2018 Year in Review

Note to reader (myself included): this post was written over the course of two months and finally completed after four separate attempts, so please pardon the inconsistencies in tone, storyline, sequence of events, etc. I’ve been in a weird headspace.

Thursday, 27 December 2018

Another year has come around too soon. I write this as I join my parents on a road trip to Sydney. Nine hours of endless highways, rolling hills and country plains. The overall lack of visual stimulation and no where else to go makes for a good environment to gather and write down my thoughts.

The only problem is that I don’t know what to write about.

Friday, 4 January 2019

So that first attempt didn’t get very far. For the first time in four years, I didn’t finish my annual ‘Year In Review’ reflection in time before December 31. Bugger.

I could easily blame those busy yet mindless end-of-year days, you know, that period between Christmas and New Years when everyone forgets what day of the week it is. But truthfully, I think I avoided writing this post because I felt so incredibly overwhelmed (as I am this time every year) by the realisation of the scarcity of time. This year, the feeling was particularly strong and it was lined with a lot of sadness and uncertainty. Yes, I am indulging in a self-inflicted quarter-life crisis.

Anyhow, here we are – a solid four days into the new year. To avoid my superstition that not committing to this yearly tradition will result in the curse of complacency in 2019, I will commit to getting this published before January is over. 2018’s highlights, lowlights and learnings, here we go.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes, how do you measure a life in a year? Rent, the musical, suggests “in seasons of love”. Last year I considered “in kindness”. This year, probably in the number of PowerPoint slides created..? *Facepalm*. Maybe this is why I’m so unenthused about writing this reflection haha.

I was never the brightest in my class, so hard work got me there. But damn, I think I worked really hard this year – like really, really hard. Back-to-back projects, overcommitment to extracurricular activities, an unhealthy amount of time spent in recycled air, etc. I’d never give any of it up though; it’s an insecure overachiever’s joy to be on the go, operate at 110% on the regular, have your work criticised until perfected, be pushed to your very limits of health and sanity… I joked with a colleague that we developed some serious Stockholm syndrome. But the underlying exhaustion became very apparent when a good two-thirds of my birthday and Christmas gifts were skin and health care related.

What was it all for though? When and why did busyness become a status symbol? Or at least, why did it become a dumb excuse for making everything else I care about second priority? Where did the compassion and drive to make positive change go? What did I value, and what would (or could) I carry with me into the new year?

Wednesday, 30 January 2019

This morning I ran into a colleague who I hadn’t seen since August. He asked me how my holiday was. I quickly assumed that he meant the most recent Christmas break, but he was actually referring to my trip to New York.

The memories started rolling in and before I knew it, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I reminisced over bad hot dog jokes, warehouse ping pong and underground subway hilarity, amongst many other things. I stood out like a sore thumb (slash idiot smiling to myself) against the wave of expressionless city workers, who I probably look like on most days.

A mixed feeling of nostalgia and regret overcame me. New York felt so long ago that I had altogether forgotten and lost the momentum and excitement I came home with only four short months ago.

Comparable feelings of joy include kayaking through the Sydney harbour at sunrise, seeing one of my closest and most loving cousins get married, dancing and singing my heart out to The Wombats… all of that. These are the things that carry over, because these are the things that trump ‘busy’ and bring me so much damn happiness.

Thursday, 14 February 2019

So I didn’t finish this post before end of January. Well done Marina. But I’m now on a nine hour flight en route to Hong Kong and there’s nowhere to really go (except the ample walking space in business class upper deck – aw yeah, thanks for the upgrade, Qantas!). In all seriousness, let’s get this shit done.

I’m now 25, so this is the year to be twenty-alive (yeah I’m punny cool). As Mari Andrew put it so well, there are only two people you should really be impressing, and that is your five year-old self and your 85 year-old self. What are the things I can and want to do that will make every single day some kind of win of it’s own?

A promise to 25 year-old me: have more fun, spend more quality time with quality people (also spend more time outside), do things that challenge you, focus on impact, stop doing small bs things that really mean nothing… Just make 2019 bigger and better, because complacent busyness has overruled for too long (yes, those two words do belong together because they describe my current weird complex) and you have too much good energy to let it go to waste. We all have 1,440 minutes in day to do something meaningful, whether it’s for ourselves or for someone else.

