【明報專訊】I am Rosa, and I come from Italy. I had dreamed about Hong Kong many times before I came here, but I find it better than I've imagined, especially when I closely observe things around me.

The first big difference I have noticed between Hong Kong and Italy is the way people demonstrate their feelings. In Italy, my friends and I always hug each other and tell each other what we really think. We show our emotions clearly and openly. However, in Hong Kong, I need to interpret others' facial expressions, as people rarely express their feelings and opinions directly. They usually tell you they totally disagree with you in a subtle way. Maybe they are afraid their words may hurt you.

I still remember the first dinner I had with local people here. At it I experienced culture shock. People belched while they were enjoying the meal and they put leftover bones on the table. These are perhaps the worst things you can ever do in Italy. If you did that in Italy, people would be disgusted. In Hong Kong, that's absolutely normal.

I believe that, because of this exchange experience, I've become more tolerant and better able to understand other cultures. I chose Hong Kong as my destination in order to experience the astonishing Asian culture, which is very different from my own. I've learnt to be more independent, have greater confidence in my own abilities and appreciate things. I've also learnt not to be afraid of making mistakes.

Every day of my exchange year is unique. The strangest, hardest but most rewarding experiences I have had here involve my great host family, my excellent teachers and the best schoolmates I've ever had. I love my school uniform and the extremely formal morning assembly. If someone asks me about my family or school, I will ask them which one they are asking about, because I have two families and two schools now.

Text: Rossella Dicuonzo (an AFS exchange student from Italy)

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