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Western Cultures 08/09 Kan Heung

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60th Anniversary of New Asia College

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In a warm Sunday morning, a group of seven CUHK students affiliated to New Asia College, including one

third-year local undergraduate, three exchange students from three different countries, namely Korea, Germany and America, plus three other non-local gathered at the bus-stop of New Asia College and headed for New Asia Middle School -- a secondary school in Kowloon City which has been closely related to the college for a long period of time -- to participate in its carnival-like

From Kowloon City to the

World, Western Cultures 08/09 - Kan Heung

function, called “From Kowloon City to the World”.“From Kowloon City to the World, Western

Cultures 08/09” was a large-scale event collaborated with the University of Hong Kong, aiming at providing students with opportunities to learn about different cultures through playing games mostly designed by students from The University of Hong Kong in booths decorated in multi-cultural themes, for example a booth displayed a map of Germany and some German beer bottles, and offered some mini-games to both students and visitors.

Having attended the opening ceremony, the whole group of CUHK students, representing the New Asia College, went on a visiting tour around the campus led by the middle school's student leaders. We observed that apart from students and teachers, parents also contributed a lot by preparing healthy, organic food and multi-national snacks.

It was an incredible experience for cultural exchange because New Asia Middle School which uses Chinese as medium of instruction, encourages students to speak to foreigners in English. Moreover, CUHK exchange students rarely take closer looks at an authentic, local seondary school as well the education system in Hong Kong.

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Yale University Participants

Name Major/Year

Mr. Benjamin AlterHistory, Modern Middle

Eastern Studies

Mr. Karan ArakotaramEthics, Politics and

Economics

Ms Lauren Campbell Undeclared

Ms Megan Evans Political Science

Ms Amila Golic English

Mr. Jeremy HarpAfrican American Studies,

Political Science

Mr. Peter Lu Economics, Psychology

Mr. David Pareja Philosophy / Sophomore

Y l U i it P ti i t

Welcomed Yale Students Visited the College

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New Asia College has been organizing an annual short-term student exchange program with Yale

University since 1993. The theme of this year's exchange is “Education”. Dr. Peter J.L. Man, College Secretary, led eight New Asia student representatives to visit Yale University from 24 January to 7 February 2009. The Yale group paid a reciprocal visit to our College from 8 to 21 March 2009.

The Yalies have now returned to their studies, and our students are getting back to their normal schedules. All have exclaimed their wonderful experience in the exchange program, which symbolizes the long lasting relationship between Yale and our College. The following articles were written by the Yalies to express their feelings during their visit in Hong Kong.

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On that cold January day when eight students from halfway across the world arrived at Yale, it still

felt like we were in different time zones. Granted, the students from CUHK had just come off of a 16-hour plane flight and were shell-shocked by the biting winds. And for us Americans, though we had spent many hours each week preparing for that moment, it took us a while to process that we were about to spend two weeks with eight living, breathing, Hong Kongers. That night, we awkwardly faced each other and played a cruel game: we would draw our idea of a stereotypical Chinese person, and the CUHK students would draw their stereotypical American. Certainly, we were still worlds apart.

..........

Fast-forward two months. It's the last night of our group's stay in Hong Kong, and all seventeen of us are sprawled across one another on couches in the Friendship Lodge at New Asia College. Every person has a chance to speak, and our toasts to the wonderful times we've spent together are full of absurd personal jokes, teary-eyed thoughts, and pledges to lasting companionship. Dedicated to showing us a final great night, all of the New Asia students went without sleep to walk around the campus with us, escorting us to our final views of the majestic views and sweet mountain air. (Although 3 hours of sleep is apparently a restful night for Amy.) As we walked around into the wee hours of the night, our conversations flowed so naturally. Instead of asking each other boring questions such as "SO...do most people take public transportation to school in Hong Kong?," we shared opinions on life and death, love and

happiness�the real stuff. I never could have imagined on that first day in the States that I would leave this program with so many new friends to whom who I feel so connected.

