【明報專訊】Hong Kong is quite different from Switzerland, or indeed, most other places on earth. It is unique. I used to live in a small village surrounded by fields close to Zurich in Switzerland, where most people live in houses and big apartments. There is much more space in general. Obviously they don't have the convenient MTR there. I don't mind though everything is a little crowded in Hong Kong. In fact I like being able to travel from one place to another very quickly.

I had one of my most memorable experiences when I had the first glance of Hong Kong from the airplane window the day I arrived in it. I was exhausted and jetlagged, but I was curious about this city and my life here. I really like my life and friends here. I am close to a lot of AFS exchange students. I have some really good friends in school too. One of them is a Form 4 girl I have met in the debate club, of which she and I are members. Sadly, my school friends do not have a lot of free time. School life here is very tense compared with that in Switzerland because students here have to study 24/7. Luckily I can spend lots of time with them in school. I will miss them terribly when I am home again. Actually I will miss everything in Hong Kong.

Text: Maya Tharian Pynadath, an AFS exchange student from Switzerland