One of the most fantastic experiences of the course I took, ‘European Politics and Economy’, was the EU simulation game, in which we needed to have a random draw for a country and represent that country to hold a conference with the others to discuss the migration crisis, in order to draft a new resolution. The game required us to do a lot of research about the migration crisis, as well as the current government situation and stance of the country we were going to represent. Also, we needed to communicate a lot with the representatives of other countries, not by speech but by writing on a small piece of paper and circulating it around, like what secondary school students love doing in class. I represented Austria in the game, through which I knew more about the politics and society of this country.

I learnt how to cook in this trip. I could scramble an egg and cook some noodles at home, but not with the efficiency and consistency I achieved during my stay in the Netherlands. Restaurants everywhere in Hong Kong sell cheap and delicious food, so cooking in Hong Kong is more of a hobby for fun. However, cooking in the Netherlands was mostly out of necessity if I was not to eat up my budget in the first week or so. It was a rewarding experience, and I felt closely linked to the Netherlands as I lived like the locals—cycling to and from home, doing groceries at their local supermarkets and learning to read a bit of Dutch as I gradually grew accustomed to seeing certain words.