Ng Wing Chi

Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong
Exchange to Flinders University, Australia

I would like to thank the Australian Government and the Cheung Kong Group for giving me a golden opportunity to study for a semester at Flinders University of South Australia and explore Australian culture through participating in the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Student Exchange Programme in the summer of 2008.

Before I came to Australia, I doubted if I had made the right decision as this was my first time leaving my family for a place further afield for over 4 months. I could still remember the moment just after the plane took off. I felt so perplexed and I wondered if I could really manage to adapt to the new environment without my family and bosom friends by my side. Now, I am here and I have enjoyed my stay in Australia very much!

This cross-cultural exchange programme has given me a deeper understanding of foreign cultures. Studying at one of the Australia’s top universities allowed me to share and exchange knowledge and experiences with classmates from diverse cultural backgrounds. This programme also offered me an insight into the importance of a stimulating learning environment. The lecturers and tutors were very friendly and supportive as they were always willing to give a helping hand to students and assist students to solve their academic problems. Students were also welcome to ask questions anytime during the lectures or tutorials. Being a teacher soon, these experiences inspired me a lot. I hope I can apply what I have learned here in my own classrooms in the near future.

Most of all, I have formed close friendships while I was in Australia. After living there for a month, I have met a couple of Australian friends from whom I know more about the culture and customs of Aussies. I have also made some good friends from other countries like Korea and Thailand. We enjoyed spending time together as we often had meals, watched movies and went shopping together. Although all our mother tongues are different, we used English and even body language to express our ideas. The language barrier has never been a problem to all of us. We were eager to learn various languages from each other as well. Moreover, the experience of living in the dormitory is indeed an unforgettable experience as I have never had that before. We, residents from different parts of the world, all gathered together in the common room and watched the live broadcast of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Extremely excited, we all cheered the athletes from our home countries.

I really appreciate the Australian Government and the Cheung Kong Group for giving me such a valuable opportunity to join the exchange programme. I would highly recommend this programme to people who would like to have such a fantastic experience as what I have had!

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