Hello fellow gators! My name is Kinting Mui and I am a 2nd year Industrial and Systems Engineering. I am currently studying abroad at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University(PolyU). I chose Hong Kong because I have not been to Asia since the age of 2 and it was a great way to practice my Cantonese while getting to know more of my Chinese culture. Spring 2019 marked the first authentic Chinese New Year I have ever celebrated in my 20 years of life. I had the entire week off and I spent it in Guangzhou, China with my only aunt that is left on this continent. The festivities leading up to Chinese New Year was one I will never forget especially the flower markets that fill the streets of China 3 days prior to new years day. The amount of people that come out to these markets and really take their time to purchase the perfect set of flowers for their homes is a very remarkable gesture that I think we, as Americans, should learn to adopt.

Living here has shown me how every aspect of Hong Kong is so diverse, from the people to the languages spoken in the streets to the infrastructure of this space. There are people here from all walks of life and it is incredible to witness how the English language is the main form of communication that connects everyone together. Hong Kong may not have much land, but the buildings are high up in the sky and deep into the ground. It is unbelievable how many more floors there can be under the main entrance of every building! Yet amongst all the skyscrapers lies the beauty of the mountains in the distance. I have yet to explore all of them, but my goal is to get to at least half by the end of my semester here.