During the summer of 2016, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Hong Kong. I participated in Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s inaugural International Summer School, taking classes on Mandarin Chinese and climate change. While abroad, I also visited Beijing, China and Hanoi, Vietnam. I had never left the country before studying abroad, so I was both nervous and enthralled for the experience.
Having never studied Chinese, I was unsure of how I’d navigate Hong Kong. However, learning Chinese was probably one of the most rewarding things I’ve done. It always seemed like a very cryptic language, but after taking the time to understand the character system and grammar, it wasn’t nearly as scary. In fact, now, Chinese grammar reminds me more of Legos than a labyrinth. Hong Kong itself it a bustling, international metropolis. We arrived during the hottest part of the year when temperatures regularly hit 110 degrees. However, the city offered plenty of escape. On the weekends, we could go to some of the busiest shopping districts in the world or take the ferries to Hong Kong’s sleepy, outlying islands.
Beijing was definitely more challenging to visit than Hong Kong. With the city being nearly devoid of English, we were completely reliant on our tour guide. I did have quite a few small wins though. Stand-outs include asking for the bathroom, ordering drinks at restaurants, and asking prices at markets all in Mandarin. After learning so much Mandarin in only four weeks, I’m very interested in studying the language further.
Hanoi was another beast all-together. Hong Kong was civil, Beijing was hectic, and Hanoi was pure chaos. I loved every minute of it. The streets were overflowing with mopeds, and with very few traffic laws, just trying to cross the street at rush hour was a dangerous ordeal. Yet the city had a distinctive charm. The weekend markets were bustling with both locals and foreigners mingling with friends, buying trinkets, and enjoying the street performers. After the trip, I compiled my footage into a video. While making this video took a significant amount of time, I’m so glad that I can use it to look back on my trip. It’s also a great way to share my experience with friends and family. I think it convinced more than a few of my friends that Vietnam should be next on their travel list! Copy and paste the link below to enjoy.
Having never studied Chinese, I was unsure of how I’d navigate Hong Kong. However, learning Chinese was probably one of the most rewarding things I’ve done. It always seemed like a very cryptic language, but after taking the time to understand the character system and grammar, it wasn’t nearly as scary. In fact, now, Chinese grammar reminds me more of Legos than a labyrinth. Hong Kong itself it a bustling, international metropolis. We arrived during the hottest part of the year when temperatures regularly hit 110 degrees. However, the city offered plenty of escape. On the weekends, we could go to some of the busiest shopping districts in the world or take the ferries to Hong Kong’s sleepy, outlying islands.
Beijing was definitely more challenging to visit than Hong Kong. With the city being nearly devoid of English, we were completely reliant on our tour guide. I did have quite a few small wins though. Stand-outs include asking for the bathroom, ordering drinks at restaurants, and asking prices at markets all in Mandarin. After learning so much Mandarin in only four weeks, I’m very interested in studying the language further.
Hanoi was another beast all-together. Hong Kong was civil, Beijing was hectic, and Hanoi was pure chaos. I loved every minute of it. The streets were overflowing with mopeds, and with very few traffic laws, just trying to cross the street at rush hour was a dangerous ordeal. Yet the city had a distinctive charm. The weekend markets were bustling with both locals and foreigners mingling with friends, buying trinkets, and enjoying the street performers. After the trip, I compiled my footage into a video. While making this video took a significant amount of time, I’m so glad that I can use it to look back on my trip. It’s also a great way to share my experience with friends and family. I think it convinced more than a few of my friends that Vietnam should be next on their travel list! Copy and paste the link below to enjoy.
http://bit.ly/2eiVQkp