Xiao Dong has found the last few months to be challenging and difficult at times, but they have also brought enjoyment and friendship for her.
Xiao, who hails from China, is registered in the English as Another Language program at the University of Regina. She is currently staying with her friend, Victoria Beahm, at Victoria’s home in Estevan.
Victora and Xiao lived in the same dorm at the university this past school year, and after Victoria came home to Estevan once the university shifted to online learning, Xiao joined her.
Xiao came to Canada last fall, about a month after the start of the 2019-20 school year, and months before people first became concerned about the onset of COVID-19. She was brand new to the school and the city.
“I think the first or the second day that she arrived, I took her on a tour of the campus, and showed her all of the cool little places and where her classes would be,” said Victoria, a first-year fine arts student.
Being in the same dorm, they saw each other a lot, and since Victoria helped Xiao figure out where to go initially, Xiao often came to Victoria with her questions.
When COVID-19 arrived in Canada, Xiao was nervous, not just for what was happening in China, since her family lives close to the Wuhan province where the disease first spread. She was also worried about her friends in Canada.
Also concerning was a rumour that a parent of a Chinese student at the university had been on the campus for a visit in mid-January, after COVID-19 had started to spread in China.
Xiao has never been diagnosed with the virus.
“When the university started taking action and closing their doors and suspending classes, it was a little too late for her to try getting back home, and if she went back home, she would have to take a two-week quarantine, just because she was coming from another country,” said Victoria.
Xiao wanted to stay in Canada so she could take the spring and summer semesters at the university. Most of the students in the dorm were leaving the campus, and Xiao didn’t want to be alone.
Victoria’s mother, Dawn Marie Sloan-Beahm, added that Xiao was concerned if she went back to China, she might not be allowed to come back to Canada for a long time.
“I said ‘We’re not that far away, and my family would be more than willing to take you in. If you want, you can come stay with us,’” said Victoria.
The fact that Dawn Marie is a pharmacist was an added bonus for Xiao.
Having Xiao around the house is an added bonus for Victoria, who has three brothers but no sisters.
“She’s been a really great addition into the house,” said Dawn Marie. “She’s very helpful and co-operative, trying to pitch in and fit in really well. And we’re all learning so much from each other.”
Xiao is also fascinated by the history of Canadian culture and the backgrounds of her host family. Dawn Marie has several different cultures, including Métis, while her husband Darwin is German.
“She’s been learning about some of my Métis heritage as well, and some of the First Nations information from our country.”
And Xiao has taught the local family about some of the festivals she would normally celebrate back home.
For her part, Xiao said this has proven to be a new experience for her. She described the Beahms as a big, lovely and kind family.
“It’s noisy, but it’s not a negative, it’s a positive word. It’s noisy but it’s lovely,” said Xiao.
She’s used to living in a big home with just her and her mother, so being in a household with seven people is different.
“But now, in Victoria’s house, it’s busy. It’s more people and it’s more fun. It’s fun. It’s nice, it’s good and it’s great.”
When she arrived in Estevan on March 21, she received a huge welcome from the family, with a welcome sign for her. And in an email, she said it feels like she is here for a vacation because of the suspension of classes at the university.
She’s not sure how long she will be in Estevan, but she is thankful for the opportunity to stay with Victoria and her family during this trying time.
