Week 6 - Life in Hong Kong (Personal Blog)

When reflecting on my personal experience of studying and living in Hong Kong, and reading with great interest the experiences of the other international students in their respective countries, I  realise that everyone is having their own exciting but unique experience. 

Having been in Hong Kong now for six weeks, I feel that I have settled in really well and have adapted to living away from home. I particularly appreciate living in Tai Po, where the university is situated. I remember in my first week here in Hong Kong when people found out where I was staying, they responded ‘wow that’s quite far away’ or ‘I haven’t been to Tai Po yet!’  As Tai Po is over one hour away from Hong Kong Island it is much more peaceful, and living here, in the New Territories, gives me a different perspective as there are much fewer ‘Westerners’ in this part of Hong Kong.

After talking to some people who live in Hong Kong Island, I discovered that it is quite a different world for them as you can live in central without having to venture off Hong Kong Island. Actually, in certain parts of Central, such as Soho, local people would be in the minority. Indeed, when I am walking down through the streets sometimes it is difficult to remember that I am even in Hong Kong – apart from the skyscrapers all around me!

I am also starting to enjoy the local cuisine much more.  I particularly enjoy dim sum for lunch - sharing lots of different dishes together. Hazel, a fourth year student in Robert Black Halls, was kind enough to take us to a local restaurant during the week (where the menu is in Cantonese) and we ordered some traditional Chinese dishes. I discovered that I absolutely love the barbeque pork buns! Fortunately, after constantly complaining for the first few weeks, I have managed to seek out some good (and cheap) restaurants in Tai Po which produce some tasty curry dishes.  I have also located a favourite burrito place in Soho, Central. Of course, to balance our diet the canteen on campus is cheap and cheerful...at best!

Hazel and I at the dim sum restaurant!

The weather during this week has been really good compared to the intermittent rain of last week. In fact, last night the international students gathered for a barbeque which was great “craic” and especially hard to believe that we were having a barbeque as early as the end of February!

Everyone gathered around the barbeque!

This week, along with Allen, Rachel and Simon Duff, I booked a holiday to Vietnam at Easter which we are all looking forward to. It’s good to take the opportunity to explore surrounding countries (and flights to Vietnam were relatively cheap!)

Simon looks very responsible!

I also met Jim Nelson, a previous Stranmillis student at church on Sunday. He is teaching just across the border in China and after talking to him I will try to get a visa so that I can visit the Mainland and see how different it is to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, some of the other international students were not allowed across the border into China this week. Two of them were French and were not given any reason and the other was a Swedish girl, who has lived there all her life (but was born in Iran). They felt they had been treated unfairly but you do not question Chinese decisions. Inexplicably, the price of a visa to China depends on which sort of passport you hold; unfortunately with a British passport it is more expensive!

On Tuesday night I joined Simon at football training and fortunately I managed not to show myself up to much! On Friday Rachel, Allen and I joined Simon and some of his friends to go to his favourite jazz bar called Ned Kelly’s Last Stand, this was a really good evening and the jazz band was fantastic. 

The jazz band was really good!

There was also a karaoke night this week in Robert Black Halls. Allen and I attempted a rendition of Westlife – My Love (to explain - the only other English songs we could pick were a selection of songs by Avril Lavinge!) Somehow the windows didn’t break especially after a shaky start to put it nicely! The unbelievable thing is that we didn’t know it was a karaoke competition and we somehow got through to the final! I realised shortly after that I had a missed call on my mobile phone – I just hope it wasn’t Simon Cowell!

Karaoke night in our halls!

On Saturday evening I went to a basketball match, Victor (who studied at Stranmillis last year and lives in Robert Black Halls) invited us along. Due to heavy traffic from a road accident, we arrived late to find that HKIEd were already losing badly 52-35. However, the momentum changed (with our arrival) and it ended up with only a few points separating the two teams – HKIEd unfortunately on the losing side. This was actually the first ever basketball match I had been to; there was a great atmosphere and it was in fact quite a good standard. I really enjoyed watching the match and I hope to go along the next time there is a game.

