Notes From An International Student: Cynthia Young

By Cynthia Young, age 15, Hong Kong

I have been in Australia for half a year. I like this place very much, but at first I found it a bit challenging to integrate into Australian life and make Australian friends because the living style and people in Australia are very different from the way I live in Hong Kong.

Australians like outdoors. They like spending time on the verandas or sunbathing on the beach. They also like to do different kinds of sports such as swimming, playing golf. People do not do the same thing in Hong Kong. Many people in Hong Kong like to stay indoors, especially in places which are air conditioned like shopping malls. Most people in Hong Kong have a very busy life. Adults work from 9 to 6pm and some of them work on weekends as well. Children need to study and we also like to stay at home with our computers. So, compared with Australian lifestyle, my life in Hong Kong is very different.

Making friends in Australia is also quite challenging. Mostly, because we come from a different background, our hobbies and interests are different. Australians are very friendly, most of the time they will try to start a conversation but it is hard to find a common topic. Sometimes another problem is that the Australian teenagers don't want to be friends with us. Some of them think that because we are Asian, we can't speak very good English, and we look different, and they look down on us for that. But, if we want to solve this problem, we have to try to show them we can speak English and they will treat us better.

Even though there are challenges to integrate into Australian life and make Australian friends, now I try to fit into the life style and to talk to Australians more. Then they may understand me and be friends with me. I think, because of this, I will meet more Australian friends in the future.