Stefania SOTORA

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

As can be said by almost all exchange students - I had an absolutely amazing time and would do it again in a heart beat. There are many experiences that I would like to share, but I will simply present some of them in an acrostic poem: Uni of HK.

University: The Universities that I have undertaken my studies with have many aspects in common such as passionate academics, stairs, construction and coffee. However there were some novel experiences at HKU. These included late night openings of the library during exams (6am), some of the funniest but relatively common displays of students falling asleep in lectures and the phenomenon of students leaving personal belongings at a desk in the library only to walk away for the whole day and thus no free study spaces available.

Never sleeps: HK is a city that never sleeps - even McDonalds has 24/7 delivery service. I relished the opportunity to cross over to Kowloon just for dinner, late night shopping and then street food followed by hitting the Lan Kwai Fong area for its night life - an average Thursday evening! However, the night would only be complete after 3am Dim Sum.

Inorganic chemistry: This particular topic was one of the most interesting of all the topics I undertook but also the one that caused me the most stress. I loved this topic for the inspiration of the head lecturer but loathed this topic for the incredible amount of both volume and detail required to complete the topic.

Opposites: Everything in Hong Kong fell into one of the two extremes. The CBD district screams of money and extravagance while the buildings in poor old suburbs are illegally subdivided and tucked away; incomes are either that of millions while others struggle to make ends meet; there are wide open spaces of the country parks but crowded apartment buildings; employees are either overworked or under worked etc. I should also mention the Octopus card for use on public transport and food outlets - no more messing around with money.

Freedom: An exchange gives you the freedom to do what you want. You are only responsible for your actions and decisions.

Humidity: I arrived in Hong Kong at the end of August and struggled to adjust to the humid weather. The way to avoid the humidity was to be in a place with air-conditioning, but even then it was a challenge to find a place that was comfortable as all air-conditioners are set to freezing. While there were single unit air-conditioners in the dormitories, you had to pay separately for air-conditioning via pre-paid cards.

Knowledge: I gained a wealth of not only academic knowledge from topics but also knowledge of the customs of the local students such as the SuperPass activities, local and global issues on a range of topics i.e. minimum wage, rights of live-in workers and differences/similarities of education systems, an appreciation of the 'growth and influence of China' and the firsthand experience of living in a completely foreign city!

Overall, there are countless memories that I will cherish forever. The exchange has given myself the opportunity to explore another city and its associated cultures through the relationships formed with locals and to share them with other exchange students. This in turn has given me a greater appreciation and understanding of a variety of issues and a step closer to becoming a 'global and responsible citizen'.

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