Week 10 - Personal (31/03/12)

This tenth week marks our halfway point in Andrew and I’s international exchange experience. It’s so hard to believe that we have been here for two and a half months already, but the well known phrase ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ definitely applies to our trip. This week alone has sped past so quickly, as we have tried to complete work on our assignments, which are due just after the Easter holidays, as well as enjoying the celebrations of my twenty first birthday.

Before Andrew and I arrived in Hong Kong, we were made aware of the intensity of workload that faces the students of HKIEd and how many of them make use of the 24 hour library service everyday, in order to manage the numerous assignments and examinations. This has been true for us this week, as we have spent a lot of time meeting up with groups, researching information and constructing essays. One of the modules in particular, required us to select a group and a topic relevant to the multicultural societies that we live in and present our findings to our class. For this assignment, we were grouped with two Korean girls, Semi and Kim and the topic of conflict within a multicultural society, such as Korea and Northern Ireland, was chosen. As a result of all the preparation for this presentation, I was given the opportunity to hear, discuss and attempt to understand some of the controversial issues in Korea that cause conflict, i.e. North Korean immigrants etc. I was also able to gain a lot more information on the conflict that exists within Northern Ireland and discuss how this has affected our home nation. I believe that this period of international study so far, has been instrumental in broadening my horizons on the range of approaches towards different aspects of life in many countries, whether it is politics, education or religion etc. This is an invaluable gift, as I am learning so much about the world from so many different people with so many different experiences.

Andrew, Kim, Semi and I working hard on the presentation.

On Thursday, Andrew and I went to Ocean Park, which is a combination of marine mammal, animal theme and amusement park, situated in the southern district of Hong Kong. At the beginning of our international exchange, a few of our buddies informed us that you can gain free entry into Ocean Park on your birthday, so we decided to save my birthday as the optimum time to go. Unfortunately, after traveling to the park, we were told that this benefit was reserved for Hong Kong residents only. Although we felt slightly cheated, we were determined not to let it ruin the rest of the day and forked over the money. This proved to be a good thing, as Ocean Park has achieved the recognition of the seventh most popular amusement park in the world and it definitely lived up to this expectation. 

Unlike any of the other theme parks I have been in, the amusements are built on either side of a mountain and so to access both areas you have to either take a cable car, which provides beautiful scenic views of the south of Hong Kong Island, or the Ocean Express funicular railway, which offers an underwater submarine simulation experience. The theme park currently consists of nineteen rides and houses eleven animal exhibits, including dolphins, giant pandas, jellyfish and other marine life. Both Andrew and I enjoyed our time there immensely and although we are both now twenty one, we had a great time re-experiencing how theme parks and scary rides can make you feel like a young child again.

Amazing views from the cable car.

Andrew enjoying the views.

The Ocean Theatre Dolphin Show.

Later that evening we ventured into Soho, which is an pulsating entertainment zone located in Central, in order to celebrate over a birthday meal. The name Soho is interestingly derived from it’s location, as it is situated on the south of Hollywood Road. Many areas named Soho exist around the world, such as in London and New York and I perceive them to be very similar in many ways, by drawing a vast crowd of tourists or Western business men and women. Whilst it is necessary and enjoyable to experience places like Soho, I feel completely privileged to be able to experience life in the more rural side of Hong Kong as well, as we have been able to gain much more than a tourist’s perspective of life in Hong Kong.

In Northern Ireland and many other countries, there is always a huge emphasis and importance placed on turning twenty one or the ‘coming of age’. Although only a few legal effects actually exist, since the majority are implemented when an individual turns 18, there are often many extravagant celebrations. This is somewhat different from the historic Confucian coming of age ceremony that predominantly use to exist in China, as twenty is the more important year, when the individual will obtain a Chinese style name to use as a symbol of transitioning to adulthood. Personally, I don’t really believe that your transition to adulthood is held in a particular age, but rather it is the life experiences that you gain in those years that help you grow and develop as a person. As a result of my time here in Hong Kong so far, I feel I have been given so many opportunities to gain vital life experiences, which will indeed aid my development as a well rounded person.