What inspired you to travel abroad?
Last October 2023, I had been studying Chinese (Mandarin ??) for almost three years, mostly through a diploma in modern languages at a university in Australia. For this reason, I was keen to go to China to improve my language skills and also delve into the culture of a country I have never visited, even though my mother is 100% Southern Chinese by DNA (Cantonese). So when LingoInn offered a scholarship competition opportunity on their Instagram account, I immediately wanted to enter it with the hope that I might finally be able to visit for several weeks.
Teacher Wang and her husband at Cangyan Shan temple complex.
Why did you choose Lingoinn Teacher Homestay?
LingoInn invited people to submit a short video to enter their annual scholarship competition. I decided to try out and was very lucky to be selected. The scholarship provided up to GBP 500 discount for a one-week homestay program with any of their teachers in China. Although I did feel nervous about accepting the scholarship because I had never been to China before and had to undertake the homestay program within three months of accepting the scholarship, I felt it was too good an opportunity to pass over. Moreover, my partner and family advised me not to go because they felt I wouldn't have enough time to prepare. But LingoInn answered all of my questions attentively and patiently, and I felt assured that I could trust them and have a good experience.
What was your favorite part about your host city?
My one-week homestay in Shijiazhuang in October 2023 was extraordinary and wonderful. It was so hard for me to decide on my favorite part; I just loved all of it! My host, Teacher Wang, and her husband were extremely kind. They opened their home to me so I could share their various life activities at any time. Teacher Wang is both a very experienced teacher and a kind person. I thought she would only spend the designated time with me for lessons, but she was very happy to introduce many aspects of Chinese life to me. I could ask her questions at any time, from eating, walking the dog, shopping, or watching TV. I learned tons of vocabulary, and my Chinese has improved a lot.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
Several years before this homestay experience with LingoInn, I found a beautiful photograph in an op shop of a Chinese temple spanning a bridge over a mountainous chasm. It was at Cangyan Mountain. When I received news that I had been awarded the scholarship, I explored all the teachers and their specialties. By chance, I discovered that the Cangyan Mountain was near Shijiazhuang; moreover, Teacher Wang was the only teacher who offered ?? guqin lessons! So I had to choose her! Teacher Wang said it was ?? (fate). The tour with Teacher Wang and her husband to Cangyan Mountain was full of learning opportunities but was also very enjoyable. It was very interesting not only to see the landscape and typical rural lifestyles on the drive to and from the mountain temple complex but also to study the infrastructure and discuss anything I saw with my teacher. Although it was a long walk and the completed tour was about seven hours, they cared for me like a family member, making sure I was always comfortable and safe. I was very impressed that they were both willing to do the entire walk with me, and no one quarreled or complained! I also enjoyed the Chinese musical instrument Guqin lessons.
Kelly’s bedroom upstairs.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
Before and during the program, I had no problems contacting Lingoinn for any questions. Ying (Academic Director) was always polite, responsive, and very well organized. She answered every question patiently and in great detail, so I felt greatly assured that I could trust this organization and have a successful trip. Moreover, Ying was a stalwart support when I had a bad toothache after only a couple of days in China. She and Teacher Wang kindly discussed the situation, and as I had travel insurance, Teacher Wang arranged for me to consult a dentist in Shijiazhuang. It was an extremely daunting experience, but with Teacher Wang acting as a translator with the dentist, everything went smoothly. It turned out that I needed a root canal but was unable to receive treatment owing to my only being in Shijiazhuang for one week. The root canal treatment was spaced over two or three weeks. So I was given antibiotics. The exceptional support provided by Teacher Wang was her great kindness and sensitivity in providing very soft, mild foods and liquids thereafter to reduce the pain felt by my very painful tooth. She went to no end of trouble to help and reassure me when I felt extremely embarrassed. It could have been a disastrous time for me to be in a lot of pain and still trying to do lessons and get the full experience, but we got over this smoothly, and the painkillers all helped!
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
There are a few things that I wish I had done differently: (1) I wish I had known in advance how to withdraw cash from the Bank of China, as it took me about six hours to walk around Shanghai, trying to find a bank that would accept my Australian bank cards; (2) I wish I had visited the dentist before I left Australia, so I hadn't had toothache while I was in China; (3) I wish I had gone on some tours to visit museums, art galleries, hear music concerts, and so on, when I was by myself in Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hangzhou. I made one attempt but, on arrival, found that the museum in Shanghai was closed for renovations; (4) I wish I had learned how to bargain confidently before I went to China so that I wasn't afraid to try when I went to markets or artisan shops in China; (5) I wish I had known how warm and humid it could be in Shanghai in October, as I would have visited in late autumn or winter instead; (6) I wish my linguistic and cultural abilities were better so that I knew more about what foods to order; and (7) I wish I had had more experience using apps in China, to hire a bike or scooter, or a taxi, etc. as I made a taxi driver angry when I made some mistakes, and I was unable to hire a bike owing to not having a Chinese phone number.
Teacher Wang's guqin ???
