Katherine Tomaska
2020
Hsiao Scholarship
At the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, my roommate was from mainland China, and I became good friends with a local Hong Kong student living next to my room. It was really interesting to learn about new perspectives on world events, and I got introduced to a lot of new traditions and customs. I even slept over at one friend’s house, and it was a really special experience to eat hot pot with her family and walk around the neighborhood where she grew up.
Before studying in Hong Kong, I really did not have any experience with Asian culture. I started my time abroad barely able to hold chopsticks and never having heard of dim sum. By the time I finished with my time in Hong Kong, I was learning to play Mahjong every Wednesday night, and venturing off campus for new food. I was very limited in my Cantonese, but I tried not to let that stop me!
One of my best memories was wandering into the second floor of a wet market where there was a whole room of food stalls. The menus didn’t have any English or pictures, but I managed to get through with enough Cantonese to get my Hong Kong French toast stuffed with beef — an unexpected combination, but totally worth my struggle to get over the language barrier! I felt that I became much stronger as I tried to insert myself into the daily hustle and bustle of Hong Kong. Every time I tried something new or got lost riding the minibus, I ended up just learning more about Hong Kong, and I’m proud to say I feel as though I’m leaving a second home!
Before studying in Hong Kong, I really did not have any experience with Asian culture. I started my time abroad barely able to hold chopsticks and never having heard of dim sum. By the time I finished with my time in Hong Kong, I was learning to play Mahjong every Wednesday night, and venturing off campus for new food. I was very limited in my Cantonese, but I tried not to let that stop me!
One of my best memories was wandering into the second floor of a wet market where there was a whole room of food stalls. The menus didn’t have any English or pictures, but I managed to get through with enough Cantonese to get my Hong Kong French toast stuffed with beef — an unexpected combination, but totally worth my struggle to get over the language barrier! I felt that I became much stronger as I tried to insert myself into the daily hustle and bustle of Hong Kong. Every time I tried something new or got lost riding the minibus, I ended up just learning more about Hong Kong, and I’m proud to say I feel as though I’m leaving a second home!