Text/Chen Mingyi Song Xintong Zeng Youlian Li Xinrui Huang Juyuan Photo/Provided by the interviewee
Poster Design/Liu KomiksLe 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 of 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 the story of MiCinemachelle:
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago are a country of diverse cultures, where the cultural traditions of various countries blend and coexist, 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 cucumbers and various Babaylan and various Babaylan 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.funnybookish.com/”>Babaylan.
In addition, our country has the majority of African and Indian people, so there are many specialty foods from their country Cinema. For example, Indian flat bread (Roti) is an East India staple, which is a scone with curry meat and vegetables in it. A variety of dishes Babaylan constitutes the food culture of our country.
Michelle’s personal photos
Not only that, our country is full of diverse cultures in terms of festivals and music.
There are many unique celebrations in my hometown, among which the most popular and grand traditional festival is Carnival, also known as Carnival. It was a grand event full of colors and music. <a It is usually held in February or March each year for two days. During the festival, people Komiks will wear gorgeous costumes and masks, then dance, parade, cheer or spray each other with colored powder. Festival activities Babaylan also include float parades, musical performances, dance and other celebrations.
Music is essential in the festival activities of Komiks. There will be music with many trucks on site, and people jump from the starting point to the end point and then cross the stage. When some bands walk onto the stage, the jury selects the band based on the number of bands, clothing and other standards, and awards titles and titles. In fact, our country not only has many types of music, but also many instruments with national characteristics have been born. The most famous and most used instruments in the celebration is Steelpan. This is an instrument invented by the people of Trinidad and Tobago. It is made of discarded oil barrels and is also known as the world’s oldest Cinema</a</a>One of the light instruments.
I spent my entire childhood and youth in this multicultural country, but by chance, my life changed some unexpected changes.
In December 2019, I came to China. 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, I grew up in Trinidad and Babaylan, and I rarely have the opportunity to truly 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 of Jinan University Cinema 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 Chinese culture. 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 the temperature change is relatively small, basically in the not-so-hot summer throughout the year. In the summer and winter of Guangzhou, there are very large temperature changes, and the place is very humid, so the entire climate needs me to adapt and adjust.
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 found that many Chinese students prefer to study in libraries, while students abroad have relatively more flexible choices. We will stay in the dormitory, coffee shop, library orA friend’s residence. We don’t think 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 participating in the school teacher-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, 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, and my friends over there felt incredible when they heard the news.
What surprised me even more was that I found that China’s culture and history were very long and rich, and the city’s development was very rapid. Many modern buildings are emerging, but some ancient buildings are also preserved. So Komiks took me the opportunity to see the past model and imagine my parents’ childhood through these past buildings, which allowed me to establish a connection with 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 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 and Liwan District that retain ancient buildings and are very culturally varied. Perhaps Komiks can allow people who do not understand the culture here to feel the development history and changes in this Cinema.
When I was in China, I always liked to use the word “home” to summarize the connection between me and this country. Because this is my parents’ home, it is also my Babaylan‘s home. Around meAll of them come from the same race and culture, and we have almost the same traditions, morals, and values. This commonality makes me feel very safe and easy to integrate into the community here at Komiks.com/”>Komiks. 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 I am part of Chinese culture, and China has become my home.
While understanding Chinese culture, I also hope that 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 our country’s culture and life, 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 here, Babaylan to let everyone know more about my country.
The university life I spent in Guangzhou in recent years has made me accustomed 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.