An Exchange Experience to Remember
I've been back for a week already, and now that things have pretty much settled down, I guess it puts me in better stead to give a recount of what was another amazing chapter in my life. The entry title speaks much about my overall sentiments for this exchange experience, albeit the many hiccups and blips that came along the way. Probably going to be a long entry, and a messy one in fact, but nonetheless a necessary one.
Going for SEP was never a part of the plan in my university studies. But as we all know, there's only so much in life we can plan for, the rest just falls in place. In fact, university studies was never a part of the plan for my own life, so yeah you get my point. The three letters of SEP only surfaced when a senior of mine mentioned that the one thing he regreted from his journey in NUS, was that he missed out on an exchange experience. So I was determined to not let that happen to me, and seeing how so many of my other friends were gunning for this opportunity, I just had to go for it. Now I'm just glad I did.
The Country - I chose Hong Kong for a number of reasons, with availability of modules and cost as one of the main factors. Mind you going on exchange is not cheap, and I knew the burdens it could bring upon my parents. So as much as how I've heard much comments about how HK is rather similar to Singapore, or how HK is a small and boring exchange location, I would say it is just so not true, and that HK was a great choice, especially with lower cost as a factor. For one, no other country can be similar to Singapore, and adding to that, I think the secret to a fine exchange experience should not be country dependent, as it should in fact come from the mentality you take when you approach this lifetime opportunity. Sure I don't get to see any wonders of the world, nor did I get a chance to experience snow, but it was just the intercultural experience of being away from home that mattered. Exchange in HK was afterall a choice I made many months back, and to live it well as a memorable 4 months of my life, or to blemish it with constant complaints and comparisons, was my choice to make. Of course, I gladly chose the former.
The Language - With Hong Kong comes Cantonese. So I'm glad to say that I've progressed from my only line of 'qi sor hai bin dou', to a Cantonese vocabulary which is now much wider. I would say I more or less can string broken Cantonese sentences together, and looking back at how I didn't even know what the Cantonese equivalent of 'you and me' were, I've up-ed a couple of levels. Then again, the key takeaway would be a better appreciation of our Singapore education system, and how being adequately educated in the English and Chinese language is key to surviving in today's globalized world.
The School - I would say that CUHK is a beautiful university. In some sense it is rather similar to NUS, with lots of greenery, and a fusion of old and new buildings, more old ones too. Then again, what stands CUHK out from NUS is that the huge campus is located on a moutain, surrounded by magnificent landscapes and breathtaking views. In fact, the view from my hostel itself was way better than any view I'd get from any holiday resort. I was lucky to be assigned to New Asia College, as it had the best view, a gym nearby, and to me, the best canteen in the whole school. Then again, with the ups, there's always the downs. I didn't exactly fancy how we had to climb up and down for 20 mins just to get to class on the other side of campus, how slow and unreliable their IT and printing services were, and how we needed to spent at least 40 minutes just to get to central HK.
The Modules - I've written much about this aspect in my previous entries already, but here's just a summation. Results are not out yet, but I think I kinda have a rough gauge of how things would turn out. The communications module was perhaps the closest to what I'd get at home, theoretical but rather informative, and I'm sure it will do my not-so-knowledgable brain good in my honors year. Sociology modules have been a bane for the entire semester, but I survived the ordeal. The locals commented how I was crazy to even dare attempt two level 3000 soci modules in one semester, but well workload was less than desirable, but final exams was easier than first expected. So it kinda levels up.
The two film classes have been great. One like a weekly visit to the cinema, the other an experience to remember. 'The Other End of The Gun' is still being edited and finalised by the editor, director and composer, and hopefully it will really make it to a film festival as promised. The experience I gained, the lessons I learnt, and the people I have met through this project is way beyond what I can describe. With this I gave up much of my traveling opportunities, but if you ask me, it was well worth it. I was given the opportunity today to share my experience with those embarking on their SEP in the coming semester, and when asked where I had travelled during my 4 months at HK, I replied "Only Macau". But the couple of sentences I added was what was perhaps the most whole-hearted sentiments I could share with them ...
