6 Points
New Zealand
Picture of myself and my roommates at the time (left to right): Hugo, Kyla, Jenna, and myself. Taken March 7, 2024 at Paritutu Centennial Park, New Zealand.
Picture of a kākāpō, taken April 23, 2024 at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand.
In 2024, I completed an exchange semester at Auckland University of Technology in Auckland, New Zealand through the study abroad program at TRU. After 30 hours of flying I left the cold Canadian winter and entered the unknown for the first time in my life. During my time here, I met amazing people, travelled the country, tried new food, watched rugby games, and made life-long memories.
While living in Canada my whole life and while studying international topics, diversity became a familiar topic. With that being said, actually experiencing a new culture and country first-hand was not something anyone can truly prepare for. In this new unknown home, I was the one with an accent, I was the one who had never tried a food or seen a movie, even the wall sockets were contrary to my norm.
Despite the overwhelming change, I was able to eventually embrace the opportunity and ensure that every experience was meaningful. In the first photo, my assigned roommates are pictured, Hugo from Spain, Kyla from New Zealand, and Jenna from the United Kingdom. Together, these individuals guided me through these new experiences and inadvertently taught me valuable global competency skills.
During my first month in New Zealand, Kyla took the four of us back to her home city Taranaki. Here is where the first photo was taken, and where I saw an unfiltered and unique life different to my own. I met her parents and brother, her friends, and even attended a wedding. The time spent here, as with all the other instances in New Zealand, improved my communication skills, and allowed me to practice respect in a broad sense, in a way which surpasses the intricacies of culture and custom. It showed me how to escape prejudice and ignorance by practicing thoughtful and consistent effort to just appreciate the differences among people.
After visiting Kyla’s home it became immediately apparent that making the most out of time in the country meant seeing as much as possible. Therefore, during our reading break, myself and Hugo rented a car and drove across the country – over 30,000 kilometers in 2 weeks. The second picture captures part of this journey and was taken while hiking a mountain together. This expedition helped me realise many practical skills:
- Navigation
- Operating a right-hand drive vehicle
- Currency exchange rates
- Safety in unknown areas
China
Picture of myself at Tianjin University. Taken August 31, 2024 in Tianjin, China.
Picture of a Chinese pavilion. Taken August 28, 2024 in Beijing, China.
Picture of (left to right): Staffen, Jill, Chelsey, Jen, Gurinder, Kevin,Michelle, Thomas, Joel, Kira, Robert, myself, and Neha. Taken August 29, 2024 at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China.
Together with TRU students and staff from various disciplines I attended a two week field study trip in China. The guided excursion was monumental to my own appreciation of international subjects. Our trip started and ended in Beijing, but during these two weeks we visited various parts of the enormous country including Tianjin, Urumqi, Turpan, Kashgar, and others. We used buses, cars, bullet trains, planes, and lots of walking to facilitate the busy itinerary. While I went to bed each night exhausted, the trip was a very positive experience.
Within China, I experienced a culture vastly different from my own, navigated chaos without translation, and was a visible minority for the first time in my life. Everything was different here, the beds were hard, the food was unrecognizable, and the language was indiscernible. Despite these differences, I am very grateful to be able to experience this country for myself.
China has been the focus of news coverage and many of my studies. The country has become a powerhouse of investment, production, and development. As it begins rivaling American dominance, forming my own impressions of China, its people, and its culture has revealed many nuances. It taught me that the internet is not reality. All my interactions within the beautiful country were very powerful, locals were hospitable with many even inviting our group into their homes. Diplomats made us feel welcome with grand dinners and warm speeches. All together, my time in China taught me to disregard stereotypes and to value the differences among people. There is no ‘right way’, China expressed the differences between government oversight, economic policy, and how many more macro decisions impact the infinite micro interactions. These interactions including attending formal dinners, being a bystander during institution negotiations, meeting foreign students, bartering for goods, and learning about history through museum tours and historical landmarks taught me many more valuable skills:
- Cultural sensitivity
- Overcoming prejudice and ignorance
- Avoiding others narrations while forming my own opinions
- Navigating a different economic platforms
- Using technology to interact with others and my surrounding
- Adapting to unique customs and traditions