Ties that bind: Kung fu, food, language learning

As Zubaida Kanare learns Chinese in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, one of her goals is to help Chinese tourists better enjoy their stays in her hometown, Dubai. More than 10,000 kilometers away in Dubai, a group of high school students are also learning Chinese, but for different reasons.

Kanare, who has given herself the Chinese name Beida, used to work as an immigration officer at Dubai airport, and many of those whose passports she stamped were Chinese.

"Many didn't speak English, so there were quite a few communication problems. That's when I decided to learn Chinese."

Kanare has been taking Chinese courses for more than a year and can now speak the language well, and is continuing to study at King Mandarin in Guangzhou.

"Guangzhou is my favorite Chinese city," she says. "The climate is very similar to that of the United Arab Emirates, humid and hot, and it's easy to find Arabic cuisine here."

Like Kanare, Saeed Ali Al Dhaheri, a newcomer to Guangzhou, feels at home in the city because he can find a wide variety of restaurants serving both Chinese and international cuisine, including Arabic cuisine.