Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Wrapping up my exchange..Time for a closing chapter for my 4 months of Hong Kong University student exchange experiences. Well, many people have been asking me questions about Hong Kong, so I'll probably do it in a FAQ manner?
Is Hong Kong fun?Check out my pictures and my blog, and you'll know. What do you think makes me not want to come back to Singapore?
What do you like most in Hong Kong?Now this is a tough question. I like many things in Hong Kong! I like the friends I've made, locals and other foreign exchange students. I like learning speaking and listening to Cantonese. I like some of the food, such as dim sum and the desserts. I like the freedom I had over there, and all the things that I need to do depending on only myself. I like the convenience of living in my hall located right in the middle of the campus. I like shopping in Hong Kong, especially in Esprit Budget Outlet Store as well as in Mongkok. I like studying for exams, without as much stress as I was studying in NUS. Lastly, I love my other 8 Singaporean friends for being there with me, together we had our fun and pain.
What is different about Hong Kong and Singapore?Basically, the most significant difference is the environment and messy urban planning. Hong Kong is crowded and cramped with tall buildings and people. Old and new buildings can be found side by side. Busy streets with cars and people. On the other hand, Singapore has both tall and not-so-tall buildings, with lots of greenery. They are not cramped together, and old buildings cannot really be found side by side with new buildings. I don't see as many people in Singapore as well. Hong Kong is really - CROWDED! But, that's where all the fun was. During Christmas or New Year countdown, it was like the whole of Hong Kong were out having fun! Haha.
Another thing about the environment is that Hong Kong is really polluted. It is that when I'm there, I start to appreciate how clean Singapore is. If you say that the air in Singapore is getting dirty, come experience Hong Kong or China. The haze level is always in the danger level. You can hardly see buildings and mountains clearly. How unhealthy, but I survived. It's ain't a big deal I guess after some adaptation.
There were many police in Hong Kong as well. You know, when you watch those HK serials, some guy running away from triads will bump onto a policeman. Well, we will always say that was a coincidence, and can only be seen on TV. However, I beg to differ because policemen are really on HK streets all the time! You get to see them walking on the streets patroling. Unlike in Singapore, you hardly see any policemen patroling on the streets. So we actually feel quite safe in HK.
Living expenses is actually higher in Hong Kong. The transport is expensive, the food is costly, likewise for accommodation. Shopping ain't any much cheaper unless you are able to locate the budget shops or the factory outlets. You can ask me, cos I am quite aware of where to get the cheaper stuff - food to clothings, models to CDs.
Many places in Hong Kong are air conditioned. In fact, I hardly manage to find a place without air conditioned, especially food centres. In Hong Kong, all the restaurants or canteens in schools have air conditioned facilities.
The night life is indeed happening. The people sleeps really late, and wakes up late as well. At least I'm talking about the people in my hall. They sleeps at 5-6am in the morning, and wakes up around 12-1pm. Sometimes, they hardly sleep at all. The hall life and culture is happening, and they play so much, they hardly sleep. Probably like 2-3 hours each day? Madness! In addition, the shopping centres in Mong Kok closes after 11pm, and not to mention Lan Kwai Fong - the place to pub and club.
Oh yes, how can I forgot to talk about the numerous number of stairs and slopes we have to walk everyday? In Singapore, it's flat land, with escalators and elevators. However, in Hong Kong, you have to depend on your legs. There is usually escalators up but not down; sometimes you can't even find escalators. Well, the transport system also works in a way such that it makes short rides really expensive and not value for money. Therefore, we tend to walk short distances, such as one or two MTR stations.
Also, in the trains, the name of the station is announced in 3 languages. Cantonese, English and Mandarin. For instance, they will announce: "The next station: Causeway Bay. Doors on the left will open." in the 3 languages. This made me wonder why Singapore ain't doing it because it has 4 races! And they only announce it in one language - English. Even when I went Taipei, they announced it in 4 languages - Mandarin, Hakka, Hokkien and English.
Hong Kong is much better off than Singapore? Because I see many branded cars such as Lexus, Benz, BMW, Rolls Royce, Ferrari etc. In Singapore, I always see Honda, Toyota, Hyundai. How boring.
Another thing is that HK is more liberal than Singapore is, though it is nearer to China. Haha. Well, in all the CDs/VCDs shops, including HMV, sells pornographic VCDs! They didn't hide it, but display them together with all the rest of the CDs! What's worse, I can find both heterosexual pornography, and homosexual pornography! Madness! Anybody can buy it! Hmmz, their magazines as well, are always full of such kinda things.. Talk about being influenced by Confucianism huh..
