Essay: What things give someone a strong connection with home?

Fieldnotes from Group 6
Context of Ethnographic Study ‘ Part I
– Participants: Shuo
– Investigators: Paul and Rik
– Location: Walking to the Chinese supermarket
As the only Chinese speaking person from our master, our subject has or had no one to talk to in her own tongue. To bridge this gap of unfamiliarity we decided to use the Oriental Asian supermarket a mere 5 minutes’ walk from our faculty as the scene of our observation. During the walk there she told about how she prepared for her stay by contacting other Chinese students who were about to study in Maastricht using Facebook. Moreover, she showed the app WeChat that she uses to chat and call with her family and friends back home.
Shuo Shi is a Chinese student. She arrived in Maastricht, coming all the way from Jinan in Eastern China where she studied Sociology in her own language. She admitted that her first day at this foreign university was a bit overwhelming to her. Especially the consistent use of the English language asked for some adaptation. So, we decided to take a walk to the Amazing Oriental Maastricht, a supermarket specialized in selling East-Asian food. Maybe this trip could make her more at ease and talk more freely about her feelings about living in Maastricht?
During our walk she spoke about how she received help from other Chinese students concerning all sorts of practical manners. She also has contact with family members via Chinese social media on a regular basis. When we crossed a busy road, dodging a transit bus, she told me about the traffic situation in Jinan. It’s a busy city with traffic problems.
When we arrived at the supermarket, she started by saying she enjoyed the fact that many employees also speak the Chinese language. Speaking her own language with a ‘real’ person once in a while makes her feel more at home in Maastricht. But also the broad offer of Chinese food, makes her feel more at ease. Every time she was able to read Chinese characters printed on the package of, for instance, noodle soup or oyster sauce, it made her feel home.
Written by: Shuo Shi
After the assignment of this course was announced, members of our group decided to let me become the one mainly being observed, since I am the only one who study abroad. So we went to the oriental supermarket to find something which is familiar to me and makes me feel at my home – China.
What gives me the strong feeling of home is the food. Most of the spices, vegetables and staple food I cook and eat in China can be found at the market. The similar flavor would make me feel at home. Especially, when food combine with festival and custom, the emotion becomes much stronger. For example, when we just came into the market, I saw the a shelf with mooncakes which was the traditional food Chinese eat in the coming Mid-Autumn Festival. The brand and flavor was almost the same as what I bought in China. In addition, I plan to spend the festival with some of my Chinese friends to enjoy the full moon and eat the mooncakes, since one of another customs of Mid-Autumn Festival in China is family or friends reunion. In this way, I will feel not alone but at home.
Moreover, we also talked about what makes Rik feel have connection with one of his homeland – Indonesia. He said even though he has never been Indonesia and can not speak any Indonesian, he sometimes buy fried red onion in the oriental supermarket to cook some traditional Indonesian food which he learnt from his grandparents. These dishes make him feel more connected with Indonesia.
The brand and flavor was almost the same as what I bought in China. In addition, I plan to spend the festival with some of my Chinese friends to enjoy the full moon and eat the mooncakes, since one of another customs of Mid-Autumn Festival in China is family or friend’s reunion. In this way, I will feel not alone but at home.
Moreover, we also talked about what makes Rik feel have connection with one of his homeland – Indonesia. He said even though he has never been Indonesia and cannot speak any Indonesian, he sometimes buy fried red onion in the oriental supermarket to cook some traditional Indonesian food which he learnt from his grandparents. These dishes make him feel more connected with Indonesia.