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Hong Kong Exchange - April 2019
After a busy day at school our group, grabbed our cases and hopped on the minibus and headed straight to Heathrow airport, excited for the trip to come. After checking in our suitcases and going through security, we spent a few hours in the shops before boarding our 12-hour flight. We slept and enjoyed films and music until we finally landed in a hot and humid Hong Kong at around 5pm. We were welcomed at the airport and driven to GT College in a cool minibus, where we enjoyed seeing views of Hong Kong skyscrapers and nature for the first time. When we arrived at school, we were collected by our hosts and taken home to settle in and get to know our families for the next 12 days. Then we all had a well needed rest after our long journey and fell asleep, looking forward to the next day of fun with our hosts.
On Saturday we went to an old police station in Central, which was turned into an art museum about the violence in gender. It made me realise how lucky we are that a lot of us haven’t had experiences like this.
After this we went to a restaurant where they sold traditional Chinese noodles and dumplings - they were very delicious! We then went to and took a ferry to the other side of the bay to visit the shopping centre. We appreciated the air conditioning in the mall as we were walking around in 28°C heat at some points. On the bridge to the ferry we met a man dressed as Captain America and took selfies with him, and additionally enjoyed the music being created by streets performers. Later, we tried on traditional Chinese dresses, which was both a fun experience and also very hot. In the evening we visited Tsim Sha Tsui to look round the markets which sold some typical Chinese goods, but also a lot of modern clothes, games and souvenirs. We enjoyed Bubble Tea, which is a popular milk tea in Hong Kong - it was very sweet but also very filling! The place was very beautiful and peaceful, with fountains and plants everywhere. Overall, it was a very busy day and we were looking forward to the rest of the trip.
Sunday was our second day with the exchanges, a group of us visited Instagram places around Hong Kong. The places we visited were incredibly beautiful, despite the hot weather. We visited a rainbow building and a row of circles walls. Afterwards we went out for sushi and tried lots of new foods, it was delicious!
We awoke at 6.30am on Monday for our first day at GT College. We arrived at school for a tour of the 7 floors, and thoroughly enjoyed the calligraphy and learning Mandarin phrases. Our favourite was the nunchaku with the founder of the nunchaku association. At the end of the day we all did different things including clay making, balloon modelling, line dancing and juggling. We finished with a delicious hot pot for dinner with an ice cream for dessert.
On Wednesday, we explored wong tai sin and we payed a visit to the temple there. It was full of vibrant and beautiful colours and covered in intricate detail. The scenery inside the temple was incredibly pretty and there were things such as a pond full of bright coloured fish and turtles. After, we caught the ferry to one of the Hong Kong Islands called Cheung Chau. It was full of detail and gave of Mediterranean impressions. We were meant to be going on a hike around the island, however it was so hot on the day that none of us could even think about going on a long walk, and so we went on a trip to the local island beach. The beach was incredibly beautiful and we all made so many memories throughout this day. In the evening a few of us went out for dinner and explored the city, which I feel was a really fun experience and I thoroughly enjoyed this day.
On Thursday we went to ocean park near deep water bay. In the morning we went to a marine show where we watched a performance by some actors and also some seals and dolphins. Ocean park specialises in the conservation and rehabilitation of marine animals. After we had all watched the performance we then went off around the park in groups where most of us went to the summit to go on the variety of rides from Ferris wheels to water drops. For lunch most of us found the McDonald’s to buy lunch (even though it was twice the price!). After lunch some of us then had to run to catch the cable car down the mountain so that we wouldn’t be late. On the cable car we saw amazing views of the mountains and also the summit with a slight view of the park. Once we had all arrived back at the entrance we got back on the coach all hot and very tired and ready to head back to our exchanges.
Friday began the day with a trip up to Victoria Peak, looking forward to a breath taking view from one of the highest points in Hong Kong. Sadly, due to the soggy and foggy nature of the day the city was mostly hidden until a breeze blew and a beautiful view was revealed for several seconds. After taking a photo- and photo shopping in the usual brilliant background- we travelled to Ernst and Young to listen to a speech from Edward Ho. We learned about the company, its goals and the careers it offers-certainly an opportunity that especially interested some of our business-inclined students. We enjoyed a short snack break, thanked our presenters and travelled back to the school again where we all went to our various sports classes. We had fun learning dance routines, practicing martial arts and triumphing in table tennis! The farewell party followed and we received some lovely gifts from GT including a video from the talented Angus, who we had seen filming for the past week. After filling up on a buffet, a space was cleared and we put on a performance of A Christmas Carol. The performance, though featuring some giggling, was met with applause and it was a pleasant end to the day.
The weekend began with a visit to Lantau Island, the largest island in Hong Kong. We left GT College in the mini bus early in the morning, and soon reached Tung Chung where the cable car to the island set off. The cable cars each held around eight people, so we split into two groups for the journey. The journey lasted twenty-five minutes; we crossed water and many mountains, but halfway through the journey it became so foggy that we could not see the view. Luckily the fog cleared as we came closer to Ngong Ping station, and we were able to see the huge Tian Tan Buddha in the distance. After the cable car journey, we walked to Po Lin Monastery which is a Buddhist monastery. The main temple was very beautiful and houses three bronze statues of the Buddha – representing his past, present and future lives – as well as many Buddhist scriptures. Following this, the group walked the 268 steps to the bronze Tian Tan Buddha, which is an extension to the monastery. Although it was extremely windy at the top of the steps, it was worth the tangled hair and the steep climb for the view of the 34-metre high statue as well as the surrounding mountains. We then ate food in a noodle restaurant before travelling back to Tung Chung. Lastly, we spend some free time in a shopping mall close to the station before taking the mini bus back to GT.
Sadly, Monday was our last day in Hong Kong. However, this thought was temporarily put aside in light of the events planned for us. Firstly, we visited a chocolate factory where we were treated to not only confectionary but also amusing and enlightening talks from the manager. The next event of the day was a workshop concerning Chinese opera, which was informative as well as interactive with various tutorials, but my favourite was spinning [wooden] spears around in circles. The farewell at the airport was emotional to say the least but, to be optimistic, we will easily be able to keep in contact with our exchange partners.
