Optimized COVID response adds color to exchange student's life

TIANJIN, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Though her hometown is thousands of miles away, Nelcy Espirito Santo from Sao Tome and Principe who is studying at Tianjin University in China, was not alone for the just-concluded New Year holiday.

The 22-year-old could meet up with her sister, who lives outside the campus. She also celebrated the festival with her teachers and friends from school.

It is the fifth time Nelcy has celebrated New Year's Eve in a foreign country. She came to north China's Tianjin to study law in 2018 and has been growing deep feelings for the country and the city since then, even cherishing Tianjin as her second hometown.

Her sister followed her to China and now studies at the College of Management and Economics of Tianjin University.

"Although my parents have never been to China, they always cared about China's technological and economic development, and they like Chinese culture very much. They encouraged me and said that China is the best choice for me if I want to study abroad," she said.

In the past three years in China, Nelcy has experienced the whole process of continuous optimization of the country's COVID response policies and measures.

Recently, the adjustment of these policies have brought many changes to Nelcy's life on campus.

"Campus vitality is returning. Express packages and takeouts can be directly delivered to our dormitories, making our life more convenient," she said.

Nelcy likes the adjustment and timely change of China's epidemic prevention policy based on different periods and situations.

"Recently, I talked to my family about the loosening policy for exit and entry administration of China, and they were happy. I plan to return home to meet my family during the holiday in 2023," she said.

As a college student, she was impressed by Chinese people's solidarity in fighting COVID-19 on campus over the years. With the help of her teachers, she even volunteered to participate in the school's epidemic prevention service in 2022.

Nowadays, Nelcy spends more of her spare time on cultural exchange activities.

While studying in Tianjin, she became quite interested in Chinese cuisine and culture. A few months before the first World Vocational College Skills Competition in Tianjin last year, Nelcy teamed up with some students from Tianjin College of Commerce to perform, get training, and communicate about Chinese cooking methods, tea, art, and other traditional cultures.

"My biggest hobby is cooking. During this competition, I successfully made Chinese Shumai for the first time, and I felt satisfied. Although I didn't initially do well, the teachers patiently encouraged me and taught me the details and skills," she recalled.

After the competition, she kept in touch with these teachers online, hoping to learn some new dishes.

"I used to read recipes in the dormitory and try them myself. After the epidemic prevention policy adjustments, I can go out of the school and participate in more cooking activities with the students there. I can also learn from my cooking teacher in person," she said.

For the New Year, Nelcy's biggest wish is to embark on postgraduate studies at Tianjin University.

"If I can stay in China in the future, I hope to get more exposure to Chinese culture, such as Hanfu, and travel to Xiamen and other beautiful cities," she added.

Nelcy said she wanted to introduce her parents and more friends to China. "I hope to share my experience with students like me who long for China, and I believe that China will have a better future under the scientific epidemic prevention and control policy," Nelcy said.