I’m picturing myself standing on the beach shore, my feet only slightly submerged in water. That is where I am right now. In 2019, you will be out there because you are ready for more, you just need to be brave again. Strive for bigger and better, and let those waves of exciting change absolutely consume you.

If it is right, it happens — The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

John Steinbeck — Letter to Thom, November 10, 1958

“First — if you are in love — that’s a good thing — that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second — There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you — of kindness and consideration and respect — not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply — of course it isn’t puppy love.

But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it — and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone — there is no possible harm in saying so — only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another — but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens — The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.”

2017’s Year in Review

Every so often there are those books, movies, songs, poems, etc. that really make it for us. My most recent one was “Wonder”, a popular children’s novel written by R. J. Palacio. It was a really moving story, so I wouldn’t limit the audience to young readers only.

If you haven’t come across the book, you would’ve probably seen the story in movie form that came out this year. Without giving too much away, the precept of the story is to choose kindness every time. At the end of the novel, the school principal, Mr. Tushman, addresses the cohort with one of those feel-good motivational speeches that brings the story to a heartwarming close:

“If every person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary – the world really would be a better place. And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognise in you, in every single one of you, the face of God.”

It doesn’t take much for an emotional wreck like me get all watery-eyed from stuff like this, but it doesn’t make the moral of the story ring any less true.

2017 has been a relatively smooth year. New and thriving friendships, I’m learning and growing at work, mix in the occasional lows and frustrations… It’s been good! But if I were to measure the year based on “kind”, how well did it go?

“When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.” – Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

How many times did I choose kind? How many times did I go out of my way to lift someone else up, to be a friend, or to share their burden so they wouldn’t have to do it alone? There were more than a few regretful times when I deliberately didn’t choose the latter, and I can still remember them. I think it becomes increasingly difficult as we grow older, especially in a world that takes advantage of it. But I think that makes it all the more important and worthwhile to be intentional about choosing kind, whether it is deserved or undeserved.

New Year’s resolution: Be “kinder than is necessary. Because it’s not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed.”

And to use my KeepCup every time I get a takeaway coffee 🙂

Have a fantastic New Year fam – thank you for your friendship and demonstrating kind when I least deserve it.

2016 Year in Review: When the going gets tough

[Drafted on 30 December 2016]

It’s a wintery three degrees here in Kyoto. I’m sitting rugged up and cozy at a restaurant called Sukiya just next door to my hostel on Shijō street. It’s still bustling with crowds of people, despite the chill and the clock approaching the later hours of the evening. And it was only an hour ago when I realised that tomorrow is the last day of 2016…

Funnily (and ironically) enough, I haven’t posted anything on this blog since my last year in review: Farewell, 2015. Thank you for being so good to me! If read concurrently, you might question the contrast/ what went seriously wrong (don’t worry mum and dad, it’s chill). A pessimistic view would be that no one can have a 10/10 year-on-year. A more guided understanding would be that 2016 was just a challenging year, that it’s probably just a matter of perception, or simply c’est la vie?

Just like last year, I’ll struggle to justify or come to terms with the grand mix of crazy, painful and wonderful moments of the last twelve months. But unlike last year, tonight I’ll rest on more pensive reflections. 

Here in Japan, it is tradition to visit a temple or shrine to ‘ring’ out the old year. Around midnight, the deep sound of temple bells fills the air as it gongs 107 times on the 31st and once past 12am, with each ring symbolising the 108 worldly desires and the hope to rid ourselves of the troublesome mess of the past year. There’s also these things called bonekai (“year forgetting”) parties held with the purpose of leaving the old year’s troubles and worries behind. Someone get me to one of these! Just kidding… 

Rather than concentrating on how to rid myself of the heavy-hearted memories, the choice to be still and reconcile with all that has happened is one I hope to embrace instead. 

I set out for 2016 to be a year of discoveries and certainties around who I am, what I value/ want, where I want to be, etc. Now it’s New Year’s Eve, and the only thing I’ve come close to discovering is that I am still so far from knowing. And I’m starting to become okay with that. In times of complexity and uncertainty, I will learn to bloom. When it gets tough, I will learn to be still. 

There’s no way to summarise what a chaotic year it has been across all facets of my (really not that dramatic) life, but I think this piece by Kenison puts my thoughts together nicely. I have a long way to go, but my hope for 2017 will be this. As featured on On Being:

When the Going Gets Tough…
By Katrina Kenison (@katrinakenison)

When the going gets tough may I resist my first impulse to wade in, fix, explain, resolve, and restore. May I sit down instead.

