Editor's note:We have asked expats living in China to share their stories about the cities they work and live in. Janaka Jayawickrama is from Sri Lanka and he is now professor of social anthropology at Shanghai University.
Janaka Jayawickrama from Sri Lanka is now professor of social anthropology at Shanghai University. [Photo / chinadaily. com. cn]Moving from the United Kingdom after 20 years to China is an exciting decision our family had to make. However, we did not know what to expect. We kept our minds open.
We are a family of three. My wife is a designer, my son is an artist, and I am an academic.
We were thrilled when I received the opportunity to join the College of Liberal Arts of Shanghai University. We wanted to learn from new experiences, culture and society.
My campus story is also a collective story of my wife, my son and I.
If I had to pick three words to describe this story, they would be:compassion, care, and collaboration.
Based on my experiences of traveling across many continents over the past 30 years, moving to a new country always comes with challenges.
Language, social structures and expectations are the most difficult ones. When we first arrived in China in November 2022, everything seemed difficult. We did not understand the language. We were not familiar with social structures. We did not know what to expect and what was expected of us.
It soon became clear that what we thought was difficult could be overcome with compassion and the care we received from everyone.
My colleagues at all levels of the Shanghai University were compassionate and caring towards me and my family.
Difficulties of language, social structures and expectations became less difficult as through compassion and care.
I remember a young student once took time to explain to me how to use a new application on the phone. A colleague also took time to accompany me to the bank to open an account. A security guard also once helped me to access the QR code to enter into the campus. An old woman once spoke to us even though we did not understand the language. These are all examples of comfort and the warmth we have experienced in Shanghai.
Janaka Jayawickrama(third from right in the last row)in the China Art Museum with international teachers and students from Shanghai University. [Photo provided to chinadaily. com. cn]One day, after my family and I had returned to our apartment after shopping, we discovered that electronic lock of our apartment door did not work. Soon, some of the university staff came to our help.
They tried their best but failed. The door failed to open even after the manager of the building came with the master key. We had no choice but to wait for a maintenance staff to come with his set of tools. Throughout this experience, there was only laughter.
This may seem like a very ordinary problem. But to someone who is new to China and does not speak the language, this is a veritable crisis, one that was solved with compassion and care.
Shanghai University organizes many events for international students and staff members.
Visits to museums, food festivals, seminars and many other activities make it easier for us to become integrated into the campus as well as the city.
These events also give me an opportunity to meet new friends from China and all over the world. We already have new friends from India, Hungary, Turkey, Ghana, Thailand and many other countries across the globe. This is truly a global experience.
Learning about the local language and culture has not been easy. After all, Chinese culture has a 5, 000-year history. It is very challenging to decide where to start, but we also understand that this is a huge blessing for us.
The campus is beautiful, family-friendly and lively. There are many beautiful flowers, birds, insects and places to explore. We truly appreciate the attractiveness and picturesqueness of the campus.
Over the months, we have made many friends. Most of them are colleagues, students and friends we met in Shanghai. We may not know the names of every person on campus yet, but we do recognize one another and would share a smile or a laugh whenever we cross paths.
Everything was difficult in the beginning, but we have now found a rhythm to life in Shanghai.
This is a story about learning. This is also a story about the experiences of a shared humanity.
