Ashley BROSNAN

Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Exchange to City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

I arrive at the gate, the cleanest and most efficient airport you’ve ever seen – a highspeed MTR wizzes me to the terminal.

Everyone is rushing to get where they are going.

Could be an allegory about the whole city.

The City

Hong Kong is really about success – make money and go where you are going. Everything is flashy, everything is about showing what you have. Nothing is preserved, it’s all about building and buying bigger and better. So the skyline is impressive and brands are everywhere.

But it can sometimes feel a bit cold and soulless. You’re surrounded by people, but yet you are a bit lonely. The defining feature of Hong Kong is its compactness. The size of central Brisbane; but home to 7 million people. It’s all about packing everything tightly, making more with less.

This centrality gives a critical mass of people to create an incredible infrastructure – the best transport I’ve experienced; and (rightly or wrongly) an underclass of people who keep it meticulously clean.

The Study

Hong Kong IS business. A massive port, banking skyscrapers – if you’re into finance, trade and economics, come here.

But even if you’re not, come here.

The flexibility of exchange presents an opportunity to do things that you might not be able to do otherwise.

You only have to flick through a Time magazine to conclude that China, India and the ASEAN (South-East-Asia-Nations) are going to be the absolute future of the world. If China is the powerhouse of the future, Hong Kong is the drive-shaft. There is no doubt that your ability to navigate Asian customs and business will be a powerful tool for your career success. As is your ability to find common ground, rapport and friendship with someone who won’t share the same values, language and interests as you.

I’m here finishing the last few parts of my Business (economics) degree, while gaining some perspectives on my law degree. Whilst that means I’m exploring the wild thrills of econometrics and micro-economics; I’ve also had the chance to indulge in my love for development and aid, Asian relations, security and Chinese law.

Mngoy...

A sire of British order, and Chinese hierarchy and harmonization – Hong Kong is about process; a city run by bureaucrats. It certainly needs to be – in order to manage 7 million in a tight spot, HK requires following of rules. I found myself, surrounded by signs instructing my behaviour (no littering or sleeping in trees – noted), and red-tape blocking my way.

While success in Australian culture is defined by your ability to speak informally to authority, cut through bureaucracy and charm your way through inflexibility; I found I needed to adapt quickly to Hong Kong’s ways. Patience through the process.

Hong Kong’s tight space also means that it imports pretty much all its food. While Australia has some of the best produce in the world; fresh vegetables, cheap meat – expect to pay through the nose for it here. And it won’t be much good. Eating healthily sometimes requires some clever thinking and patience.

That doesn’t mean you can’t find amazing and delicious food. The world comes together in some dining options. Seafood galore (I can’t go past pavement satay squid), a brunch of dim sum (yum cha dumplings and chicken feet) to the positively novel (snake soup anyone?).

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