Videos in the Playlist:
1: Thanh Hoa 1 34 secs
2: Thanh Hoa 2 20 secs
3: Thanh Hoa 3 37 secs
4: Thanh Hoa 4 60 secs
5: Thanh Hoa 5 60 secs
6: Thanh Hoa 7 15 secs
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Today, I got the opportunity to participate in a Vietnamese student sport competition in Beijing. It was unbelievable! I definitely did not know what to expect when the day started, but it was more than I ever imagined. The competition was held at the Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU). At the event, there were so many Vietnamese students from all sorts of schools in Beijing. I could not believe that I was in Beijing surrounded by hundreds of Vietnamese students. Each school had their own sign which they proudly carried.
In the sport competition, I got to represent Tsinghua University (also known as Thanh Hoa in Vietnamese) in badminton. I played in a singles match and a male/female doubles match. We had a great team cheering us on and giving us a bunch of "加油" (cheers). It was a good bonding experience. I was probably the only Vietnamese American at the event, but there was just something special about hanging with people who share a common language and culture. We won second place in the two events I participated in: doubles badminton and three-legged race. As a result of placing, we got two really cool plaques and a total
of 200RMB. After the event, everyone went out to a Chinese-Muslim restaurant and celebrated the day's events.
During my time in China, I have found that in addition to the Syracuse Abroad students the Vietnamese students at Tsinghua have become sort of a family for me. In times of need, it's nice to know that there are people who understand my two-cultured world. It's particularly comforting to know that I can partake in both worlds and have the best of both worlds. I'm studying in China to improve my language skills, but in more ways than one I feel as if my Vietnamese language skills have strengthened and I feel even more connected to my Vietnamese culture. I would have never imagined that I would have the opportunity to hang out and learn from Vietnamese students studying in a country outside the U.S. It's a unique experience and one that I am grateful for.
Words can't express enough the feelings of the day, but I hope you enjoy the pictures!
Flag MementoEvery team/school got a flag to commemorate the event