Greek: Why should I learn Chinese? because of a romantic story

According to "China Times" and "Greek Times" reports, more and more Greeks are setting off a Chinese craze around the world learn chinese online. What do they think of China, what do they think of China? Let's listen together.

Why do you want to learn Chinese?

I study Chinese for many reasons. The most immediate reason is to find a good job. With rapid economic development, China is playing an increasingly important role in the world economy online chinese class. In addition, there is no doubt that China has a large population, large production needs, and good economic prospects. Many people are willing to learn Chinese and use it to find better jobs, which is of course reasonable. I naturally think Chinese is the language of the future.

However, there are other, more "romantic" reasons. This is due to the personal development story of one of our students. I remember, in the summer of 2007, my parents and I went to Epirus for vacation. One day, I went to one of their Chinese bookstores with my father, and my father was able to buy me a translated version of "The Art of War". At that time, although I finished reading this book, I still had to fully understand the great social thoughts of a great man.

But, as far as I know, Son of Son; Sun Tzu gave us a difficult analysis of war in order to make us appreciate peace. This is the first time I have heard of a civilized country like Greece. There are Chinese characters on the cover. I asked my father, who was also a linguist, what they were. He told me they were Chinese.

From then on, the idea of learning Chinese sprouted in my heart. Over the years, I have never forgotten my story and my love. So in 2014, I went to the Confucius Institute to learn Chinese. I think the reason for learning Chinese is not only to make money, but also to learn Chinese language and characters, understand Chinese virtues, and understand what "virtue" means.

Have you ever been to China? What do you think of China?

Yes. The Confucius Business School in Athens gave me two opportunities to parade in China. I went to Beijing and Changsha.

To answer how China is developing, we can first say that we learn what the Greeks imagined about China. When I talked to my friends about my work experience in Chinese cultural tourism, my friends envied me for having the opportunity to realize China. That alone would make the people happy.

Not only because China is a distant oriental country, but also because of the interesting and mysterious Chinese culture: From our Greek point of view, ... the greatest civilization in the world, the magnificent architecture, the most difficult to learn and the most Complex language, secrets of longevity, delicious food...all in China.

When I landed at the Beijing airport, I had these legends and stories about China in addition to my luggage. To my surprise, I wanted to see Chinese pagodas, city walls, the Great Wall and other structures, but at the same time I encountered more surprises - unexpected good things!

Did you see anything interesting in China?

Overall, China is a very interesting place. You don't need to go to the store specifically. When walking, you will see snacks, fruits, souvenirs, everything. It doesn't matter if you don't buy it, because you really enjoy the visual feast of longan and other strange fruits, and you can also smell the taste of Chinese food. It's also fun to go for a walk with good friends. KTV is also very fun.

We have many fun things. For example, when I had dinner with two good friends from Changsha, China, they all laughed at me, because I was not used to the spicy dishes in Hunan, and there were no tears when I ate them. I remember such a restaurant or owner can smile and say "It's okay, little sister, he will get used to it. He will become a Hunanese."

Think something or something similar to Greece? How is it different?

I remember my parents telling many stories about the Greek past. To my surprise, when I went to China, I learned about Greece's past from China. Just like the Greeks of old, the Chinese help you, hang around you, and want to make new friends. The humane spirit of the Chinese can also be seen in small things - you walk into a store and ask for a glass of water for free. There are many snack sellers and vegetable vendors on the road. If you buy an apple, they will give you one. This little thing is no longer available in the West.

Just like in Greece, family and humility are important. My parents both insisted on encouraging me to travel, but they both reminded me that we should be humble: no matter where we go, how many buildings we see, or how important the work we do. Therefore, "Being ordinary people, doing ordinary things" represents the thoughts of both China and Greece.

Regarding things that are different from Greece, the first is the old man's attitude towards life. Amazing! When you go for a walk in the park, you will see old people playing chess, singing and practicing calligraphy... We old people have different habits and prefer to go to cafes. Most people don't know how to play chess and prefer to play backgammon.

In addition, the aesthetics of a woman's skin color are not the same. In the West, the more black the more beautiful, on the contrary, the more white the more beautiful in developing China. Women's makeup is also different. Traditional Chinese women are more accustomed to white makeup, but because Greek women prefer to use color rendering when they make up. The Chinese eat dinner very early, on the contrary, the Greeks do not have dinner until 9 pm. Generally speaking, the logic of the Greeks does not conform to the thinking of modern Chinese students about the time of work and rest activities.