While I enjoyed many things about this experience, I truly enjoyed learning more about a culture that was different than my own and seeing another part of the world that was previously outside of my comfort zone. Another thing that I personally really enjoyed was all of the academic tours that we went on. I was so interested and curious about the things that we were seeing. It really confirmed for me that my major is the right fit. Some of these visits included a factory tour of Zuru (the 8th largest toy manufacturing company in the world alongside Mattel and Hasbro), a factory tour of Vtech, visiting the Hong Kong Polytechnic University's Product Design Program and seeing examples of their work, and walking around the electronics market in Shenzhen. I also enjoyed visiting all of the things that Hong Kong is known for, such as the Big Buddah, Hong Kong Disney, and Victoria Peak. In addition, I enjoyed trying all of the great food that was very different than what I am used to in the U.S., such as Dim Sum, traditional ramen, and amazing soup dumplings. Many of the restaurants in Hong Kong are Michelin star rated for a very low cost.
I would consider myself to be a bit of a homebody, and I was very nervous before going on this trip, as I do not like going places that I do not know much about or when I don't know what I am getting myself into. I am really proud that I went on this experience and that I truly enjoyed every day while I was there. After returning home, I am looking forward to traveling more in my life as I now know that it is much less scary than I had previously believed, and I am perfectly capable of stepping out of my comfort zone. In addition, some say that I am a picky eater. Because of this, I am proud of how open I was to the food in Hong Kong and China. To name a few, I tried duck tongue, geoduck, razor clams, mantis shrimp, and salted conches. This has made me much more willing to try cuisine that is outside of the traditional food that I am used to. It was also really cool to learn about what kind of food is traditional there, breaking my previous stereotypes about Chinese food that America has created.
This experience opened my eyes to how products are manufactured after the product design process. I think that in my college courses we often lose sight of the real world applications of the products we are designing, as at this point in our careers they are merely concepts. After visiting factory tours in China, I am much more aware of the price and resources that goes into manufacturing a product. This insight will make me think much more seriously about how sustainable my designs are in the future and how my designs will be manufactured. In addition to how these new skills will impact my major and future career, I believe that the confidence and social skills that I acquired on this trip will also be of great use in my future. I am much more confident in my ability to adjust to new situations and experiences that are outside of my previous comfort zone. Being in a place where not everyone spoke my language, I had to adjust and find other ways to communicate. I think that this is very applicable to life as everyone comes from different backgrounds and different places of understanding. While not everyone sees things the same way or understands things the same way, we are all human and can always find things in common to relate to.