(~Time to go home~)

“You can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

Assalam-o-Alikum!    

I am from Karachi, and did my A-levels from The City School,
Gulshan Campus.

Students and faculty in HKUST are very friendly and cooperative
irrespective of religion/faith or ethnicity.

Hong Kong is a small city as compared to Karachi. Karachi, Pakistan (Population: 11.9 million)

Hong Kong  (Population 6.9 million)

According to statistics, it has around 80,000 Muslims. There are five big Masjids and many other Madrassas and Mussalahs all over Hong Kong.

For info: http://www.iuhk.org/

Getting halal food is not a problem once you are outside of the campus. There are many restaurants serving halal food. But on-campus, you might have to survivie on vegetarian and seafood diet mostly. The last I checked, the cafeteria serves halal Indian curry in the lunch only.

Omair Suria, Pakistan

BEng (Electronic and Computer Engineering)  

————————————————————————-  

HKUST International recommends some restaurants for you! Check them out at: http://www.ust.hk/international/current_student/staywell/diet.html

On Uni Life

When I first came here, I found it to be very competitive and demanding.  Some students clog themselves into academics and stress themselves out. Uni is very different from high school. It’s tough at first – but then, you get to adopt yourself into the lifestyle and look at things in a positive way.

Advice for New Students

Sure, you are comfortable hanging with people from your own country and it’s great to have them as friends.  But what’s the point of leaving your country if you are always with your own group?    You should always try to meet people from other places, mingle, and experience new things.  Otherwise, everything just becomes monotonous.

An Active Lifestyle

It’s your choice but you should find the balance and make good use of your uni life.  I’m a part of the Wing Chun Society on campus.   It’s a form of Chinese martial arts (you know, like Bruce Lee?).  It’s about speed, agility, and “smart fighting”, where you find ways to trick the opponent.

Also, I play on the HKUST Cricket Team*. We have  practice every weekend.

I have fun partying out in Central once in a while but it’s also nice to chill with friends on campus.  Usually, on a Friday night, we head down to the waterfront by the barbecue site.  We sometimes stay there all night until the sun rises!

Sanura Illeperuma, Sri Lanka BEng & BBA (Dual Degree Program in Technology & Management, Year 3)

As you know you spend half of daily life in your dorm so you need to make it as comfortable as possible.  For me, I’m planting a small plant in a pot to make my room slightly more homelike. I brought the seeds from my home and I think it’s called jasmine but I’m not sure as it’s just started to sprouting.  Actually last year I got a mint plant and it grew pretty fast.  Unfortunately, it dried out after I went back to my hometown during the winter vacation.  So anyone want to take care of my plant when I’m away?

Dimas  Dwi Laksmana, Indonesia (BSc  Chemistry, Year 1)

29/8 was a remarkable day for all international peer mentors and mentees. It was not only the day for the newcomers to sightsee around the south of Hong Kong Island but also to experience the heat of the city! The temperature was like 34 degrees and we had our City Exploration outdoor… Though we sweated like mad on that day, we had a really good time and experience.

Our trip started early in the morning. There were too many of us so we have to split into two coaches. The first stop was the Repulse Bay Beach which is famous in the size and cleanliness of the area. However we were kind of too hot to appreciate the beauty of it, but hid in the 7-11 store for the air-conditioning.

The only snap shot taken before we all rushed into the 7-11

 The rest of the trip was a lot better(cooler). We stopped by at the Stanley Bay for a bit of shopping at the marketplace and took a look at the Murray House. Most of us were dehydrated by the heat so we went to the McDonald’s and spent the rest of the time there.

The Murray House

After that we went to the Jumbo Seafood Restaurant for dinner. People were amused by the outlook and the interior design of it. We had some traditional Chinese cuisine. Maybe it was too early for dinner (6pm!) or the international students were not used to Chinese food, we didn’t really eat much. But it was a great time for us to chat with others and know more about each other’s background and culture.

Great picture with the students from Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia

Our last stop was the peak. The timing was good so we had the chance to watch the “A Symphony of Lights” show at the Victoria Harbor. All of us were attracted by the spectacular view. At last we headed back to the campus at around 9.

Indian friends made on that day.

 The semester started and everyone is busy right now. But there are a lot more fun and interesting activities organized by the peer mentors in the future. Stay with us!

 Tommy Lo Lok Man, Hong Kong (Biochemistry, year 3)

International Peer Mentor

                                                                 ~Photos from August 31, 2009

Summer is almost over and students began to arrive with their luggage and excited looks. During the first few days of the orientation, new students were busy doing registration and getting their life settled while the current ones were helping them out to experience the beginning of the UST life.

Lots of outings and events were arranged for getting to know each other. Lots of questions were asked during the sharing sessions and orientations. On August 25, the sharing session with current international students were arranged for the new students. With free pizzas and sodas, students chat over useful tips about how to survive in UST a.k.a University of Stress and Tension.

Students take in the Hong Kong skyline at the Avenue of Stars.

Next day, students meet up at the entrance piazza for Kowloon evening. They were put into groups of 5~7 to walk around to feel the atmosphere of Kowloon. But humidity and hotness eventually made students to gather up in Langham Place for Air Conditioning. More exciting and interesting events will take place before the school starts, and everyone probably will be able to settle their life in UST and get ready for real university life! 

PuReaMe Jang, Korea  (BBA, Year 2)

International Peer Mentor