She is a young hard working student, at present learning three foreign languages at the same time, determined to one day become a professional translator.

She is an active member of her local Student Association.

She is not only a talented singer and dancer, but also won the third prize in the Composition Contest for international students organized by the Ministry of education.

She likes to challenge herself, overcome language, diet, culture and any other obstacles, quickly adapting to life studying abroad, and constantly striving to become a stronger more independent version of herself.

She is Kurbanova Govher, a progressive, sunny, beautiful girl from Turkmenistan. She is now an international student in the school of international education at Northwest Polytechnic University (NPU). She gave herself the Chinese Name: Fang Jie.

We had an interview with her.

1.NHC:“When did you come to China for study, as well, what school are you studying in right now, what major are you pursuing? Why did you want to choose this major?”

Kurbanova Govher:“Well, I came to China to study around 2018, and I am already a sophomore majoring in English at the Northwest University of technology. I was always very interested in learning languages ever since I was a little kid. I feel like learning languages not only enables me to in a way master a new kind of skill, but also enables me to understand the cultures of different countries and people groups which is really enriching for me. At the moment I’m learning English, French and Chinese. My dream is to be a translator.”

2.NHC:“What made you think to go studying abroad? Why would you choose to come to China?”

Kurbanova Govher:“Although my major is English, I’ve always had a very profound interest in Chinese. English and Chinese are the two most widely used languages in the world. To be honest, when I first was choosing which country to study in, I hesitated with my decision. Because, I wanted to learn both languages, English and Chinese. The problem being if I had chosen to study in an English speaking country rather than here in China, it would have been difficult for me to learn Chinese as well. So in the end I chose to come here to China to study.

In addition, many of my friends from Turkmenistan were also choosing to study in China. They told me that China was developing really quickly, also saying life here is very safe and living here is always very interesting, and some of China's new “Preferential Policies” for international students were also very attractive, meaning I could get some financial aid coming here, so I at last I chose to come to China.

On top of all that, another important reason why I choose to study abroad is that I wanted to learn how to live more independently. My family does love me very much, but I felt it was time for me to go see the outside world for myself. I wanted to make new friends and find my place in society. I wanted to learn how to face these new difficulties by myself, and because of all this, I decided to go to a place far away from home to study and to live.”

3.NHC:“Before you set out to come to China, what did you imagine China to be like? How did you feel about China after you came here?”

Kurbanova Govher:“My family loves watching old Chinese movies, especially Jackie Chan ones. So to be honest we all thought that Chinese people by in large could all do Kongfu. But, however, after I came here, I found out that almost no Chinese people actually don’t do kongfu.

In addition, the speed of China’s development was a whole lot faster that I expected. I had heard people tell me China was developing before I came here, but when I saw it with my own eyes, man, I still couldn't believe it. It's just so modern here. There are so many tall buildings and shopping malls are just everywhere. Commuting here is also very convenient. But actually what surprised me the most is that people here don't need to take cash anywhere to buy things. You can pay for everything just with a mobile phone. Like, if you are tired of walking, you can just call a taxi with your mobile phone or if you see a shared bike you can just scan the code, hop on it and go. If you’re hungry but you don’t want to cook, using your phone to order takeout is also super easy. There are lots shops here that are open 24 hours a day, and the takeout staff will deliver the food directly to your door. You can buy almost anything on the Internet here, and I mean it sometimes will be delivered the very next day. It’s just too crazy.”

4.NHC:“Do you remember the day you were leaving to come to China? Your family must have had a hard time letting you go. If it’s alright, you think you can you share with us the experience of that day?”

Kurbanova Govher:“Oh yes I still remember it very clearly. That day my brother, sister and some of my friends came to my house to see me off. My mom especially made a lot of the foods I love as a going away present. 

Our family also had a big get together dinner, and everyone gave me lots of blessings and we all took a lot of photos together, it was great. It was a happy day, but to be honest I was also a little sad. Happy because I was about to usher in this new life, I knew a lot of new and interesting things were waiting for me and I was looking forward to that.

But sad because I knew I was going to leave my family, my hometown where I had lived for nearly 20 years, and that lifestyle I'd been accustomed to, knowing that the life ahead wasn’t going to be like it was then, that made me feel sad and kind of reluctant to go. Honestly, I cried when I went to the airport. I really couldn't bear leaving my family. 

I haven't been home for a long time now because of the virus, sadly. I really do miss my family very much. I am really hoping this epidemic will end soon. Whenever that happens I will finally be able to go home to see them or invite them over here to Xi'an. My family like me, also really likes China. I hope when they come I am going to take them to see the terracotta warriors. Oh, yes, and they will have to try the hot pot here. Xi'an really is so much fun.”

