II. Embarking on the Eastward Journey of Learning

(1) Why China

During my college years, going abroad for further education had become a prevailing trend. Many of my classmates and friends went to study abroad. I held a piece of land that my mother had left to me, which was quite valuable at the time and even worthy more now. I had aspirations to study abroad, so I decided to sell the land I owned. At that time, I had three countries to choose from — China, Yemen, and Malaysia. I knew relatively little about China, and I was inclined to go to Yemen, my mother's homeland. Malaysia was also a popular destination for Somalis seeking education. In my state of indecision, I reached out to my elder brother, who was residing in the United Kingdom. My elder brother wholeheartedly supported my plan to study abroad and expressed a particular desire for me to go to China. He explained that China was undergoing rapid development with promising prospects. He even offered to financially support my living expenses in China. My brother's advice gave me pause, but it was until I witnessed the grandeur of the 2008 Beijing Olympics on TV that I made my final decision to study in China. The spectacle of the Beijing Olympics left a profound impression on me, and not long after, I purchased a plane ticket to China.

When I embarked on this journey, my knowledge of China was limited to impressions from the martial arts films starring Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li. It seemed ancient and mysterious, rapidly developing, with little else known. Even those around me shared similar notions; they believed that all Chinese people possessed Kung Fu skills as depicted in the movies and asked me not to offend them. In my speech at my doctoral graduation ceremony in 2018, I humorously mentioned our initial superficial understanding of China, prompting laughter from the audience, perhaps due to the absurdity or exaggeration of the notion. However, as recently as 2019, when I returned to Somalia with my family, I realized that many Somalis still held these misconceptions. This caused me considerable concern and served as one of the driving forces to complete my diary.

Filled with both trepidation and anticipation for an unknown nation, I embarked on my journey to China. I purchased a plane ticket with the money obtained from selling my mother's land. Like a free-spirited bird, I eagerly set out for China, ushering in a new chapter in my life.

(2) The Flight to the East

I embarked on my journey to China in the company of my two compatriots, an adventure that marked our first venture far from home and our inaugural airplane ride. Filled with apprehension, we provided mutual encouragement, basking in the anticipation of the splendid life that awaited us. Our journey from Hargeisa involved taking a flight to Djibouti Airport, where we made a connecting flight to Dubai before finally landing at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China. The flight from Hargeisa to Djibouti was a private airline, with capacity for several dozen passengers. As we boarded, the aircraft was abuzz with people, a cheerful chaos where everyone claimed seats haphazardly, without paying heed to seat numbers or boarding passes. It felt strangely akin to traveling on our family's minibus, rendering a sense of endearment and swiftly dispersing the initial anxiety of our first-ever flight. In less than an hour, we touched down in Djibouti. Djibouti boasts a substantial Somali population, with many residents conversing in the Somali language. This eased our transition during our short layover in the country.

From Djibouti, it took approximately four hours to reach Dubai Airport, which was colossal and aesthetically pleasing, adorned with a myriad of aircraft from various countries. It was a mesmerizing spectacle to witness planes landing and taking off in succession. Eventually, we boarded the flight to China. It was a sizable aircraft, and upon entering the boarding gate, we were warmly greeted by air hostesses, whose faces exuded the mystique of the East. The thought of our imminent arrival in China left us brimming with excitement. The interior of the plane was serene, and our fellow passengers were predominantly of Eastern origin. Holding our boarding passes, we discreetly located our designated seats. In all directions, there were fellow Chinese passengers. We yearned to study their features in detail but restrained ourselves, understanding the impropriety of overt scrutiny. Suppressing our excitement beneath a composed exterior, we endured an eight-hour flight, with our emotions riding a tidal wave. Finally, we landed at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.