After the New Year, I embraced the summer in the southern hemisphere. Upon arriving in New Zealand, I encountered floods and storms. It was not smooth sailing when trying to get a phone card or a bank card, and I experienced many unlucky incidents. However, the landscapes I saw in New Zealand and the people I met were enough to heal everything.

At first, when I learned that the school I would be working at was a boys' high school, I felt uneasy and apprehensive because I had never had contact with high school boys before. But after arriving at the school, my apprehension gradually faded away. My lead teacher is an excellent Chinese teacher, and the school's Chinese curriculum is well-established. Unlike primary and middle schools, studying Chinese in high school comes with certain academic requirements and exams. Therefore, it is not only important for the students to be interested in and enjoy learning Chinese, but we also need to help them improve their Chinese proficiency and pass exams, giving them the opportunity to continue studying Chinese in university.

In the first week of my arrival, both the students and I were strangers to each other. I made an effort to remember the names of all the students learning Chinese, and they were curious about this new Chinese face, but mostly unfamiliar. As the following weeks passed and we had more interactions, I gradually became acquainted with the students. They started greeting me or asking questions proactively when they saw me. I hope that through a year of getting to know each other and learning Chinese, both my students and I can gain and grow.

During my leisure time, I enjoy taking walks by the seaside and hiking in the natural forests. When I immerse myself in nature, I often feel that humans are insignificant and that our worries are trivial. Through my interactions with nature, I have learned to be comfortable with solitude, to find inner harmony, and to accept myself.

Author: Chen Kexin