It has been few months since we came back to Shantou. I remember it was September when we left here last time, and now, instead of the baking-hot summer, here comes the lively warm spring. And the days in Paris have never faded out from our memories.
I miss the friends I made in France who are from Germany, Japan, Brazil, Russia, etc. and the days we had class together, worked for projects as the most international team, loving the sparkles created by combinations of different cultures and personalities. I will not forget our teachers either, their adorable French accent, their witty English humor, their patience and even their stereotype of Chinese student as the most hard-working and intelligent ones.
It was a beautiful experience in general indeed, but it was never easy to adapt to a new environment, and there was no exception for Paris. From all the paper works and physical examinations for the residence permission at the beginning, to the confusion caused by the third language, different foods, different schedule and even discriminations, all these dispiriting matters did make us stressful and helpless. However, it was the challenges we faced and the bitter taste of life that reminded us the meaning of youth, which derived us to be stronger and better. And all it needed to come over those negative situations was a positive attitude and the confidence of being ambitious.
I do chase back to our memories in Paris sometimes: the century-old but artistic subway and its stations, the iconic Eiffel Tower just few blocks away from school, a sunny afternoon walk along the Seine River, all the fancy museums and the cuddling couples standing quietly in front of the “Le Bassin aux Nympheas” by Claude Monet……
Paris, the city of dreams, I once owned the honor to take a closer look.
——2011 International Trade and Economic Qiu Yufang
2012 Marketing Fan Zhiya
