“女儿，你是我的骄傲，我昨天和朋友吃点心告诉大家你收到奖学金去德国的名校读书！我的孩子这么聪明！”雨娜的妈妈高兴的告诉她。

“妈妈，太尴尬了，我还没开始上课你就这样啊。。。”雨娜叹气说。

“你刚刚离开了加拿大但我就很想你。”

“别担心，我夏天就回家了！”雨娜告诉她妈妈，“毕竟那是我的故乡。妈妈，我要走了今天我要参加活动，是俱乐部申请日。”

“哦，小心啊，别忘记下个星期打电话给我啊。。。”

“好，拜拜。”

雨娜是一个加拿大华人，在加拿大出生长大的她没有去过别的国家，更别说去新的国家读书所以雨娜特别兴奋，终于可以开始她的大学生活。而且，因为这是一个名校大家都是用英文沟通，所以没有什么语言障碍。和加拿大文化相比，德国文化更集体主义。这个让她不熟悉这种新文化和环境，尽管如此她好奇在新的国家学新的文化传统。

今天是俱乐部申请日，所以校园热热闹闹的，充满了一种年轻的气息。她经过了一个俱乐部，看起来很有趣，是一个中国文化俱乐部。站在展位上的女孩子热情地迎接她。

“你是中国人吗？”这位女孩子礼貌地问。

雨娜点了头，“是啊！”

这个女孩子的笑容变宽了，笑得更加亲切，用中文高兴地问，“我叫雅婷，你哪里人？我从四川来的，你呢？”

雨娜心里一惊，虽然她听得出来她刚刚说是国语，但是她完全不知道她说什么。

“我很抱歉，我听不太懂国语，你能用英语再说一遍吗？”雨娜抱歉地说道。

“呃？你不会说中文，你不是中国人吗？” 那女孩的笑容好像少了一点。

雨娜知道这个女孩无意刻薄，但是她禁不住感到不舒服。她的评论不小心伤了雨娜的情怀。但是，她觉得她也说得没错，她自己都不知道，她是不是中国人。虽然她的家人来自中国，但是因为她是在加拿大出生长大的，所以从小熟悉的文化传统都是建立在加拿大文化的基础上。但是，她的想法其实不免还是受到了中国传统文化的影响。比如说，中国食物的食物的凉性和热性，雨娜的父母虔诚地遵循这些方法。所以，不只是今天，其实雨娜总是自己问自己，她到底是哪儿的人？

从那天后，雨娜开始参加更多关于中国文化传统的活动。她不仅开始去学校的中国文化俱乐部，她也在学校开始上中文课。整个学期过去，她没想到她那么喜欢学中文，去好好认识她家人的文化背景。

她参加俱乐部活动的时候，学到很多。雨娜觉得最有意思参加的活动，是一个活动教他们武术的历史和中国不同的武术风格。

“中国武术的历史源远流长，”师傅对全班说。“在古代中国，武术原本不仅有自卫的作用，也有狩猎技术和军事训练的作用。而且可以强身健体。”

她以前认为中国武术不外乎就是少林功夫，但是实际上有很多种风格，例如：“咏春“、“八极拳“、等等。而且，中国武术的风格以不同的方式对其进行分类。最常见的方法是用外家拳和内家拳分类。最受欢迎的外家拳是少林功夫，这重拳专注于发展体力和敏捷性，相比之下，内家拳专注于发展思想和精神。然后，最受欢迎的内家拳是太极拳。参加这个活动后，她就可以多了解中国的文化和中国武术的好处。中国人非常重视身体好，而武术是一个锻炼身体的方法。武术的知识也有文化的意义，所以学到武术让她多了解中国的文化传统而为什么武术对中国人有意思。

除了学中国文化，她跟她新中国朋友去吃各种各样的中国美食，也去柏林的唐人街看中国重要地标。雨娜从来没吃过那么真正的中国美食，此外她觉得对比在家里吃的中菜完全不同的感觉。她学到中菜有一句话叫“八大菜系”，就是代表不同的地区有不同的制作方法。

雨娜跟她朋友去一个程度饭馆吃晚饭的时，跟她吃惊来说。“我从来没吃过四川麻辣火锅，我没想到中国有那么辣的食物？！”

