Unforgettable
The starting point was Chinese embassy in Islamabad where along with other honourable guests Madam Diana Bao, the soul of the whole episode, was present
PakTurk International Schools and Colleges faculty experienced a memorable visit to China. It was all due to the keen interest of Chinese embassy, Islamabad. A group of seven teachers and administrators attended Chinese language classes at Beijing International Studies University BISU. The stay was amazing as it was full of historical and cultural sight-seeing. The visit was well planned and thought out as the management in Pakistan and China from the lowest level to the highest was highly responsible and caring.
The visit starts
The starting point was Chinese embassy in Islamabad where along with other honourable guests Madam Diana Bao, the soul of the whole episode, was present. The efforts of Madam Diana Bao in this regard are utmost praiseworthy as she made this happen with her keen interest and personal efforts. The ceremony ended with a refreshment party. At this very moment the journey to Beijing started.
All the group members reached Benazir International Airport on the eve of 11th July 2016, Monday. Early in the morning the airplane landed on the soil of Beijing at Capital International Airport. The guides Fu Pey (Ivy) and MeoMeo (Ophelia) were waiting for the 39 members’ delegation at the airport. The very first revelation was the punctuality of Chinese people when the guides and transportation was observed present on time. After checking-in at the Foreigners Guest hostel of BISU, everyone had some rest as the schedule of next 16 days was busy.
The Chinese language course
The next morning Chinese language, which is different not difficult, classes started at 8:30 AM after breakfast. The teacher was professional and highly skilled and well equipped. As beginners the best course books were offered to us. The teachers helped us to gain the basic knowledge of the Chinese language, its pronunciation and the sentence structure. The best part was of writing the Chinese characters. The teaching methodology of our teachers made the language easy and understandable for us. Everybody was wondering about the difficulties in language learning classes but it turned out altogether otherwise when the highly skilled teacher Miss Lee made the learning process easy and simple. Afterwards it was fun learning the Chinese language.
The Chinese people are very honest, hospitable, down to earth and hardworking people. They cared us as true friends really do. We are thankful to our volunteers, guides drivers and everybody who helped us during our visit
The Chinese cultural classes
The cultural classes like painting, paper-cutting and Diablo made the visit most memorable. The Chinese cultural classes exhibited their culture and norms. The teachers had extraordinary skill and transmitted the knowledge swiftly to us. We had Chinese paper cutting, fan making and practice of Diablo. The opportunity to learn Chinese martial arts was the plus point of cultural classes. All the things which we experienced were the epitome of harmony and peace which is the centre of Chinese culture.
The accommodation
A comfortable and relaxed accommodation was provided by the administration of BISU. The rooms were well equipped with every necessity. We felt secured and pleased with the arrangements. The staff was active to our needs and helped us out whenever we needed. The university campus offered us multiple facilities which helped us a lot.
The food
Chinese food showed us the real essence of what food is. Flavoursome food was offered to us. We are really thankful to the manager and his team for cooperating with us and preparing savory and tasteful food for us. The food presentation was exquisite and superb. The food was a treat to have as the management served the most delicious food. It was revealed that the food often served as Chinese in Pakistan is not at all Chinese food. The taste and aroma of Chinese food is something beyond the world. Everyone loved the meals. However a large amount of food went in trash due to not having the tag of Muslim /Halal food. We are sorry for it but we Muslims have some borders which he/she should not cross. Although the administration tried their level best to provide us Muslim/Halal food as per best of their knowledge and understanding but ducks and chicken were not eaten by us. The visit to Muslim restaurants was a good experience.
The excursions
China is majestic in its historical sites. Not only we visited these places but also met loving and caring people over there. The ancient sites are well preserved and one visiting them feels he has travelled back in times. The Great Wall of China is magnificent and marvellous. Once you reach the highest point you get an extraordinary view of the valley below. One can easily loose himself in the beauty and magnanimity of the Forbidden City. The palaces reflect the outstanding architectural style and esthetic sense of the founder. The Red Theater exhibits the contemporary architecture. Superb performances exhibited on stage. A person easily gets mesmerised by them. The Ming Tombs, The Temple of Heaven, The Summer Palace, The Confucius Temple all show the grandeur of the Chinese Civilisation. The visits to cultural places were smartly managed and it made the visit most cherish able.
It is requested here to include the visit of Naujia Mosque (Muslim Temple) for Muslim delegation in future.
The Chinese people
The Chinese people are very honest, hospitable, down to earth and hardworking people. They cared us as true friends really do. We are thankful to our volunteers, guides drivers and everybody who helped us during our visit.
The last word
To conclude, it was a life time experience and the advancement and discipline observed in Beijing was special and something remarkable. The Chinese Embassy and especially Madam Diana Bao are thanked for providing such a tremendous opportunity to Pakistanis. It is expected that likewise programs will be offered in the near future as well to enhance relations between the neighbouring and brotherly countries.