Allen and I with Victor who studies at Stanmillis last year!

This week we have to start again into group work. We have a couple of big group presentations ahead of us in the next few weeks so we will have to start researching and preparing for these.

Until next time.....

Joi Gin (Goodbye)

Michael

Week 5 - Attribution Theory (Professional Blog)

Markus and I on board the Star Ferry.

This week at university we studied the attribution theory (Weiner, 1979, 1986) in our Engaging Difficult, Reluctant and Challenging Learners module. As a prospective teacher, I found this really interesting because this lecture reinforced the concept that pupils’ attitudes to their work influence how they perform and act in the classroom.

Weiner developed a theoretical framework that has become very influential in social psychology today. Attribution theory tries to determine why people do what they do, that is, interpret causes to an event or behaviour. Consequently one’s perception, in an educational context, of the causes of their successes or failures (their attributions) affects the formation of their expectancy beliefs and their behaviour.

Weiner’s attribution theory is mainly about achievement. According to him, the most important factors affecting attributions are ability, effort, task difficulty and luck. Attributions are classified along three causal dimensions:

1. Locus of control (two poles: internal vs. external)
2. Stability (do causes change over time or not?)
3. Controllability (causes one can control such as skills vs. causes one cannot control such as luck, others’ actions, etc.)

In our class we looked at two different types of learners – adaptive learners and maladaptive learners.

In terms of success or failure adaptive learners attribute more influence to stable, self-characteristics such as their own ability and the effort they put into the work which means that the locus of control comes out of their inner-self (internal factors within their control). If they fail to do well then this would be attributed to the fact that they didn’t work hard enough or didn’t pay enough attention.

On the other hand maladaptive learners attribute more importance to unstable, external factors such as ‘luck’ or that the test was ‘easy’. Reasons for failure are also often attributed to external factors.... looking for an excuse for their failure.

The lesson I have learnt from a professional standpoint is the importance of not emphasising success in the classroom in relation to one’s ability but instead to hard work and effort. By adopting this approach, I hope that all pupils feel that they can achieve and succeed, not only in school but in life outside of school by having a positive attitude and doing everything to the best of their ability.

In our class we discussed how to engage and facilitate children who are under-achieving in the classroom. The importance of setting realistic goals was particularly highlighted so that learners can experience success in their work thus building up their self-efficacy. This is linked to Vygotsky’s theory (1969) in relation to the zone of proximal development. Tasks for students should be designed to be challenging enough for success after putting in the effort to succeed.

On Wednesday we also had to do our presentation for Hong Kong history and culture – addressing the rich/poor divide in Hong Kong which I discussed last week in my blog. After working for much of the previous week together I feel that our hard work paid off with a well researched presentation. Indeed, despite some of the frustrations associated with group work, in the end it is very satisfying when you produce a good piece of work together as a team. Here in Hong Kong, a lot of the modules incorporate group work as part of the course. I feel that having this experience of working as a group is important especially as a future teacher as it is extremely important to be able to work collaboratively in the school environment and be able to get along with other professional colleagues.

For our assessment class our group has been working hard creating a short written assessment test which is due on Tuesday of this week. The professor is very approachable and allocates time for the different groups to discuss their group work with him. After meeting the professor on Friday, I feel that, with some small alterations, the assessment tool which our group has created will be valid and accurate.

Claire Annett and Claire Beacom flew out to Hong Kong this week and stayed for a few days before moving on to study in China so it was nice to be able to meet up with them a couple of times during the week. 

Stranmillis reunion!