When the going gets tough may I be quiet. May I steep for a while in stillness.

When the going gets tough may I have faith that things are unfolding as they are meant to. May I remember that my life is what it is, not what I ask for. May I find the strength to bear it, the grace to accept it, the faith to embrace it.

When the going gets tough may I practice with what I’m given, rather than wish for something else. When the going gets tough may I assume nothing. May I not take it personally. May I opt for trust over doubt, compassion over suspicion, vulnerability over vengeance.

When the going gets tough may I open my heart before I open my mouth.

When the going gets tough may I be the first to apologize. May I leave it at that. May I bend with all my being toward forgiveness.

When the going gets tough may I look for a door to step through rather than a wall to hide behind.

When the going gets tough may I turn my gaze up to the sky above my head, rather than down to the mess at my feet. May I count my blessings.

When the going gets tough may I pause, reach out a hand, and make the way easier for someone else. When the going gets tough may I remember that I’m not alone. May I be kind.

When the going gets tough may I choose love over fear. Every time.

Wishing everyone the best for 2017, and thanks to those who made 2016 wonderful (and dealt with my crap haha), even if it was just for a little while.

Marina out x

Farewell, 2015. Thank you for being so good to me!

With only a few short hours before the clock strikes 12 and the counter flicks to 2016, I am left here feeling completely lost for words and incapable to fully justify what an exhilarating year this has been. I guess this is what happens when you try to recount and document an entire epic-filled year all in one blog post and beat the clock at the same time.

As many of you know, I spent the first half of 2015 away from Melbourne and on a study exchange program in Hong Kong. With this being my first time actually living away from home, it is without a doubt that I grew – maturely, independently, open-mindedly, and a bit sideways too (all the good food, y’know?). I was extremely, extremely blessed, and very much privileged, to have had the many opportunities to travel across different countries in Asia and afterwards in Europe. In between all the exciting stuff, to many people’s surprise I actually did study on my study abroad trip, where I became a part of the international students minority and learned amongst local students and some pretty inspiring professors. Just being able to live in Hong Kong, the city of my ancestors and core of my cultural roots, was just a whole new level of cool and emotional. But the best part of it all? All the people I met along the way.

When you meet people from around the world, and you interact and spend time with them, and then you learn about their lives, their experiences, their stories… It puts into perspective just how insignificantly small you and the next person stand in this humongous 7.3 billion person world. However, more impressively, you will realise how significantly unique and incredible each life is, that it’s really this web of lives crossing, connecting, influencing and entangled with each other.

It all sounds a bit airy fairy, I know, and I’m going to struggle a lot trying to explain it. Just imagine two people who live oceans apart from each other, and they meet in a city that neither of them come from, but become acquainted through the mere coincidence of just being there at that same point in time. The conversations, friendships, networks, new perspectives, and everything else that follows would have an incredibly rare chance of occurring otherwise. And so now their lives have been changed, for better or worse (but almost always better), because they made the same decision to brave the unknown and settle themselves in a city miles away from home.

One of my favourite memories of the year is set at the top of Elephant Mountain in Taipei, Taiwan, where I was with a group of friends from exchange. For a solid hour, we just talked about our current and future homes, and owning badass kitchens. Or the night before at a night market, when one of our friends won a small plush banana keyring in a claw machine and we felt nothing but like true winners at life. There was that time a friend and I pretty much discovered the meaning to love and life over frozen yoghurt, and then another sleep-deprived evening spent dancing and singing crazily along to Hannah Montana tunes in the middle of the campus streets like nobody (but actually everybody) was watching us. Then that once in a lifetime experience of enduring the most uncomfortable 10-hour local train ride through China shared with friends and locals cramped up shoulder to shoulder (woke up with a stranger’s head resting on my foot – never again). And not to forget the other more peaceful times spent sitting at the top of college buildings at the golden hour, watching the sun set on Hong Kong and talking about how crazy that our very different lives would not have ever collided had it not been for this amazing city. There were several simple and small but wildly significant moments like these when I felt so overwhelmed with joy just knowing how my life has been made better with each encounter with amazing people.

