While many students head home for Chinese New Year, Peking University's Wambui Kiarie discovered the magic of staying put. The Kenyan international student traded Nairobi's sunshine for Beijing's winter chill, diving headfirst into lunar new year traditions with classmates-turned-family. ❄️🤝
'We turned the cafeteria into our cultural playground!' Wambui laughs, describing her first attempts at folding dumplings (some ended up 'more origami than food'). Her crew also pickled Laba garlic – a tangy tradition symbolizing prosperity – while swapping stories about holiday customs back home.
Between laughter and soy sauce splatters, the biochemistry major found unexpected connections: 'The red decorations reminded me of Kenyan wedding fabrics, and sharing meals felt just like family gatherings in Nairobi.' 🌍❤️
Her advice to fellow globe-trotting students? 'Say yes to sticky rice cakes and midnight fireworks! Festivals are universal languages.' As firecrackers popped outside, Wambui sent video greetings to Kenya – proof that home is both where you're from and where you make jiaozi.
