05.07.2019

My name is Kazakhstanova Zhanyl, I am a third-year student of Almaty Management University and Yerzhan Tatishev Foundation scholarship holder. This year, I was honored to travel from our university to Lingnan University, Hong Kong as part of the Service Learning program. The training was aimed at developing humanitarian skills among students. The program lasted two weeks. For this short period of time, the team and I made a robot, assembled a toy designed for children with disabilities in two hours, searched for plastic particles in the South China Sea, cooked food using solar panels, visited the International Committee of the Red Cross and tried on the role wheelchair users. In addition, the entire course was filled with various activities, which made it even more interesting.

Hong Kong is a city of contrasts that captivates gradually and wins the heart forever. It is customary to divide it into three parts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Territories. The university, where most of our studies took place, was located in the New Territories, closer to China. To see the island of Hong Kong, we traveled by subway, and moved around the island on foot. Upon arrival, the first thing that caught my eye was three things: unusually high humidity, skyscrapers that lived up to their name and the surrounding rich vegetation. The night view of the city is a separate topic for conversation. You can endlessly admire the magical atmosphere, when around a hundred majestic towering luminous skyscrapers rises.

Hong Kong is associated with an anthill, more than seven million people live in it, and the population density is almost 6.5 thousand people per square kilometer. This is not a place where you can get bored, everyone can find something for themselves and a place to their liking. Tired of the stone jungle? Twenty minutes by subway and you are already on the beach. Tired of routine? In just an hour, the bus will transport you to another island where you can go hiking. Want to relax on a Friday night? Street bars and cafes are always ready to meet you. Hong Kong has a bottomless market, lots of fun and endlessly beautiful places to explore and enjoy outdoor activities. Hong Kong is associated with an anthill, more than seven million people live in it, and the population density is almost 6.5 thousand people per square kilometer. This is not a place where you can get bored, everyone can find something for themselves and a place to their liking. Tired of the stone jungle? Twenty minutes by subway and you are already on the beach. Tired of routine? In just an hour, the bus will transport you to another island where you can go hiking. Want to relax on a Friday night? Street bars and cafes are always ready to meet you. Hong Kong has a bottomless market, lots of fun and endlessly beautiful places to explore and enjoy outdoor activities.

In addition to a rich program of classes, a variety of activities and an abundance of entertainment, at the time of our stay in the city there were peaceful rallies against the new law related to China, which brought together two million people. There we felt what real patriotism was when our local friends did not sleep for two days and actively participated in rallies. I want to thank our Foundation for the fact that now I have the opportunity to develop and see the world. Special thanks to my university for interesting programs and for choosing me.

P.S if you want to see a mix from Asian New York, stone and ordinary jungle, to see the verge of poverty and insane wealth, and all in one territory, then Hong Kong is an ideal option for traveling.