Zeng Chulong
Year 4 student
BA(Hons) in Bilingual Interdisciplinary Chinese Studies

I am deeply honored to have received recognition from the Department of Chinese History and Culture, which has provided me with the opportunity to study in Liverpool, UK. This invaluable experience has not only allowed me to study at the University of Liverpool and immerse myself in the local culture, but it has also broadened my horizons, enhanced my language skills, and fostered my independence. I am profoundly grateful to the Sin Wai Kin Chinese Humanities Exchange Scholarship for their financial support, which has provided me with the resources and opportunities to fully engage in the activities and learning experiences during my exchange.

During my time at the University of Liverpool, I enrolled in two courses: War Writing and Utopian and Dystopian Thought. These courses were chosen based on my personal interests and to fulfill the graduation requirements of the Faculty of Humanities at PolyU. I am passionate about writing and have a keen interest in exploring the new and unknown. The War Writing course mainly focused on British authors and their ideas, with an emphasis on the normativity of academic papers. Although the course did not involve the creative writing I had anticipated, the engaging teaching style and lively discussions made the classes enjoyable. I fondly recall a class where the professor asked if anyone knew about martial arts. As the only Asian student, I nervously shared my experience of learning Wing Chun and my views on traditional Chinese martial arts. The professor's positive response encouraged me to share my thoughts and opinions more freely, and I grew to appreciate this interactive teaching approach. The diverse backgrounds of my classmates also enriched our discussions, providing me with a broader understanding of different cultures and fostering a more open-minded attitude towards cultural differences.

For a long time, I have always hoped to be able to speak fluent English, which is the main reason why I applied to go to the UK for exchange studies. Compared to Hong Kong, living and studying in Liverpool gave me more opportunities to interact and learn with native English speakers. In addition to academic discussions in class, daily life also provided great practice opportunities. When I was living in Hong Kong, I was always afraid to speak English, worrying about my pronunciation not being standard and my expressions not being clear enough for others to understand. To be honest, when I first arrived in the UK, I was somewhat scared. After all, this was my first time going to the UK alone, and I was afraid of everything unknown and unfamiliar. I still vividly remember the awkwardness when I first arrived in the UK. That day, I arrived at Manchester airport with heavy luggage. According to the guide I had prepared in advance, I needed to take a train to Liverpool. At the ticket office of the train station, there were some people queuing to buy tickets. I pulled my luggage aside and silently watched everything. I hesitated for a long time, afraid that my English was not standard, and the ticket seller might not understand me, which would affect the people queuing behind me. So, I stood in a corner of the station for more than half an hour, feeling helpless and scared, like stones sinking heavily into my heart, stirring up waves of retreat. Suddenly, a man in work uniform passed by me. In an instant, I no longer hesitated and went forward to ask him how to get to Liverpool by train. The man patiently told me how to buy a ticket and how to avoid trains that required transfers. After this conversation, my confidence greatly increased. I picked up my luggage and queued at the window. Everything went extremely smoothly. I bought the correct train ticket, and communication was not as difficult as I had imagined. Since then, whenever I have doubts, I always bravely ask others and express myself. I went from stumbling and being terrified at the beginning to becoming more and more calm, even slowly enjoying the sense of accomplishment brought by the feedback of information through the English language skill. Perhaps it was because I was in a "desperate situation" in the language world, I seemed to have only courage left. In those days, having no choice became my best path.

This exchange experience not only broadened my knowledge and horizons, but also made me more independent in life. During my exchange study in Liverpool, one of my weekly routines was to go to the supermarket. Due to the high cost of living in the UK, I had to learn how to cook in the dormitory. Before going to Liverpool, I basically didn't know how to cook. In the initial period, I often worried about meals. Later, I met a roommate from Malaysia who was the best cook in our dormitory. We often went shopping for ingredients together, and cooked soup and meals together. I learned a lot of cooking skills from him, and our relationship became closer and closer because of cooking. He also became my best friend in Liverpool. He always knew which stores had cheap and fresh food ingredients and could always buy some seasonings that I didn't recognize. I still remember once, we bought a huge pork thigh for only four pounds. We shared with other roommates in the dormitory, and they all said it was very delicious.

In addition to cooking, I think I have become better at being alone. In Hong Kong, with the company of family and friends, I rarely choose to do something or go somewhere alone. Sometimes, in order to cater to others, I would rather compromise my original intention. I used to be afraid of being alone, but the foreign friends I met in Liverpool were all very independent. They often chose to travel alone and said it was a very special feeling. At that moment, I sincerely envied their fearlessness and curiosity deep in their hearts. I also wanted to be like them, to travel alone. I hesitated for a long time before deciding to take the train to Oxford and Cambridge alone. I tried to arrange my own itinerary, accommodation, and transportation. Although I encountered many difficulties along the way, each process of solving "troubles" made me braver. I no longer see difficulties as troubles, no longer back down when things get tough, but see them as a challenge, a pleasure. And through solving various difficulties on the journey, I have grown and felt the joy of going forward alone.

This exchange study experience allowed me to see another side of the world, and also allowed me to see another side of Hong Kong. Just like before going to Liverpool, my heart was full of longing and expectation for the UK. I never thought that the winter in Liverpool would be so cold, the night would come so early, and the rain would come so suddenly. In the past, I always felt that the pace of life in Hong Kong was fast, and the pressure was so great that people couldn't breathe. But I never thought that there would also be tired people rushing home late at night in Liverpool. Because of this experience, I no longer have idealized imaginations about the UK, and I no longer have excessive demands on Hong Kong. Personally, my mind often changes involuntarily with the change of environment, but perhaps only the change of mind can change the impact of the objective environment. Just like the tolerance of cultural differences lies in understanding and respect, it is not because of understanding that we respect, but because of respect that we have the possibility of understanding. And this open and inclusive mentality allows people to live in the present with a more peaceful mindset. This experience made me feel personally that while poetry and distant places are worth longing for, focusing on the present with a peaceful heart may be the most practical.

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the Sin Wai Kin Chinese Humanities Exchange Scholarship for its support and encouragement for my exchange studies. This is very important to me. Not only can it provide me with financial support and alleviate the economic burden of exchange studies, but it is also an opportunity for me to explore and learn. It allows me to visit different cities in the UK, understand different regional cultures in the UK, and gives me the opportunity to see those long-heard but unseen places. Thank you!