One of the other key takeaways from my semester abroad revolves around my newfound appreciation for education (not just in schools, but acquiring knowledge in general). As I’ve had the opportunity to share my thoughts with a few people already, I’d like to write it down here so to make my thoughts a little more concrete (and also so I don’t forget ha). Here in Australia, our education system is quite a linear process – it’s primary school, then high school, and for many university is a given, if you wanted to. It’s just learn, churn and burn. However, upon learning about my international friends’ extremely competitive higher education systems back in their respective countries, it made me realise how privileged we are to have good and supportive education here at home. For many of them, getting into university is not a sure thing, even if they tried. To get into a high-ranked university is a whole other game. To see how involved they were in their college lives and just loved learning from people as well, I was struck with a sense of shame and regret. I speak for myself only here, but sadly I took my Bachelor’s Degree for granted because university was just another thing to tick off my life’s list of “to do’s”. I was told, “P’s get degrees”, but they didn’t tell me that it gives you nothing else.

There was no appreciation for wider knowledge, and no outlook towards the opportunities that higher education delivers. I’m sounding like a real grandma here, but seriously – kids, we live in a world where knowledge is power; to learn and to better yourself is a gift of life. This is something that I wish I realised earlier. Nevertheless, I was graced with one last chance to get it right in the books. I took my final semester of university by the hand, with determination, eagerness and an honest desire to learn and know more, and yeah, I freaking smasH1-ed it! (Most of the time I try to practice being a humble soul but I’m not going to be modest here sorry haha). Degree conquered *flicks hair and brushes shoulders* and hello MBA! Just kidding, intense GMAT preparation first.

2015 will be bookmarked in the Chronicles of Marina as one of the best years of my life. Whilst I’m always glad to welcome in the new year and aim to top the previous one, this New Year’s Even will end with a bittersweet countdown. I’m sad to farewell the most incredible year that has been, and I’m also secretly worried about how 2016 could possibly be better than this year?!

Upon returning to Hong Kong as my layover stop in between Europe en route to Melbourne, I took the Airport Express train through Hong Kong for the final time in this saga. On July 15, for the last time at the golden hour, I travelled across the city and watched the sunlight kiss its skyscrapers, harbour, roads and people. The other passengers on the train essentially witnessed a girl sobbing alone as she pressed her hands and face against the window, replaying the fondest memories in her mind, and staring wide-eyed and a lovingly at the city of her heart. It was an indescribable moment of feeling truly golden and thankful for all that had been over the past six and a half months.

A truly big heartful thank you to all those who were a part of my 2015.

P.S. FYI to those who wonder and ask where the money for exchange and travel came from: I worked full time for a whole semester before exchange and saved up, my parents helped out a bit, and I was lucky to receive one of many university/government grants readily available to students. To those in university who still have the chance to take a semester abroad, just go for it, it will be the best thing you will do in your degree!

 

Local loving, entry #1

On chasing authentic local experiences because I’m actually the biggest tourist of all time.

For so long since I’ve moved to Hong Kong (of which I can hardly believe it’s already my 7th week now!), I only just managed to spend a local day out with one of my newly-made Hong Kong friends, Yika, at the markets in Prince Edward and Mong Kok. But since that outing a few weeks ago, I’ve kind of been struggling with this internal battle in trying to identify the “middle ground”.

That is, I find myself forever lost in the awkward situation where chasing after authentic experiences to fit in like a local is in effect the most touristy thing I could possibly be doing. I suppose it’s a very fine line that differentiates the two, but who can really tell? Or maybe I’m just making this up in my head and this line doesn’t actually exist at all, since it appears that even the local Hong Kongers are still discovering new things to do in this city that never sleeps.

But anyway, it’s a traveller’s trap for sure. At least for me, this includes things like eating street food or at 大排档 (‘Dai pai dong’ – open-air food stalls/cooked food centres), intentionally shopping at markets and not malls, and venturing on local hikes across the island, eager to capture the local scene. And of course knowing me (and having great eating companions like Amy and Judy), I spend way too much time on Google/OpenRice on the food hunt for “the most authentic dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong”. But will I stop? Most definitely not. After all, I am a checklist kind of girl, and there’s just so much to see and do during my short five months here.

One of the things I fear most is wasting time, but thankfully Hong Kong is a city that stays awake with me, ready to entertain at my request. Now for some photos of recent “local” outings and gems:

Dining at 通达食店 (Tong Tat Food Shop) on Fa Yuen Street (花园街) with Yika and Amy. It’s a famous Hong Kong style snack shop and deli.

