Annick
Small surprises, in the joy of welcoming a foreign student, through Adriem
Our association offered to host YU Weiyi, a Chinese student, who speaks French fairly well, and who is studying Management in La Rochelle.
I meet with him regularly, every two weeks or so, for a meal. At each meeting, he brings a small gift. No matter how much I tell him it’s not necessary, he reiterates it every time.
At our last meal, Weiyi arrives with a large stick, like a cane, but larger in diameter than a traditional cane. He offers it to me a little solemnly, I am speechless, I wonder what to do with it, but I understand that it is an important gift for him.
He tells me with a smile that “you can eat it”! Indeed, it is a Lotus root, and it is very expensive! We can cut it into slices, which we do. Then we cook them “long enough” and eat them. When he left, I returned what was left of the Lotus root to him so that he could share it with his Chinese friends.
To conclude, we enjoy each other’s company, with respect and the pleasure of discovering another culture, which enriches us with each meeting.