Chan Pak Ho

University of Hong Kong
Exchange to University of Western Australia, Australia

After living in Hong Kong for more than 20 years, I wanted to get to know about other cultures. By going on an exchange, I was able to achieve this goal and I have enjoyed my exchange period at The University of Western Australia so much.

When I first arrived in Perth, lots of things in the city were completely different than Hong Kong, which was very challenging for me. I had to spend some time adapting to this new city. After two weeks, I was used to this life in Perth and started to explore Australian life.

Hong Kong is a more stressful city. Most people in Hong Kong are working for many hours every day, which is very different than Australia. Also, Hong Kong people always walk so fast. Turning to Australia, however, Australians are good at enjoying life. They love spending their time chatting with friends in bars and joining water activities. Maybe Hong Kong people need to learn how to slow down their steps.

Hong Kong students are easily embarrassed and afraid to express their opinions. On the contrary, Australian students are very active. They are eager to answer questions in tutorials. This is what I needed to learn during this exchange period. I will try to be more active after I come back to Hong Kong.

During the study break, I have travelled to Albany and Esperance, two small towns in Western Australia. These two places are very natural and engaging. The beautiful beaches, special rocks and tall trees really impressed me a lot because I cannot easily see this type of nature in Hong Kong. These places are also very clean. This shows that Australians do a good job of protecting and cherishing their environment, which I really appreciate.

During this exchange period, I have encountered lots of difficulties. My parents and friends in Hong Kong were not able to help me as much. Most of the time, I needed to tackle problems on my own. This has been a lesson for me and I have learnt to be more independent. These kinds of experiences will certainly benefit my future career.

Meeting people from different cultures really broadens my horizons. I can understand what others are thinking through our conversations. These experiences have made me more well-rounded.

It is my pleasure to receive an Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Award. I would like to thank Cheung Kong for their support of so many Asian and Australian students. The Award can definitely encourage students to explore different cultures.

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