Developing Everlasting Relationships: My Journey with the Chinese Student Association

My joining the Chinese Student Association at my university was met with quite a few befuddled faces.

This may come as a shock to some of you, but I am not Chinese, so the confusion was understandable.

But I wanted to learn and I needed to be in the closest thing to China I, an Indian international student in the Netherlands, could find.

A year of planning language cafes, offering language courses, and bonding with my committee and other active members, I learned things beyond my expectations

The power of 120%

Stereotypes often have an air of negativity around them. While I was aware of the “Hard working Asian man” stereotype- I really hadn’t thought much of it. Maybe partly because I’m Asian myself.

But in a group of over achievers doing double degrees, internships, committees and board years all at once- in fields no less challenging than medicine, tech, supply chain alike- I couldn’t help but finally observe. It was right in my face and it was remarkable.

It almost seems perfect, and while I’m sure its not, its inspiring to see them put their 120% in everything they do- including their social lives.

At times where I felt like falling behind or slacking off- they served as a silent reminder that I could be doing so much more.

Structure can sustain creativity

In my ongoing era of work experience- CSA has been one of the most structured organisations I’ve been a part of. Seeing it from the inside, I finally had my real life example of what I had only learned in textbooks thus far.

With set procedures and order for almost everything- I found there was little room for chaos. Events followed weeks of planning, proposals and meetings to sort out every nitty gritty aspect that we could possibly think of.

In pursuit of creativity and innovation, its easy to get lost and undermine the value of structure. Ironically it seems that structure creates more space for freedom by offering a solid foundation to actually hold it.

From murder mysteries and tea workshops, to language events and even a trip to Korea- there was no compromise of creativity and fun, and I highly doubt that would have been possible without the support of the organisational framework they work so hard to uphold.

Food is a language everyone understands

My favourite take away from my experience at CSA this year is how much more I know about Chinese food (and yet I don't know enough).

With so much joy- my new friends have used the entire year to feed me more asian delicacies than I had previously known. Regional flavour differences and cultural back stories- the respect for the cuisine lives strong. By letting them take the reins, I’ve been able to make my own dishes closer to their authentic taste.

The food is packed with meats and vegetables- no wonder the world finds its way back to asian ways of being. We’ve had the healthy lifestyle down since before history books can tell. It is a versatile experience- everyone reaches across the table for their preferred additions. An individual experience that ironically will not work without the help of everyone together.

Friends instinctively serve each other food and tea- a simple but heartwarming act of affection. If there were any cultural barriers to be crossed- food was definitely not one of them.