For the Yale students, there was an element of cultural exchange which happened even among ourselves. Quite honestly, it is rare that such a diverse group of people would come together naturally on an American college campus. Our group brought together people from a wide range of cultural, racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, and we were able to learn just as much from each other as we did from the Hong Kong students. Perhaps traveling to a foreign country together affirmed our common bonds as Yalies and as Americans. While we have yet to have our first reYUNA reunion, I know that the 7 other Yalies I met through this program will be friends as long as I know them.

Even more than teaching us about education across cultures, or about politics and democratization in China, or about the economic crisis, or about chopstick skills, the exchange program was a testament to the sheer power of cultural exchange. For in a matter of several weeks, two groups of students separated by oceans, continents, and hours were able to find common ground on the basic issues of human life. Surely, we had our differences. But these differences became fascinating topics of conversation, valuable pieces of advice, and humorous facts to tease each other about. These were weeks which I will never forget.

..........One final disclaimer: While reviewing my photos

from Hong Kong, I am constantly struck by an image of my dear pen-pal Horace, loudly beat-boxing over rap music into a karaoke microphone, his shirt (which I purchased) emblazoned with "Sarcasm: It Beats Killing People." When I see this photograph, all I can think is, "I hope his parents will forgive me."

Cultural Exchange at its Finest

- Ben Alter

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YUNA - 2009: Inherently Educational, Thoroughly Enlightening, and More

than Tourism- Amila Golic

The atmosphere was perfect. The six of us, three Yalies and three New Asia students, stood on the

roof of the peach-colored brick house and watched the afternoon recede into early evening, the sunset visible in the distance across the rooftops spreading out in front of us. We laughed in contentment, enjoying the last warm light of the day on our faces, and teased each other with the sense of familiarity and comfort that characterizes any group of good friends. We spent the rest of the evening sitting around the table of the cozy dining room downstairs, enjoying a delicious home-cooked Chinese dinner and engaging each other in thoughtful and lively conversation. It was the night of our home stay, and Amy's family had warmly and graciously welcomed us into their home. It was on this night that I realized what an incredible experience I was participating in as a member of the 2009 Yale University-New Asia College Exchange Program. Talking to Amy's father about his work as an engineer, chatting with her younger sister about her experience in school, questioning her mom about her incredible cooking, I felt like we were truly engaging in the kind of cultural exchange that this 16-year old program aspires to every year.

This is exactly why I count this exchange program as one of the most enriching experiences of my college career so far. Walking off the plane from New York, Hong Kong did not feel that much different than a lot of other metropolises in the United States. The prevalence of English on street signs below the Chinese names, high rises stretching into the sky, huge numbers of people crowding mega malls on weekends, and Starbucks cafes on many corners were familiar and customary sights. Sure, the people were different, the food was almost completely new to me, the streets were much cleaner than those of my hometown of Chicago, and the trains of the metro were actually on time, but for the most part, exploring around Hong Kong was not an extremely alienating experience to a visitor from the United States like myself. In the first few days of our trip, the neon signs of Mongkok and Kowloon and Central blurred in my mind and I struggled to get a feeling for the culture and traditions underlying the city's fast-paced lifestyle.

But all of that changed. As part of the exchange's focus on the theme of “Education,” a large part of our itinerary was comprised of school visits, and they were instrumental in helping me gain an understanding of what daily life is really like for students in Hong Kong. We first visited the Hong Kong International School and were impressed by its beautiful and large campus, cutting-edge facilities and technology resources, and its lively community of diverse students and teachers. Even though the high school students were on break, we saw how much the school hummed with energy as the primary school students competed in an innovative math contest. After HKIS, we stopped by King's College and had a chance to sit down with students in small groups. We found out that most of the boys were studying some combination of finance, business, accounting, and science, and we were then questioned about our own liberal arts curriculum in turn. They asked us a lot more—about our opinions of President Obama's stimulus package, what we thought of the economic crisis, whether we liked the food in Hong Kong, and so on. It was fascinating to realize how much my experience as an American student were different from the experience of these boys, but how much we still had to talk about. I found the same to be true when we went to the all-girls Heep Yunn School, as well as Delia Memorial School (Broadway). Visiting the Delia Memorial School (Broadway) was perhaps one of the most intriguing events of our stay in Hong Kong. While its focus on creativity and the arts was an interesting example of the diversity of Hong Kong's educational system, its predominantly South Asian population alerted us to the complicated issues and challenges Hong Kong faces when it comes to its minority groups. It was astounding to hear, for example, that many students there did not speak Cantonese and instead spoke English very well and relied on that to help them get around. All in all, these visits to different schools around Hong Kong are one of the aspects of the YUNA exchange that I value the most. They were extremely enriching and illuminating, and complemented the academic exchange between us Yalies and the New Asia students well.

