A student from China makes weekly trips to Australia for a single university class because he misses his partner back home. - Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock
BEIJING (SCMP):A Chinese international student in Australia commuted between two countries weekly for three months so that he could be physically together with his girlfriend, astonishing many people online.
Xu Guangli, 28, travelled between his home in eastern China’s Shandong province and the RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, where he studies arts management, every week for 11 weeks from August to October.
Each return trip took him three days in total.
He usually left home in third-tier city Dezhou at 7am to the capital city Jinan where there is an airport, took a layover flight to Melbourne and arrived the next day for a class, and went back home on the third day.
Xu told Shandong newspaper Dazhong Daily it was the last semester of his master’s degree studies, and he only needed to do one class a week to meet the graduation standard.
Master’s degree student Xu Guangli says he finds life in Australia lonely. - Photo: Douyin
More importantly, his girlfriend finished her studies in Australia in the summer and returned to China, so Xu decided to commute between China and Australia for love.
“Life in Melbourne on my own was lonely,” Xu said.
Xu, who had been studying in Australia for eight years, added he also made the decision to study domestic work environment for his future career.
Xu filmed his trips and posted the videos online, winning nearly 10,000 followers on his account.
In one video, he calculated the cost of one of the trips, which was 6,700 yuan (US$930) in total including a 4,700-yuan return flight ticket, taxi and meal fee.
During the one night he spent in Melbourne each week he stayed on the couch at his friend’s home.
Xu confessed that the trips were still more expensive than renting a flat in the city, which used to cost him 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) a month, but all the time and money was worthwhile “for love” and “good food at home”.
Master’s degree student Xu Guangli says he finds life in Australia lonely. - Photo: Douyin
He said he bought different airlines’ connecting flights each time, and took the opportunity to visit several Chinese cities and even Vietnam one time.
Xu said he completed all his studies at the end of October and would not need to travel to Australia for a while.
The social media was shocked by his dedication to love and great energy.
“I have never seen anyone so devoted to love before,” said one online observer.
“I would not travel such a long distance every week for anything. It is simply too tiring,” another said.
“I would not commute between school and my home every week even if they are in neighbouring cities,” said a third. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
