The Chinese Dream

By+Emefa+Abla+Adjei

if I had not come to China， I would not have learned so many things and I would have continued to believe in the myths we have at home. So the first lesson I learned in China is believe something only after you see it with your own eyes.

I come from Ghana， the country Lonely Planet calls“West Africas golden child.” I arrived in Beijing from Accra in 2016 on a Chinese Government scholarship to do my Masters in communication. When I landed here in September， straight from a tropical country where there is no winter， I discovered winter for the first time. I also discovered I didnt have adequate winter clothes. So on the second day of my arrival， after I had slept for hours to get over the jet lag， I headed for the market with two more friends from Ghana.

It was an eye-opener！ Everything at the mall - the clothes， shoes， bags， you name it - sent us into raptures. They were so desirable and the quality was so superb. In Accra we had the impression that Chinese goods were of inferior quality. But after living in China， I have realized that its not the Chinese manufacturers who are to blame but the Ghanaian traders who pass over quality goods and knowingly take low-quality products back home with them so that they can make a quick profit.

The second lesson came on my first trip on the subway. My two friends and I were unfamiliar with the system and could not figure out how to go to our destination. We went to the wrong station and after having come out of the electronic gate， realized our mistake. We were going to leave the station， writing off the money spent on the tickets， when an amazing Chinese commuter came to our rescue.

She had been watching us for some time and though she didnt speak a lot of English， nevertheless， she came over and explained to us where we would have to go. Not just that， she then went to the ticket counter and bought three tickets for all three of us， three total strangers. Back home， we used to think the Chinese were not very friendly. But this incident opened our eyes. During my stay in China， I have met with such kindness and friendliness from both friends and strangers alike. On the New Years Day， our Chinese classmates brought dumplings for us to start 2017 on a delicious note. And when we go about our business in the city， so many people stop to talk to us， and to ask us where we are from. Many are fascinated by our hair， asking if they could touch the braids and enquiring how we do our hair.

My classes have given me a valuable insight that I will take back with me to Ghana. During the course， we were educated in media literacy， which means to analyze whatever the media tells you and not to consume everything it says. Back home， there is zero media literacy education. When I go home， I want to start a project for kindergarten students to teach them how to react to all those advertisements on the TV and other channels that promise miracles while selling food products. For example， you have this drink which promises you instant energy. I want to teach them to look beyond the labeling.

This is very important because of rising obesity and heart diseases worldwide. A lot of it is due to eating junk food and not enough vegetables. The seeds of many of these diseases are sown during school-going days. You have to make them aware from that stage so that they can prepare and protect themselves.

My course will end around August but I would like to come back to China. My most important discovery is that it is the land of possibilities. It has so many opportunities， you have to just get over the language barrier. My dream is to start my own export-import business； perhaps I can network and find a business partner in China. There are so many people in China like us， exploring so many opportunities. Its not the American Dream that people are following today. Its the Chinese Dream.