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
When staying with Teacher Wang in Shijiazhuang, I would wake up a bit after 8 AM, do my ablutions and get dressed, and go downstairs for breakfast, for which I was always late. I had my own large bedroom upstairs with an ensuite and a study adjoining it. The area upstairs was immaculately clean, spacious, light and airy. There was also a laundry with an indoor clothesline and a washing machine in a fully tiled room. Teacher Wang woke up at 6 AM or so and had everything well and truly ready by the time she called me. I was always a bit tired, so she let me sleep in. Breakfast would be congee, vegetables, some fruit, yogurt and milk, boiled eggs, as well as meat. I was quite shy about eating with strangers and felt awkward, but I enjoyed whatever was served, though I tended not to eat very much. After breakfast, I would go back upstairs to get study materials ready. Then, the class began around 9 AM. The Chinese lesson was supposed to be three hours each day (if I remember correctly), but we had plenty of breaks and qigong exercises. After lunch, a heartier version of breakfast, yet just as beautifully served, we had a rest for half an hour or so. Then we would go for a walk with ??, the miniature German shepherd (extremely cute and proud), do some shopping, whatever needed to be done, and everything was an opportunity to talk, learn, share information, and get to know each other. Teacher Wang was down-to-earth, relaxed, casual, happy, and always had a great sense of humor. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons, I had a guqin lesson for two hours, one of my life's most unique experiences. Guqin music is unspeakably beautiful in a very restful, mentally calming way; it is ancient and somehow speaks to a primitive need for quiet knowledge of the earth. That week, I also had my hair cut, visited a dentist, a pharmacist, various supermarkets and shops, and had a lovely dinner at a restaurant on the final night.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
During our walks around the large apartment block compound and the streets outside, Teacher Wang and I (and ??) would come across groups of people exercising and dancing. Teacher Wang encouraged me to join in on several occasions! I enjoyed asking Teacher Wang to explain things I saw, like banners or what certain foods were. She always helped me to cross the street, as I would panic when the scooters seemed to be aiming straight for me, and I wasn't used to vehicles coming from my left on starting to cross a road. I really enjoyed her company.
One of Kelly’s Chinese lessons with Teacher Wang involved writing this poem by Li Bai.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I had an upstairs area all to myself, including a large room with a queen-size bed, desk, cupboard, and large window. An adjacent toilet and shower were very convenient. There was also a study that was naturally well-lit and had a laundry area with an indoor clothesline. I loved the flat, thin mattress with the thick cotton cover; the pillows were also covered with these pieces of fabric, quite a bit like table placemats or thin rugs. It was very comfortable and hygienic. I liked the interesting three-way opening window in the bathroom, which could be an awning and casement window, depending on which hinge was used, for the purpose of having a double-insulated glass window or an insect-screened opening. It was very quiet, private, and comfortable, and I slept increasingly well over the week.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
If not used to traveling to China, participants need to bring facemasks and air purifiers, as the air pollution can be shockingly bad. Luckily, the smog was not in the dark maroon range (the worst) during my stay and was even quite good on Sunday when we went out into the countryside to the Cangyan Mountain temple complex. However, in the weeks after I left, I noticed Shijiazhuang's air pollution index had gotten extremely bad. I ran the air purifier in my room constantly, and outdoors, I would always wear a facemask. I would add that this program is really good value. The interactions with Teacher Wang and her husband were incredible: they opened their home in such a relaxed, welcoming way that I felt truly valued and that I was safe with them. They made me feel very comfortable and made every effort to make sure I was well cared for. Even though I'm nearly fifty years old, it's so nice to be looked after by happy, down-to-earth people. I was nervous about this relationship and was unceasingly polite in the first few days until Teacher Wang mildly stated that my politeness was creating a bit of distance between us, and I could relax and just treat this as my home.Would you recommend Lingoinn to others? Why?
I definitely would recommend LingoInn, Ying, the business owner/manager, and Teacher Wang in Shijiazhuang. They are all genuine, trustworthy, kind, and good-hearted people who made me feel comfortable and safe and made sure my first trip to China went smoothly. Although I expressed some anxiety before the trip and had all kinds of questions, I was able to manage my worries and navigate successfully, such that I actually didn't need all the help that was offered. But it was really nice, anyway, e.g., being picked up at the railway station on the night of my arrival in Shijiazhuang and taken to the hotel where I would stay the first night.
Kelly’s first taste of Chinese tea with Mr. Liu.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
Going to China allowed me to experience first-hand this amazing, ancient culture that cannot be appreciated through the distorting lens of mainstream media. One has to be there in person to see, hear, smell, feel, taste, and sense it all for oneself and try to make one's mind up. Moreover, I had a major confidence boost on realising that I could get around by myself, without a tour guide company or others to make decisions, even though my Chinese language skills were still only intermediate. The two things go together to create the ability to understand another culture.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
My aural and speaking skills were noticeably better when I returned home, and now, a year later, I've begun reading more Chinese books. My perceptions/values have also changed somewhat, from mundane things like diet and home cooking ways of interacting socially to more complex things like political and financial systems and the effect on how people live off the kinds of religious beliefs they hold. I more deeply appreciate the clean skies free of air pollution and understand that the high quality of life I enjoy is tied to government decisions about the environment and safety standards, so I can't well complain about the cost of things at the same time as delighting in Australia's natural environment since they are connected.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means freedom to explore the world in a way that deepens one's own understanding and humanity, making an experience uniquely individual and rich in how it shares knowledge. It means speaking with and living with other human beings, letting them know who you are at heart, and connecting with them in a way that helps them to become better, wiser beings.