I know that without the help of our counterparts at New Asia, without the incredible guidance of our amazing advisor and Hong Kong native Kristen Chin, Dr. Man, and Nixon Fok, the other Yalies and I would not have gained as true a sense of this incredible place's vibrant identity. In our two short weeks in Hong Kong, we did not just learn about education, but were exposed to much more. Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity, and here's to being a “lo beng” [Old Biscuit]!

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Five Things Wikipedia Wouldn't Tell You About

Hong Kong- David Pareja

Preparing for a trip is like watching Sarah Palin clips on the Internet: no matter what you already know,

you should always expect to be surprised. You can pack lots of shorts and T-shirts, only to be reminded that weather forecasts are not infallible and to find yourself wearing the only pair of jeans and the only fleece that you brought with you for two weeks. You can try to learn some useful phrases in the language of the country you are visiting, only to discover that nobody understands any of the mispronounced words that you are trying to say (I didn't even try to learn some phrases in Cantonese – I automatically admit defeat at the prospect of 9 tones). And, finally, you can try to find out as much as you can about your destination in Wikipedia, only to realize that knowing that the Hong Kong MTR has 150 stations doesn't really help you get around the city more easily. So, whether you are someone visiting Hong Kong for the first time or a caring Hong Konger who doesn't know what tips to give his friend about the city, here is a list of 5 useful things to know about Hong Kong that Wikipedia won't say.

1. If you're invited to a Hong Kong-style barbecue, grab a meal before going. Remember roas t ing marshmallows on sticks around a fire during summer camp? Try doing the same thing except with chicken legs, sausages or pork chops instead of marshmallows. Trust me, it is not as easy. After a half-hour of failed attempts, you'll accept the fact that the only thing you'll eat that night will be a small portion of the salad your friend brought. A highly recommended dinner activity if you're on a diet.

2. Getting something 50% off at a store means that you probably got ripped off. Stores in Hong Kong are always on sale. Sale items in chain stores usually have fair prices, but sale items in non-chain stores are usually overpriced. You should always bargain when in the latter, even you are already supposedly getting 50% off. Use any tricks you can: start leaving the store if they don't lower the price or pretend that you don't have more than a specific amount of money. If you manage to get 80% off an item, you've probably reached the fair price.

3. If you take a cab, make sure you know the name of your destination in Cantonese. Cab drivers don't speak much English, or maybe just pretend not to speak much

English. The fact is that using the English names for places can sometimes lead to confusion. The two times I had to take a cab from Central to CUHK, the cab driver first took me to Hong Kong University before taking me to CUHK. A HK$140 cab ride turned both times into a HK$200 one. I'm still deciding whether the confusion both times was a coincidence.

4. Don't walk with a suitcase around Tsim Sha Tsui, unless you want to be harassed by dozens of South Asians asking you whether you need a guest house. Having to repeat “No, I'm not looking for a guest house” every 5 seconds gets old very quickly. Trying to have fun by grinning and replying “What exactly do you mean by guest house?” is not recommended.

5. There are almost no public telephones in Hong Kong. I know many people will assume this to be the case because of the popularity of cell phones in the world. However, when you start getting ready to go to Lan Kwai Fong with your friend way too late, and your friend has to go meet some other people there, and you ask him to give you his number and tell him that you'll give him a call once you get to Central because you thought you saw a public telephone in the area, remembering that chances are you were hallucinating when you saw that public telephone might come in useful. Public telephones are very scarce in Hong Kong, as you might discover firsthand if you forget what I just said and spend one hour walking around Central unsuccessfully looking for one.

