Our talk was interrupted by John, who rushed in and apologized to me, explaining that he would have to leave again in a moment. John, 27, majored in Physical Education at Columbia, and was in his college football team. When he first came to China, he could speak neither Chinese nor English. The first time he had dinner at a small restaurant here he was completely baffled by the menu, which was printed exclusively in Chinese. The restaurant boss thoughtfully recommended tangcu liji (sweet and sour saute fillet) to him. When the dish was served, his eyes almost popped out, and he wolfed down the whole dish in a few minutes. From then onwards John would, whenever eating out, always order tangculiji in his halting Chinese. In 1997 he entered Tibet University in order to study Chinese, and is now much more fluent, being able to order several popular Chinese dishes himself, including jingjiang rousi (shredded pork with soya paste), tieban niuliu (grilled shredded beef) and tudou shao niurou (beef stewed with potato). At this point in the interview John had to stop and leave. As he hurried out of the door, he ran into his German neighbor Sonja.

Sonja was flattered when I told her that she looked much younger than her 34 years. This blond, athletic lady is keen on travel and exploration. She has been to 44 countries around the world, including Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Canada, India, and Kuwait. Her knowledge has increased with each country she has visited, but her favorite place is Tibet. "I will live in Tibet the rest of my life, after getting married and having children. Here I can see sacred mountains, holy lakes and the Potala Palace whenever I like," she said, emphatically. As a graduate of the Biological Department of Berlin University, Sonja worked in the field of biology in Germany before leaving for her tour of the world. She did not begin studying Chinese until February this year, so she still understands little Chinese. She needs to spend a substantial amount of time on Chinese study every day, and sometimes studies right through the night. Her Tibetan teacher, Yangjain, is very kind, and always glad to help with any problems Sonja might encounter in her studies. Apart from all this, she has now made several good friends here.

Although from diverse countries and backgrounds, Ruben, John and Sonja all have a deep affection for Tibet. At present there are 42 foreign students at Tibet University, most of whom regard Tibet as their ideal home, and China as a compelling destination.

Tibet University began enrolling foreign students in 1993. Most of them major in Chinese, while others study the Tibetan language, and Tibetan fine arts and music. To date, the university has registered 290 foreign students from 26 countries, including the US, the UK, Germany, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and Belgium.

Ruben loves Lhasa, regarding it as the holy land of his heart. As a Christian, Ruben devoutly believes in God, and that He lives in his heart. His biggest hope is to work as a teacher in China's frontier provinces after graduation. He would like to go to the poor and needy regions, where people most need his help. "Because I love your country," Ruben concluded, with a sincere smile.

 

Editor:Liu Fang