Stories Across Cultures

It was a memorable night of bilingual storytelling. Nine students shared their own personal travel stories in English or Chinese, depending on their language of study. The much anticipated second event, co-hosted by the Chinese Language Program and the English for Academic Purposes Program, yet again attracted a large campus audience.

"This sharing of experience is important, because I don't think cultural mingling is so easy,” said Chancellor Yu Lizhong who added, “For NYU Shanghai, developing a multicultural environment is one of our philosophies. We encourage people to understand and appreciate different cultures and work closely together.”

One after another, students reflected on their interactions across different cultures, ranging from a change in attitude about food, or gaining an appreciation for Gaelic,  to understanding another’s culture’s concept of punctuality or separations between younger and older generations.

Alternating between English and Chinese presentations, students impressed the crowd as they fielded questions with humorous yet thoughtful responses in a language that is not their native tongue. They talked about the importance of living in the moment, facing challenges with determination, immersing oneself in culture and history and of course, actively treasuring the time you spend with the people you love.

"The students really enjoyed hearing each other's stories. The Chinese students and international students face different communication challenges, and it was great to see such appreciation for each other's efforts. Plus it was a lot of fun!" said lecturer Genevieve Leone.

Participating students were: Zihan Tang, Jesse Xu, Xiaoying Guo, Zhongling Liang, Haiyan Zhang,Quinn Mchale, Andreas M. Strandgaard, Ivan Marks, and Laura de Crescenzo.