CW Chu College The Chinese University of Hong Kong eNewsletter

Ms Silvia GROTHE I RIERA was an exchange student from Maastricht University in the Netherlands in Term 2, 2018–19. She has shared her College life below:

Five years ago, I visited Hong Kong for five days with my family. We visited the usual touristic places like the Big Buddha, Tsim Sha Tsui, the Ladies' Market. I was amazed by its skyscrapers and the food. When I had the opportunity to go on exchange in Hong Kong, I did not hesitate to apply for the programme.

I am extremely happy that I came again. In Hong Kong, I grew personally and academically. After five months of my stay here, I discovered so many new places I thought I would never visit as simply a tourist. I went hiking to Dragon's Back; I went for a day trip to Grass Island (many locals don't even know the existence of this island); I also walked around Mong Kok and Sha Tin, and went to a beach in Sai Kung. My biggest surprise was that Hong Kong has incredible nature. Looking back, I wish I did more hikes and discovered more places in nature.

My time on campus was also great. I took two courses on Anthropology, and they completely changed the way I looked at academics. My professors and classmates were always amiable and ready to help me if I did not understand anything. Moreover, my experience in Hong Kong was enhanced by my stay at CW Chu College. I absolutely loved every single event of the College and the communal dinners (the vegetarian table had the best food). During the events, I met amazing people, and I was able to make friends with local students. I had great fun joining the Toastmasters Club Taster Sessions (thank you Matt and Peach for your effort) and hosting the Dutch Cultural Night. I was very impressed by all the support from the College for the activities organised to ensure the well-being of the students. I think local students should know how lucky they are at the College. I think my favorite moment at CWC was a night during the Chinse New Year. With the other exchange students of the College, I played cards at the outdoor area on the second floor and enjoyed the warm weather. We also shared stories and laughs until late at night. We had so much fun.

I will miss the hustle and bustle of the city, the quietness of the campus and the friendliness of CW Chu College.

I want to thank every one of you who made my experiences in Hong Kong fruitful and memorable!

By Ms Isabelle Amber TABAK

Ms Isabelle Amber TABAK was an exchange student from Babson College in the US in Term 2, 2018–19. She has shared her College life below:

Hi! My name is Isabelle TABAK and I was an exchange student this semester at CUHK. I am originally from the Netherlands and now live and study in the United States. I have had an amazing experience studying abroad in Hong Kong. I have a concentration in Finance at my home university, but had the opportunity to take lots of liberal arts classes about Hong Kong and Chinese culture here. A few of my courses also included excursions into the city, so I was able to get a tour of Yau Ma Tei, Chungking Mansions, Mong Kok Police Station and the High Court. Through these courses and my local roommate (with whom I became good friends and exploring various parts of the city throughout the semester), I learned what it is like to live in Hong Kong.

Being a part of CW Chu College also made my semester more fruitful. The communal dinners were a great time to catch up with other local and exchange students and hear about upcoming events; they helped create a wonderful community. Attending the High Table Dinners in a College gown was another unique cultural experience for me. In addition, the College is very active in organising student activities and I was able to attend a few of those: a Wine and Cheese Tasting Workshop, a Seal Engraving Workshop, 'Exploring Central and Western Heritage Trail' and the Dutch Cultural Night which was an especially fun night to me. Together with the College teachers, staff and a few other exchange students we organised the event, sharing a little bit about Dutch culture with the College members and tasting lots of Dutch food and drinks.

Overall, I have had an incredible semester at CUHK and learned a great deal about Hong Kong. I will miss having my breakfast in the kitchen of the fifth floor of the College hostel with an amazing view of the harbour. I will miss Hong Kong and hope to come back some day in the future!