雨娜觉得非常好奇，中国美食如此多样化，她觉得她错过了故事的一部分。学多中国文化让她多了解中国的文化传统又深又广。

有一天，她终碰到她曾今在俱乐部申请日见面的女孩子。她向她挥手，然后用中文来说，“很久不见，你还好吗？”

她听到雨娜用中文吃一惊，然后她的笑容变得更灿烂。

“哇，你怎么那么快就学会说中文啦？从那天起，我就一直没有忘记你。我没有时间为当时的事情道歉，你那天走的那么快，我没有机会解释我的意思。”

雨娜回她一个微笑。“不用道歉。你那天说得没错，我一直以来没有好好的重视我的中国背景。你的一番话反而给我机会，让我想好好认识我的根，我父母的文化。”

“我告诉你真相，其实，我也是在别的国家出生长大的，我只是跟你开玩笑。我也是为了多了解我的中国背景学习中文，所以现在可以说我肯定是中国人。”

但是，雨娜的结果不是这样，即使她在经历了所有关于她背景的新事物之后，她仍然不觉得自己属于“中国人”。她自己想一想，她去参加那么多的中国活动让她自己多了解中国文化，但是她也觉得是对中国文化是一位局外人。为什么呢？因为她不是出生长大就沉浸在中国文化中，所以她不会有中国人一样的见识。但是，她也受到她家人的影响，所以有部分的中国文化知识。结果是一个特别的经验不跟普通的中国人相同。雨娜是加拿大出生长大的，也有中国的背景，雨娜的身份就是两者的混合在一起。现在，很多人不只是沉浸在一个国家的文化，所以大家可以带来很多不同的经验。

"Honey, I'm so proud of you. I went to Dimsum with my friends yesterday and told everyone that you received a scholarship to study in a prestigious school in Germany! Isn't my daughter the smartest!" Yuna's mother told her happily.

"Mom, it's so embarrassing, I haven't even started class yet and you're like this..." Yu Na sighed.

"You just left Canada but I already miss you so much."

"Don't worry, I'll be back home in the summer!" Yu Na told her mother, "After all, it's my hometown. I have to go now, I have an activity to attend to, club's day."

"Oh okay, be careful, don't forget to call me next week..."

"okay bye bye."

Yuna is a Canadian Chinese. Born and raised in Canada, she has never been to another country, let alone a new country to study, so Yuna was very excited to finally start her university life. Moreover, because she goes to a prestigious school, everyone communicates in English, so there is no language barrier. German culture is more collectivist than Canadian culture. so this new country made her feel a bit unfamiliar with this new culture and environment, although she was curious about learning new cultural traditions in a new country.

Today at school was club's day, so the campus is lively and full of a youthful atmosphere. She passed a club that looked interesting, a Chinese cultural club. The girls standing at the booth greeted her warmly.

"Are you Chinese?" the girl asked politely.

Yuna nodded with eagerness, "Yes!"

The girl's smile widened and became friendly. She asked happily in Chinese, "My name is Yating, where are you from? I'm from Sichuan, how about you?"

Yu Na was in shock, although she could hear that she just spoke Mandarin, but she had absolutely no idea what she said.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand Mandarin very well, can you say it again in English?" Yu Na said apologetically.

"Eh? You don't speak Chinese, aren't you Chinese though?" The girl's smile started to fade.

Yuna knew that the girl had no intention of being mean, but she couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. The girl's comment had accidentally hurt Yu Na's feelings. However, she felt that what she said wasn't wrong, she herself didn't even know whether she was Chinese or not. Although her family is from China, because she was born and raised in Canada, the cultural traditions she has been familiar with since childhood are based on Canadian culture. However, her ideas are still influenced by traditional Chinese culture. For example, the cold and hot nature of Chinese food, Yu Na's parents follow these methods religiously. So, not only today, in fact, Yuna always asks herself, where exactly is she from?

Since that day, Yuna has started to participate in more activities about Chinese cultural traditions. Not only did she start going to the school's Chinese cultural club, she also started taking Chinese classes at the school. After the whole semester passed, she did not expect that she liked learning Chinese so much and getting to know her family's cultural background.

She learned a lot while participating in club activities. The activity that Yuna found the most interesting to attend was an activity that taught them the history of martial arts and different styles of Chinese martial arts.

"Chinese martial arts has a long history," the master told the class. "In ancient China, martial arts originally not only played a role in self-defense, but also in hunting techniques and military training. It can also help strengthen the body."