I hope these random facts and tips help you have as much of a great time as I had in Hong Kong. However, I still have one more thing to say about Hong Kong that Wikipedia won't tell you: Hong Kongers are incredible people – if you have one as a friend, consider yourself very lucky.

Acknowledgment : Thanks to my awesome suitemate James Murphy for helping me choose my topic.

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I am the type of person who does not like to sit still for too long. So my least favorite parts of my Hong Kong

experience had to be the very beginning and very end: the two 14-hour flights it took to fly around the world. Given I have trouble with the 2 hour flight it takes me to get from school to my home city and with the 5 hour car ride my family takes to North Carolina to visit family for Christmas, when I was told that the plane ride would be 14 hours I was not happy. The flights are behind me now and do not even factor them into my thoughts about my trip to Honk Kong and to New Asia College. I had such a wonderful time and have so many pleasant memories that the flights seem insignificant.

From the t ime we got to New Asia College for the first time until the day that we left I was constantly impressed by the beauty of the campus and of Hong Kong as a whole. Never had I seen such a wonderful mixture of natural beauty and technological advancement. On the bus to New Asia we drove over a bridge that allowed us to see the Hong Kong skyline. We were able to see the buildings, and even the bridge itself, change colors against the darkness of the sky. Having grown used to the skyline of typical American cities that are totally absent of color, the buildings of Hong Kong made an already beautiful city come alive.

Besides the aesthetics of the island and of the city, I enjoyed the events that we did and the theme that the events were based around. Education is a topic that I feel is extremely important here in America and across the world. In Hong Kong I truly enjoyed learning about the educational system and meeting different students from the schools in the area. It was also a nice way for us to

get to know our New Asia counterparts a little better. Having seen the school that they came to before they attended New Asia College gave us a little background on their educational experience and how they got to where they are now. I remember a number of the Yale students commenting on how Ronald and Amy fit the school that they came from. We could very much see the school in the people.

The event that I thought was the best and the one that I got the most out of was the home stay. I had the pleasure of going to the lovely home of my pen-pal Joyce and to meet her family. I had such an amazing time. Joyce's family was really nice and it was nice to see the personal side of the YUNA program. Plus the food was amazing; by far the best meal I had in months. On the trip we forgot that everyone does not eat out like we ate out. People made their food in their homes and, just like here in the United States, a meal cooked at home is much better than anything one can buy from the store. Joyce is also the greatest pen-pal ever. Her outgoing nature made events more fun just by her being there. She is also very silly. We made up our own secret hand shake…(explosion).

I will miss all of the YUNA participants. Everyone held a special place with me and I miss you all dearly. Whether ducking Amy's pictures, defending myself from the attacks of Jackie and Joe, learning Cantonese with Horace and Kammie, tapping Joyce on the shoulder then moving away, being in awe of Natalie, talking with Sharon and wondering how I can be more like Ronald, I had an amazing time with each and every member of the YUNA program. I had such a good time in Hong Kong. After graduation I will absolutely be looking to come back to Hong Kong. Maybe I will be back as a tourist or maybe as an English teacher. However I get there, I have already made up my mind that I will be back. Thank you to all that made my experience one to remember for a lifetime.

Final Thoughts on YUNA 09

- Jeremy Harp

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A Patriot, Redefined- Karan Arakotaram

In the beginning of his lecture on national identity, Professor Gordon Mathews looked at each one of us

and asked us, “Do you love your country?”My answer, 21 years in the making, was an

unequivocal yes.However, like any immigrant, I've spent my entire

life struggling to reconcile my identity as an American citizen with my own ethnic and cultural background. Throughout my childhood, there were perpetual reminders of how different I was from the “normal” American kids - from little things like always having Indian food for dinner to bigger things like never putting up a Christmas tree. My yearly visits to India didn't help, either – I was constantly teased about my American accent, my funny clothes, my strange taste in music.

As a result, I always felt like an outsider –an Indian in America, and an American in India.