The People - One funny thing about this exchange experience is that I only got to know a few of the Hong Kong locals. In fact, I only had the opportunity to work with one of them, as the rest of my project mates were mostly exchange students themselves. So where did the bulk of my new found friends come from? Korea. Not sure if it's the same-age factor, or because both our nations had compulsory national service, or some unexplained chemistry between Singaporeans and Koreans, but I had become very good friends with them. We even formed a soccer team (almost 15 of us), and to me that's one of the biggest things I'm gonna miss about my exchange in HK, the frequent soccer sessions. Probably hung out more with Hansu, who always joined Josh and I for tennis and dim sum sessions, but overall, the Koreans have been a friendly bunch of guys. Sure gonna miss them. Also got a chance to know other Singaporeans better, like Bryan and Elaine, and a few others, and hopefully we can get together some time soon to recap on all the happenings in HK.
Then again, I must admit that things have not been all so rosy like the picture I painted with regards to the Koreans and other fellow Singaporeans. I've said much about smeagol and the other roommate, and how my level of intercultural tolerance has risen. Well things did get better towards the end, and we even went out for some buffet dinner a few nights before I left. Something struck me that night though, when I realised that the both of them had never eaten salmon sashimi before, and smeagol didn't even know that seaweed was used to wrap sushi. I suddenly realised that despite co-habiting in the same room for almost 4 months, we were actually worlds apart. I suddenly realised how lucky I am to be able to savour delicacies from around the world, when my roommates have never even seen sushi before.
Project-wise, I have seen much. To sum it up, my takeaway is not that I worked well with people from different backgrounds and nationalities, but more of how I have learnt to work differently with people from different cultures in the future. I don't want to over-generalise here, but this is what I got from my exchange experience. I have worked with a French guy who dreams and creates big things, but has major management and organization problems. A Dutch guy who gives new meaning to the word 'phantom', and a local Hong Kong guy who dreams big, does small, and does scary self-reflections in front of you. I always have a problem with people who talks to themselves and do something like a self-reflection in front of their friends. There's nothing wrong with doing self-reflections and having occasional talk-to-yourself moments, but in front of your friends? How was I suppose to react I really didn't know. So well, this intercultural experience wouldn't be complete afterall without experiencing some shocking intercultural differences, and this was my fair share of it.
Misses - Through this 4 months, I've missed many things back in Singapore, and also grown to appreciate the many things that we have taken for granted back at home. But now that I'm back home, it's perhaps more of the things I will miss in HK, or the things I've already started to miss. I still prefer the weather in Singapore, although I'll probably miss some of the cool weather and breezes in HK. In school, I will miss the New Asia Canteen, the New Asia Gym, and the view from my hostel. I will miss my Korean friends, and the wonderful soccer moments we shared. Hawker food is still the best, but I will definitely miss dim sum, the Mongkok street side food, fresh egg tarts, honeymoon and xu liu shan dessert, and simple food from the canteen. Last but not least, I will miss the feeling of 'escapism from CAP', as the whole grades and CAP thing will resurface in my life.
On the same note, today was the release of results. It felt rather strange that I did not have any results to check, nor did I have to face any anxiety. But it kinda served as a reminder that I'm back to the grades and CAP 'world', and no longer do I have any backup safety net to rely on. It's just one way forward now, and no turning back. I took up this SEP opportunity in year 2 sem 1 in view of freezing my CAP, but results turned out for the better the following semester and I soon realised that instead of a need to freeze my CAP, I could have strived to pull my CAP up. But after this 4 months, I feel confident to say that the experience gained will be many times more valuable than any A's or A+'s I could have gotten this semester (not saying that I would).
Thank you HK for what was a memorable chapter in my life. Oh and thanks to Facebook, which allows all of us from all over the world to keep in touch. I have had some interesting convos recently regarding Facebook, and it will in fact be my topic for my next entry, the phenomenon of Facebook-alization.
