From Hong Kong to NZ
For Alison and Apple Choy Nelson was stark contrast to their home of Hong Kong. Nelson College for Girls filmmaker Yongwen Wu spoke to the pair about their experience of moving here.
Looking down from the plane, a pair of sisters were amazed by what they saw.
Down below there were little houses which they thought would only exist in movies, a coastline that seemed to be able to reach the southernmost point of New Zealand and the endless dense green gave off the illusion that the forests went on forever.
This small city with breathtaking natural beauty was where Alison and Apple Choy would spend the following three years. They were a bit worried that they would not adapt to local life.
‘‘Do you miss Mum?’’ Alison asked. She was a tall skinny girl with long brown hair. ‘‘I miss her so much… oh and also my friends. God, I just want to fly back home now. Can we really go through this?’’
‘‘Sure we can, my dear sister. At least we have each other.’’ Apple comforted Alison. She was a bit shorter than her sister and always had a smile on her face.
Three years ago, Alison and Apple chose to leave Hong Kong and flew to New Zealand to continue their studies, without hesitation.
‘‘I wanted to broaden my mind and see different things. Before making the decision, I had done some research and New Zealand was my first choice because of its openness for different cultures.
‘‘There are over 10,000 international students in this country, which also proves that it is a good place for studying. Besides, my mom suggested that Nelson would be a perfect pick, as it is comparatively more quiet than Auckland and Wellington. She wanted me to concentrate on studying.’’, says Alison. Apple agrees.
They arrived in mid-winter. The windows in the hostel were rattling in the wind and the fallen leaves were picked up and whirled into the air.
‘‘All I can remember is that it was freezing. When I got off the plane, I thought I took the wrong flight to the South Pole.’’ says Alison.
But for Apple, she was more amazed by the size of Nelson. In her mind, it was such a tiny city but the big houses and the greens which were kind of ‘rare’ to be seen in her hometown soon captivated her.
Both of them felt good about their new start. However, it has not been easy.
Studying in a second language was a big burden for them. Not only was Apple held back in her study, but the stress from school life in a new place also made her miss her family more.
‘‘For me, speaking is much more difficult than listening’’, Alison rests her head on her elbow and says. Science was at first a nightmare for Alison as she found it difficult to overcome the language barrier. Asking questions, precisely, was a real challenge for her.
‘‘Thanks to Mr. Narey who was my science teacher in year 11. Without his help, I might have dropped the subject’’, Alison says.
‘‘Sometimes, I will ask myself what will my life be if I did not come here’’, Alison heaves a sigh and knits her eyebrows. She falls in deep thought. The silence lasts for a while, then she starts again, ‘‘But I am glad that I came. Although if I had stayed in Hong Kong, I would have been able to spend more time with my family and friends.
‘‘However, I learnt to be more independent here. I have had to deal with everything on my own. It is funny that when I first arrived I could not find the way back to the hostel and I did not even know how to use the washing machine.’’ Now, she can speak fluent English. She is also keen to meet different people and try to do new things.
‘‘Life is short. I reckon I should make my time here memorable’’, this is another thing Alison has learnt.
Compared with the knowledge, Apple thinks the life skills she gained are more important. She knew nothing about cooking when she was in Hong Kong. After three years, it is safe to say that she is a good cook now.
Deciding to study overseas is a bold decision as international students need to give up many things. It is a journey about courage. They may face challenges. They may be down. Nonetheless, they could grow up and learnt to be independent.
So the next time you see a plane flying high up above, perhaps you would consider the adventures each individual on it, is about to pursue. Maybe you would ask yourself, ‘‘It is a new chapter of life, isn’t it?’’