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He calls himself “Jungle.”

That’s because not many people around the UND campus can pronounce his real name, which is Yueni Jiang. He’s one of 151 Chinese students in pilot training this year.

“Jungle” and his friend “William” - who is really Liuyang Yang - met me at the Student Union the other day to talk.

“Jungle” is from the southwestern part of China and has never lived in a cold place in all of his 25 years. He’s looking forward to snow and cold in Grand Forks.

“I’m kind of excited,” he said, with a great big smile.

“Jungle” and “William” have settled into their routine of flight instruction. There are also 44 Japanese students in a different program. Another 27 students from Norway and 15 from Saudi Arabia also take part in UND Aerospace flying programs.

Sometimes there are twice as many foreign students as there are right now in aviation at UND. And Debbie Koberinski finds herself sort of a mother to them all. Her official title is Student Services Manager for the UND Aerospace Foundation.

Koberinski has worked with thousands of foreign flight students since 2007.

She meets them at the airport. She takes them shopping. She helps them with medical appointments. She tells them she is their ‘’mother.’’

The Chinese students are flying seven days a week. There’s no Christmas vacation. No semester break. They live in housing units close to the UND Aerospace Center.

“Every day is different. I love my job,” said Koberinski. She finds it is a big deal to help students and their families.

“The Chinese love pizza,” she said. “But they don’t want to get fat - as they perceive Americans. So they will order 50 pounds of rice online.’’

The cadets live in apartments with everything provided including bedding, dishes, pots and pans.

“Everything except cell phones,” Koberinski said. “But they are able to get a chip for iPhones that work for calling home.”

Usually they don’t come with money, but they have bank accounts and get stipends from their families.

“They absolutely love it here. Many have never seen the sky so blue,” Koberinski said.

She is the only one in her office who has not been to China. She occasionally flies to San Francisco to meet incoming students.

The Chinese flying students are college graduates. They are bright, and they are young. They come to learn flying and have contracts with a company at home and awaiting them are jobs; good jobs.

The students are flying every day - eight hours, cross country flights.

Koberinski said the Chinese students pick such names as ‘’Sophocles’’ and “Shaquille O’Neal.’’ They do not watch UND football or basketball games. Instead, they watch NBA basketball on television. They were thinking of watching hockey for the first time this weekend with Providence in Grand Forks at the Ralph Engelstad hockey arena.

They love the UND Wellness Center and spend as much time as possible there. Some of the flight students buy bikes so they can maneuver their way easily around campus.

“Jungle” and “William” came to UND in May and will be here until June 15, 2015. “William,’’ 24, is an only child and has regular video contact with family in Shandong Province.

His first flight on an airplane was coming here, and he is excited to think of returning to China as a pilot.

“Jungle” also looks forward to the highly regarded career as a pilot in China.

He likes to play the guitar in the rare off moments. He likes going to Applebee’s where he has discovered strawberry lemonade - something he never before tasted. He likes spicy food. He likes cooking Chinese food.

“I like bread in China,” he said. “I don’t like it here.”

He finds shoes are cheaper in the United States. And he enjoys the shopping trips to Walmart, where he notes most everything he buys was made in China.

“Jungle” and “William” looked at me in wonder when I asked where they got their haircuts.

They said, “We cut it ourselves.”

Reach Marilyn Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or by telephone at (701) 772-1055