I had and most of my friends didn't have, was true liberty to do so. While some of my friends worried about what to do by the end of June, I was touring the place, going to the Great Wall multiple times, going for breakfast in McD, lunch in Lush, and dinner in Propaganda. (Yes I do realise they wouldn't serve me dinner but I was thinking more of 5RMB tequila shots.) I was biking my way to Carrefour, walking to the computer centre beside it, then dropping by Friendship Hotel to see my friends who came from HK to visit.
Related posts: 6 Clubs And Bars Near The Beijing Language and Culture University
It was the best of both worlds really. I had the western upbringing and the Asian immersion. I was Asian by day, western by night. More importantly, however, was the fact that it gave me a true idea of what being an international means in this world we live in. There are 1.3-1.4 billion people in China. Mandarin Chinese is their primary language. Learning Chinese in a country that only speaks Chinese, living, breathing, and eating Chinese every single day not only helped me in my career and my studies, but in my focus and outlook in life.
I currently work in Hong Kong and deal with Mainland China on a daily basis. I use my Chinese to soften up the conversation. I use the culture I learned in China when dealing with my clients face to face. Because I understand the language, I also understood their culture. And because I didn't have a single worry when I was there, I absorbed more than most of my friends did, and that turned out to be priceless.
That is very true, but only to a certain extent. Majority of my friends in BLCU were either from Hong Kong, or the Philippines. I didn't have that many local friends. But for the friends that I did have, the relationships we built last until this very day.
The reason is simple. Imagine being alone in a country you have never been to before. In a country where English isn't exactly the main medium of instruction. If there are people from your home country, it wouldn't be more than a handful. Now, you have a choice of being alone and afraid the entire time you are there, or you can go find people that do speak English. And when you do find those people, you stick to them like glue. Because if you don't, you are alone again.
Related post: Learn Chinese From The Locals At The Beijing Language and Culture University
These "new friends" help you out in everything you need. There is a slight chance that one of them has a more advanced understanding of Chinese, so that person becomes the group's go to person. You help each other out in assignments, in lessons, and pretty much spend the entire day together. Remember, you don't have anyone else to speak to except these guys. The rest of the world doesn't understand a single word you say.
Then you start learning more and more Chinese. Your group of friends decide to venture out and have a drink, have a nice meal in a posh place. So not only do you develop a classmate type friendship, but you then get to know these guys personally as well. You have a beer or two with them, get to know their stories.
Combine all the external factors and situations, cram that into a 6-month period, and there you have it. A friendship that would last a lifetime. I'm not sure if most would answer this question the way I did, but I can tell you from experience, the people I met on my first three weeks there are one of the best friends I've ever had. I may not see them all the time, but when we do meet up for a drink, it becomes epic.
I will keep this answer short. I don't remember much. It was a ghost town in the morning, and a traffic infested place in the afternoon and evening. Not of cars or busses, but of bikes and people.
I'd frequent the Wudaokou shopping building. It was literally a market back then. I'm not sure how it is now but back then, it felt like a flea market. Bargains everywhere, cheap everything. Toilets were squat toilets, no doors, and people smoked everywhere. The beauty of it? Everything was cheap cheap cheap. I don't think the locals knew how to really exploit that fact that there were so many foreigners there at that time. Or maybe they did, I just didn't realise it.
I went to Huaqing a lot. I eventually stayed there. Originally I was supposed to stay in the dorms. I stayed there for about a month. But I got sick and tired of it. You can't take the key out so if your roommate takes the key, you are locked out for the entire night. And it was just a pain living with someone who didn't really have the same interests as you.
Related post: 5 Advantages Of Living Off-Campus At The Beijing Language and Culture University
There was this pizza place in Huaqing. 25RMB all you can eat pizza, beer, etc. It was epic. Then you had the usual stores around. But I'm sure it doesn't compare to what it is now. I tell you, BLCU and Wudaokou during the winter semester was pretty much a ghost town. Now that I think about it, most of my time was either spent in my place, the classroom, the bars, Sammy's, or Wangfu.
What were some of your favourite places around campus (cafes, restaurants, bars, shops, etc.)?
