Finding Extracurriculars for YOU
As I was deciding which college to apply to, Tufts checked all my boxes like no other. A huge part of what I wanted in a school was to have various…
Last weekend, I travelled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and pigged out on the delicious food that the country is known for. Well actually, rewind a bit first. Before taking off to fly to KL from Hong Kong via a Cathay Pacific flight, I spent about thirty minutes reading the Wikipedia page for “History of Malaysia.” Or rather, I had to skim before we had to board the plane. Due to a number of economic and political events, Malaysia’s populations is widely diverse. And on a related note, the cuisine of Malaysia is also widely diverse. This trip was all about the food that we could get. With traditional Malay dishes mixed with Chinese and Indian cuisines, the food was to die for. And since one of the orientation coordinators for the Tufts in Hong Kong program was spending part of the semester in Malaysia, her home country, we had our own local guide to the city and all of its fantastic food options. We even found a speakeasy bar that was a 10 minute walk from our hostel.
I’ve realized that travelling with friends is sort of the ultimate test of those relationships. Maybe it’s because each individual’s pace becomes starkly visible while travelling. Or maybe it’s the lack of personal space that we experience when we are all living in one hostel room, a lack of space that even trumps the dorm rooms of the University of Hong Kong. When combined with the almost oppressive heat of Southeast Asia, the tension created between formerly close friends can tear those friendships apart. But there was to be little of that on this trip because every food stop was able to patch up those tears and bring the group back together.
Finally, I wanted to add a little bit about my long distance relationship. Hm. What do I want to say? As of the writing of this blog post, Helen and I have been apart from each other for 47 days. Our Snapchat streak reminds me every day that that’s how long we’ve been away from each other. And mind you, we used Snapchat all the time before I went abroad. But we didn’t really have to snap each other when we could just meet up for lunch. Or hang out in my room and do homework. And that’s the tough part about being apart from your significant other while abroad.
Helen and I each wrote out a list of reasons why we love each other last summer. I carry her list with me in my backpack all the time. I reread the list about two weeks ago and made some observations. I realized that, while abroad, a lot of those reasons didn’t happen now that I am abroad. It’s not possible for me to bring food to her in Halligan. And it’s not possible for us to go on adventures with her while I’m here in Hong Kong. Even a basic thing like sharing a meal, that’s a no go while we’re apart.
But what I’ve learned is that, though those reasons are important, a long distance relationship doesn’t really allow for them to happen. And that long distance strips a relationship down to the most essential thing. Things like allotting time to talk and doing your best to fulfill the reasons why you love each other. Helen and I love Netflix, and we love to watch it together. That one’s possible! There’s screen sharing on Skype, as well as plug-ins on Google Chrome that allow for Netflix accounts to sync.
And on an even more bare bones level, LDR really makes couples question if they can grow separately without growing apart. I was warned before coming to Hong Kong that most relationships would end before the traveler even went abroad. Or that keeping in touch with their significant other would be a bother while the abroader was out experiencing new things. But if the relationship is important to the two, then they will need to make it work. And with a bump or two in the road, that’s just what we’ve done.
Helen is coming to visit me in a few weeks, during the Tufts spring break. And I can’t wait to take her on adventures in Hong Kong.
Stay Golden,
Vincent Hwang
P.S.: Found some rad street art in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. Enjoy.
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