More Than a Degree: My Unexpected Journey of Finding Myself in Hong Kong

How Tong Ling Cha Became My Need to Live

Let me tell you about my relationship with Tong Ling Cha (iced lemon tea). My first big challenge in Hong Kong was something basic: food and drink. I'll never forget walking into a local Cha Chaan Teng (a Hong Kong-style cafe) for the first time. The menu was all in Chinese characters, and everyone was ordering so quickly. I ended up just pointing randomly at a drink, which turned out to be this sweet, tangy iced tea with lemon. That first sip was a revelation.

Now? I'm not exaggerating when I say I need it to live. It's my fuel for late-night study sessions, my reward after a long week, and my comfort drink when I miss home. Those first few weeks, I survived on campus canteen food and my growing Tong Ling Cha addiction. But then I decided I had to be brave with food, too. I started learning basic food-related Cantonese. Let me tell you, the first time I successfully ordered "daa baau" (takeaway) and the auntie understood me, I felt like I'd won a championship!

Now, I crave soy sauce chicken and pineapple buns. More importantly, those food and drink adventures became my first real connections with local culture. The language barrier that once felt impossible now feels like an exciting challenge, all thanks to my quest for the perfect Tong Ling Cha.

Saying Yes to Every Opportunity

If I could give one piece of advice to new international students, it would be this: say yes to everything that scares you a little. For me, that meant joining Lingnan's service-learning programs, which took me far beyond the classroom. I never imagined I'd be building rainwater harvesting systems in the Philippines or working on food rescue projects in Singapore. Each trip pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way possible. I learned that communication goes far beyond language - it's about shared purpose and genuine connection.

The most unexpected opportunity came when I got to attend a service-learning conference in Davao, Philippines. I almost didn't apply because it seemed too ambitious. But that week changed everything. I found myself in a room with service-learning specialists from across the Asia-Pacific region—people from Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, and more. We weren't just listening to lectures; we were sharing our struggles and successes over coffee. Hearing how a professor from Manila designs community projects or how a team from Bangkok measures their impact was mind-blowing. I came back with not just new knowledge, but with a network of mentors and a completely new perspective on what service really means.