Author: Tian

Tian Chen is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at The University of Cape Town researching into the cultural identity construction of the Chinese diaspora. As a student/teacher/researcher/traveller/B&B host, Tian has been studying and working in Beijing, China; Kowloon, Hong Kong; Belfast, UK; Delaware, USA; Dublin, Ireland; Adelaide, Australia; and of course his new hometown, Cape Town, South Africa.

Walking barefoot on the land of Africa

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There and then: Places and moments that shaped my here and now – Part I of III

The Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa, 2014

I was surrounded by mountains, layers and layers of mountains. I heard butterflies flapping their wings, and birds singing from far, far away.

Staring at the Amphitheatre of the Northern Drakensberg, I took my shoes off, and slowly, I put my feet onto the wild grass. My feet could finally feel it – the land of Africa; a mystery to the rest of the world, and the very origin of the human species.

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The Question Boy

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In an interview with a Chinese language instructor teaching in South Africa, the interviewee, who was ‘born a crime’ as the third kid in his family under China’s One Child Policy, shared his experience of reflecting on cultural differences between China and Africa: “People call me ‘the question boy’ because I like reflecting on my observations and experiences. There are so many questions to ask.”

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