International Students: Quarantine Days in Wuhan

By Jodie Wang, Rice Ilunga Kajila, Kante Nabila Chouaib & Baba Imoro Musah

Since 10 o’clock on January 23, the city’s buses, subways, ferries, and long-distance passenger train stations have been suspended. Wuhan University of Technology also began fully enclosed management of international student dormitories since February 11. What was the status of these international students studying and living in Wuhan, and how did they spend this period of isolation?

1月23日10 时起，武汉全市公交、地铁、轮渡、长途客运站暂停运营，武汉理工大学也自2月11日起对留学生宿舍进行全封闭管理。这些在武汉学习和生活的留学生们的现状如何，他们是如何度过这段隔离的日子的呢？

01 赖斯：抗疫生存战记

Rice Ilunga Kajila: How I survived during the quarantine?

The most common question my overseas friends have asked me is how I’ve survived the quarantine. Most people cannot imagine being quarantined for this long and still be sane, but it is possible.

When the quarantine measures were first passed in Wuhan, we were able to move around and purchase things in the major supermarkets (Zhongbai, Walmart, etc.) and those nearby. Then the moment came when the rules changed and we weren’t allowed to get out of our communities. It was frustrating since the major question on everyone’s mind was how we’d be able to get access to groceries.

Teachers from the International Student’s Office delivers food packages to students国际教育学院的老师们为学生送去物资

Rice I. Kajila (right) and Xiong Fei 赖斯（右）和菜鸟驿站工作人员“熊哥”

To understand how we managed the problem, let me give you an overview of how the communities are organized. In each community there is a Wechat group that allows the administration of that particular community to communicate with all the residents. This powerful organization of each community can go as far as communicating when there is a stranger visiting the area. Through the community’s service, all residents were able to buy groceries using Mini Apps on Wechat, such as 美菜 and 十荟团. Being the only foreigner in my community wasn’t easy, especially when it came to understanding how to buy using the Mini Apps, because at first there was only a specific time you could buy. My condition didn’t go unnoticed by the administrator of my community. Soon, I had the delivery manager contacting me individually, he would call and take my order and provide extra services whenever I needed anything from the market.

I can recall the day I couldn’t get rice even after trying for two days on the Mini App, so he came the next day, brought a box of noodles for free and helped me purchase more groceries. His name is Xiong Fei, and I call him Xiong Ge, which means “ Big Brother Xiong.”

Besides the help from the community, the International Student’ s Office (ISO) via its head Mr. David Hu and my teacher David Gong, also managed to get the necessary permissions from the local government to deliver food to students who lived off campus. Being the off-campus student manager, I knew there were more than one hundred students living off campus and we were all locked down in our communities. However, each student living off campus saw the joyful faces of the school teachers moving mountains to bring groceries and masks to them, and that included bringing packages of vegetables, meat, fruits, and snacks to everyone.

The final set of surprises came when someone from the community administration delivered some vegetables for free, as well as letting me know I could get meat from the community office at a very low cost.

我究竟是如何熬过武汉封城抗疫这段非常时期的呢？这是我的海外朋友最常问我的问题。多数人无法想象隔离这么久还能保持十分理智，但这是完全有可能的。

武汉封城之初，我们还可以到各大超市（中百、沃尔玛和附近的社区超市）去采购各种物资。没多久社区也被封禁，这令人非常沮丧，因为最大的困难就是如何采购生活日用品。

我们如何解决这一困难呢？要解答这个问题，首先，让我来介绍一下社区的组织结构。每个社区都有一个微信群，社区的管理人员和所有居民可以借此互相联系。外来人员来访时，可以通过社区与居民联系。通过社区服务，所有居民都能够通过微信上的小程序（如美菜和十荟团）来购买生活物资。作为我们社区里唯一的外国人，这真的很难，尤其是在那些小程序上买菜对我来说很有难度。原因是，在团购初期，每次团购开始都只有一个特定的时间下单，需要我和其他居民一起组团来完成。我的情况很快得到了社区管理员的关注，他们开始让送货经理单独联系我。他会打电话单独接我的订单，并在我有需要的时候提供额外服务。我还记得那一天，我在小程序上努力了两天都没有买到大米，我给他发了信息，第二天他就免费送给我一包面条并且帮助我购买了更多的粮食。他的名字叫熊飞。我叫他熊哥，因为他像大哥一样照顾我。

我得到的不仅仅有社区的帮助。武汉理工大学国际教育学院办公室的胡雄斌老师、龚建明老师，申请到了通行证，为住在校外的学生提供必要的食物。而作为校外学生管理员之一，我了解到有100 多名国际留学生住在校外，他们的社区也都封闭了。每一个住在校外的学生都看到了学校老师的笑脸，老师们辛苦为学生们运送生活物资和口罩，给每个人都送去一大包蔬菜、肉、水果、零食。

It has been a season of both panic and receiving love and care from the Wuhanese. Staying indoors not only kept us safe but also kept our neighbors safe.

