What country have you always wanted to visit?
YangJing: I really want to go to Italy. I watched a movie called Roman Holiday which made me really want to go to Rome. I want to go to the Wishing well, Bullring, Piazza Venezia and there are so many other places I want to visit.
Italy is an amazing country and is a collection of art, romance and fashion. I want to see European architecture and to experience a different culture.
What was your favorite traveling experience?
YangJing: I have many favorite traveling experiences, but one made more of an impression on me. Last year, in May, my mom and I went to Hangzhou together and on the first day, we went to Wuzhen and we really enjoyed it.
It also happened to be the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival and it was the first time we had managed to celebrate it together since I was 15 years old. We watched the show, took lots of photos and had a really nice dinner there. It was an unforgettable experience.
What language have you always wanted to learn and why?
YangJing: I have always wanted to learn Korean because both the grammar and pronunciation are simple to understand and it would also be helpful for watching Korean TV!
More and more Koreans are coming to China to study Mandarin nowadays, and would help with teaching if I could speak Korean. When I eventually travel to Korea, I would also be able to communicate with the native Korean people.
What does your home-country's culture value that is taught in your program?
YangJing: In China, it is almost imperative that you treat people to dinner if you want to do business with them and there are lots of rules for how to behave at dinner, even the way we drink alcohol! Firstly, there is seat culture. The seat facing the door is for the host, and the seat to the right of the host is for the most important guest.
Secondly, there is something called “quan jiu”. Chinese people like to persuade others to drink because, in their opinion, drinking the alcohol quickly and completely shows you are friendly to the people who propose the toast, while sipping your cup shows the opposite. Thirdly, Chinese people like to say “gan bei” when they drink. You shouldn’t be afraid of this or embarrassed about your Chinese. It isn’t completely necessary to say “gan bei” properly, just try your best.