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Journey to China
My name is Onias Munaki, I work for the Office of the Auditor General of Zimbabwe as a senior auditor. I come from Zimbabwe or ‘The House of Stones’, a stunningly beautiful country located between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers in Southern Africa, a country endowed with abundant natural resources, peaceful and hardworking people.
China’s journey to become a global economic titan and the resilience and determination of its people had a significant influence on my decision to pursue studies in China. Furthermore, my decision to study in China was influenced to a large extent by my intense desire to understand and gain first-hand knowledge of the Chinese people's way of life and their vibrant social culture.
Being accepted at Shanghai National Accounting Institute, which has a distinguished academic history in accounting education both within China and outside, made me feel honoured. I must admit that I had my doubts about my ability to adjust to life in China before leaving on my transformative academic trip to China. I questioned whether it would be simple for me to adapt to Chinese culture. Admittedly, I found that, after all, studying Chinese was relatively simple and conversing with Chinese people on a regular basis is even more interesting and amusing.
However, my academic journey has not been simple. I had obstacles and problems along the way, particularly in the beginning of my online studies. I had to confront and manage the expectations and strains of my academic, work and family demands. Frequent load shedding exacerbated the situation as I found myself with no internet connectivity during online lessons. In some instances, the internet connection was poor, thus making it difficult to comprehend the lectures. In order to overcome these challenges, I had to scout for places with backup solar energy so as to maintain uninterrupted connectivity throughout online lessons.
So far, learning and residing at SNAI has been a very intriguing experience. The peaceful, attractive setting is excellent for learning. When I first arrived at SNAI, I was greeted by friendly and helpful senior students who took their precious time to show me around this lovely institution that I have now come to call home. My first face-to-face lectures at the Department of International Graduate Education are particularly memorable as I met in person for first time with some of our Professors and their Teaching Assistants.
I have to admit that getting used to Chinese diet in my early days at SNAI was a little difficult. I, however, quickly got accustomed to the food, though I am still to exhaust the menu. Now I can enjoy some of the Chinese dishes served in the dining hall. I am undoubtedly enjoying both my academic and social life at SNAI. What more could I possibly ask from SNAI after being given the chance of a lifetime to study with personalities from diverse backgrounds and cultures?
