First of all I need to thank those who let me by email or in Gtalk about having difficulty getting to my blog, really appreciate that! And I was also happy that people are reading my blog and check it frequently, a big motivation for me!

About the problem, it was a power outage in Dreamhost. I thought the guys wouldn’t take long to solve the problems, until it lasted for two days, so I dropped them a message. They replied within one hour, which was pretty impressive, and told me they changed the IP of my domain, I just need to modify it myself. I did, and problem solved, now my blog is back! Yeah!

If there is any problem in future, I will try to be the first one to know and solve it asap. However if you have any difficulties of accessing or posting comment, please do let me know, because I can’t use check those functions myself frequently. Appreciate that, thank you!

Ok, happy blogging, happy reading!

Everytime when I talk about my degree to new people I met, nine out of ten will ask me “Why do you come to UK to study Japanese?”. Why nine out of ten? Because there are still people don’t have a clear idea of the difference of China and Japan, or Asia. Anyway, I think it’s time to write down the reasons of “Why I am studying Japanese in UK”.

Want something different

Before I came to UK, my plan was to study one year English and then go to a university to do a business degree (mainly on management), like many other Chinese students will do here. But after soon I arrived here, I found out there are so many other Chinese students were doing the same thing. When I visited some universities and saw their class of business, more than half of the students there were Chinese. It’s almost like a mini Chinatown. And when they came out of the classroom, Chinese is the language they use to discuss their homework. I don’t say this is bad or something, but this is just not the thing I want when I come to another country to study a university degree. So from that point, I started considering some courses that more than just Business, and something less popular to Chinese students here.

In my application to Durham, I chose Asian studies and Management. But then in the telephone interview with professor of Durham University, he suggested me “Why don’t you consider taking another language, say Japanese, it would be better for you in your career in future if you are interested in Asia and also business”. Japanese? I did read a lot Japanese comics when I was little and quite interested in Japanese culture, but never thought that I would take it seriously as a university degree, it’s a big thing to me! So I replied to the professor that I need some times to think about it.

I talked to my parents about that. After I told them my thoughts, they were very supported. Plus if I take that course, I can go to Japan for one year as an exchange student from Durham, which it’s a great opportunity for me.

I was only 18 at that time. When I was in China my parents made most important decisions for me (but of course with the respect to my opinions), but this time, they couldn’t made decisions for me anymore, I had to do it myself. So after a few days considerations, I decided to take the offer from Durham. I was going to study something only came into my mind in a few days time for four years, that was pretty crazy.

Good choice?

I have been studying Japanese for three years now, plus had one year great experience in Japan. Looking back to what I have learned and experienced, I think I made a good choice.

My original will was to study Management, however, from what I have studied in class and worked with other people, I found that management is a subject that needs more practical experiences. Especially “globalisation” becoming a popular term nowadays, the understanding of another culture is essential for business. The year abroad experience in Japan gives me a huge advantage in this aspect. Not only the Japanese cultures I learnt, but more significantly my ability to adopt another new culture.
In term of career prospect, I’ve got one more language advantage aside from management studies. However, whether it’s useful or not still depends the coming year - whether I can get a prospective job or not.

Making choice right, not making the right choice

Often when people making choices, the first question is “Am I making a right choice?”. I did too. But now, I realise that “Whether I can make the choice right” is more important.

There is a mid-age Chinese lady working in my restaurant. I saw her on my first day at work but didn’t talk to her until last week. After a little greeting, she asked me where am I from in China, I said Shantou, then she went on and asked the name of the road near my house. I was a bit surprised but then she told me her husband is also from Shantou and she go there almost every year. Her family is living in Oxford now and her husband is working at the Chinese medicine shop in city center. I was so excited when I heard that, because it’s very rare to meet people from my hometown abroad. I know a few friends from Shantou and studying in UK now, but I have never meet Shantounese randomly like this.

So after work, I went to her husband’s shop right away. While I was living in Oxford three years ago, I walked past that shop many times but I had never thought the doctor inside is just from my hometown, how weird is that! I remember I even spoke to him once when I tried to ask for a part-time job, but that was in Mandarin so I couldn’t tell he is Shantounese.

Anyway, he was very friendly. His wife already introduced me to him before and went, so he talked to me in Shantou dialect straight away. It’s so strange to speak Shantou dialect outside Shantou. For those who don’t know about Shantou dialect, it’s a language that completely different to Mandarin or Cantonese. It’s kind of similar to Fukien, but still a lot differences. In short, it’s one of the Chinese dialects but only people from Shantou area could understand. I only speak to my parents in our weekly phone call or when I went home, other than I haven’t got a chance to use it at all. That’s why I felt so strange. And he, I should call him Dr. He (not English “he”, it’s Chinese family name “He”), was like me. Since he has been living in England for many years, it’s harder for him to speak Shantou dialect. However, we still tried to speak even though it would be way easier if just speak Mandarin.

Both of us were very happy to meet each other on that day, and a few days ago he introduced another Shantou student Ke to me. Ke is currently doing a MA in Oxford Brookes University and also the vice-president of Chinese student community in Oxford. He is an excel and smart guy.

It seems like a cultural sense that people from Shantou (or say Chaoshan area) are very united when they are abroad. There are a lot of stories about Shantou people united together and achieve great success in their overseas lives. Live examples would be those successful businessmen in South East Asia countries like Singapore or Thailand, most of the richest people there are originally from Shantou area. And Li Ka Shing, wealthiest person in Hong Kong and East Asia, is Shantounese too.

I am pound of being a shantounese, and wish I could be one of those successful ones in future.

Haven’t updated my English blog for a while, because I can’t access Internet as easy as before. But somehow I found it’s a good thing as it kinda stops me from surfing the net but not doing anything productive. Anyway, here are a few things to update in my recent life.

Working in Burger King

I have been working in burger king for almost two weeks now. I was running around Oxford right after I arrived here looking for some summer job. Just of one of the trying, I went into Burger King to hand in my CV, and the manager looked and said “come here tomorrow, you get the job”.

This is my first time working in a fast food store, but I like it. OK I have to it’s very busy most of the time, but I prefer being busy at work than standing and doing nothing like waitering in restaurant. Time pass much quicker when you are actually doing something. Also the people I am working are friendly. They teach me all the time no matter I ask the same question all the time. The managers are nice people too. “It’s not that important what I do, it’s more important who I work with”, as I said before.

There are a lot of interesting stories from everyday’s work. I am writing a “Burger Daily” in my Chinese blog, possibly will translate them into English later.

Meeting new people

While I was looking for jobs in the first few days, once I went into a sandwich shop and asked if they need staff. There was a Japanese student working there and I told her I am studying Japanese, she was surprised like any other people that I came to study in England but part of my degree is Japanese (I might write about this in future).

Because the shop is in city center, I dropped by and say hello every time I walked past it, and now we became friends. She invited me to her friends’ parties I met more new friends. Last week they rent a car and about 10 of us went to Brighton together. The beach there is so nice!

Watching “friends”

Found a box of whole “Friends” series in the house, then I knew this is going to very dangerous because once I started it’s hard to stop. But “friends” is just one thing that you can’t resist, so I let myself get indulged. I now spend about 2 hours a day watching it, I’m at season four at the moment when Ross is going to marry that British girl Emily. Her accent is so British I have to say, especially in an American TV show, the difference is so distinguished.

Ok, that’s all for the last ten days.