Natalie and Oliver, students from Form 3 Juniper and Form 4 Juniper respectively, joined the Hangzhou exchange programme from 22/10 to 26/10. They shared what they saw and heard in Hangzhou. For example, their life with their host family, the performance in the opening ceremony, the booths they organised and the most impactful takeaways from their trip.
Written by Natalie Chiu (Form 3) & Oliver Yu (Form 4)
Oliver: 大家好，我是中四龍柏社的于博淵。
Natalie: And I am Natalie from Form 3 Juniper. Today we would like to share our experience of our trip to Hangzhou. Oliver, is there anything impressive you would like to share with us?
Oliver: 我很高興能夠分享我在杭州綠城育華學校為期一周的學習經歷。在2024年10月22日至10月26日的交流活動中，我住在寄宿家庭裡，參與了豐富的學術、藝術、體育和科技活動。這次經驗讓我深入了解到中國的傳統文化，見識了杭州學生勤奮好學的學習態度，也建立了許多珍貴的友誼。回校後，我將完成兩校的交流日記，並通過策劃項目從而推廣中國文化，同時抓緊跟上學習進度。這次經驗讓我收穫頗豐，視野更加廣闊。Natalie, 你能否與我們分享一下這次交流之旅的一些資訊呢？
Natalie: Of course, we went to Hangzhou, a city in Mainland China, for five days and four nights. We stayed with our host family for the whole exchange programme and visited Hangzhou Greentown Yuhua Hometown School. We had up to 20 students from F2 to F4. Oliver, do you remember who else was with us on the trip?
Oliver: 我們還有 Ms.Ginger Kwok, Ms. Lei Lei 和繆顧問。謝謝她們的陪伴和悉心的照顧。我們也很幸運有 Mr. Steven Hindes與我們一起同行，向育華的學生和老師展示我們的啓思精神。
Natalie: It was an unforgettable experience to explore the local cultures. The most memorable moment that I will never forget is taking a walk around Qing Shan Lake (青山湖) with my buddy and her family. They proudly introduced the beautiful view of Hangzhou to me. I still deeply remember the natural landscape where trees grow underwater, with cold wind breezing right into my face. Such a peace of mind! Oliver, what was your most memorable moment on the trip?
Oliver: 無論是在校內或校外，杭州之行的每個瞬間都讓我難以忘懷。在校內，我們不僅觀賞了富有文化特色的開幕禮，還能夠積極參與其中，真正融入了他們的文化節慶氛圍。隔天的攤位活動更是精彩紛呈！我們設立了玩具交易和美食攤位，尤其是自製的阿華田飲品大受歡迎！在事後的訪談中，同學們對它讚不絕口。
Natalie: Oh, that's right! We danced Monica by Leslie Cheung and sang 海闊天空 by Beyond.
Oliver: 校外的活動同樣令人陶醉，我們參觀了博物館和杭州的知名景點，那裡的自然與人文之美深深吸引了我們。每當放學後，香港與杭州的同學們總會迫不及待地相約一同出遊，共度歡樂時光。朋友們的歡聚，總是最溫暖、最幸福的時刻，而這或許正是交流的真正意義。Natalie，你覺得這次交流中，自己最大的收穫是什麼呢？
Natalie: My biggest gain from the experience was learning to be more self-disciplined and improving my communication skills. No one woke me up at 6 a.m. and told me what to do anymore, so I had to force myself to get out of bed, making sure I won’t fall asleep again. Also, I had to check the timetable for what to do and know the dress code on a specific day. That is how I learnt to be more disciplined and take good care of myself. Also, it was my first time staying at someone’s home that I had never met before.
Oliver: 是的呢，身處異地且居住在他人家中是一種非常全新而有意思的體驗。我的buddy在今年二月來香港時也暫住在我的家，期間我的一些朋友也經常過來一起玩，並度過了一段快樂的時光。Natalie，你和你的buddy是怎樣相處的呢？
Natalie: My buddy was shy and wouldn’t talk much, so I had to be more proactive and initiate a chat. I stepped out of my comfort zone and started talking to her. I asked her random questions such as “How should I call you?” “What did you eat today?” “When were you born?”...It was embarrassing but it improved my confidence and communication skills. Oliver, I heard that it was your second time going to Hangzhou. How was it different from your previous experience?
Oliver: 兩次杭州之旅都是那麼的快樂而短暫，就像啓思週一樣感覺永遠不夠。也許每一年的行程都會改變，人會變。可情感與快樂的記憶深深的烙印在我們腦中，珍貴而又踏實。
Natalie: This is so true, Oliver! This is the end of our sharing. Thank you.