Meeting your Host Family

You could live anywhere in Hong Kong, including the mainland or other outlying areas. Most families have small, urban apartments and it’s not uncommon for multiple generations to live under one roof. Traditionally many relatives live together but you’re more likely to live with a standard nuclear family. Even so, you can expect to visit with extended family fairly regularly. On the weekends and holidays, families enjoy shopping, having a picnic, going out to a restaurant for tea, or traveling to mainland China.

See where past AFSers have lived

Settling into daily life

Teenage Life

A lot of your time will probably be spent socializing with your host family and friends from school. However, Hong Kong is a bustling city and you’ll find lots to do. You could play sports like basketball and soccer or go hiking on one of the region’s great trails. Yoga has also become extremely popular, especially among women. In the evening, you can expect to hear the sounds of people singing karaoke.

Food you'll encounter

Rice is a staple food and appears in almost every dish. Congee, a rice porridge sometimes served with meat and vegetables, is a popular breakfast. You’ll also see a wide variety of noodles, including ramen, udon (a thick wheat noodle), and rice noodles. Most noodles are served either fried or boiled. There are a number of different drinks you could find offered with your meal, including coffee, tea, fruit juices, and flavored milk drinks.

Your High School

School in Hong Kong is very challenging, but while the education system used to be based on memorization, most teachers now focus on interactive learning and critical thinking. School runs for ten months and lasts about eight hours a day. You’ll probably attend a public high school and have a core set of classes along with many elective subjects like tourism, music, or Chinese literature. Taking part in various school clubs will provide you with a great opportunity to get involved in your community. There are clubs for a wide range of interests including sports, debate, drama, and history.

Returning Home

"Life-changing" is hard to describe, yet it’s nearly always the first thing that AFSers say when asked about their experience abroad. "Transformed" is another one. When you return home, if you’re like most AFSers, you’ll bring with you a sense of accomplishment unlike any other. You’ll have gained maturity and independence, discovered new passions, and feel like you can do anything you set your mind to. That transformation isn’t visible only to you, though - others see it as well. AFSers gain critical skills for college and careers, ranging from language fluency to intercultural competence and critical reasoning. "Life-changing" means it’s only the beginning.