However, as I've grown older, I've realized that the beauty of America is her ability to incorporate any ethnicity and culture into the national ethos. It doesn't matter where you're from – you can be American regardless of your race, religion, or language.

And that's why I love my country. That's how I justify my patriotism. Even though I disagree with some of the actions taken by our government, I wholeheartedly support the ideals that America was founded upon.

However, after spending two weeks in Hong Kong as part of the YUNA program, my perspective on national identity has shifted. I found it fascinating that many of the Hong Kong students we met were largely indifferent to the idea of national identity. Some of them identified primarily as Chinese, some as Hong Kongers, but in either case, there was a noticeable lack of patriotism, especially compared to the levels seen in the U.S.

Surprisingly, the absence of strong national identity didn't seem to have any kind of substantial effect on Hong Kong. As our time in the city demonstrated, the Hong Kong worked just fine. The trains ran on time, the streets were clean, and crime was nearly nonexistent. By most metrics of urban living, Hong Kong is an incredible achievement.

This led me to wonder: does Hong Kong offer a potential alternative to nationalism? Is there truly a viable, modern way to prevent the atrocities committed in the name of national identity (see: World War I and II)?

This raises another question: If Hong Kong does hold the solution to a world without national identity, then how should we interpret the political context of the 1997 handover to China?

Through the symposium at Yale and our two-week stay in Hong Kong, we learned that China has been trying to instill a sense of national pride among Hong Kong residents through a variety of measures such as the singing of the national anthem, the teaching of Chinese history, and the instruction of Mandarin. These efforts have apparently been met with some backlash, with certain teachers and school officials complaining about the “brainwashing” of their students. However, as Professor Eric Ma's surveys indicated, these measures have achieved considerable success: more current Hong Kong residents take pride in their Chinese national identity now than in previous years.

But at what cost? Will Hong Kong eventually lose its own unique character as it becomes more and more integrated into the mainland? Will its residents become willing to risk their lives, to fight and die for China? Will Lan Kwai Fong become a relic of the colonial past?

Although I won't pretend to have left Asia with any profound conclusions or concrete answers, I do know that my two-week stay in Hong Kong changed the way that I think about national identity.

Do I still love my country? Yes.But should I love my country? I have no idea.

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The Importance of an Educational System

- Lauren Campbell

For most of us college students, school is the only way of life we have ever known. Small or large,

public or private, urban or rural—whatever the specifics, we have spent our entire lives nestled in the world of academia, believing ourselves to be separated from the daunting “real world” beyond us. Yet because we view ourselves as insulated, we are often unaware of the subtle ways in which the demands of the real world influence what we learn in the classroom. The future of a nation depends on its youth, and much can be learned about China's hopes and challenges by examining its school system. Thus, education proved to be an ideal theme for this years' YUNA exchange: by visiting various Hong Kong schools we gained insight into the life and spirit of Hong Kong, and also into what it really means to be a student.

Hong Kong International School (HKIS): A private school with an American curriculum, HKIS is geared towards the children of expatriate and students who are likely to study abroad in the future. Students are required to speak both Mandarin and English. Though our guide claimed that HKIS was academically behind the very top American prep schools, it was hard to imagine that this gap was very large. Not only were the facilities gorgeous (the building sported multiple gyms, tennis courts, and cafeterias, all with a spectacular view of the surrounding water), but students also ventured outside the school to learn. At the time of our visit, the entire high school was participating in international service trips, gaining the type of worldly experience that few of my friends received before college. Finally, though the curriculum was American, the rigorous emphasis on educational success was distinctly Chinese. Before we left, we witnessed a rousing round of “Dragon Math,” in which students ran around the gym speedily solving math problems. Despite the cheery tunes of Ricky Martin playing in the background, it was clear from both the furious scribbling and the beads of sweat that this competition, and the intellectual challenge that came with it, was being taken very seriously.

