A guide to international students

Today i had my first 'in depth' conversation with a Chinese international student, by the name of Barry, who I don't suspect for a second has such a Western name on his birth certificate. A beautifully nice guy from the South of China, near Hong Kong apparently. In my experience, the Chinese student tends to be very quiet, which i can understand due to the pressures I imagine come with travelling such a long way from home.

Whilst shy however, to strike a conversation with such a pleasant and intriguingly exotic set of people has proven to be a very rewarding experience. Even in the unusual intonation they use to master a language, so amazingly juxtaposed to their own, can be found a mesmeric appeal that brings enjoyment by itself. This, regardless of their refreshing perspective, that comes with such a geographical distance.

In summary; I would advise that the quiet disposition of these folks is not due to a purposeful abandonment of friendliness toward native students, but born of being far from home in a vastly different culture. And with the correct application of light conversation, you too can enjoy the wonderful and rare company of a very pleasant set of students.