【明報專訊】Hi everybody! My name is Arianna Manavella, I am 15 years old, I am an exchange student from Barge, a small city near Turin in Italy, and I will spend eleven months here in Hong Kong!

Well, it all started somewhere. You packed your suitcase, said goodbye, ate your last pizza, and you got on a plane... to fly away from what you had known as home your whole life.

Like ma lai gou the most

Today I can say that, though I have had some difficult moments, it is the best decision I've ever made to leave and take that plane! Everything in Hong Kong is amazing! My family, my school, the people and, of course, the food! Hong Kong is a Foodie Paradise. Whenever I think of succulent dim sum and unique Hong Kong style desserts, I start melting. Okay, not all the dishes look nice when you see it or when you hear their names (like chicken feet...), but you change your mind immediately when you have the first bite! I have never tried so many kinds of food in so little time! What I like most is a dim sum called ma lai gou - Cantonese sponge cake (馬拉糕)! It is very easy to make, and I have already asked my host mom if we can try to make it together!

I really think this will be an amazing and unforgettable year! I would like to thank my host family for hosting me and also our domestic helper Ina. I call her Jie Jie because she is like an elder sister to me, and she always makes us good food.

text: Arianna Manavella