On the summer of 2016, I spent two months at Hong Kong. I had two reasons why I wanted to visit Hong Kong. The first one was my fascination with the government and trade system of Hong Kong. My dad is a former Indian Customs Officer, and he often talked about the free trade policies in Hong Kong. This certainly piqued my interest in Hong Kong and I knew I had to visit this place.
The second reason being that I always wanted to explore eastern Asia. I know a lot about the Indian subcontinent because I grew up there. But I did not know much about India's neighbors on the east: China. So when this summer school presented itself, I knew I had to make the most of this opportunity and set sail into ship to Hong Kong (metaphorically I mean, I flew there.)
And boy was it an experience. Hong Kong was everything I expected it to be and then more. From the glitzy skyscrapers to enchanting scenery to the big Buddha, Hong Kong has a diverse landscape and considering how small it actually is in terms of space, it is mind blowing.
Coming back to my experience, I still get emotional when I remember my time there. The summer school at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University was very diverse. It was common to be sitting in a room where no two people were from the same country. And that I guess was the reason I loved my time there so much: I learned about so many different cultures just by being a part of the group.
This was the first time I felt that I was in a foreign country. On my first day in the US, I was able to read the signs and talk to people in English. But this was not the case in Hong Kong. After stepping out of the airport, I could not figure out anything written on the roads and was a little hesitant to ask for help in the fear that nobody would be able to understand my speech. I would definitely recommend everyone with an experience like this because it makes one realize how big the world is and there are so many things we have yet to explore and cherish.
Another great aspect of the experience were the classes. The Mandarin classes I took in my first month were eye opening. The characters, tones, and grammar of a completely foreign language showed me how there was still so much I had to see and learn. My Mandarin instructor gave me a Chinese name too. So Rishabh became "Lee Tian Yang" that day!
Initially, I had my doubts about the class. I had trouble pronouncing the tones and variations. But our instructor, Zhou Lǎoshī ( Teacher Zhou) was very patient. Not only did she have to train students learning Mandarin for the first time, she also had to cope with students who came from different parts of the world and had their own style of enunciation. I must say I was impressed by the way our teacher was able to teach us Mandarin 101. By the end we were able to introduce ourselves and strike up a basic conversations in Mandarin.
The class ended in the first month. However, I continued learning the language on my own. I asked British-Hong Kong roommate to teach me more Mandarin. He simply gave me links to a few Mandarin songs with subtitles that I could follow. Skeptical at first, I slowly understood the verses and was able to catch up quickly. Being able to talk in Mandarin, I was able to explore a whole new word. I talked to people whom I would have never been able to interact with.
The second class that I really liked was the Global Economics class. I never actually understood how companies like Starbucks and Nike can have such a massive global presence. Through the class, I got a lens and understanding of trade systems, GDP, taxes, and so much more. And yes, taxes do not seem boring to me after all.
Learning global economics theories in Hong Kong was a great thing as Hong Kong has been regarded one of the most globalized and international regions of the world because of the free trade policies and free flow of the knowledge economy.
Also, I absolutely LOVED the outdoor activities I did with my new friends. I was never the one to pursue outdoor activities. But after Hong Kong, I had learned to swim, canoe, and dive into a waterfall. I could never imagine myself swimming on the ocean, but I had some great friends (who were also swimming instructors) help me out with swimming.
The best part of the trip were my interactions with people. In the summer program, nobody was from India or had an Indian-origin. This setting really challenged me to move out of my own comfort zone and talk to people from different places. I learned a lot about Pakistan while hanging out with my British and Canadian Pakistani friends. It was an eye opening experience knowing that both the cultures share so much in terms of values and progress even though there remain political differences between the countries.
One friend of mine from Colombia talked about his country. I picked up a few Spanish sentences while learning about beautiful city of Bogota, Colombia and the rich history before the drug wars in the country. It was in experiences like these that I realized how lucky I was to be a part of the program. So many people I met had different ideas about life in India, and it was fun to demystify some of the stories.
I had a friend from Scotland who was training to be a flight attendant for the British Airways. He spoke about his parents' immigration story of immigrating from China to the UK. It was in moments like those that I found strength in myself. It reassured me that people do move from their homeland to another country for a better life and my education in the United States would help me get a better life. In a way, by talking to people from different walks of life, I could understand my struggles better and appreciate the effort my parents have put in making sure I get everything in life that I need.
It goes without saying that I will go on another international experience. After the Hong Kong experience, the way I see things and formulate ideas have significantly changed. I realize how important it is for one to get out of one’s social bubble and meet with different people.
Important political events like Brexit and the nomination of Donald Trump as the Republican rep for the election happened. I saw how my friends from different parts of the world react to that news. I had never canoed on a lake or spoken Mandarin before Hong Kong. I had never eaten Vietnamese cuisine. All I knew about Pakistan was from what the Indian and the Western media told me. All of aforementioned points changed by the time I left Hong Kong. And if I got the chance to do it again, I would do so in a heartbeat.