Wudaokou Watch: “I Want to Be a Good and Famous Photographer in China”

In the Wudaokou Watch column, we'll profile a different Beijing-based student from abroad each week to hear about their life in China's capital.

What is your name and where do you come from?
I’m Hasan Al Banna. I’m from Bangladesh. Bangladesh is renowned for its hospitality. We have six seasons and every season lasts two months. During winter, a lot of people come to visit Bangladesh to enjoy the beauty of nature. A lot of birds from other countries also migrate to Bangladesh. Bangladesh is overpopulated but its people are so friendly with foreigners and so helpful. We make the world’s best-quality garments; from NIKE to MK, most of the famous brand in the world make their brands in Bangladesh.

Why did you come to Beijing?
I came to Beijing to study Chinese. I study at the famous Beijing Language and Culture (BLCU) of China, majoring in Chinese.

How is life in Beijing different from your home country?
The culture is different, the people are different, life is different, the language is different, and we also have the time difference! Chinese food is good but I don't think it is very healthy; they use a lot of oil when they cook food. Our food has a traditional touch of Indian food, and history tells us that Bengali people use to cook food for kings, which is why our food is so delicious. When it's spicy it’s so spicy but when it’s sweet it’s so sweet. Additionally, China is very developed while we are still trying to come up in the world.

What are the biggest challenges for you here?
I have to pass the HSK 6 and that is the biggest challenge for me. If I don’t study hard I will not succeed. Also, here I feel that nobody cares about anybody... people are afraid to help, people don't care about feelings. Using a cellphone while driving and walking in the streets. I once saw a dead a child in the road, run over by a car while her mother was using her phone. I'll never forget that.

What are your three favorite hangouts here?
Olympic park, the Summer palace, and Houhai. This place gives me refreshing moments, I like visiting them often.

What do you do when you are feeling homesick?
I never miss my home here because I have friends here and my Chinese teachers are like family members to me. We interact a lot.

What do you love most about Beijing?
I don’t like Beijing a lot but one thing I like about it is the street food, especially kao leng mian. I love it so much.

What is your most memorable Beijing experience?
The first time when I said “Zhongguo” instead of China [laughs].

How has life in Beijing impacted you?
I like freedom and that’s what Beijing has given me but sometimes I don’t feel safe here. Personal safety is hardly adhered to. A few weeks ago, someone stole my motorbike's battery and disappeared. If anything happens to you here, people hardly notice and at times people tend to not be willing to help.

What inspires you and what are your future plans?
My inspiration comes from my Chinese teachers. In the future, I want to be a teacher like them. I also aspire to be a good and famous photographer here in China.

READ: Wudaokou Watch: "China Has Opened Me up to Myself"

Are you a student in Beijing? Let us profile you and your unique experiences here. Drop us a line at editor@thebeijinger.com and we’ll get back to you to schedule an interview.

Photos courtesy of Hasan Al Banna