Going for SEP was never a part of the plan in my university studies. But as we all know, there's only so much in life we can plan for, the rest just falls in place. In fact, university studies was never a part of the plan for my own life, so yeah you get my point. The three letters of SEP only surfaced when a senior of mine mentioned that the one thing he regreted from his journey in NUS, was that he missed out on an exchange experience. So I was determined to not let that happen to me, and seeing how so many of my other friends were gunning for this opportunity, I just had to go for it. Now I'm just glad I did.
The Country - I chose Hong Kong for a number of reasons, with availability of modules and cost as one of the main factors. Mind you going on exchange is not cheap, and I knew the burdens it could bring upon my parents. So as much as how I've heard much comments about how HK is rather similar to Singapore, or how HK is a small and boring exchange location, I would say it is just so not true, and that HK was a great choice, especially with lower cost as a factor. For one, no other country can be similar to Singapore, and adding to that, I think the secret to a fine exchange experience should not be country dependent, as it should in fact come from the mentality you take when you approach this lifetime opportunity. Sure I don't get to see any wonders of the world, nor did I get a chance to experience snow, but it was just the intercultural experience of being away from home that mattered. Exchange in HK was afterall a choice I made many months back, and to live it well as a memorable 4 months of my life, or to blemish it with constant complaints and comparisons, was my choice to make. Of course, I gladly chose the former.
The Language - With Hong Kong comes Cantonese. So I'm glad to say that I've progressed from my only line of 'qi sor hai bin dou', to a Cantonese vocabulary which is now much wider. I would say I more or less can string broken Cantonese sentences together, and looking back at how I didn't even know what the Cantonese equivalent of 'you and me' were, I've up-ed a couple of levels. Then again, the key takeaway would be a better appreciation of our Singapore education system, and how being adequately educated in the English and Chinese language is key to surviving in today's globalized world.
The School - I would say that CUHK is a beautiful university. In some sense it is rather similar to NUS, with lots of greenery, and a fusion of old and new buildings, more old ones too. Then again, what stands CUHK out from NUS is that the huge campus is located on a moutain, surrounded by magnificent landscapes and breathtaking views. In fact, the view from my hostel itself was way better than any view I'd get from any holiday resort. I was lucky to be assigned to New Asia College, as it had the best view, a gym nearby, and to me, the best canteen in the whole school. Then again, with the ups, there's always the downs. I didn't exactly fancy how we had to climb up and down for 20 mins just to get to class on the other side of campus, how slow and unreliable their IT and printing services were, and how we needed to spent at least 40 minutes just to get to central HK.
The Modules - I've written much about this aspect in my previous entries already, but here's just a summation. Results are not out yet, but I think I kinda have a rough gauge of how things would turn out. The communications module was perhaps the closest to what I'd get at home, theoretical but rather informative, and I'm sure it will do my not-so-knowledgable brain good in my honors year. Sociology modules have been a bane for the entire semester, but I survived the ordeal. The locals commented how I was crazy to even dare attempt two level 3000 soci modules in one semester, but well workload was less than desirable, but final exams was easier than first expected. So it kinda levels up.
The two film classes have been great. One like a weekly visit to the cinema, the other an experience to remember. 'The Other End of The Gun' is still being edited and finalised by the editor, director and composer, and hopefully it will really make it to a film festival as promised. The experience I gained, the lessons I learnt, and the people I have met through this project is way beyond what I can describe. With this I gave up much of my traveling opportunities, but if you ask me, it was well worth it. I was given the opportunity today to share my experience with those embarking on their SEP in the coming semester, and when asked where I had travelled during my 4 months at HK, I replied "Only Macau". But the couple of sentences I added was what was perhaps the most whole-hearted sentiments I could share with them ...
"I gave up much traveling time for a bigger-than-expected film project, and thinking back, I'd gladly give up any traveling opportunity for such an experience. So do go out on exchange and try something different, modules which you would have never dreamt of taking, or dared to ever undertake."
