During these students' stay at the College, they mingled with the rest of the College community in sharing rooms, at communal dining and High Table Dinners, and in various events. Their active participation in College activities further enriches the cultural diversity of this intimate community, and enacts an important element of the College vision.

At the end of Term 1, 2017–18, four exchange students of the College joined the ISAP End of Semester Gathering Fall 2017 organised by the Office of Academic Links on 22 November 2017 to bid farewell to incoming exchange students.  Ms ZHANG Yingjia Liza and Ms SU Yeke, exchange students at CWC coming from Brandeis University, served as the MCs on this joyful occasion.

Exchange Student Sharing

Mr Ryan VAN VELZEN and Ms Leanne VERSPAGET are exchange students from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands during Term 1, 2017–18. They share with us their experience in Hong Kong.

By Mr Ryan VAN VELZEN

'Exchange is unreal and enriching.'

'I learned so much about myself.'

'I made friends for life across the globe.'

These were just some of what the former exchange students I know told me prior to my exchange. Undoubtedly I looked forward to embarking on an exciting and novel journey, yet I could not entirely comprehend nor relate to their expressions. It was not because I did not trust them of course, but because I could not fully imagine it. Although it was daunting to choose my host destinations from the list I was given, Hong Kong as my first choice was not a random pick. Coming from Curaçao, a small Caribbean island with an exceptionally mixed culture, and having lived in the Netherlands for a great deal of time, I longed to experience something novel.

None of my family members, including me, has ever set foot on the Asian continent. One of my Asian encounters I remember was seeing representations of Asian culture from the media at an early age. Another source of my prior experience with Asian culture was through the Asian diaspora in both Curaçao and the Netherlands. People with mainland Chinese heritage have formed a sizeable and important part of both Curaçaoan and Dutch society. Hence I did get a general taste of some Asian cultures which shaped the expectations I brought along with me to Hong Kong.

In 2016, I met in the Netherlands some mainland Chinese exchange students whom I became good friends with. These friends gave me a clearer vision of what to expect during my exchange, although I must say that the differences between mainland Chinese and Hong Kong cultures are considerable.

Once I touched down in Hong Kong, I immediately noticed the crowdedness of the city. Or well... first and foremost I was hit by the tropical damp air once I stepped out of the airport. When I finally arrived at CW Chu College, however, I was impressed by the stylishness of the campus buildings and all its amenities. I felt at home from the very beginning of my stay here.

Being an exchange student I find it almost impossible not to make friends in CUHK. Out of a batch of 500 exchange students and even more regular students and college residents, there are always people around the campus for fun. During the first days I sometimes missed how easy it was to do things with my friends back home, but soon I found out that all other exchange students felt the same way. Soon I made a group of friends with whom I went to restaurants, temples, Mong Kok, beaches, Lan Kwai Fong and many more in Hong Kong.

When I am in another country, what is important to me is to get involved with the locals. I chose to share a room with a regular student of the College and as such I got assigned a shared dormitory with Vincent, a mainland Chinese student. The best part about this was that I almost immediately had someone to talk to and to ask questions —not to mention someone to become friends with. When my sister visited me in November 2017, my attachment to Hong Kong got reinforced as I realised that within a few months only I had already acquired so much knowledge and experience that I could lead someone the way in Hong Kong.

Some argue that hospitality is not Hong Kong's biggest asset, but I have proof that this is wrong. Time after time I experienced small gestures made by locals that made my Hong Kong experience all the better. One time I went to One Dim Sum, the cheapest (and I would say best) Michelin star restaurant. My sister and I were placed at a table for four, and had to share it with a local couple. They immediately started a conversation with us and soon we exchanged our numbers to plan an actual dinner together. They also told me that whenever I needed assistance or tips I could reach out to them.

While writing this, I look back on everything with a smile. I am truly honoured and satisfied that I was allowed to be part of such an enriching experience. Having stayed at CW Chu College I truly felt that I was part of the community which I genuinely appreciate. All I can say to those hesitant about going on exchange is - just go out there and do it!

By Ms Leanne VERSPAGET

It is only partly true, you know, what they say about exchange. 'Exchange isn't a year in your life, it's a life in a year'. I only got to experience this life for four months, with one of these being filled with deadlines and exams. It hurts to know that I will have to leave my new life behind in less than a month, but I know I will have a lot of amazing memories to look back on.

I come from a small town in The Netherlands (not joking, there are only 30,000 people living there), and moving to Rotterdam was already a big step for me. Apparently, it was nowhere near big enough as I decided to apply for a semester abroad at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The first few weeks, or all weeks up until now to speak the truth, were mainly filled with getting lost and finding my way on campus and in the city. Thank you Ryan for accompanying me all the time starting at Eindhoven CS. I'd probably still be lost without your way finding skills. Anyway, after obtaining the basic skills for taking the buses (with a timetable that would be a nightmare for any Dutch public transport agency) here, my life was quickly adjusted from getting lost all the time and not knowing where I was going, to having so many things to do and see, again causing me not to know where I was going and why I was going to this unknown place.

Strangely enough, I always managed to get to the places where I wanted to go, either with or without my roommate reminding me of the volleyball practices on Friday nights (thanks Linda), or the motivation to have cheese, wine, and great conversations with even better people (and public speaking as a minor detail) at the Toastmasters sessions. Apart from these experiences that were, to me at least, all about meeting local students from CWC, I love exploring Hong Kong with other exchange students. This also included attending communal dinners with them, trying to figure out what we actually were eating, and making sure that even between midterm exams and deadlines, we would have a chance to catch up with one another in order not to go completely insane after all those isolated hours of studying. You may not believe it, but exchange students actually have to pass their courses as well.

Apart from my life at CWC, I was able to do many more amazing things around Hong Kong. The most memorable was going across the border to mainland China so that I could teach English to a few high school classes in Zengcheng. When I got back to Hong Kong, my brother was waiting for me there. Being able to show him my home away from home was certainly a great experience for both of us, and I definitely hope I will be able to show him more places that I can call home soon.

I am glad that I have seen so much of Hong Kong, but there are so many more places around the city that I still haven't visited. Luckily, I will be here for another month before I start travelling around Australia and Southeast Asia, so feel free to contact me if you want to join me in exploring Hong Kong. As much as I am looking forward to these new experiences and going back home again (where I'll finally see my dog again after five months), I know that I will miss living in Hong Kong with the amazing people I have met here as soon as I get on the plane.