5.NHC:“Coming to China what was the hardest thing to get used to? Were you able to overcome it later?”

Kurbanova Govher:“Chinese, the hardest thing to adapt to was definitely the language. People say that Chinese is the most difficult language to learn in the world. That’s not a joke, it’s real. Before going to NPU, I did study Chinese in Xi'an at an International School. But at that time, I couldn't write a single Chinese character. Just imagine what that’s like, living in China and not being able to write anything! Fortunately, the teachers in that school are really good and their teaching style was excellent. But of course, there is also a lot of pressure in the school, it’s by no means easy. We had classes from morning to night for eight months straight, however after 8 months I managed to pass the HSK level 4 and thus also met the admission standard of NPU. 

Now, I’ve already been in China for three years. Nowadays I’m already able to use Chinese to live, communicate and to make new friends in Chinese, this has definitely been a big factor in helping me master the language. In hopes of doing a master's degree in the future, I am now preparing for the HSK level 5. For anyone planning to come to China to study I highly suggest to learn some Chinese in advance to help you get comfortable living in China a little bit faster.

Also, adapting to Chinese food wasn’t easy. There are lots and lots of kinds of Chinese food that I love, but my problem is that lots of restaurants  love to make their food super hot. Especially here in Xi’an. In my hometown in Turkmenistan, we basically don't eat spicy food, ever. So it wasn’t easy for me to just come here and adapt to the food really quick. But honestly after getting used to it, it’s okay, I’m already pretty used to it.”

6.NHC:“It seems like your Chinese has already gotten to a very good level. Do you have any practical methods for learning that you could share with everyone?”

Kurbanova Govher:“I think studying abroad is definitely the most effective way to learn a new language. You know, language is not just vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar. In truth it’s very difficult to truly master a language unless you’ve truly went to a native country of the language and lived among its people. We can’t just separate a countries history and culture from its language, it just doesn’t work that way.

If you’re going to learn Chinese well, it goes without saying you have to master the listening, speaking, reading and writing, all of these, of course are very important. I have my own little way of mastering these things. Whenever I learn a new word, I will use it repeatedly to make sentences in daily conversation to help me get down its meaning and usage. Watching Chinese movies is also really good for learning Chinese. The phrases spoken in movies are usually very native. So we can get a better understanding for the correct usage of words we’ve learned through the dialogues. Also it is good to talk more with locals, which is really key to practicing your oral Chinese. 

Believe me when I say, Chinese people are very nice. They won’t turn you down for conversation just because you don't speak well in the beginning. On the contrary, they will try their best to accommodate to you, which is really nice. So yeah, just don't be shy, speak boldly.”

7.NHC:“I heard that your academic performance is pretty good. Do you think there is a lot of pressure for study in China?”

Kurbanova Govher:“To be honest, there is a lot of pressure. The requirements of our school are very strict. You know, coming to China, don’t just think you can graduate casually, it’s definitely a lot of work. However, I think it's a good thing that it’s so strict. After all, the point of all this is study and learning new things, so no wonder it should be difficult. Students in my home country of course have class in the daytime. 

But here, I get up early in the morning every day and being studying and don’t get finished until late into the evening, everyday I have homework assigned from every class, it’s a lot of work. When I first came to China, I didn't understand why so many Chinese people wear glasses. Now I understand that they have had this load of academic pressure from childhood. But with all that being said, it's good to get used to it, this kind of pressure. Now I feel that my life is very full. I believe that all these efforts will definitely pay off in the end.”

8. NHC:“I heard that you are a member of the ISA (International Student Association) at your school. You have also participated in poverty alleviation efforts. Can you share with us these interesting extracurricular activities of yours?”

Kurbanova Govher:“I joined ISA in 2019. ISA holds many activities every year, including the Cultural Bridge Festival and many kinds of different competitions. I take part in most of these activities. 2020 was the 71st anniversary of the founding of the people's Republic of China. We prepared a program for the celebration called "we are the world". On the day of the performance, the governor of Shanxi Province attended the activity and watched our performance. So the pressure was really on for that, but we did really good. My friends and I were very excited and happy about the whole thing and how it went. It was truly an unforgettable day.

In July 2020, I participated in a poverty alleviation project for a region in the Qinba mountains. This was my first time to leave the city and go out to the countryside in China to learn about the native farmer life, which was of really great significance to me. At that time, I gave English lessons to the primary school students in the village there and introduced them to the culture and customs of my country as well. To my surprise, although the development level of these rural areas is far less than that of a big city like Xi'an, the local education was actually much better than I expected.

