When Branca Francisco decided to leave her home country Angola to study in China in 1996, she could not imagine even in her wildest dreams that she would meet her future husband in China and follow him to Egypt.

 

Now living in Mansoura, a Nile Delta town some 120 km north of the Egyptian capital Cairo, Branca recounts her love story spanning three countries.

 

"I feel that I have been living in a dream world in the past 10 years, and I don't know when I would wake up." Branca told Xinhua News Agency, speaking fluent Chinese.

 

Tough Mission to Learn Chinese

 

At the age of 24, Branca left Luanda, capital of the southwestern African country of Angola, for China - an oriental country full of mysteries to her. She felt nervous as she knew nothing about China, and many people were trying to dissuade her from the journey.

 

"The only thing I know is Chinese kung fu because I like watching kung fu shows and Bruce Lee's kung fu movies," she said, referring to the famous Chinese martial art master and film star.

 

"At that time, some people close to me in Angola tell me that all Chinese practise kung fu, even Chinese children," she said, laughing.

 

But Branca was determined and flew to China along with 10 others. In China, they started learning Chinese at a university in the port city of Tianjin, neighboring the capital Beijing.

 

However, Branca became alone soon after her ten compatriots left China one after another, for the toughness in learning the language. But she stayed on.

 

"They say it is like a mission impossible, but I would rather want to have a shot," she said. Two years of hard studying had stood her in good stead. She was later offered a scholarship and went to the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen in 1998.

 

Chinese Playing Big Role in Her Love Match

 

Xiamen, a city where Branca was reluctant to go to at first, was a big surprise for her. "What a nice place, so clean and so beautiful. I like it at first sight," Branca said.

 

At Xiamen University, Branca majored in broadcasting and TV and got both bachelor and master degrees. More than that, Ashraf Eata, the first person she met on the first day at Xiamen University, became her husband three years later.

 

Eata, an Egyptian, went to China in 1997. He first learned Chinese for one year in Beijing and then transferred to Xiamen University, where he got both a master's degree and doctorate in statistics and planning.

 

"At that moment, I was working voluntarily on the receipt desk to help newcomers. Then I met her," Eata recalled. At the beautiful campus facing the Taiwan Strait, they got to know each other and fell in love.

 

After some three years, they decided to tie the knot and flew to Branca's home in Angola for wedding rites.

 

Branca said the Chinese language played an important part in their love match with Eata. "He speaks Arabic. My mother tongue is Portuguese, and I am not good at English, so often we communicate in Chinese, especially at critical moments, for example when quarrelling," said she, grinning.

 

In September, 2004, their son was born in Xiamen. Some of Branca's friends in Xiamen gave her son a Chinese-style nickname "A Du" -- a popular singer based in Singapore.

 

Unstoppable Feelings of Nostalgjia for Days in China

 

In March 2006, Branca and her son "A Du" followed Eata to Egypt, where Eata became a teacher in a university. Branca had no job since she didn't speak Arabic. She now spends most of her time with her son "A Du."

 

"The city is quiet. People around me are very kind to me and A Du is cute, so I feel good so far although I don't have a job," Branca said.

 

She, however, was obsessed with one thing. "I am missing Xiamen and China very much. I really want to go back to China. I want to speak Chinese and watch Chinese TV programs," she said. "Sometimes I am missing China more than Angola. And I don't know why."

 

Branca said she was planning to travel to China, and even wished Eata could find a well-paid job in China so they could stay there for long.

 

"Many of my friends from other countries told me they also miss Xiamen and China very much," said Branca.

 

She said Angolans have good impressions of Chinese people and a growing number of Chinese have come to Angola to do business in recent years.

 

Eata said he had almost become a spokesman for China as many Egyptians were talking about China recently and some wanted to do business with the Chinese.

 

China and Egypt established diplomatic relations on May 30, 1956. In that year, the first batch of Egyptian students headed for China and they also became the first batch of African students to study in China.

 

The Chinese government has provided up to 18,000 scholarships to African students, and has promised more.

 

Xu Zhiguo, cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, said that China's development has made the Chinese language more popular and attracted more foreigners to study in China.

 

Besides, within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China has set up a development fund for African human resources, which has offered training to some 10,000 Africans in various fields since 2004.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2006)