更让我感到惊讶的是，社区管理部工作人员会经常来敲我的门，免费送给我一些蔬菜，并通知我去社区办公室买超级平价的爱心肉。

在这个让人恐慌的时期，我感受到了武汉人的爱和关怀。我衷心地感谢大家，我亲爱的邻居们和武汉理工大学国际教育学院的所有老师们。我的心也与世界上所有与新型冠状病毒肺炎作斗争的人们同在。宅家不仅保证了我们的安全，也保证了邻居的安全。

02 帅伯:开发了很多新技能

Kante Nabila Chouaib: Developed many new skills

I was too scared at first because of the news about the increasing number of deaths, infections, and so on. However, when I started to think about my future, my goal of learning the Chinese language, and why I came to China, I found that the only solution to permit me to continue was firstly to adapt to a new reality in a positive way.

I quickly started to focus on ways to keep safe, watching good news instead of bad news or rumors, keep praying, listening to music, dancing, and continuing with my study plan. So there was no time to think too much or care about other things.

Seeing medical staff fighting, people dying and Wuhan citizens who kept to their duties, affected my faith deeply and positively. Then I found that the only thing I could do to help these strong and courageous people on the front line was to keep calm, follow authorities’ requirements, and allow them to be focused on the disease.

I achieved 90% of my goal in my studies. For instance, I passed HSK 3 during this period. I developed many new skills like avoiding crowded places. Those support activities (talking with friends, dancing, watching motivational movies, listening to music, learning etc.) permitted me to forget the bad time I was facing. The way I considered the problem was totally different from my parents’ views regarding the news they received everyday about our situation in Wuhan through France 24 and BBC. They were more scared than me, even though they gave only two advices: Don’t panic and keep praying, you will survive.

What I retained from this was that in emergency case like this, we must keep a good mentality by being positive, build up confidence by keeping track of good news, and follow rules in order to know how to keep safe. Only by so doing will we be able to survive the hardest time as heroes do.

起初，随着新增感染人数和死亡人数的增长，我感到十分害怕。我开始思考我的将来，我的语言学习计划以及我为什么要来到中国。我发现让我继续下去的唯一解决方法是，使自己保持良好的感觉，因为目前该流行病还没有疫苗。

我很快开始重视保障安全，看一些好的消息而不是坏消息或谣言，继续祈祷、听音乐、跳舞，并继续我的学习计划。

战斗的医护人员们、危重的病患和那些坚守岗位的武汉市民，对我的信仰产生了深远而积极的影响。我发现唯一可以帮助这些最坚强、最勇敢的人的方法就是保持镇定，遵守当局要求。

在此期间，我达到了90%的目标，比如通过汉语水平考试三级（HSK 3）。我在很多事情上都开发了新技能，例如避开拥挤的地方。这些活动（如与朋友聊天，跳舞，看励志电影，听音乐，学习等）使我忘记了自己过得不好的时光。我每天通过法国24 小时和BBC 了解到的有关我们在武汉的情况和武汉真实的情况完全不同。虽然他们意识到“不要惊慌并继续祈祷，您会顺利度过困难的”，但他们其实比我害怕得多。因此，有时我会质疑自己是否真的在武汉，在那个他们所认为的最不安全的地方。

我认为，在这样的紧急情况下，保持积极乐观的心态，适当关注新闻可以增加你的信心，遵守规则才能知道如何保持安全，只有这样才能像英雄一样摆脱艰难的时光。

03 夏博健：学术生活在继续

Baba Imoro Musah: Academic life continues

I have lived in Wuhan for cumulatively about 4 years now. I first came here in September of 2015 for my postgraduate studies and successfully graduated in June 2017 with MSc in Environmental Science and Engineering from Wuhan University of Technology. Now I am a second-year PhD student in the same major at the same university.

At about 11:30 am on January 23, I had a task to perform in the laboratory as a research student. I went to the roadside to get a public bus to go to lab. However, after few minutes of waiting at the stop, no bus showed up—apparently, the lockdown had started already. I honestly thought it was because of the New Year holiday. I couldn’t wait any longer, so I opted to make good use of one of the public bicycles available nearby. Upon my return to school dormitory later in the evening on bicycle, I read in the news about the lockdown in Wuhan that was already going on.

Subsequently, our university authorities notified us about the suspension of all public transportation in Wuhan. Our school further provided safety guidelines for all of us on campus to abide by in order to protect us from getting infected by COVID-19. Then notice came again advising all international students on campus to stay indoors as much as possible, and wear a mask when it is necessary to go out at the initial stage.

On the night, the Chinese government announced its plan to build a 1000-bed emergency hospital in one week to cater to cases of COVID-19 in the city. This news came to many of us as great news.

The provisions of medical masks, some foods such as vegetables, rice, oil, and water from our university within this period came as great relief to many of us on campus and it was deeply appreciated. I want to say thanks to our university, especially to the ISO for assisting some of my colleague students to renew their visas/residence permit during this lockdown. The decision to disinfect our dormitory, kitchens, and corridors in our dormitory was a good move, too.

