Pakistan Embassy College Beijing (PECB) has always been a unique school. Not only is it the first international school in Beijing, it is also an embassy school as well as the school with the most Muslim students. However, the most intriguing aspect of this school is perhaps the students and the teachers, who made it so distinct. For a peek into a typical PECB student’s school life, I decided to interview a couple of people in the PECB community.
Moawez Awan is a Pakistani doing his O-Levels this year. He first joined PECB a year ago.
How many subjects do you take?
Eight. There’s English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. I also take Islamiat, Pakistan Studies and Urdu.
Which subject is your favorite? Why?
A: Physics! I have a great teacher to teach and guide me. He is awesome!
Favorite teacher?
Sir Rehan (Physics teacher)
How do your teachers make their lesson engaging?
They usually keep their lectures and lessons both interesting and not very hard to understand plus sometimes they add humorous elements which are both eye and ear catching!
What do you like about going to PECB?
It’s a friendly environment. The teachers are very eager to help out and I have awesome friends.
Why did you chose PECB?
In my opinion, PECB is one of the finest colleges in Beijing! Many of my friends recommended I study in PECB because of its friendly environment and its highly-qualified teachers who make sure that you will do your best in the exams. People over here treat us like family.
What was your first impression of PECB and your friends?
It was a new school for me so naturally everything looked very awkward to me. PECB made a very good first impression on me, and the faculty I met was very helpful and polite. My friends seemed very naughty but I guess that’s just how everyone is supposed to be at this age!
Of all the school trips you went on, which one was the best?
I participated in a student exchange program in Inner Mongolia during the summer and the experience was awesome! We were invited to all kinds of activities and got to meet new people from different countries. Inner Mongolia is really grassy and the scenes were picturesque. The best part of trip was my friends and all the pranks we pulled on each other.
What other co-curriculum activities do you participate in?
I like to play cricket and football land I also acted in a couple of dramas before.
What is you dream job?
To serve as a pilot in the Air Force.
Please share your views on living in Beijing.
Everywhere in Beijing is so crowded! The city where I live while I am in Pakistan is really peaceful and quiet. I knew almost everybody there since there are really less people. I liked living in a peaceful environment.
What do you miss most in Pakistan?
I miss a lot of things about Pakistan! The food, the people, the national celebrations, my friends, my school, my family and the list goes on and on.
Pradeepta Adhikari from Nepal, joined PECB on November 11, 2011. She will be taking her IGCSE exams in two months.
What is your most memorable event at PECB?
I loved the International Day held during summer. We had stalls set up to present our own country and students were selling traditional food and souvenirs. I was intrigued by all the different cultures from various countries in different parts of the world! It was a very eye-opening experience for me as I went from stall to stall and I enjoyed looking at all the souvenirs every stall was selling. My friends also performed in many cultural shows and we were allowed to vote for the best dressed. It was extremely fun.
Which was your best school trip in PECB?
My classmates and I went to the military museum and Chaoyang Park one day. It was a weird combination since one is so educational and the other is an amusement park but we had a wonderful time. We went to the military museum first and the warcrafts on display were so cool. Later on, we went to Chaoyang Park because we finished touring the museum really early and had time to spare. The rides in Chaoyang Park were, of course, really small but it’s really fun splashing water on each other when we went on the water ride. We took so many pictures! It was one of the best days of my life.
.
How did PECB helped you to settle in the new environment when you first came?
The warm welcome from the teachers and help from all my enthusiastic classmates not only help me settled into the new school but also made me fall in love with everything over there.
What do you and your friends do when you are free? Where do you guys hang out?
I just love shopping with my friends because they always help me mix and match all the clothing. I also have this huge wardrobe of clothes at home and we use to play dress up when they come over. I know it sounds sort of childish but it’s really fun once you start playing! We also hang out in Indigo or Sanlitun Village depending on whose house we are crashing (two of my friends live near Indigo and another two live near the Village).
What’s your dream job?
I would love to be a doctor!
What are your views on living in Beijing?
Beijing moves on a very fast pace. I quite enjoy living in a city like this because it feels as if everything is on the move, not just laying there and doing nothing. I also like the fact that there are many foreigners so I don’t feel as if I am an odd one out.
Jun Wei Loh, 15, is the beijingkids student correspondent for the Pakistan Embassy College of Beijing. She is from Malaysia and is currently doing her O Levels at PECB. Although her favorite subjects are math and physics, she enjoys writing articles and is part of the newsletter editing team in her school. She is also attempting to write a novel and hopes to publish it one day. Her hobbies change from day to day depending on what mood she is in. The three things she wanted to try out one day are: parachuting, bungee jumping and piloting a plane.
Photos courtesy of Junwei Loh
The beijingkids student correspondent program gives high school students with an interest in writing and journalism a resource for guidance, feedback, and real-life training.If you are a student interested in becoming a beijingkids student correspondent, or you know a student who is, please contact ellisfriedman@beijing-kids.com