King's College and Heep Yunn School: We were fortunate enough to visit two high schools attended by our fellow YUNA participants: King's College, a distinguished boys' secondary school, and Heep Yunn,

a Christian high school for girls. We learned a lot about each one by speaking with current students. Unlike in America, there is a heavy emphasis on acquiring business skills at an early age, and even the middle school students were taking accounting and economics courses. But even though many of the students were also taking history or arts classes, the concept of a “liberal arts education,” was mysterious to them. I had to explain in great detail what exactly an “English literature major” does in college. In the end, I could see the pros and cons of both the Chinese and American curricula. I wish that I had been exposed to business earlier on, but I'm also happy that the pressure to prepare for a fruitful career did not begin before college, giving me a chance to really enjoy learning for its own sake.

Del ia Memoria l School : Af ter a t tending a presentation on minority education at the YUNA symposium, I was curious to see what the multi-cultural Delia Memorial School would be like. We watched their cheery promotional video about Delia's “harmony in diversity,” and as we walked through the hallways there was a palpable buzz of enthusiasm: teachers joked with their students, and every wall was covered with artistic posters, indicating pride and dedication to the school. When we spoke with the students, most were very happy to be there. At Delia, students can study amongst their non-Chinese peers within an environment that caters to their particular skills and needs. Yet I couldn't help but wonder if minority schools such as Delia might be hurting these students more than helping them. It may be more painful in the short run, but studying Mandarin intensely and entering Chinese society is essential for these students if they intend to keep living in China, which most were planning on doing.

These four schools each showed us something new about Hong Kong. We saw the different educational styles that are available to expatriate children, to Chinese students, and to ethnic minorities. We saw how business classes and a dedication to learning point towards a bright future for China, but we also witnessed the pressures and tensions that come with them. Personally, I am happy to return to my liberal arts curriculum. Yet I too was influenced by the environment I grew up in, and if I had studied in Hong Kong, my aspirations would certainly be different. Therein lies the universal power of education: what we learn in the classroom today will not be confined there. The social, cultural, and economic viewpoints of the next generation will be shaped by these experiences, and they will come to fruition as the “real world” of tomorrow.

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Toto, We Are Not in Kansas Anymore

- Meg Evans

questions in perfect English and came back with their own. As a political science student, I am delighted to say the most thoughtful and lively discussion I've ever had on the American stimulus package and economic crisis was with a Form 4 student at King's College in Hong Kong.

The last and most essential thing that Dorothy learns in Oz is the importance of heart. I can say with confidence that I have never been shown more generosity than I was in my two weeks in Hong Kong - from Dr. Man's patience, flexibility and foresight to Joyce's mom's incredible meal - I felt surrounded by compassion.

This love and friendship will remain my strongest takeaway from Hong Kong - the YUNA exchange broke down what at first glance seemed insurmountable cultural barriers. That last night, as we all gazed out on the haze of the city lights from the Friendship Lodge, linked arm and arm, I was struck by an overwhelming feeling - I felt at home with these 16 people who only a month earlier had been strangers. Thank you New Asia College, Dr. Man, Nixon, Amy, Joyce, Kammie, Sharon, Natalie, Horace, Joe, Ronald and Jackie for the incredible experience. “It feels like we're over the rainbow.” One of my

fellow YUNA participants remarked as we stood looking at the multi-colored skyline.

From the gleaming MTR cars to the brilliant bays, she was absolutely right - Hong Kong sparkles in a technocolor rainbow. Throughout my two weeks in Hong Kong, this Wizard of Oz metaphor proved apt. I was over the rainbow in an incredible world where delicious food magically reappears at every meal, the subway comes reliably every 4 minutes or less, and you can get ruby slippers for 36 RMB.

Like Dorothy, I learned an incredible amount on our journey. From Prof. Gordon Matthews and through constant conversations with our YUNA pen pals we learned about the courage and fierce independence of the Hong Kong people, who remain a defiant outlier from the global norm of rampant nationalism. As American students we are conditioned to relate to a strong patriotic pride and the debate that we had with Prof. Matthews and amongst ourselves about identity's relationship to nationalism was fascinating. At the Legislative Council, President Jasper Tsang taught us about the courage and commitment of Hong Kong peoples to maintaining individual liberties and working towards universal suffrage.

