Juliet Thomas receives a Chinese lesson given by her teacher Jian Li in Dallas, Texas, the United States, on Jan. 9, 2024. (Photo by Tian Dan/Xinhua)
by Zhou Yilan
DALLAS, the United States, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Learning Chinese is more than learning a language, Juliet Thomas, a 62-year-old entrepreneur of a publishing company, has said.
Inspired by her grandmother's cherished book, Juliet embarked on her magical journey from language learning to cultural exploration.
As she is planning her sixth trip to China in 2024, Juliet intends not only to explore iconic destinations but also to extend a heartfelt invitation to her online Chinese teacher Zhu Feng from southwest China's Yunnan province to experience the warmth of her hometown in Dallas, south central U.S. state of Texas.
FROM CHILDHOOD ENCHANTMENT TO LIFELONG PASSION
Juliet's enchantment with China can be traced back to her grandmother's cherished old book -- a trove of captivating images and words that kindled a lifelong fascination.
Recalling the memories of sitting on her grandma's lap and exploring its pages together, she said, "It (the old book about China) was one of those very few precious things she had and my grandma would say China was a magical place! You should go there when you grow up."
Her dream of visiting China took root ever since and finally materialized in 2009 when her husband was invited to attend a conference in Beijing.
"He brought me along! It happened that day was my birthday. The whole conference said 'Happy Birthday' to me in Chinese," Juliet still keeps sweet memories as if she could still hear those birthday cheers. "I was so happy that I almost decided to stay in China if I didn't have two little boys at home."
Following another memorable trip to China in 2012, Juliet's husband sent her a Christmas gift, a set of ten online lessons for learning Chinese from Li Laoshi (Teacher Li), which marked the beginning of Juliet's formal Chinese language study, igniting a passion that she hadn't anticipated.
"That's how I started learning the Chinese language; I never realized I would have such a wonderful beginning!" she said. "Once I started learning I fell in love with the language."
With the help of several Chinese learning apps and social media accounts, Juliet enriches her Chinese study through a three-hour weekly class at a local university and works closely with her current Chinese Teacher Zhu.
"Zhu Laoshi (Teacher Zhu) would assign me listening, translation and other homework. He would check all the assignments, and then we would talk about daily life, movies and all kinds of things," she said. "I've been studying with him on WeChat all through the pandemic."
Quoting an old Chinese saying that only a strict teacher could produce a good disciple, Juliet said, "I had a great opportunity to improve my weakest skill -- speaking the Chinese language, thanks to my strict teacher."
Juliet chose the Chinese character "lan" (meaning lazy) as her WeChat avatar and explained that this intentional choice serves to constantly remind herself to study Chinese harder.
"Juliet learns Chinese because she loves it," Li Jian, a Chinese teacher in Dallas who had taught Juliet, told Xinhua. "Juliet is very intelligent and hardworking."
BEYOND A LANGUAGE
"When I started studying Chinese in 2013, I only knew I was interested in the language and the culture of China. I didn't know it would become such a big part of my life," she said.
"I love meeting Chinese people and learning about other aspects of culture related to China. I love trying different Chinese food, watching Chinese movies and TV series and listening to different types of Chinese music. I also started to learn to play Guzheng (a kind of Chinese ancient musical instrument)," she continued.
Reflecting on her past decade's experience, Juliet said that learning Chinese is more than learning a language.
Her influence has transcended generations, inspiring her 29-year-old son Zachary Thomas to embark on his Chinese language journey. Both have passed HSK (the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi or the Chinese Proficiency Test) Level 3 and are now preparing for the Level 4 exam.
Juliet also found solace in Chinese traditions, particularly the concept of Wu Fu, namely the five blessings. Coping with the loss of her father, she turned to the five blessings -- health, wealth, longevity, peace, and descendants, finding a meaningful way to reflect on and accept his passing.
"My father was incredibly important to me ... I felt very lost and so sad when he passed away because I was not sure whether I had done enough for him. The Chinese culture of 'Wu Fu' helped me settle my heart," she recalled. "Looking at those Chinese 'Wu Fu' signs around my house, I realized my dad had fully enjoyed all five blessings."
Juliet believed that cultural exchange is pivotal in fostering understanding between nations and said, "Learning their language is a great way."
Noting that more and more Americans are studying Chinese now and online Chinese teaching is booming, she said, "There are far more resources on the Internet now that are easy and accessible either online or in person."
As she plans her sixth trip to China in 2024, Juliet said she and her husband are planning to go to Yunnan to visit Teacher Zhu and invite him to experience the warmth of her home in the United States. "He could stay with us as many days as he wishes."
"I'd love to go to Zhangjiajie (a city in China's Hunan province), Suzhou (a city in China's Jiangsu province), Xi'an (the capital city of China's Shannxi province) and spend a few months to continue to fulfill my magical dream of China!" she said. ■
Juliet Thomas shows her Wechat's avatar, meaning lazy in Chinese, to remind herself she should work harder in Chinese learning, in Dallas, Texas, the United States, on Jan. 9, 2024. (Photo by Tian Dan/Xinhua)
Juliet Thomas tells her story of learning Chinese during an interview with Xinhua in Dallas, Texas, the United States, on Jan. 9, 2024. (Photo by Tian Dan/Xinhua)