Unfortunately this week, the weather has taken a turn for the worse out here in Hong Kong, with rain most days. During the cold weather the locals like to eat and share ‘hot pot’ and of course, I managed to grab a bowl or two!! Lots of people gathered around the simmering metal pot of satay stock at the centre of the table and while the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. The hot pot contained lots of vegetables – mushrooms, dumplings, different types of fish as well as some thinly sliced meat which I assumed was bacon! People can sit around and eat at their leisure for a few hours while ingredients are thrown in at will.   It is a really nice way to get everyone together and something which I’ll have to do again.

My first taste of hotpot!

 It is hard to believe that I have already been out in Hong Kong for nearly 5 weeks, time is going by so quickly which I suppose can only be viewed as a good thing!

Until next time...

Joi Gin (Goodbye)

Michael

Week 4 - The widening rich/poor divide in Hong Kong (Cultural Blog)

Truffle making on Thursday night in our halls.

This week I have been busy working on a group presentation for our Hong Kong History and Culture class. The topic we have decided to address and discuss is that Hong Kong ranks the highest in the world rich-poor gap. From my personal experience and perceptions of Hong Kong since I arrived here a month ago, I find this extremely surprising.  When I think of Hong Kong, what comes to mind are skyscrapers, business and finance. Such is the wealth of riches in Hong Kong that the combined wealth of the 40 richest people is $135 billion. However, according to the latest available statistics, an estimated 1.2 million citizens live below the poverty line in Hong Kong, which is 1 in 7 of the population.

From my research for the group presentation this week, I discovered that there has been much debate concerning the role of the education system and how it has been contributing to the problem of the widening rich-poor gap. An issue of growing concern is that 13% of the younger generation are allegedly receiving a worse education and working in worse-paid jobs than their parents. The education system in Hong Kong is biased towards those who excel in writing and logic arithmetic. However, many children whose talents lie in areas such as music, sports and the more creative subjects (which are not as highly regarded or indeed, assessed in the curriculum) are overlooked. This leads to many children developing a sense of failure before they reach secondary school. In poorer families, parents need to work long hours in order to make a living resulting in a lot of children growing up without a mentor at home to help them with their education. This means it is extremely hard for them to overcome the system.

Another major contributor to the problem is the “narrowness” of the job market since most of the jobs are in the real estate and finance sectors. Because of this, the economy in Hong Kong is described as a ‘knowledge-based economy’. The importance therefore, of a good education for young people here is crucial especially, as I said earlier, in the area of writing and arithmetic. Fortunately, back in Northern Ireland, even with selection, such relentless pressure to succeed is much less.

As a prospective teacher it has made me realise the importance of not over-emphasising narrow academic success but giving children learning opportunities in science, geography, history and the wider curriculum. Children should also be encouraged to pursue their talents in other areas such as art, music and sport.

This week I also played in an inter-hall football tournament which I really enjoyed. The tournament consisted of 3 teams: my floor wore the Real Madrid strip and managed to draw 3-3 in our first game against ‘Arsenal’ and then we went on to win our second game against ‘AC Milan’ 4-2! I just hope there were some Manchester United scouts present to see my volley in the second match!

Real Madrid's latest signing adds some more 'bulk' to the side.

On Thursday night we also made some truffles in our hall.  Luckily there was still some chocolate left at the end even though I was constantly ‘testing’ the chocolate throughout!

Jamie Oliver in disguise?

The finished goods - Thorntons may not even sell truffles as delicious and aesthetically pleasing as these ones!

Now the workload is beginning to pick up here at university, we have quite a few group projects to work on in the upcoming weeks. On Wednesday we are doing our group presentation in Hong Kong History and Culture and we also have to create an assessment tool for our Assessment module this week. This consists of a short written test lasting around 20 minutes which will include around 3-5 different item/question formats. Our group also has to create a rationale, an answer guide for any open-ended items and also include an answer sheet for all objectively scored items. I will update you next week in regards to how I get on with this work.

Until next time...

Joi Gin (Goodbye)

Michael.

