It's 11:30 am and at a restaurant near Parque 93, Dieyun Song is ready to have a corn arepa - one of her favorite local foods along with arepas boyacenses - for breakfast while talking about topics she is passionate about such as Latin American development and Colombian history.
A little over three weeks ago she arrived in Bogotá like anyone else without expecting to be recognized on the street or have hundreds of followers, but her life changed once she started sharing her perspectives about her experience as a foreigner in the Colombian capital on social networks.
"It all started when I arrived at the airport and, right after I commented that I was coming from China, the customs officer said 'Konnichiwa' to me in the form of a greeting. The event was cute and funny to me, so I immediately recorded it, uploaded it to Tiktok and thousands of views started coming in," she says. From that moment on, her online fame began to grow. You can watch the video of her arrival in Bogotá by clicking here.
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Several comments on the video were from citizens apologizing for the officer's response and wishing Dieyun well on her visit. "Apologies were not necessary, mix-ups can happen and you can tell they were doing their best to give me a nice welcome," Dieyun says of the event that was the starting point for gaining over 8 thousand followers with thousands of views per video.
Since that event, Dieyun has taken the opportunity to share her experiences and perspectives of all the details she is passionate about in Bogotá on the internet. She has found a space where more and more people know how a foreigner experiences the Colombian capital and are encouraged to join the intercultural dialogue in the city.
"As I shared my videos I was surprised to see so many people who identified with my experiences and interests, at that moment it occurred to me to create a community that now has more than 100 members. We have even met in person," she says excitedly.
Below is one of Dieyun's social media videos highlighting what sunrise looks like in the city:
She is currently finishing a doctorate in history, which is why she came to Bogotá to complete her research on Colombian history in the 1960s and to learn firsthand about how people live in the country. "It was two professors who encouraged me to come to Colombia to really understand the social context and have that cultural literacy needed for the project," Dieyun explains and adds: "That's why I canceled my year-end trip to Europe and planned my first visit to Colombia in 2017."
For Dieyun, food is a common ground that brings people together and with the growing international food scene in the city it is even more relevant for cultural exchange. "My last meeting with the community we created just happened to be at a Chinese-owned restaurant here in town, from the meal we discovered that we have more in common than is often believed."
Originally from Beijing, Dieyun notes that her first culture shock after arriving in the country were the many similarities between her hometown and Bogotá. "I think it's one of the things that surprised me the most, the architecture, the buildings, parks and footbridges are things that I don't usually see in other countries and right here they make me feel closer to home."
Below is a video of Dieyun thanking Colombia for the support and kindness she has received during his visit:
Another detail she highlights from her experience in the city is the Transmilenio. "Not only am I a supporter of public transportation as a support for the environment, I also feel that in these buses you really get to know what life is like for people, locals and foreigners like me," she stresses, recalling that she has even launched a dedicated video about it on her networks.
However, the aspect that stands out most about Bogotá is the friendliness and welcoming attitude of its people. "I will always remember my first day in Bogotá, I had arrived with a fever and it was my first time using Transmilenio, so I got lost. A couple noticed and helped me not only get the bus I needed, but also accompanied me to where I needed to go even though they were going in the opposite direction," she explains.
According to Dieyun, this visit to Bogotá completely changed her life, not only because of the attention she began to receive on social networks, but also because of the personal growth and support she received during her time in this city that for her stands out for its international and multicultural nature.
"I will always be grateful for all the kindness with which they have received me, I think it's something that doesn't happen in many countries, but here people have accepted me as I am and made sure to make me feel welcome on every occasion."
Having finished her arepa de choclo, Dieyun prepares to enjoy her last hours in the city with a visit to Monserrate hill and a bandeja paisa because, for her, this is how she makes sure to say goodbye to the country where she has created memories she will treasure for life.
Following, a video featuring Dieyun explaining how her experience in Bogotá was and what she found the most interesting while visiting the city:
