Week 8 8th March-14th March

Personal and Cultural Development

This week we went on an 'art walk'. Its an event that is sponsored by many different companies and restaurants to celebrate art in Hong Kong. You pay a fee which for students is a fourth of the cost. All the art galleries are opened and there is finger food and wine provided. It was an amazing evening spent at statue galleries, student galleries and even galleries where the art is produced to make us aware of human needs in the world.

This week I joined the Putonghua group and visited Noah's Ark. Noah's Ark is a replica of the real boat from the bible and has been made to the exact measurements. Inside it homes some less well known animals and is a celebration of the efforts of the Chinese team who went to Mount Arafat and found relics of what they suspect to be parts of the ark. Inside there is a video showing what it was like while Noah built the ark and what happened to the unrighteous. There is also a challenge from Earth boy to protect our Earth. I suspect that the earth boy section of the museum has something to do with the sponsorship of the Noah's Ark park.

Professional Development

This week we were asked to share with the Hong Kong students about Northern Ireland. The International Office wanted us to present our home country and university in such a way that would persuade students to apply for the exchange to our home university. In the slide opposite I am telling the students that Laurence is to Stranmillis what Carmen is to Hong Kong Institute of Education. I also invited Victor along to share with the interested students what class and extra curricular activities are like for exchange students coming to Stranmillis. I knew he would have a better idea then me.

Michaela talked about Saint Patrick and we made cards, while Jamie, from Scotland who also presented made family shields with the students and I played potato games to 'the belle of Belfast City' and warned the students that if they came they would have to replace rice with potato. Something previous Chinese exchange students have complained about.