In Oz, Dorothy learns not just about courage, but about brains. Students across the city taught me about the cultural value placed on education in Hong Kong. At HKIS and Delia Memorial alike it was clear that kids had passion for learning unmatched by their peers in the States. I was in constant awe at the brain power of even the primary school students as they answered our tough

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government did with the environment here. 40% of the land has to remain untouched by developers, meaning that wherever you are, nature is just a hop, step, and jump away. Every time I looked across the bay, peered out on top of a vista, the same color would always greet me: green. It's a testament to how forward looking the city is, and something that the US can take as an example.

4:56 p.m.: Stanley Market was…educational. Hundreds of

stalls, all packed into a few tiny streets, defines the heart of the operation here. Tourists from around the area are congregated, looking at cheap souvenirs, ties, and pencils whittled into shapes of different woodland creatures. Commercialism, while rampant, also underscores an essential way of life for many Hong Kong natives, and I appreciated the effort that they made in reaching out and trying their hardest to earn a decent living. Just 2 minutes away from the hubbub of the stalls, a small beach, with small shacks lining the sand, was ours to play with. I collected two dozen shells in mere minutes, many the remains of glass shards, worn down from the surf. It was peaceful and quiet, the waves softly pattering onto the shore. We turned around and walked back, and in mere seconds entered the noisy market again.

6:03 p.m.: Times Square, Hong Kong style. It doesn't compare

to the one in New York, but I loved it as much. The shops we stopped by were of all sorts. The first, a little risqué, was enlightening, to say the least, and the last, a 6 story mall with dozens of boutiques, was delightful, as I bought 3 dress shirts marked 90% off. We ended the swing around the city center at an Asian fast food joint, where the food was hot, made fast, and flavorful as ever. The group was tired by then—we wanted to curl up and go back to the rooms in the University, but instead our pen-pals dragged us onwards, and onwards we went.

7:40 p.m.: The walk to a scenic spot, from where we could

see the International Finance Center, was a paragon of the social interactions we had during the trip. Everyone was mixing and mingling, conversations constantly twisted and turned, revolving around our disparate cultures, our current environment, and ideas about the community that we had already formed. Joyce and Amy were the rocks of the trip, moving around and talking to everyone about everything, snapping pictures left and right to leave us with enduring memories. Ben, from our side, was bouncing around, singing songs at breakneck speed and telling his stories for the entire group to hear. Horace Chan, consistently hilarious, provided the humor

and good-natured backbone for the walk and ensuing ferry boat ride. Joe Daguo Feng made witty remarks to whoever he could see, and was always smiling. No matter where we were or what we were doing, I could always count on the group to keep this trip amazing.

10:30 p.m.: I was buried in Kristen Chin's shoulder, a result

of spending an entire day on foot. She shook me off when we got to University, on the light blue line, and we walked off to wait for the bus back to New Asia College. It was a tiring experience, to be sure, but an enlightening one and one of the best days I've ever had. Hong Kong is an amazing place; the people I was with kicked it up an entire new notch. I thank Yale-China for giving me the experience of a lifetime, thank New Asia College for graciously hosting us, and wish well to everyone out there!

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35 8 2008 4

A Day in Hong Kong- Peter Lu

Tuesday, 10 March 2009

9:30 a.m.: I tried not to go to sleep on the ride over, really.

Bouncing up and down in our rented minivan, I watched the rest of the group interact: Kammie and Jeremy were playing Sudoku on an iPhone; Meg and Ben were discussing the finer points of Hong Kong food; Lauren and David were staring out the windows, marveling at the tropical flora surrounding the winding road. We were heading to the Police Academy, and were prepared for a treat: the morning marching practice would start right as we arrived, and afterwards there would be a personal tour by one of the commanding officers of the training facility. If this wasn't the life, I don't know what was.

