Suyi Guo – from Hubei province in central China – was already used to living away from home, having spent several years at university in Beijing, before she arrived in Ireland last September.
The 21-year-old came in Dublin with eight other Chinese classmates to study accountancy at the UCD for two years through an exchange programme, and dove right into the work.
“I’m very busy with my studies, lectures and tutorials,” she says. “I like working with my Irish group, composed of four people. Those tutor groups help me a lot. People are kind and they encourage me to do presentations. I think it’s a good opportunity for me.”
Guo’s hectic schedule also includes English courses in a Dublin language school, and giving private lessons in Chinese to children twice a week.
In her first months here, Guo had a little trouble with the English language, and there are still some things she needs to get used to.
“I lose myself during the lectures because of the language. Sometimes the lecturer makes a joke and I wonder what happened. I cannot laugh yet because I don’t understand everything,” she explains.
But the most difficult aspect about life in Ireland so far is the loneliness.
“China is a very populous country,” she says. “There are many people on the street and I think I’m safe. In Dublin, there are not such as many people – maybe also because I’m not living in the city centre – and I can feel very lonely.”
But she is doing her best to adapt and fit it – even sharing Dubliners’ frustration with public transport.
“I often wait more than 20 minutes before catching a bus,” she says. “Maybe it’s because people have more private cars than in China.”
Guo thinks that Irish people are warm-hearted. “For example, they do their best to understand my English,” she says. “I went shopping recently and when I left the shopping centre it was dark and I didn’t know which way to go. I asked a couple for directions, and they gave me a lift home.”
Though she hasn’t had a chance to get around the country yet, Guo really wants to visit Galway. “It is famous for Connemara,” she says. “I saw a video clip of the group Westlife set in the Connemara countryside, I want to see that for real.”
When she has spare time, Guo spends it online. “I don’t know how I can live without the internet,” she says. “Everyday I connect with a web cam to speak with my family.” She also occasionally visits an uncle who lives in Dublin.
With her busy workload, this young Chinese woman clearly enjoys a challenge. “By this way, I gain experience and I improve my abilities,” she says. “During the Olympics in Beijing I was a volunteer and worked with many other people from different countries. We basically helped foreigners and visitors. It was a good experience because I met people who had different backgrounds and think in different ways. I enjoyed it.”
Guo also recently worked as a translator during the Ireland-China economic and trade forum that took place recently in Dublin.
“My teacher put me forward for this job. It was a good experience because I made a lot of friends, and I have contacts with the Chinese embassy.”
After her master’s degree, Guo plans to stay and find a job in Ireland. “I hope I can work for one of the Big Four after,” she says, referring to the world’s four largest accountancy firms, which include KPMG and Ernst & Young.
“But ultimately I dream to have my own business. It would for me bring a great sense of achievement.”
