When my son was born in Ethiopia, I was thousands of miles away in Beijing, in the middle of an in-class presentation for a media literacy course, when a call from my wife's sister brought the news. Through a phone screen, I caught my first glimpse of my newborn son.
It was one of the happiest moments of my life, but also one of the most complicated.
My journey to study in China began with a tough personal choice. Shortly after my marriage, I secured an opportunity to pursue a master's degree in communication at the Communication University of China in Beijing. In Ethiopian culture, family unity is deeply valued, and newly married couples treasure their time together, making long-distance parting extremely difficult. The separation was even harder because my wife was already pregnant at the time.
Fortunately, my wife understood how much this opportunity meant to me. After countless late-night conversations weighing my academic aspirations against our desire to stay together, we reached a decision: I would pursue the opportunity in China, even though it meant beginning our married life apart.
Just over a month after I left Ethiopia to study in Beijing, my son Azaria was born. Overwhelmed with emotion, I shed tears in front of my teachers and classmates as I shared the happy news. I was truly touched by the cheers and sincere blessings from my Chinese teachers and peers, who embraced my family's distant joy with warmth and kindness.
Later, I learned more about what my wife had gone through during the delivery. She had a cesarean section and experienced complications following anesthesia. Knowing what she had endured while I was so far away left me with an even deeper sense of gratitude, as well as guilt.
I tried to turn that mixture of longing, gratitude and responsibility into motivation. So I channeled all my resolve into my studies, absorbing knowledge about media and cross-cultural communication while developing my academic and research skills.
Upon graduation, I returned to Ethiopia to meet my one-year-old son at the airport. Holding him in my arms at last, I felt that the distance and sacrifices of the past year had finally given way to the simple joy of being together.
United by heritage
Soon afterward came another milestone: Azaria's first birthday. For the occasion, my family decided to celebrate in a way that reflected the two cultures that had become part of our story: We held a special photo shoot, combining traditional Ethiopian clothing with Shanxi folk attire.
I had developed an interest in Shanxi during my time in China, when I traveled to Datong with fellow students from my university. Seeing the province's cultural heritage firsthand made a lasting impression on me.
For me, the choice was personal. China had become a second home, and my experience there had deepened not only my professional knowledge but also my appreciation for the country's traditional culture. I had come to admire the exquisite embroidery, auspicious patterns and harmonious color combinations of Shanxi costumes, as well as the wishes for reunion, peace and good fortune that they symbolize. At the same time, Ethiopian clothing reflects our national pride, identity and the importance we place on family.
The photos also attracted attention locally, with people curious about the unfamiliar Chinese clothing. I was pleasantly surprised that something I had encountered during a student trip in China was now being seen by people back home in Ethiopia, giving them a glimpse of a side of China they might otherwise have known little about.
This cross-cultural celebration became more than an aesthetic creation — it was also a silent dialogue between two civilizations. The images connected the home my son was born into with the country that had shaped an important chapter in his father's life. I hope he will grow up proud of his Ethiopian roots while remaining open to the traditions and values of other cultures, including those of China.
Cultural exchange does not always require grand slogans. It can be found in ordinary family stories and in the simple act of appreciating one another's heritage. My time studying abroad and our family's way of celebrating our reunion showed me that diverse civilizations do not divide, but complement and enrich one another.
My family's journey reflects — in its own small way — the friendship between Ethiopia and China. Bound by love, tested by distance and connected by shared understanding, our story has become a single thread in the enduring ties between our two countries.
Written by Balcha Teshome Hailu, an Ethiopian graduate student in the Faculty of Journalism and Communication at Communication University of China.