The People - One funny thing about this exchange experience is that I only got to know a few of the Hong Kong locals. In fact, I only had the opportunity to work with one of them, as the rest of my project mates were mostly exchange students themselves. So where did the bulk of my new found friends come from? Korea. Not sure if it's the same-age factor, or because both our nations had compulsory national service, or some unexplained chemistry between Singaporeans and Koreans, but I had become very good friends with them. We even formed a soccer team (almost 15 of us), and to me that's one of the biggest things I'm gonna miss about my exchange in HK, the frequent soccer sessions. Probably hung out more with Hansu, who always joined Josh and I for tennis and dim sum sessions, but overall, the Koreans have been a friendly bunch of guys. Sure gonna miss them. Also got a chance to know other Singaporeans better, like Bryan and Elaine, and a few others, and hopefully we can get together some time soon to recap on all the happenings in HK.
Then again, I must admit that things have not been all so rosy like the picture I painted with regards to the Koreans and other fellow Singaporeans. I've said much about smeagol and the other roommate, and how my level of intercultural tolerance has risen. Well things did get better towards the end, and we even went out for some buffet dinner a few nights before I left. Something struck me that night though, when I realised that the both of them had never eaten salmon sashimi before, and smeagol didn't even know that seaweed was used to wrap sushi. I suddenly realised that despite co-habiting in the same room for almost 4 months, we were actually worlds apart. I suddenly realised how lucky I am to be able to savour delicacies from around the world, when my roommates have never even seen sushi before.
Project-wise, I have seen much. To sum it up, my takeaway is not that I worked well with people from different backgrounds and nationalities, but more of how I have learnt to work differently with people from different cultures in the future. I don't want to over-generalise here, but this is what I got from my exchange experience. I have worked with a French guy who dreams and creates big things, but has major management and organization problems. A Dutch guy who gives new meaning to the word 'phantom', and a local Hong Kong guy who dreams big, does small, and does scary self-reflections in front of you. I always have a problem with people who talks to themselves and do something like a self-reflection in front of their friends. There's nothing wrong with doing self-reflections and having occasional talk-to-yourself moments, but in front of your friends? How was I suppose to react I really didn't know. So well, this intercultural experience wouldn't be complete afterall without experiencing some shocking intercultural differences, and this was my fair share of it.
Misses - Through this 4 months, I've missed many things back in Singapore, and also grown to appreciate the many things that we have taken for granted back at home. But now that I'm back home, it's perhaps more of the things I will miss in HK, or the things I've already started to miss. I still prefer the weather in Singapore, although I'll probably miss some of the cool weather and breezes in HK. In school, I will miss the New Asia Canteen, the New Asia Gym, and the view from my hostel. I will miss my Korean friends, and the wonderful soccer moments we shared. Hawker food is still the best, but I will definitely miss dim sum, the Mongkok street side food, fresh egg tarts, honeymoon and xu liu shan dessert, and simple food from the canteen. Last but not least, I will miss the feeling of 'escapism from CAP', as the whole grades and CAP thing will resurface in my life.
On the same note, today was the release of results. It felt rather strange that I did not have any results to check, nor did I have to face any anxiety. But it kinda served as a reminder that I'm back to the grades and CAP 'world', and no longer do I have any backup safety net to rely on. It's just one way forward now, and no turning back. I took up this SEP opportunity in year 2 sem 1 in view of freezing my CAP, but results turned out for the better the following semester and I soon realised that instead of a need to freeze my CAP, I could have strived to pull my CAP up. But after this 4 months, I feel confident to say that the experience gained will be many times more valuable than any A's or A+'s I could have gotten this semester (not saying that I would).
Thank you HK for what was a memorable chapter in my life. Oh and thanks to Facebook, which allows all of us from all over the world to keep in touch. I have had some interesting convos recently regarding Facebook, and it will in fact be my topic for my next entry, the phenomenon of Facebook-alization.
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