EIL Intercultural Learning

In the month of March this year my Youthreach co-ordinator Margaret Culloty nominated me for a Travel Award to Hong Kong through the not-for-profit organisation EIL Intercultural Learning. I had never travelled anywhere abroad before apart from Britain so it was a huge opportunity for me.

To say an experience was life changing would most definitely be an understatement to my experiences this Summer. On the 10th of August I was one of 12 lucky Irish students to travel to the other side of the world, Hong Kong. Without EIL Ireland giving me this opportunity I don’t think I would have ever imagined a trip to Asia before I was 20! Personally, after the long flight from Amsterdam and the collection of the bags from the belt, I was so nervous to meet our Hong Kong delegates. I had no idea what to expect, I actually had butterflies!

Through sweet smoke we walked through the Man mo temple, where the fates could be questioned and the future known...
Into the darkness of the blind, led by one who knows it well, seeing the world as she does; touching, smelling, tasting, hearing...
Climbing the long staircase we look for a statue veiled in mist, where silence is sought away from cities and close to the sky...
Skipping over waves in search of Dolphins, We walked through thronged streets of a Venice far from the grandeur of Italy...

Next time you find yourself in Asia don't be too taken aback if you are asked by one of the indigenous people, "Whats the craic?", or "How's the form?" - because thanks to the EIL Hong Kong Youth Exchange Programme at least twelve Hong Kongers are now well accustomed to using these distinctively Irish greetings – your expected response will of course be, "the craic is mighty".

After an eventful twenty hours of travelling, which included a mad dash through Amsterdam Airport that resulted in a broken flip flop and some memorable encounters with Airplane cuisine, we finally arrived in Hong Kong.We were given a warm welcome by the Hong Kong delegates, almost as warm as the heat that embraced us on leaving the Airport terminal.

Its hard to believe that it was over three months ago that I first applied to EIL for the Hong Kong Youth Exchange – back then the prospect of traveling to the city seemed like an unrealistic aspiration that I didn't have much hope of getting. But after a nerve wracking interview my anxiousness turned into excitement and astonishment when I was told that I was one of the lucky twelve young Irish people chosen for this unique experience.

Hi there, my name is Paul. I'm 19, I live in the humdrum parish of Donoughmore and I'm studying Energy Engineering (a course worthy of capital letters methinks) in University College Cork. It is now only a matter of days till the great Oriental odyssey begins and to say that I'm excited would almost be something of an understatement. I have travelled quite a lot for my tender years and, yet, I have never looked forward to a trip as much as this.

Let me introduce myself... I’m Laura, 17 years of age, living in Fermoy but going to school in Coláiste An Phiarsaigh. I’m one of the twelve lucky young people who’ll be representing Ireland in a Youth Exchange to Hong Kong come the 10th of August. The beginning of my journey to Hong Kong began where all great things do... On Facebook!