Language Barriers in Hong Kong (Student Edition)

First, I am grateful to every Hong Kong-er, local friend, teammate, and classmate. I am grateful that you've gone out of our way to translate for me at times and I'm grateful that you include me in your daily lives. I really am grateful that you're my friends. I like the people of Hong Kong despite the fast-paced lifestyle. I appreciate the ambitions of my peers. I get along well. People make friends with me. I am glad that the house associations finally got their act together and allowed some international students to play in their inter-house competitions (some of you may remember last year's distasteful incident where I wasn't allowed to play in the 3-on-3 female basketball matches because I was an international student).

But at the end of the day, I still haven't found anyone I've connected with on a deeper level. And even if I can get past the language barrier, my closest friends and I have to struggle to overcome cultural barriers, which can be exhausting. I know if I'm not happy with something, I should start by changing myself and I should learn the language to a fluent level. After all, it's better than complaining. On the other hand, when will I find the time to learn Cantonese with the life that HKUST has burdened its students with?! (P.S. I will be staying in HK over the summer, so that will definitely give me time to perfect my Canto :D) 

I just hope everyone can understand where I'm coming from when I express my frustration. 

Here's a list of some of the most frustrating parts of being a non-Cantonese speaker in Hong Kong:

1. Constantly asking for a translation. This is one of the most frustrating things... not because I have to do it repeatedly, but because I feel... like I'm annoying to people. I feel like I'm bothersome. Useless. Just some body that people are obliged to translate for. I'm just another chore. Not having an instant understanding of what's going on is difficult.

2. Missing jokes and when funny things happen. When you think about it, jokes and sharing laughs are one of the main ways people bond and grow together. As an international student, I can share a bond with my local friend over the funny things that have happened because of language and culture. In the end, however, missing the funny cues that happen in class or the funny things that people say make me feel isolated... even when people try to explain what happened. It's just different laughing with people when compared to laughing after it's explained to you.

3. Wishing people would just talk to me instead of (a) being afraid that I'll judge them for "poor English" or (b) assuming that I don't want to chat. First of all, even if I thought your English was bad, I would understand. Even if I appear frustrated and even if I act frustrated, deep down, I don't mind. I've had professors with terrifying English. (more on that later)

Also, don't assume I don't want to talk. I'm sad that sometimes people won't pay attention to me because I can't speak Cantonese. There would be times when my roommates would chat happily with each other in Cantonese and I'd just sit there on my computer, having an idea of what they're saying, but not wanting to ask what they're talking about. Now that's not fair. Don't isolate me. It all goes back to item number 1 on this list, though. Maybe they find it annoying that they'd have to translate every single thing?

4. Teachers with incomprehensible accents!!!  Because of this, I have to self-learn course material and going to class almost always seems pointless if I can't understand 70% of what my professors are saying.  It sucks. When you can't understand the teachers, how would you ever feel motivated or inspired to learn the material?!?! Even my local classmates have a hard time understanding some professors. However, there are a few teachers that inspire me and have good command of spoken English.

5. Missing out on useful discussions about coursework. Even though the language of instruction is in English, that doesn't mean that students talk about the coursework in English outside of class. It's hard for me to discuss classwork with classmates. While being self-reliant academically isn't that bad, it's still hard compared to when I used to have frequent study groups back in the U.S.

6. Fear of people talking behind my back or making fun of me. Okay, this is an item that's more for the insecure. And at times, I can be. I guess it speaks for itself, no? There was one time in basketball practice, I was particularly sensitive that day. I said something in Cantonese... and one of the captains turned around to a teammate and repeated what I said in a mocking tone. Was that even necessary? Was it funny that I spoke Cantonese? Why disrespect that I try to fit in? Why disrespect that I try to learn the language. That's not fair. But I guess that's just on my sensitive days.

7. Sports. Instant communication has been another barrier to climb. No need to explain this one. 

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The list goes on, but there's 7 main points for you and I hope that locals can understand what I go through on an almost daily basis. Some international students deal with these problems by further isolating themselves and teaming up with other international students. Korean students with Korean students. International school kids with international school kids. Locals with locals. Indonesians with Indonesians. It's the natural order of things, I suppose. At this moment, though, I'm demanding respect from my local friends. 

Don't try to see me for where I come from or what language I speak. I'm a woman who has passions, dreams, and, yes, insecurities. 

Halfway there. Is HKUST worth it?

Time for reflection (caught in a cold sweat, stuck splitting hairs). Often, I think about the coulda-shoulda-wouldas in my life and I double over thinking about the things that were just within my reach. (Were they really?)

Sometimes, I look back and I think, Did I really do the best thing for myself? Was it worth it coming to Hong Kong and doing something so radically different from my peers? Was it worth leaving everything I once knew? A tried and true educational system (though that is easily debatable), a boyfriend (now long distance), a family still living paycheck to paycheck, sisters who have yet to grow up, caring friends, and stable (but stagnant) spiritual guidance?

One finds his- or herself tugged between the great ambition to lead an uncommon, exceptional life and the other, more simple life. Which is harder? Neither, I'd say, as long as you had the other life in view. Both are riddled with obstacles towards personal growth and both lay out the choices for you: (1) grow and change for the better, (2) revert back towards the worse, (3) do nothing and let life happen to you. The question then becomes, which is more lonely?

The way I've chosen to live my life, by coming to Hong Kong, is just another way of doing things (i'll be fine even though I'm not always right). It caused a lot of discomfort and sparked a lot of changes in me. It witnessed many tears of loneliness and frustration. It brought me to my knees, it forced me to face life head-on, it made me realize that choices (1) through (3) are really the only choices we make in our life, on a daily basis. But at the end of the day, I'm still that girl, daydreaming about my life ahead. Not really sure what I want but I know the direction I want to go (before you ask which way to go, remember where you've been). And when I dream something up, and I'm really passionate about it, I make it happen. I'm stubborn. So I guess that's what is unique about me. Not to mention a bit of luck that floats my way at times. (I also think that God must have some higher purpose for me but that's still unclear at this point.)

When I look back at the courses I took, I could say I learned a lot. But not as much as I would have had I gone somewhere else. The friends I've made have been great but I've never been able to connect to any of them on a deeper level. There are too few people of my same background for me to connect to. I've sacrificed my health to slaving over countless group projects overnight. And the courses are so reliant on self-studying (and no actual in-class learning) that it frustrates me to no end, having had good teachers with comprehensible accents all my life before UST. Finding a job is going to be hard because there's no active recruiting process for U.S. companies. But...

Is HKUST worth it?

A month or two ago, I would tell you I wasn't sure if I'd do it over again given the opportunity. Now, I'd say I'd do it again, but differently. And that's all there is to say.

It's too soon at this point to say whether or not HKUST has gotten me closer to whatever end goals I might be dreaming up. But I have faith that things will work out in my favor as long as I follow my passions. (You ain't the only ones who wanna live it up)

  

Neurobiology! And HK for the Summer

It's a great joy when I end up having one of the top scores in the class for my neurobiology midterm! People in the bio major told me it was going to be hard... so I'm glad going to classes actually paid off. Competing against the students that are actually in life sciences... it's made me realize that perhaps I was destined for a life science career. But I'm not complaining about taking chemical engineering right now. I'm convinced that it will be useful and it is the best fall-back option for me. I still want to be in physiotherapy research.

Second order of business... It feels like a stab when I tell my mom that I will probably need to stay in Hong Kong for the summer. I miss my family big time but I suddenly have to face a harsh reality right now. It's better to stay and do an undergraduate research project (in either nanoparticles or polymer devices for drug delivery). I still want to have an internship in the states. But alas...