Week 3 - Kung Hei Fat Choi! (Happy New Year!) (Cultural Blog)

Even before I arrived in Hong Kong, I had always pinpointed this particular week as one to look forward to because it was the Chinese New Year. All over the world this week, people celebrated the Chinese New Year and the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit. Chinese New Year is allied to the zodiac which consists of different animals (the year you are born corresponds to one of these animals).To have had this wonderful opportunity to experience this well-known celebration in Hong Kong has been fantastic.

Fireworks.

Year of the Rabbit!

Everyone associates the Chinese with fireworks and certainly the highlight of the week for me was the Chinese New Year fireworks at Victoria Harbour. It certainly was something I wasn’t going to miss!  After jostling and pushing to get a prime position in the packed Avenue of Stars, we had to wait for almost two hours before the fireworks display started. However, when the fireworks began at 8pm they really were well worth the wait. With the spectacular backdrop of city lights and surrounding the view of the harbour, it was simply breath-taking. It lasted over 20 minutes and having just been to Edinburgh recently for the New Year (which at the time I thought was great); the fireworks here in Hong Kong won hands down.         

Some of the International Students at Lamma Island.

On Saturday the International Students were taken on a trip to Lamma Island. Lamma, in contrast to the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong is very peaceful, which makes it a popular tourist attraction. I particularly enjoyed the picturesque walks, starting through the small streets in Banyan Bay, seeing some beautiful local beaches and spectacular views out over the ocean. The walk finished in Sok Kwu Wan which has the largest fish farming site in Hong Kong. It was really fascinating to see a part of Hong Kong which portrays and links back to her traditional historical roots as a small fishing village. There was a wide range of colourful and unusual local sea fish on display in the restaurants but I still haven’t yet been tempted to try them! We also visited one of the three Tin Hau temples on Lamma Island, which are typical places of worship in Hong Kong's coastal communities. Tin Hau is believed to be the goddess of the sea and of fishermen, protecting them and ensuring full nets. 

One of the kamikaze grottos along our walk.

As a history student I was also fascinated to see and learn about the caves which I saw while walking on the trail along the coast of Sok Kwu Wan. There are several caves about ten metres wide and several tens of metres deep known as ‘kamikaze grottos’. It is said that during the Second World War, the Japanese Army used this part of Lamma Island as a naval port and thousands of soldiers were stationed there. The Japanese had a plan to hide speedboats in the grottos, which would launch a suicidal attack on the Allies’ warships if they passed by.

Fiona's house

This week Fiona invited us to her house where her father and some of her friends joined us to have some different foods which are traditionally eaten during the Lunar New Year period. I tried and really enjoyed some fried radish cake, which reminded me a little of potato bread and rice cakes which her father also kindly cooked. Fiona’s father works in Mainland China and it was interesting to hear first-hand about the differences between Mainland China which appears to have a much more strict government with firm censorship compared to the capitalist ways of Hong Kong where ‘East meets West’.

New Year Fair at Causeway Bay.

 In the evening we visited the New Year Fair in Causeway Bay. The market was absolutely packed, certainly to a level which I have never experienced! It featured hundreds of vendors in rows and rows of stands. The more traditional offerings were flowers – several of which symbolize luck for different things while the more modern offerings seem to be inflatable plastic toys of all manner and size!

A large dragon at the New Year Night Parade in Tsim Sha Tsui.

On Thursday I went to the Chinese New Year Light Parade in Tsim Sha Tsui. It was an interesting experience with massive crowds lining the street to see the various illuminated floats and performing groups from Hong Kong and abroad. The atmosphere reminded me a little of the Twelfth parades back home!

On the whole I had a great week and it was fascinating to get an insight into the culture and the traditions in Hong Kong during the Lunar New Year celebrations. This week I start back into my classes and I look forward to getting into the routine of University once again after having a busy but memorable week off.

Until next time...

Joi Gin (Goodbye)

Michael

Fried radish cakes.

Sweet rice cakes.

Nice view at Lamma Island.

Sok Kwu Wan Fishing Village.