Cleophas's excellent adventure

By Cleophas Gwakwara (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-28 09:02

A Zimbabwean tells of his impressive journey to Beijing

Cleophas's excellent adventure
Cleophas Gwakwara, a staff member at the Zimbabwean parliament, has a photo taken during one of his tours of Beijing recently. He is on a three-month exchange at the Beijing College of Language and Culture. [Courtesy of Cleophas Gwakwara]

It is great to be here! The high expectations and the anticipation I had about China have become reality. My window overlooks the sports field, which makes me feel a strong yearning to participate in the activities underway.

A group of students plays soccer, but to my surprise the field is very small. Yet within a few minutes of play, they are all panting, sweating and breathless because they have much more interaction than on the vast fields in my country. Another group plays basketball - they bump the ball aimlessly for hours on end. A gentleman is making slow and steady moves with ease in one corner of the college green. I imitate his moves in my room and find it very painful. My study program will include taichi and my hope is that I will learn some before flying home in November.

My first Sunday includes is a visit to the Badaling Great Wall. As we travel there, I am shocked by the great speeds drivers maintain. Our huge college bus careens around small cars as it heads to the monumental site. My mind wanders - brake failure, my young children, the few goats I keep at my rural home, my wife. But despite my wariness, I have not personally witnessed a single accident since I came to Beijing.

The walk up to the wall is indeed an uphill struggle. Heads turn as people see two black enthusiasts climb the wall with ease. Before the trip, I ate a meal of sadza, a porridge from my own country, which is a source of great energy.

Young children come to a standstill, looking at my class - a mixture of black, brown and so on - in wonder and amazement. In Zimbabwe, children are no longer surprised by the sight of the Chinese who have become an integral part of our lives. My government has embarked on a deliberate "Look East" policy, the fruits of which include my studies in Beijing.

A few days later as I watch CCTV, I see the newsreader is Vimbai Kajese, a Zimbabwean, which gives me a deep sense of pride.

As I watch the news, I learn that NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo is visiting Cuba, the US and other countries.

It reminds me of his visit to Zimbabwe in November, 2004. It jogs my memory of the other great sons of China who have visited my country including Jia Qinglin, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, in April 2007.

A deep sense of enthusiasm has built in my mind. I yearn for hard work to make my own country prosper, like the Chinese attitude and concentration toward work. Above everything else, I am enjoying myself so much in Beijing. China taihaole.

The author is a staff member at the Zimbabwean parliament