From the outset, Kee Tsui Cake Shop appears to be just a small set up along the bustling Fa Yuen Street, but the huge crowds lining up outside is enough to tell you just how delicious their treats are (and you know it’s legit when the locals love it).

Round two at Tung Tat with Phil, because sharing good food finds is caring.

Sensory overload along Fa Yuen Street.

The famous dessert toast stack at TeaWood, a Taiwanese cafe. It was definitely worth the wait. Their savoury menu is amazing too!

Dim Sum party at Tim Ho Wan, the cheapest Michelin-starred Dim Sum joint in Hong Kong. The line is always worth the wait. Always.

And I can definitely confirm that they make the best baked BBQ pork buns (char siu bao). This bao is the king of baos.

A day trip to Macau

Having scheduled classes from only Monday to Wednesday can only mean (or at least imply) one thing: I have a four day weekend full of travelling opportunities and explorations. Last Friday a group of us made a day trip to Macau, a nearby region to the west of Hong Kong that can be easily reached by a one hour ferry ride from Central pier.

There is a lot to adore about this city. Macau holds so much cultural and historical beauty with the way it has been intermixed with Chinese culture and Portuguese traditions, because whilst its place and people are of Chinese heritage, the city has undergone centuries of influence under the rule of the Portuguese empire. Its architecture and buildings alone can boast its unique Chinese cross Mediterranean beauty. Meanwhile, Macau is the only place in China where gambling is legalised, so you can probably guess where a fresh 21-year old went to test her luck (I effortlessly lost $20HKD in 30 seconds).

With only seven hours to roam freely around town, we spent the day exploring through the Ruins of St. Paul’s, Fortaleza do Monte (Mount Fortress) and Senado Square (the town plaza) (obvious touristy must-sees if you’re heading to Macau), and making our way through the bustling alleyways filled with delicious food stores cramped side by side. At dusk we headed down south to Taipa island. I’d be lying if I said it was primarily to visit the renowned Venetian Hotel… Because knowing Amy and I, we definitely made the trek down for food over anything else (we just had to get our hands on the supposedly best fried pork buns in Macau found at Tai Lei Loi Kei).

But without disregarding the grandness that is the Venetian Hotel (that apparently puts even Las Vegas’ largest casino to shame), it definitely is worth dropping by. The shopping complex in the resort itself is truly outstanding. I mean, why not have gondolas rowing down a river and paint the sky on the roof and have the interior look like the exterior so altogether you feel like you’re outside but really inside a casino? Mind boggling, but super impressive ha.

It was a short but sweet trip.

Ruins of St. Paul.

Fried pork bun, round 1.

Fried pork round 2, but this time in a pineapple bun! Only the best at Tai Lei Loi Kei. It was deliciously amazing.

Just being me inside the Venetian.

And just because I love dogs, here’s a cute little pooch that I found at the park. His owner (a little old grandpa) was equally as adorable.

Singapore, January 2015

Two weeks ago Amy and I spent a weekend away in Singapore. It was during one of our earlier conversations (when we first became friends) that we decided to book a spontaneous trip to this nearby concrete jungle. We absolutely made the most out of our three days there – visiting all the touristy hotspots and going on ambitious food hunts. I also had the opportunity to spend time with my sweetheart, Naomi, who so willingly showed us around her hometown. It was definitely a trip well worth it, and I’m so glad I got to spend it with these girls.

“The meal is not over when I’m full. The meal is over when I hate myself.” – our motto for the weekend, inspired by Louis C.K. I was definitely hating myself as I laid in bed at the end of each day, but ultimately I had zero regrets.
Our food adventure included trips to Satay by the Bay, Waffle Slayer, Newton Food Centre, and Windowsill Pies. Oh, and let’s not forget about those delicious $1.20 ice-cream sandwiches sold by the sidewalk – the perfect treat to tackle the humid Singaporean weather. A few snaps of my adventures below:

My beautiful friend Naomi, and our local tour guide for the weekend!

Marina Bay Sands at night.

Delicious hawker food at Satay by the Bay.

The famous Singapore Merlion.

The trek to the Waffle Slayer was definitely well worth it.

Graffiti on Arab Street.