The children there have learned English, and some of them actually speak English very fluently. Before I came to China, I also heard that some of the rural areas in China were still relatively behind other areas. But from what I saw China's poverty alleviation work seems to working really well. I can tell the government has made a lot of efforts to help people in poorer areas out of poverty, and people's lives it seems have been getting better and better. Especially in the area of education, it seems the government is investing a lot there, I think these kids are going to have a bright future.”

9. NHC:“Does your school provide any additional aid or help for international students?”

Kurbanova Govher:“Yes, I can definitely say that they do. For example, in 2020, some international students, including myself, were sadly not able to return to our own countries during their holidays due to the epidemic. At that time, the virus had not yet been completely controlled quite yet. We had all stayed in our dormitories and honestly didn’t even dare to go outside. At that time, the school arranged volunteers to send us daily necessities, like food and such. Also just in the past couple months, during Chinese New Year for winter vacation, the teachers came to the school to hangout with us and have a big reunion dinner with us, it was really sweet. Also, when I first entered NPU, although I had passed HSK level 4, I still had some difficulties understanding some of the content in the classes. However the teachers there were really great, if they found out there was something I didn't really understand, they would always keep saying it again and again or explain it to me in English, which helped out a lot. I got to say I really like my teachers and classmates a lot. At the end of each semester, we always take pictures together. After graduation, I think I will definitely one day take out these pictures and think back to all these wonderful memories.”

10.NHC:“Do you like Xi'an? Can you share with us the places you've been and maybe some good cuisines or restaurants?”

Kurbanova Govher:“Oh, I love Xi'an so much. Xi'an used to be the capital of many dynasties in Ancient Chinese history. This city has many historical sites and a lot of very profound cultural heritage, but at the same time, it is also really modern which is cool. It is a very beautiful and interesting city. However, because I'm busy studying, I haven't been to many places here sadly. I've been to the bell tower, the wild goose pagoda and Qinba. I haven’t been to the Terracotta Warriors site yet, but I really really want to go.

Other than just a few places I haven’t really gone anywhere. Xi'an is the largest city in Northwest China, so there are lots of people here and a lot of really good places to eat at. And, because I am a Muslim, I often get to go to the Muslim restaurants living here, which is nice. I especially like the barbecue, fried rice with eggs and baked buns they have here. 

There is a "Muslim Street" in Xi'an as well, which is great for me, where many Muslims live and sell all kinds of halal foods and crafts. Any Muslim will definitely feel very welcomed when they come to Xi’an. Also, I especially like the hot pot in Xi'an. I strongly recommend it for anyone who comes here. 

One day when I get the time, I want to go travel to places beyond just those really famous places in Xi’an, I’d love to go all over the country. I want to go to the Great Wall, Huangshan Mountain and West Lake really bad. Oh, and Chongqing. I heard Chongqing hot pot is really good, ha ha.”

11.NHC:“What are your plans after graduation?”

Kurbanova Govher:“I plan to hopefully stay in China to work, at least for a period of time. As for how long, I don’t know yet. I want to learn more about the country. If one day I choose to go back to my own country, I plan to work as a translator in a large company hopefully, and travel back to China as often as I can. 

Ah, but I don't want to think about it any of that now! Everything is really great right now. I've pretty much adapted to the life here. If it comes down to it and I have to leave China, I won’t want to. If that helps I think I won’t be able to stop myself from crying, I just love this place so much.”

12.NHC:“For other students who are planning to come study in China, do you have any experience you want to share with them, or do you want to give them any suggestions?”

Kurbanova Govher:“First of all, as I mentioned earlier, it is better to learn Chinese in advance. Even if you choose an English-taught major, I would still suggest that you learn Chinese in advance, no matter what you are doing here, it will definitely help your life here.

Secondly I’d say, some people may think about whether it’s safe or not going to a different country to live. However from my experience living here, I can tell you China is very safe place to live and Chinese people are very gentle and friendly. Here, even if a group of girls goes out shopping at night it’s safe, nothing to worry about at all. Really a great experience.

Finally, I suppose I’d say I feel like everyone should make every effort to study while they are young. Honestly if you do go study abroad it will be a short few years and then it’s over. We should cherish this kind of opportunity and work headlong into our future. Even if we encounter difficulties doing this, just don’t give up, there will always be hope around the corner.”

13.NHC:“If your family ends up seeing this interview, is there anything you would want to say to them?”

Kurbanova Govher:“I would like to say to them: Thank you very much for providing me with this amazing opportunity to study in China. Please don't worry about me. Everything is fine here and I am having an amazing time. I miss you and I love you guys so much.”