Quotes of the Day

I was born in the Chinese port city of Tianjin in 1990 and grew up in Beijing. I arrived in Sydney in July 1998. My mother had already been to Australia a couple of times and my uncle had been living here for nearly 10 years. Mum decided we should come to Australia because she wanted me to be educated in an English-speaking country. She thought this would help me in my future career.

Within three weeks of our arrival in Sydney, I started attending an inner-city public school. The environment was very different from the one that I had been used to. In China, students study very hard from an early age. In Australia, school is more relaxed and students have more freedom and leisure time. In Year 3, my last year of school before we left China, if we did not score over 95% we would have to copy out the whole exam paper again. This system pressures students to do their best, but it can be very stressful. In China the school day ran from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (compared with 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Australia). I also had to wear a red scarf and salute every teacher I met. In Australia, whenever I see a teacher I just greet them with a "Hi, Mr. or Ms. So and So," in a polite but casual manner. These changes were fairly easy to get used to, but I found English difficult for some time. My school in China gave basic English lessons, and I learned simple phrases such as, "It is a sunny day today" or "Please sit down," but that was hardly enough to prepare me for life in an English-speaking country. The teachers and students at my new primary school were very helpful, except for a few girls who would make fun of my accent. By the time I was in Year 6, language was no longer a problem.

I am currently in Year 10 at Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney, and some of my friends at school are Chinese. Most of them were born in Australia. As well, I have friends who come from many other backgrounds. Although everyone at school speaks English, sometimes it is easier to talk about certain things to my Chinese friends, in Chinese, because our families hold the same values - like the importance of education. I know lots of people whose parents pay for coaching classes and tutors. I guess they're competitive and want their children to be the best.

My Mum is still a traditional Chinese parent and wants me to study very hard, become a doctor and look after her when she has a head of white hair. Right now I dream of becoming a fashion designer or the editor of Vogue. I still have regular contact with my relatives in China. Later this year, a cousin is coming to Australia to go to the University of Sydney. After living here for nearly seven years I have adjusted to the Aussie way of life, yet I remain Chinese as well. Although I sometimes miss China, I have come to value the cultural diversity that I have found in Australia.

• Alice Ding
• A modern girl