She used to think that Chinese martial arts is nothing more than Shaolin Kungfu, but there are actually many styles, such as "Wing Chun", "Ba ji quan", etc. Also, styles of Chinese martial arts classify it in different ways. The most common method is to use the classification of Wai jia quan and Nei jia quan. The most popular Wai jia quan is Shaolin Kungfu, which focuses on developing physical strength and agility, while Nei jia quan focuses on developing the mind and spirit. Then, the most popular internal boxing is Tai Chi. After participating in this activity, she learned more about Chinese culture and the benefits of Chinese martial arts. The Chinese place great emphasis on good health, and martial arts is a way of exercising. The knowledge of martial arts also has cultural significance, so learning Wushu let her know more about Chinese cultural traditions and why martial arts is interesting to Chinese people.

In addition to learning Chinese culture, she and her new Chinese friends went to eat all kinds of Chinese food, and also went to Berlin's Chinatown to see important Chinese landmarks. Yuna has never eaten such real Chinese food, and she feels completely different from the Chinese food she eats at home. She learned that there is a saying in Chinese cuisine called "eight major cuisines", which means that different regions have different production methods.

When Yuna went to a Chengdu style Chinese restaurant with her friends for dinner, she told her that she was surprised. "I've never had Sichuan Mala Hotpot, I didn't expect China to have such spicy food?!"

Yu Na felt very curious that Chinese food is so diverse, she felt like she was missing part of the story. Learning more Chinese culture allows her to understand more about China's cultural traditions, which are profound and broad.

One day, she finally met the girl she had met on club's day. She waved to her and said in Chinese, "Long time no see, How are you?"

She was startled to hear Yuna speaking Chinese, and then her smile grew brighter.

"Wow, how did you learn to speak Chinese so quickly? I haven't forgotten you since that day. I didn't have time to apologize for what happened at the time. You walked so fast that day, I didn't have a chance to explain what I meant."

Yuna smiled back at her. "You don't need to apologize. You were right that day. I haven't paid much attention to my Chinese background. What you said instead gave me a chance to get to know my roots and my parents' culture."

"I'll tell you the truth. In fact, I was born and raised in another country. I'm just joking with you. I also learned Chinese to learn more about my Chinese background, so now I can say that I must be Chinese."

But even after all the new things about her background, she still doesn't feel like she belongs to "Chinese". She thought about it for herself, she went to so many Chinese activities to learn more about Chinese culture, but she also felt that she was an outsider to Chinese culture. why? Because she was not born and raised in Chinese culture, she will not have the same knowledge as the Chinese. However, she is also influenced by her family, so she has some knowledge of Chinese culture. The result is a special experience not the same as the average Chinese. Yuna was born and raised in Canada and also has a Chinese background. Yuna's identity is a mixture of the two. Now, many people are not just immersed in one country's culture, so we can bring about many different experiences.

你好许儿！

我很享受看你的故事。我认为一生中每个人都会面对这个身份的问题。我是谁？我生活的目的是什么？我的根在哪儿？这都是非常重要的问题。但是，虽然很重要，但是你不会常常听到人讨论这些问题。我自己也面对了这个身份的问题。因为我半个生活住在一个国家但半个生活住在另外一个国家，人问我我自哪儿的时候我每一次不知道怎么回答。我觉得你提醒了一我们个非常好的观念：我们虽然是一个人，但是可以有结合两个、三个多文化。如果我们跟两个国家的文化有关系，为什么选一个呢？我们要好好接受自己和自己的背景。

–琳娜

许儿，你好！

我认为你的故事写得很好。这样关于个人身份的问题与所有人有关的。我自己可以了解这样的情况，从小，人们问我从哪里来自，我都不知道应该选哪一个国家。但是，长大以后，我觉得为什么我们只应该选一个国家？跟你的主角很相似。如果我们生命中有机会跟几个国家和文化变得熟悉，我们的生活就会变得更丰富！因此，这其实不是一个坏事，而是一个优势。谢谢你的分享。

-丽雅

你好 许儿！

我真的很喜欢读你的故事。这是一个有趣的话题，真正适用于我们这种多元文化的现代社会。我认为有机会了解不同的文化并去不同的国家是一次非常美妙的经历。我相信有这个身份问题是正常的，但我觉得无论你身在何处，始终承认你的根源和你来自哪里的文化总是很重要的。

-李可