Lau Sze Ming
Year 4 student
BA(Hons) in Chinese and Bilingual Studies

Studying abroad is one of the things that I have fancied since I was a child; ideas of stepping out of my comfort zone to experience something different have always been on my mind. It is of pure delight that my wishes have come true with the support of the Sin Wai Kin Chinese Humanities Exchange Scholarship, along with the generosity of the donor. Life in Canada, in general, was an eye-opening experience that enabled me to try something new and make amazing acquaintances. I truly cherished every moment as an international student in Canada.

To make the best out of the exchange experience, I made several promises to myself prior to arriving in Canada. Under all circumstances, I should: 1. Pay attention to small details; 2. Accommodate but not to be accommodated; 3. Have the courage to seek discomfort. With these three promises being kept, the reward was way more than I expected.

First of all, being able to go to a western country as an exchange student definitely serves as one of the highlights of my university life. I enjoy every moment living in Waterloo. Among all that happened, there was a night when my band members and I were invited to sing in a restaurant for their weekend performance. As it turned out, we sang a few songs, lightened up the atmosphere of the place, went for some tasty treats, and had an unforgettable time together. From this incredible event, I have built a better understanding of the general genres of Canadian music. More importantly, our weekend performance made me realize that each of us has our own identity, built by our society, the people we meet, and even the music we grow up listening to. The key takeaway in realizing these differences lies in the importance of paying mutual respect and having empathy for others regardless of their race, gender, age, sexual orientation, etc. In Canada, people are more into communities. Canadians are inclusive that, in many instances, give their helping hands to strangers, and they will try every means to prevent a fight. I remember the time when I accidentally tripped a boy and fell to the ground on the street. I apologized right away, but different from what I had expected; he said it was not a problem because no one wanted it to happen. We smiled at each other and had a small talk before we finally said goodbye.

I pondered over this incident afterward. It took me a while to realize that I was shocked by how Canadians place others’ feelings over themselves. From verbal communications such as apologizing to non-verbal acts such as holding the door for anyone coming, it appears that politeness could contribute to a peaceful atmosphere in the society. Observing these small details taught me that being more considerate and less self-centered stamps out anger. This, in turn, could build a positive mindset and make the world a better place.

Regarding my life as a student, most courses I have taken are related to my minor study in Spanish. There was a grammar class, a conversation class, and a course about Hispanic films. In the first few weeks, though being physically in classes, I did not feel that I was engaged in it. I believe the primary reason that caused this feeling lies in the difference between classroom atmospheres in eastern and western societies. In eastern societies like Hong Kong, students tend to speak less in lectures, which is the opposite in Canada. Canadian students prefer speaking up in class and even interrupting the lecturer if necessary. Finding speaking up in the middle of classes absurd, I initially remained silent in most lectures until one of my language classmates pointed out that I was always on mute, it seemed like I was actually the absurd one in class. This reminded me of the second promise I have made about accommodating myself to the Canadian way. Since then, I have made an effort to speak up, and eventually, I could speak without thinking in advance. Thanks to this adjustment, the lecturer and I were surprised by the exponential improvement I made in Spanish at the end of the semester. This experience was indeed a life lesson for me because not only have I understood the importance of adaptation but, most importantly, the significance of stepping out of the comfort zone.

In relation to stepping out of my comfort zone, I have made several accomplishments without ever imagining it would happen in the first place. In April, the Spanish conversation class’s lecturer invited my classmates to host an online Spanish teaching session organized by the Waterloo Library. At first, I did not want to get involved in the session, but once I found it was an excellent opportunity to serve the community, I decided to seek this discomfort. Eventually, my partner and I conducted a mini-lecture on several elementary Spanish phrases and turned it into a fun online conversation. In this incredible experience, we even forgot that we were separated by computer monitors. With more stories ranging from my first skating experience to pass the driver’s test in Canada, the report could take forever to mention how discomfort made me a different person. However, it was the fearlessness that drove me to new alternatives and opened the doors to new possibilities. Therefore, despite the fear of the pandemic, I am glad I seized this opportunity to embark, experience, and explore.

To conclude, the four months in Canada as an exchange student is full of fond memories, memories that could put a smile on my face whenever I think about it. Once again, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Sin Wai Kin Chinese Humanities Exchange Scholarship donor. As a matter of fact, their invaluable financial support has encouraged me to make the best out of every day in Canada. All the best to everyone planning to go for an exchange; I promise it will be a spectacular adventure!