I must admit that curtailment or restrictions on human movement anywhere was not easy at all. However, since the surest way to help contain COVID-19 is avoid as much as possible human contact with many people, I think it is worth it.

During this period, everyday I tried to find something positive to engage my attention as a research student. I read scientific articles relating to my research work and did mini reviews—this lessened the pressure on my mind about COVID-19. I am sure many other students did the same.

Initially, we started free Chinese learning in our dormitory initiated by Ms. Dai Yuli during the first two weeks of the lockdown but we subsequently stopped it in order to avoid human contact as recommended by health authorities. I’ve been in touch with Professor Lai Peng, my supervisor, regularly, whom I’m grateful to for he kept checking on me and giving me tasks to perform which diverted all my attention to academic study.

For those who will be graduating this year in June, I wish you the very best in your thesis or dissertation preparations. Let’s all continue to make good use of the time we stay indoors by attending to our academic needs as much as possible.

Let’s all continue to stay strong, and abide by all safety guidelines and instructions from our school authority as well as the Chinese government. I know China will certainly come out victorious at the end of the COVID-19 fight.

This is just a microcosm of the life of international students studying in Wuhan during the lockdown period. Like all the other people who live in Wuhan, they started from fear and worry, and slowly adapted to the life in lockdown. Slowly they mastered new skills, and even learned to comfort, encourage, and help other people around them. Thank you all for your bravery! (Source: Official WeChat of International Student’s Office, Wuhan University of Technology)这只是在汉的来华留学生这段时间生活的一个缩影，他们和其他所有生活在武汉的人一样从开始的恐惧、担心，到慢慢适应封城的生活，调节自己的心态，掌握新的技能，甚至是安慰、鼓励和帮助身边的人。谢谢每一个勇敢的你们！（来源：武汉理工大学国际教育学院官方微信）

我在武汉已经生活了大约4年。我于2015年9月第一次来到武汉开始研究生阶段的学习，并于2017年6月成功毕业于武汉理工大学环境科学与工程专业，获得理学硕士学位。现在，我继续在这所大学攻读博士学位。

2020年1月23日上午11:30左右，我必须去实验室里完成一项研究工作。我去了路边，打算乘坐公交车去实验室。我到公交车站，经过几分钟的等待，依然不见公交车来，我并不知道封锁已经开始了。我以为是因为临近新年假期车变少了，但是我有点等不及了，所以我选择骑公交车站旁的共享单车。当我晚上骑自行车返回学校宿舍时，我才得知当日上午10:00 武汉封城的消息。

随后，学校通知了我们武汉市所有公共交通被暂停的情况。为了保护我们免受感染，学校还立即为我们所有人提供了安全指南。并再次发出通知，建议所有在校园内的国际学生尽可能多地待在室内，并在必要时戴上口罩。

当晚，中国政府宣布，计划在一周内建造拥有1000 张病床的急诊医院，以应对武汉市的新冠肺炎疫情。这对我们许多人来说都是个好消息。

在此期间，为保障我们的安全，学校采取了各项措施，给我们提供医用口罩和各种食品（例如蔬菜、大米、油和水等），大大减轻了我们在校学生的焦虑，因而倍受赞赏。感谢我们的学校，尤其是留学生办公室的老师们，在封锁期间尽力协助学生续签签证/居留许可，并对我们的宿舍、厨房和走廊进行全面消毒。

我必须承认，限制甚至禁止任何地方的人员活动绝非易事，特别是被要求待在室内。但是，人际交往可能使我们面临许多风险，而通过待在室内来尽可能避免与许多人接触是遏制疫情最可靠的方法，我认为这是值得的。我坚信，中国武汉和世界其他地区肯定会击败COVID-19。

我必须赞扬并向中国政府表示敬意，毋庸置疑，他们在应对COVID-19 方面表现出强大领导能力和坚定承诺。迄今为止，中国政府在遏制疫情上取得的巨大进步反映了其强大的领导能力，令我印象深刻。

在此期间，我每天尝试找一些积极的东西以吸引我的注意力。我阅读了与我的研究工作相关的科学文章，并进行了简短的标注，这减轻了疫情对我的压力。我敢肯定，很多学生也跟我一样。

封城后的前两周,代玉丽老师发起了免费的中文学习活动，我们在宿舍中参与，但随后为了避免人员的聚集和交往我们停止了活动。我定期与我的导师赖鹏教授联系。他定期检查我的学习进度并布置任务，因此我经常无暇顾及其他，对此我十分感激。

对于那些将于今年6月毕业的人，祝愿你们的论文工作一切顺利。让我们所有人充分利用我们待在室内的时间，尽可能地满足我们的学术需求。

让我们继续保持坚强。让我们继续遵守学校和中国政府的所有安全指南和指示。我知道中国一定会战胜新冠病毒。