A friend in need is a friend indeed

Two days ago, one of my best friends, Wan Shu, graduated. She didn´t want to go to the graduation ceremony, because she didn´t like those kinds of events when people are on the spotlight, but I obliged her to go because (I told her) it will be a special moment for her and her family. I can´t explain with words what I felt when I saw her on the stage receiving the degree. You may think I´m a little bit exaggerated, but I consider the friendship we have is unique, a friendship which began 6 years ago the first class at the IFDC.

6 years ago, I started studying to be an English teacher. I remember the expectations I had that day because I was going to know the teachers and my classmates. I was a little bit lost because I saw hundreds of classrooms which resembled fish tanks (“how peculiar!” I thought) and I was alone, trying to see if I recognized someone. Among all the students (which, believe me, were a lot) I discerned a Chinese girl who stood out against the rest. She was alone too. I approached her and we exchanged some words. That day I realized we were going to be great friends and I realized she was a girl of few words too.

I could see the first years at the IFDC were difficult for her because she didn´t know some words in Spanish, thus, imagine how difficult it was for her to learn English!

The years passed by and our friendship consolidated more and more. First, we saw each other every single day at the IFDC;  then, we gathered to go there. We discovered we had some things in common. We met to study in my house and I taught her to brew “mate”. Some other days she and her family invited me to have lunch in their house and they taught me their traditional tea ceremony. In their house, the Wang family received me with a unique warm; though they cannot communicate very well, they made me feel very comfortable. They taught me to eat with chopsticks, she taught me some Chinese words; but most importantly, she taught me what true friendship means. We are not compatriot, we do not share the same traditions, we have different preferences but we stand by ourselves whenever we need. Sometimes we don´t need to talk to know what we are feeling.

Therefore, how shouldn´t I feel proud of her after so many year of friendship? She and her family are special for me, so, when she was at the stage with the degree in her hands I say to myself: “she did it!” after some years of studying hard she finally gets what she has expected so much. That degree is the result of patience, perseverance, hours and hours of studying and commitment. Congratulation my dearest friend!