13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Hoosiers living in China

Hoosiers living in China

Beijing - The Indiana athletes competing in the Olympics consider Beijing their temporary home as they chase the gold medal dream. Some Hoosiers have even decided it's a place to live long-term.

The Hoosiers Eyewitness News met during two weeks in China speak Mandarin. They also love the food, the people, and the history. They were eager to travel 6,600 miles away from home.

We begin in Suzhou - it's where the stories of Hoosiers blend within the culture of a fascinating country.

Their stories and songs center around love and daily life in China.

Several Hoosiers can now write their own stories about living in this country.

Muncie native Angelus Kochosis studies Chinese at a Beijing University. She took Eyewitness News to a Peking Duck restaurant.

"It's a local neighborhood restaurant. It's in a courtyard home and those are really typical of Beijing neighborhoods, little Beijing neighborhoods," said Kochosis.

Drew Tilson is a Purdue grad who works at a university in the city of Zhengzhou.

"The Henan province - it's inland - so you're more toward Central China. You just have the flat areas. There are a few mountains. But, you just walk by and you see fields of corn. It feels like Indiana. The weather is similar. And, the hospitality is very much the same as well. The nice, friendly people. Everyone is nice in the heart of China, just like we're in the heart of Indiana," said Tilson.

In Hangzhou tea is served with a long spout and silk is created. There is a Purdue connection.

"Hangzhou is my hometown," said Director of Purdue Confucius Institute Wei Hong.

Wei Hong enjoys vacationing here when she's not teaching at Purdue's Confucius Institute.

"I can speak the dialect here. So, when I talk to people, nobody knows I'm from Indiana or from United States," said Hong.

Purdue graduate Kim Dietz has made three trips to China. She's now studying Chinese in a program that forbids speaking English for six weeks.

"If I don't hear English at all for six weeks, their theory is that my head can be Chinese-itized. If I'm thinking in Chinese, then I can use it more fluently. Even if I don't know all the vocabulary, I'll be able to pick up Chinese more quickly," said Dietz.

The Hoosiers enjoy sampling the Chinese culture like the Opera.

It's an art form where masks and costumes change magically.

China is a place where Hoosiers are changing, learning, and thriving.

"It's also made me step out of my comfort zone to speak a different language. It's very different for me. But, it's more challenging to have to speak a different language and adapt to a different culture," said Dietz.

"Yeah, it's home, but Indiana's home too," said Hong.

About 1,000 students from Purdue spend the summer in China taking courses, visiting companies, listening to lectures, and going on cultural excursions.

Drew Tilson who is living and working in China said Hoosiers and Chinese have a lot in common - the Chinese have the same concerns about gas and food prices that we have.