Dessert pies for lunch at Windowsill Pies, featuring flavours: Banana Cognac, S’mores and Coconut Lime Vodka.

Communicating friendships

On communication issues and the opportunities they provide in developing genuine friendships. 

“Basic communication is the best. I think it’s great struggling to communicate and using basic sentences whilst establishing relationships. It’s interesting because you’re forced to communicate with each other beyond words and trying to understand people in different ways. Plus, willingness to make a positive impact on people when it’s harder to communicate verbally shows stronger willingness to be friends. So who knows, it might be better in the long run.”

I had this conversation with Ben during my first week here on exchange when I noticed that I stood as a minority (as an Australian) within the grand mixture of nationalities, primarily dominated by Americans, Canadians and European study abroad students. I was jokingly making a fuss about losing my Australian accent and developing an American twang by the end of the semester, whilst also seeing my vocabulary deteriorate as I try to dodge the language barriers between me and those whose first language is not English by using broken but basic sentence structures and elaborate hand gestures to express myself.

I’m into my fourth week here now and sometimes it’s still fairly frustrating for both parties when we try to convey exactly what we are thinking. But let’s be real – I have it easier than most people since English is the common spoken language (amongst exchange students at least). Therefore, I honestly have no right to be complaining since I nearly never have to translate anything from my mother tongue to another language. I really do sincerely thank every non-native English speaking person who so patiently and willingly tries to communicate their thoughts and feelings to me. You are all so awesome for even trying and I appreciate it so much.

The funny and wild hand gestures, the incorrect direct translations from French to English, the awkward jokes that definitely were funnier before the punch lines were lost in translation, all the embarrassing misinterpretations and everything in between – I’ve really come to love all these cross-cultural interactions. It’s entirely true, as Ben so eloquently put it, that ‘willingness to make a positive impact on people when it’s harder to communicate verbally shows stronger willingness to be friends’. It shows a mutual deeper interest in the other person and his or her background, and the additional patience and effort required during interactions make friendship-building that much more genuine.

I can only guess that almost every exchange student or person who spends time abroad will come to appreciate all these communication troubles unique to overseas travel. It surely is a different experience altogether that I never thought I’d have to tolerate so much, nor would I have guessed that I would enjoy it so much either. In fact, I think I’m getting better at it. I’m becoming less fearful of miscommunication, because there’s nothing that a shy smile or confused laugh can’t excuse.

I spent this afternoon on the outlook area on top of New Asia College with a friend whose native language is French (but speaks more than adequate English). Though I fumbled around with my words to work out easier vocabulary, and translation effort was required on his part, we chatted endlessly until twilight. It was so lovely, and I wouldn’t ever trade a special, one in a million bonding moment like this for anything. I hope everyone will get the chance to experience this at least once in their lifetime, because it truly is something wonderful.

Reflection over, Marina out.
x

Introduction: Just another travel blog

On introducing myself and my travel endeavours. 
Current location: Hong Kong.

My name is Marina and I am 21 years old. I was born in Melbourne, Australia, but am of Chinese descent, and my Chinese name is 凯宜. My parents are first-generation migrants from Hong Kong, who made the brave decision to move to the ‘land down under’ around 30 years ago. But due to their busy careers and commitments at home, I have not had much opportunity to visit their hometown and explore my ancestral heritage growing up.

So that is why I decided to embark on this semester-long study exchange to the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where both my parents are graduate alumni. During my time here, I hope to relive some of their past college experiences and walk in the same path of my parents. Concurrently, I hope to create my own unique memories memories at CUHK, and journey with other likeminded students from all over the world. I also hope to rekindle what so much of me has always known but never really lived – a true Chinese life like as if my parents had decided to stay and continue life in Hong Kong three decades ago.

But more than anything, I hope to truly experience the ins and outs of this beautiful city, country and continent. From local hikes and secret food finds, to exploring the wonders of neighbouring and global cities, this is my biggest adventure yet, and I am so excited for what these next five months have in store for me. I am blessed to have parents who financially (I’m taking a loan from them) and emotionally support my crazy endeavours, but I only hope that every dollar pays off in helping me develop into the global citizen I want to become.

So for every up and every down, I am determined to embrace it all with open arms, because “travelling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer”. Join me on my journey as I travel the life out of this world before I start full-time work next year, and see me grow as a person as I come to fathom how great this world really is.

With love,
Marina.