Sara is a 23 year old girl. She is from China and came to Colombia to study Spanish and experience a different life from her home country. Due to the pandemic and the quarantine, Sara experienced a very difficult time; Her confinement, for her, was the fact that led her to make the decision to give her life a 180º turn.  

Recalling that moment, he recounts that, after making the firm decision to travel to some very distant place, he opened Google Maps, saw South America, and did not think twice. Thus she began a journey that took her to the other side of the world, starting with Ecuador and Cuba, and that today, finally, has brought her to Colombia. 

On her 23rd birthday, Sara wished to "go in search of the life I want to have." It is clear to her that it is not necessary to be happy all the time, but living looking for happiness through what you like and enjoy is a fundamental issue. That is why she likes living in Colombia so much: the people here are as warm as she is (to the point that, according to her friends, she is 'very Latina').  

In addition, Sara considers that it is very valuable to be able to say what she feels and thinks in a direct way, and to live in this loving and cordial way, and she did not find another place like Colombia to achieve it; So cultural differences are one of the reasons why she has been fascinated with the possibility of living and undertaking in Colombia.  

Sara also talked to us about some of the differences between Chinese and Colombian life and culture. The first of these is the concept of time. As she tells us, in China construction can be perfectly finished in a week, and even an activity as simple as going to a restaurant becomes merely a matter of food, since every second of people's lives is considered highly productive. For their part, in Colombia people (very hard-working, by the way) take their time and enjoy it without this implying leaving aside productivity. In addition, Sara is fascinated by the fact that she can wait for food in a restaurant, without any hassle, and she doesn't mind waiting, seeing people in the street, and taking a breather. Another example is waiting for an Uber. Here in Colombia it is possible that the driver waits for the user for a few minutes if he is not yet at the collection point, while in his country the situation is totally different: it is the users who must wait for the drivers. 

On the other hand, when asked about his favorite word, he said that it is the same in English and Spanish, parachute, since it is the name of a song (parachute) from a Chinese rock band, called Wasted Laika (丢莱卡), whose name is inspired by the Soviet space dog Laika, who was a little dog and was taken into space by a spacecraft called Sputnik 2 to be the first living animal in space. The point, she tells us, is that the word parachute It represents a hopeful message for her: “it is that object that is capable of supporting you every time you are about to fall”. 

Finally, when talking about his experience in the country, studying Spanish with Nueva Lengua in Bogotá, she clarifies that she likes this type of school, because it is a course that she personally chose with pleasure, not because of the pressure to graduate and get a “good job” and a “good life”. Living towards an existence full of her passions, tastes and interests is, for Sara, more important than adjusting to a standard determined by society. 

Like Sara, you too can live an enriching experience, exploring the world and its people in a country that offers you an infinite number of plans, so you can discover your true passions while you travel and learn Spanish.  

Check the plans what we have for you, or write to info@nuevalengua.com for more information about our Spanish courses and cultural immersion In colombia.