While a trek from Selma or Yosemite to attend FC may seem like a long haul. Sisters Hoi Ting Wu (“Ting Ting”, ’13) and Hoi Yan Wu (“Yan Yan”, ’15) have traveled thousands of miles from Hong Kong to join the campus community.
Upon starting the year, the sisters quickly observed the difference between American life and their native Hong Kong culture.
“The biggest difference between here and Hong Kong life is [that] in Hong Kong, everything is closer together,” Ting Ting said. “[There is] more convenience because my friends would have shopping [nearby] after school with just walking distance.”
The sisters also described differences in the school systems.
“In Hong Kong, I can’t eat during lesson, have to wear uniform and no makeup. We have the same classmates every day, schools are smaller and teacher is rigorous,” Ting Ting said. “In the U.S., we have more freedom, students leave very early and schools are bigger.”
Although they miss Hong Kong, the sisters say they enjoy Fresno and its unique features.
“In Fresno at night, you can see many stars, but in Hong Kong you can only see one,” Yan Yan said. “I also like the many other student functions, such as homecoming.”
Although they appreciate how FC has welcomed them, Ting Ting and Yan Yan miss friends and family in Hong Kong.
“We really miss friends and our family, but we talk to them on the computer every night,” Ting Ting said. “If I had to describe Hong Kong to Americans that haven’t been to Hong Kong, in short, it is just some city where the buildings are very tall and crowded.”
Yan Yan especially enjoys FC, and is glad that the school was picked for them.
“We came to Fresno Christian because my aunt lives here,” Yan Yan said. “Also, everyone says this school is the nicest to freshmen, and we’re Christians.”
Ting Ting says she wants to be as involved with the school as much as the American students at FC.
“I enjoy school activities and want to be more involved in them,” Ting Ting said. “Many girls have talked to me about playing sports, and I am thinking about playing basketball. If I don’t play, I will play in my spare time.”
Due to the greater emphasis on math in Hong Kong, the sisters feel more comfortable with the subject on campus than others.
“Math is my easiest subject because, compared to Hong Kong, they don’t give very much homework here,” Yan Yan said. “In Hong Kong we do 100 math problems a day. U.S. History is my hardest class because there are many words in it that I haven’t learned yet.”
The sisters have found they miss leaving the luxury of being able to choose their lunch from all the restaurants in Hong Kong. They also miss having buildings which house libraries, stores, school and family just a block away from their apartment.
“At lunch, we can go outside to chose something to eat,” Yan Yan said. “There [is a] need to drive [in Fresno], [but] in Hong Kong we just need to walk a little bit time; the restaurant is very adjacent the high school.”
Although being a foreign exchange student seems to have both advantages and disadvantages, both Ting Ting and Yan Yan say they continue to look forward to their experiences before returning home.
For more information, check out a view of Hong Kong from Ting Ting and Yan Yan’s hotel room just before their trip to the United States.
