Chinese Dreams of an Egyptian Songbird

LI WANGYA

I first met Israa Ahamed, known by her Chinese name Meiqi, at the second round of the Mandarin Star competition for foreign students in Beijing. I, along with all present, was deeply impressed with her pleasant demeanor, fl uent Chinese, graceful dancing and melodic singing voice.

We met again at Beijing Language and Culture University, where Meiqi studies Chinese. She had just completed a test on advanced Chinese geography. After looking through her dense pile of study materials I found that her course was no less diffi cult than might be expected of one at a Chinese high school. Walking through the leafy campus, we talked about Meiqis interest in Chinese language and love of Chinese culture.

Meiqi, 21, comes from Mansoura, Egypt. A keen soccer fan, she originally hoped to study Spanish at college after graduating from high school in 2009. Owing to the enormous popularity and consequent over-subscription of the program that year, however, she was disappointed. At the suggestion of one of her relatives, Meiqi decided to study Chinese at Ain Shams University. She soon developed a fascination for China and the Chinese language and culture.

“Id heard that Chinese is diffi cult to learn, but nonetheless fell in love with the language as soon as my course began, so it did not seem that hard,” Meqi recalled.

“The tones were frustrating at fi rst, because there are none in Arabic. But I tried my best to overcome the problem. I now find tones and polyphones a piece of cake.” Meiqi attributes her progress to diligence and persistence.

Keen Competitor

Fond of music since childhood, Meiqi was always charmed by Chinese music and its distinct rhythms, even though she had no idea what the lyrics meant. After learning Chinese pinyin, she began listening to Chinese songs and noting down the words, in the course of which she rapidly improved her Chinese language skills. “Back in Egypt, I always came top of my class in Chinese courses. We seldom had the chance to practice speaking it outside school, but I came to enjoy singing Chinese songs, which was an excellent exercise in listening and reading comprehension,” Meiqi said.

Her favorite female singers are Teresa Teng and Fish Leong.“Their voices express emotion and the songs they sing tell stories far removed from everyday life. Listening to them makes learning Chinese a rare pleasure.”

After gaining a basic command of the language, Meiqi began entering Chinese competitions both inside and outside her college. In December 2010, she took part in the 7th Ambassador Cup Chinese Singing Competition organized by the Chinese Culture Center in Cairo, and won second prize for her rendition of one of Fish Leongs songs. “I listen to far more Chinese than Arabic music,” Meiqi said in an interview with a Chinese periodical after the competition.

A couple of days later, Meiqi represented all students at the Confucius Institute in Egypt when she took part in the performance at the 5th Confucius Institute Conference held in Beijing. Meiqi and seven other students from different countries, including the U.S., Portugal, Norway and Kyrgyzstan, performed the well-known Chinese version of the Yugoslavian folk song Deep Sea, and received rapturous applause. Her fi rst visit to China made Meiqi determined to come back.

Meiqi clearly remembers that fi rst trip. “I was so excited at the prospect of going to Beijing I couldnt sleep for thinking about what it would be like, wondering if I could become accustomed to the life there, and planning my short stay. But when I arrived I felt just as at home as I would in my hometown in Egypt. I learnt a lot about this ancient city during my two-week stay, and gained a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.”

In July 2011, Meiqi reached a turning point in her life when she won third place in the qualifying round in Egypt of the 10th Chinese Bridge Chinese Profi ciency Competition for Foreign College Students. Her remarkable performance prompted Chinas Foreign Ministry to grant her a scholarship for a years study at Beijing Language and Culture University. The competition thus helped Meiqi realize her dream of re-visiting China.

Meiqi came to China in September 2011 to study Chinese history and classical culture. Within a few months of arriving in Bei-jing she had taken part in several Chinese competitions. At the 4th Mandarin Star competition in June this year, she answered in fluent Chinese a wide range of questions from the panel of judges. In addition to singing Chinese songs, Meiqi also played the flute in accompaniment to the bamboo clappers that beat out the rhymed, quasi-melodic “rap” in a musical arrangement traditionally known as kuaibanshu, and also performed a Uygur dance. All the judges commended her performances. On being asked what motivated her to learn Chinese and travel so far away from home, Meiqis concise answer was: love – love of the language and of the country.

Her achievements have spurred Meiqi to take part in all kinds of activities. “Ive been quite busy these days as I need to prepare for final exams and also for several performances. This Saturday Ill be taking part in the schools Chinese speaking test for foreign students. On Sunday, I host an art festival for foreign students.”

Colorful Life

Outside of class and competitions, Meiqi loves traveling and Chinese food. As a Muslim, she has a particular preference for Xinjiang Uygur cuisine, and is an able cook as well as a gourmet.“I like stir-fried dough slices the most, because it reminds me of the noodles my mother makes. I like noodles a lot, and cook them in different ways.” Each time she discovers a tasty dish, Meiqi logs on to the Internet or emails her Chinese friends to get the recipe so that she can cook and share it with friends.

Meiqi has traveled to Hangzhou, Changsha and Fuyang since she arrived, but her favorite spot is the Summer Palace in Beijing. “When I first visited the Summer Palace it reminded me of Montazah Garden in Egypt. Both are beautiful gardens that were originally royal summer resorts. I particularly like Kunming Lake. Whenever I have free time or feel I need a break, I sit by the lakeside and play the flute,” Meiqi said.

Meiqi most enjoys making friends with Chinese people. “My first friend in Beijing gave me my Chinese name,” Meiqi recalled.“At first I was known by a transliteration of my Arabic name Israa, pronounced Yisila. When, one day as I was having lunch in the school cafeteria, a Chinese girl sitting beside me asked my name and I told her it was Yisila she burst out laughing.” The girl told Meiqi that her name sounds like nisile, which in Chinese means “youre dead.” She then gave her the Chinese name Meiqi, meaning flawless jade.

Sad to Leave

Time flies, and Meiqis course in Beijing finishes at the end of August. She will then go back to her college studies in Egypt. Meiqi has enjoyed her year in Beijing to the full. “I have a deeper understanding of China. I love Beijing and feel sure Ill be back. I still have lots of dreams, and am determined to work hard enough to be able to return and make them come true.”

“My biggest wish is to use my knowledge and experience as a bridge between Egypt and China to help Chinese people learn more about Egypt and vice versa,” Meiqi said. She knows her love of Chinese language and culture will never fade because,“China gives me dreams and hopes.”