I'm not sure if it is still there but the place was called Sammy's cafe. It was close to the basketball courts and the Muslim restaurant. I may be mistaken with the places though. But it was called Sammy's. I would spend my hours after class there. Up until around 8 or 9 pm. I would either be studying, or hanging out with friends in the back rooms playing some sort of card game. If I wasn't at home, most of my friends could find me there. There wasn't any phone reception in the back rooms either so if my friends tried to reach me and I couldn't be reached, they knew where to find me.
Related post: 5 Restaurants Near The Beijing Language and Culture University You Might Not Know About
Why would you encourage someone who is unsure to take the leap and go to Beijing to study at BLCU?
Studying in BLCU teaches you a lot of things in life, and I'm sure most of the alumni would agree. You are leaving the comfort of your own home and immersing yourself in this place called Beijing. BLCU is an added bonus because they are an amazing and reputable institution that produces great Chinese speakers, and more importantly, produces better individuals. The student life as I remember it back then was probably the most exciting thing I've experienced.
The school has complete amenities, admits students from all corners of the globe, and instills in students an open minded approach to learning both the language and the culture. You aren't going to a place to read the book. You are going to a place to experience what has been written on the book. What I am trying to say is, would you rather read a book that talks about Beijing and the language and the culture, or would you rather experience it first hand, and maybe write a book about it someday?
Related post: An Introduction To Life At The Beijing Language and Culture University
How much did your Chinese improve during your six month course?
From zero knowledge to being able to converse with strangers about a normal day. I'm not exaggerating this either. If you went to BLCU, and lived there for at least 6 months, you had to learn Chinese. Carrying a dictionary around just won't cut it. Everything you did required that you say a few words in Chinese. Everything. Eating, drinking, going to the bank, going to a place in the city, buying something, haggling with the stores, even ordering your coffee. BLCU and the campus made it a point that their staff and employees don't speak that much English. And that in itself serves as the main reason as to why I became conversational. I could read the characters too, and type in pinyin.
Related post: 7 Chinese Study Tips For Success At The Beijing Language and Culture University
Of course, you need to practice the writing and calligraphy if you wanted to keep it. I haven't taken a single Chinese class since I left BLCU, but I still use Chinese in my everyday work. My colleagues would be amazed as to why I would understand their conversations, or understand their emails. It comes to a point where they become frustrated because I'm supposed to be this 外国人 who says 我听不懂，我不会说，我不知道。 如果我听不懂，不会说，也不会读， 应该有一个很大的问题。I'm sure my grammar is a little bit off but because I can read and understand, I have no problems with my workplace.
Would you like to go back to BLCU some time in the future? What would you do on that trip, and what would it mean to you to be able to revisit a place that gave you so many great memories?
I would love to go back to BLCU some time in the near future. First thing I will do is go to the cafeteria and get myself a true Gongbao Jiding. The one with lots of MSG and salt. Then, I would walk through the basketball court. I played a lot of ball with a lot of people back then. And it was fun.
The reason why BLCU was such an amazing experience for me was because of the people I met while I was there. BLCU became home because of those groups of people. They say home is where the heart is. Home was BLCU for six months because my heart was with the people I met. Truth be told, BLCU was great. The school, the staff, the employees, the facilities. Everything was great. But what made that experience the best thing I've ever done was the people I met. Without them, I don't think I would have enjoyed BLCU as much as I did.
To all those thinking of going to BLCU, I say do it. You never know who you would meet there. The place is great, food is amazing. But more specifically, the people you will meet there will have such a huge impact on your life moving forward. I was an 18 year old kid who didn't have any experience with living alone or leaving home. But because of the people I met, it became a story I will pass down to my grandchildren. It shaped who I am and what I will be. The place and the experience helped me and continue to help me to this very day.
And it isn't just about learning the language. It is about the whole experience. The place taught me how to cook, how to do my laundry, how to live away from the comforts of life, and how to make the best of every situation. It taught me how to grow up. It's one thing to go away for college because you are still within your comfort zone. But to go halfway around the world, now that is an adventure you wouldn't want to miss.
One last thing...
Access blocked websites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and more from BLCU and China with PureVPN!
when will lg g5 will release ?
ReplyDeletePerfect article. after a long time back, i got a perfect article and you wrote it very nicely. Thank you so much for the share here...
ReplyDeleteVisit here
Is there any working ps3 emulator?
ReplyDelete