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Making friends with local Chinese people is an important part of your life when you stay and study in China. Some good Chinese friends cannot only be good company for you when you’re far away from home and family but also facilitating elements for your language study.
For an outgoing or a people person, making friends is something very normal and easy. However, for those who are shy or sensitive to cultural differences, it could be something challenging.
If you’re one of them, I would say you will find it’s not as difficult as you imagine after reading this article.
You might be curious or frightened when you first arrived in China. Why do people keep staring at me and giggling? Do I look weird or have something wrong with me? Am I behaving rudely? Stop! You’re just worrying too much.
Most of the Chinese people are friendly and enthusiastic to foreigners. However, as you can tell, there are big differences between the appearances of Chinese people and foreigners. When Chinese people are staring at you, it’s mainly because they’re interested in your exotic looks and curious about your culture. They just don’t know how to show their hospitality to you until they can confirm whether you speak English or Mandarin.
People say that only common values and interests can bring a group of people together and be friends. Still, the differences between cultures are the biggest attraction for communication and information exchange in this situation.
To integrate into the local people’s life, you don’t have to act and speak exactly like them. You just need to stay open mind, be friendly and be yourself.
When you start your new life in an extraordinary city, it would be difficult and no clue. Where can I meet good people? What kind of activities can I attend to find someone sharing common hobbies?
A local sports club would be a good option for a sports fan. Basketball, Rugby, Soccer ball, cycling, hiking, etc., you can find any sports club that you can name out if you’re in Kunming. This is a dynamic city full of fun for the sports lover.
Except for sports, there are also various activities you can join. Dancing club and dancing class, free language exchange event held at Keats School every Wednesday night, theme parties at different pubs and bars. Social life in Kunming can be active and lively. Lots of Chinese people also share a love for the party too.
Besides these bustling events, you can also find places to learn handcrafts such as pottery and painting while meeting people simultaneously. Or you can also go to the professional gym workshop to make friends with lovers of workouts.
Attending a small Chinese class could also be a good way to meet people with common interests and who share the same values. The small group Chinese class offered by Keats School is always a good platform for foreigners to meet people and make friends.
Most Chinese are a fan of gourmet, not only local gourmet or Chinese gourmet, but the gourmet across the world.
It would be good to invite Chinese people to join a meal together. They would take it as a sign of hospitality and friendship. During the meal, you could share lots of information and get to know each other furthermore. Don’t know what to order in a Chinese restaurant? Check out the TOP popular 20 Chinese dishes to order in a Chinese restaurant.
Among tons of Chinese gourmet, hotpot is the most popular meal among Chinese people. The boiling soup and smoking hot flavor of the food is just like the hospitality of Chinese people. The steaming air of the hotpot can melt any ice among strangers or people still not that familiar with each other.
Inviting Chinese people to enjoy a meal at your place is also a good way to show your hospitality and friendly attitude, especially when you can share the food of your homeland. It’s a good way to introduce your culture and let others know more about who you are. At the same time, you guest would know that you’re happy to make friends with them.
Like an old saying, “A friend in need is a friend indeed,” your support and encouragement will let your Chinese friends feel your sincerity when they confront problems. The best thing about having a friend is always about getting supported and encouraged by somebody you trust and love. Because the power a single person can have is too limited, and true friendship enables you to get supported by your friends, therefore you can produce great and magical power.
In fact, we all know that getting along between people is a very complicated thing. Friends are so precious; it is not really that easy to have some true friends. But if you can treat others sincerely and show your respect and honesty, you will harvest the best friendship.
When facing problems with people around you, the best way is to tell them your truest thoughts and cover up the problem with so-called white lies. When you don’t know what to do, telling the truth is the best way to solve the problem.
My name is Sarah Fish. I am 81. I knew very little Chinese when I arrived. How was I going to survive 2 weeks of intensive Chinese course? I have to laugh when I think of that now. What a positive experience this has been! I really wish we could be here a little longer. The teachers are extremely encouraging, evaluating first how much someone knows, and then starting from there.
I found Keats School and I am so glad that I did. When you learn Chinese in China at Keats, you are fully being taken care of. My teacher is really great and we become lovely friends.
I really had a wonderful experience at the school. The teachers are very very friendly. In my class, we practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing. We play games and other fun activities. We have trips around town. The staff at Keats is phenomenal. My teacher is one of the best teachers I have ever had in my educational experience. She comes in with a smile every day.
I found Keats to be very good, teachers are excellent and really take the students seriously. Kunming is the best place to learn Mandarin in China. The environment is awesome, no pollution. The air quality is great, good weather. The people here are very friendly. I come to take classes every day. I feel comfortable studying Chinese at Keats. I learned so many things, although I only studied at Keats for 2 months. I am really satisfied with my teacher. For us foreigners, Keats is the best Chinese school in China. Therefore, I would highly recommend Keats to all of you.
It is very convenient to come to Kunming from Thailand. I really like my Chinese class and my Chinese improved a lot in a few months. There are many benefits of learning Chinese. The best thing I like about Keats is that it is in Kunming, a city with eternal spring. There is so much to see in Kunming and you will love this city after you come.
Since last semester, we started studying Chinese at Keats. It was the best choice we can ever make. It is a really good school. The classes are a lot of fun, you learn a lot, but very interactive, so you talk a lot which means it is not just books and writing. Kunming is a really pleasant city to live in, especially if you compare it to other cities in the east. If you like to travel, if you like to study Chinese in a fun way, Keats has the best Chinese language program for you.
My first semester that I studied at another school, and the pressure there was pretty high, the classroom hour was long, and the homework was pretty tedious. Since I came to Keats, I found I have a lot more opportunities to speak in the classroom. My classmates all are fluent and love speaking and participating in the class. We have great classroom dynamic.
I have 2 teachers, and I do 4 hours a day. So I have got Dong Laoshi and Jin Laoshi. Both of them are very good. They made the experience very nice to me. They are willing to help you whenever, so if you ever have a question here, the teachers are always there to help you whether it is visas, whether it is getting around the city. Everyone wants to talk to you.