Narissa CHAN

Student of The University of Queensland, Australia
Exchange to The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

When I came to Hong Kong, I expected to be welcomed by a bustling city that never slept, fine (and fun) cuisine and a language barrier that I was happy to work through. While this is all true ... another side of the city is pure lush nature (thick rainforest reminiscent of those in SE Queensland, white sand beaches and gushing waterfalls ideal for hiking), quaint fishing villages, Zen islands, antique markets, etc. All these are present in a city that is alive with high-rises, rainbow housing estates, neon signs, steaming street food and markets filled with every 'trinket and thing' imaginable. Hong Kong is an eclectic mix of East and West, new and old, leisure and commercial. The combination could not have made for a better setting for my exchange. (Also, much to my surprise, everyone spoke fluent English.)

In addition, university life in Hong Kong was also wildly interesting because of the big cultural difference. The teaching style and class set-up varied so much to my norm in Queensland. I loved being able to dive deeper into the cultural exchange, hearing from local (Hong Kong/Mainland China students) and international students alike – about everything that was particular to each country – from greetings, figure of speeches, preferred lifestyles, diets, taboos, etc.

Exchange is an experience that I treasure. The people I was fortunate enough to meet, the places I was able to visit (which is many, since HK is a HUB for SE-Asia travel!) – all made my experience awesome.

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