David Janna – Building a Bridge of Friendship for Mutual Understanding Between the Two Countries

“The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games is the starting point of my story with China.” David Janna can speak fluent Mandarin. He loves Chinese culture and is familiar with various Chinese mobile phone APPs. If he is not in a face-to-face talk, it is hard to imagine that this guy is a genuine Colombians. Janna said that the charm of traditional Chinese culture displayed at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics at that time deeply fascinated him, who was still in high school. “At that time, I thought, if there was a chance in the future, I would definitely go to Beijing and have a look!”

In 2009, Nueva Granada School, where Janna studied in, opened Colombia’s first Confucius Institute. “There, Chinese teachers not only patiently taught me how to speak Chinese and helped me understand Chinese culture, but also introduced me to the current development status of China, encouraged me to study in China, and helped me prepare relevant study abroad materials.” Over the years, Janna remained grateful for this. “The encouragement and help of Chinese teachers took me to the first step of studying in China.”

In 2012, Janna went to East China Normal University in Shanghai to study. When he first entered this distant country, he had difficulty speaking Mandarin and encountered many difficulties. He once had a fever and went to the hospital for treatment. The doctor did not understand English, so Janna could only communicate in sign language. Finally, with the help of enthusiastic surrounding people, he completed the medical treatment. Therefore, he made up his mind to learn Chinese well and integrate into China. When the campus was still quiet in the early morning, he had already been reading aloud by the riverbank of the River Rio Rita; When his classmate was still having breakfast, he had already arrived at the classroom early and sat in the first row. In addition to regular exercise every day, he devoted all his time to studying. He never missed a class, always knew the names of each teacher, and he said it was respect and honor. When he was homesick, he would recite the Chinese words from his notebook. For him, where there are dreams, there is belonging. With the enthusiastic encouragement of his classmates and Janna’s persistent efforts, from the initial simple greetings to hosting programs in Chinese, Janna began to gradually integrate into China and approach his dreams step by step.

Five years later, he was admitted to the Political Science major at Tsinghua University. “Colombia is my motherland, and China is my second hometown. In China, I feel at ease and happy.” Looking back on his time in China, Janna said that Chinese universities have a high level of internationalization, rich high-quality educational resources, and are very open and inclusive to foreign students. The enthusiasm and friendship of the Chinese people can be truly felt in schools.

“When I first arrived in China, I encountered many problems and challenges in my studies and life. At that time, I was not good at Chinese and didn’t know how to take the subway to school, nor did I know how to shop online, nor did I know how to go to the hospital for medical treatment. Whenever I encountered difficulties, Chinese teachers and classmates would lend me a helping hand.” said Janna. The teachers not only guided him to improve his academic level, but also encouraged him to bravely accept challenges and firmly pursue his dreams. To this day, Janna still maintains contact with the teachers, often telling them about his joy and confusion in work and life, and seeking their advice.

After obtaining a master’s degree in 2019, Janna returned to Colombia with what he had been learning and feeling in China and started a consulting company. He combines his daily observation of China with his professional knowledge, introducing the current situation of China and the prospects for the development of Sino Colombian relations to more people. Janna stated that China is the world’s second largest economy, as well as Colombia’s second largest trading partner and one of the most important sources of investment. With the continuous improvement of China’s international influence and economic strength, more and more Colombian companies want to enter the Chinese market, and many Chinese companies have also come to Colombia to invest and start business. “By setting up a consulting company, I can help more Colombian enterprises and institutions better understand the real China, and also help Chinese companies who want to invest in Colombia adapt to the Colombian market faster, helping both sides to cooperate and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.”

“Previously, my classmates and friends around me tended to study in European and American countries; now, more and more families and friends are inquiring about studying and traveling in China.” Janna said that under his recommendation, many friends have set foot on the land of China and expressed sincere gratitude for his recommendation. “In the second half of this year, I plan to go back to China to re-experience my memories and learn about the latest developments and changes in China. China’s mentors and friends have built a bridge for me to understand China, and I will also build a bridge of friendship for the mutual understanding between the two countries.” said Janna.

Source: www.istudy-china.com