What is different about Singaporean guys and Hong Kong guys? (One of the popular qsn always asked)Guys in Singapore went through NS, but not those in Hong Kong. Therefore I find the guys in Singapore more manly. Well, this is a general personal opinion. Since Hong Kong guys ain't as manly, there are naturally more sensitive. So this depends on what you want - a manly guy, or a sensitive one?
So who are more good looking? (Another popular qsn) Well, in Hong Kong, some of them are really good looking as they have nice features - deep set eyes, high nose, nicely styled hair etc. But generally, they are ok. In Singapore, it all depends on their height, their dressing, their bod etc because Singaporeans do not really have nice features. So, I will say each has its own beauty.
What is different about Singaporean girls and Hong Kong girls? (A qsn all guys are interested in)Similarly, some of the girls are really pretty because they have nicer features than those in Singapore. Many of them are also more willing to put in effort to doll up themselves. However, I still do not get their dress sense, especially the black stockings and the layered dressing. For them, it is nice, but for us, it is not. Not criticising them though, but it is just a matter of different culture. Don't really know how to appreciate. Likewise, each has its own beauty. =)
What is different about the education system?This is a question most lecturers or education professionals like to ask. Basically, they are quite similar. I think both are equally stressful because all the modules I took in HKU are S/U (Pass/Fail), therefore I only need to get a C and thus not as stressful as when I was in NUS. In NUS, I need to aim for good results in order to pull up my CAPS/GPA. Another thing is that it is easier to prefer for the exams in HKU because firstly, the lecturers gave tips. Secondly, the exam questions are more or less the same. Therefore, all you have to do is to refer to the past year papers, and you can prepare for your exams. However in NUS, at least from my experience, I seldom receive tips, and the exam questions may differ.
The lectures are conducted in English. However, the tutorials may be conducted in Cantonese because it is more efficient to do so. Therefore, what they do is to separate exchange students and the locals into two different classes for tutorials. The one with exchange students will be conducted in English while the other will be conducted in Cantonese. It is more efficient for them to hold their discussions in a language which they are all familiar and good with. Most Hong Kong people can't really speak good English. They can write well though, except for some grammar mistakes here and there. For those who went to International Schools, they can speak and write good English, even better than some Singaporeans. Therefore, it is not necessarily true to say that we feel less competition because we can speak better English. For presentation, probably so but for essays and exams, they can write as well as us.
Generally, the education system is quite good. I have heard that The University of Hong Kong is the best university in Hong Kong. I especially like the part where they hold seminars outside the library for all to attend. Seminars on current issues such as WTO. Other than focusing on academic areas, the school is also concern about sports and other activities. Somehow I felt that Hong Kong has more ongoing activities than in Singapore? That's what I feel, but not really sure whether that's true or not. Because I might be more free to participate in the activities.
In the lectures, guest lecturers from all fields are often invited to give lectures in the class. I think this is a very good way to keep the course interesting. Seriously, somehow I think that the guest lecturers are more interesting than the lecturers itself. Haha.
Oh, another thing is that in the lecturer hall, there are notices saying that students are not allowed to reserve seats. Well, in Singapore they didn't say anything about reserving seats or whatsoever. Everybody does it. In HK, it's almost the same. I still see people reserving their seats though.
The End..That's about all on my exchange experiences. A really fruitful trip I'll never forget. Therefore, if you have the opportunity, and together with financial ability, PLEASE GO for an exchange! It will be the greatest experience you will never forget. If you want to know whether you have the finance ability to go or not, well, I had spent around SGD5600++. I think I spent the least because my friends had spent around SGD6k-7k. That's about what's expected of you. These amount of money includes traveling to nearby places. For me, it includes traveling to Shenzhen, Macau, Taipei and Guilin, and also all the air tickets and accommodation. Basically, it includes everything - from groceries, meals, housekeeping items, shopping, playing and traveling. It's ain't too much I guess. That's because it's Hong Kong. If it's the States, I'm sure it's higher than that. Probably around 9k. Wow, that's alot.
An unforgettable experience I'll cherish forever.
I love Hong Kong, and my friends whom I went there together with.
And here, I close the book on exchangexperiences.
Signing off,
Elise
10:43 PM , Reminisced