11:27 a.m.: That marching was pretty cool. The officers,

numbering in the hundreds, coordinated in lock step, moving around the facility seamlessly, effortlessly, and made me reevaluate the rigor of the Hong Kong academy. The entire group watched transfixed (and not just because of their tight fitting uniforms) for a good half an hour. The real treat though, came when we walked around the officer training facility: a state of the art, multi-million dollar space, the facility was the perfect place to practice techniques and maneuvers in preparation for real events. The Yalies (and even those CUHKers) followed our guide in amazement, absorbing the different disarming techniques and laughing at the ‘7-20' store.

2:20 p.m.: I looked out of the window while eating my

noodles: a vast expanse of verdant mountain greeted me, a sparkling blue bay next to it, boats drifting lazily. We were at the Hong Kong International School, one of our many school visits, and out of the entire trip, one of my favorite. Great facilities, great teachers, and certainly a great view. I learned that a school, despite not being in the US, can have curriculum and support that rivals the best private institutions on our country. Moreover, there's an added flair HKIS has that impressed me—the Dragon Math competition, with middle school students running furiously to turn in their next math problem, was quite a sight to see. What else sticks out prominently? On the high school steps at HKIS, the handicap ramp and the regular stairs are combined in a fusion that was economically thrifty and completely practical. Nothing like that exists in the States, at least not yet.

3:36 p.m.: Walking to Stanley market through the streets

of Hong Kong, I realized what a wonderful job the

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36：8 2009 4

New Asia Life Monthly Publication of New Asia College

The Chinese University of Hong KongShatin, Hong Kong

15 April 2009

CONTENTS1 Professor Lawrence J. Lau, Vice-Chancellor, Met

with New Asia Students

2 'Professor Richard M.W. Ho, J.P. Spoke on "From Cantonese Tones to Chinese Couplets"' by Miss Choi Fung-yee

4 'Professor Leo Lee Spoke on "Legacy of May Fourth Movement"' by Miss Tang Jie

8 The 17th Head's Trophy of the College

9 Shoulder Pole Activity for the 60th Anniversary of the College

9 Major Events of the College

10 The Inaugural Ceremony of the 15th Non-residential Hall

11 Winning Articles of Chinese Essay Writing Competition

14 'The Friendly Matches between the Teams of Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of PRC in HKSAR and the University' by Mr. Chong Wing-kong

14 'From Kowloon City to the World, Western Cultures 08/09' by Mr. Kan Heung

15 'Affectionate though Facing Difficulty' by Mr. Harrison Lim

18 'The Combination of Psychological Humanism of Viktor E. Frankl and Confucianism' by Prof. Lau Kwok-keung

22 New Asia / Yale Student Exchange Programme

MAJOR EVENTS(March 2009)

2 - 13 Mar., “Today I”, Exhibition by Cheung Ling-shuet was held at Ch’ien Mu Library.

8 - 21 Mar., Eight Yale University students and one staff visited New Asia College for the 16th annual student exchange between the two institutions.

9 - 20 Mar., “Development” - Joint Exhibition by Cheung Quan-hang Kelvin and Hui Ming-fung was held at Hui Gallery.

13 Mar., The 508th Biweekly Assembly was held at Sir Run Run Shaw Hall. Professor Leo Lee spoke on the topic “Legacy of May Fourth Movement”.

16 - 27 Mar., “Quartet - Joint Exhibition by Kong Yiu-wing, Lam Yiu-him, Lau Yin-to & Yeung Shing-him Bernard” was held at Ch’ien Mu Library.

18 Mar., The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lawrence J. Lau met with New Asia students in the ground-floor lobby of Chih Hsing Hall.

23 Mar. - 3 Apr., “WM” - Joint Exhibition by Chan Long-yan, Ip Lai-shan, So Helen and Yip Sin-hang Natalie was held at Hui Gallery.

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27 & 31 Mar., Professor James C.Y. Watt, Brooke Russell Astor Chairman, Department of Asian Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA, visited the College to chair the 60th Anniversary Lecture & 2009 Ch’ien Mu Lecture in History and Culture. Professor Watt delivered the 1st Lecture 'Art History and History' (In Cantonese) at Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, and the 2nd Lecture 'On Chinese Art History' (In Putonghua) at Institute of Chinese Studies respectively.

60th Anniversary of New Asia College