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On Wednesday 15 August, I experienced my first day at AISG and felt very welcome in the community. My name is Sophia Anna, and I’m a Russian-born citizen who’s lived in Ukraine for the majority of my life. I attended The Anglo American School of Moscow when I was younger, and just came from Pechersk School International in Kiev, Ukraine. Although I will be participating in few of them this year, I am passionate about sports, and also like to indulge my creative side with activities such as studio art and writing. I’m looking forward to my two years at AISG, especially my junior year.
Living halfway across the world, away from family and friends, has been an experience of itself. Living in Guangzhou is something I’m not used to, but I’m adapting quickly. I’ve noticed many fascinating things that engulf this city, and one of the major aspects that I find interesting is the people. People here all seem to be so different, and express themselves in different ways. Coming from Ukraine, it is rare that individuals open up, while in Guangzhou everyone is friendly and unafraid of showing their emotions. With this being said, the people are a true representation of the city itself.
The city is a mix of old and new, with modern buildings all around and older ones on the smaller streets of the city. When walking along the streets of Guangzhou, I see elders with bright smiles walking with their grandchildren, while nearby the young congregate in groups laughing and having a good time. This is one aspect that reminds me a lot of the culture that I come from.
Although Guangzhou does have a few similarities to Eastern Europe, in the wide scope of things, the two are pretty different. For me personally, the hardest change has been the language barrier. In Ukraine they spoke Russian, so daily life wasn’t as challenging, while here people speak very minimal English. Easy tasks such as shopping at the supermarket and helping a taxi driver navigate to my home become much more difficult. Along with the language barrier, the climate has been another major change. A few people I’m close with at school joke that I’ll be in shorts during the winter. Being from Russia this may be true, as I’m used to a winter climate that reaches negative 15. Let’s hope winter isn’t too rough here!
When speaking about the AISG community, it too is a big change. I came from a school with 300 students, and only 30 kids in my grade. Having nearly 80 classmates in my grade here is a little overwhelming. Although having more students affects the atmosphere in the halls, there is much more to do. I love the variety of CAS projects and extracurricular activities that are offered. It makes the school more fun, and gives the opportunity for every student to do something that they enjoy.
Looking at the two years ahead of me, I’m hoping to become more comfortable with the school, and become closer with people that I haven’t yet spoken to. I would also like to grasp Mandarin a little, as speaking Russian won’t do it here! Although I’m homesick, I do know that being in China is a really great experience for the future and is something that I definitely will cherish. I’m happy I’m a student at AISG, and am curious to see what this year brings.
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