INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE · GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Eco-English Adventure Study Tour to Green Camp Bali, Indonesia

First Tastes of Sustainable Leadership Training and Authentic Indonesian Living Wisdom

15-20 June, 2015
Tour Co-ordinators: Dr. Stephen CARTWRIGHT, Ms. Sandy CHAN

With the aspiration of experiencing sustainable living and embracing an exotic culture, 22 Associate Degree students embarked on an adventurous journey to Bali, Indonesia with a focus on outdoor experiential learning and green living wisdom. Activities ranging from organic farming and cooking, bamboo garden building, adventure treks, night safari, mepantigan mud-pit play, Wayang kulit-making (shadow play), team-building, laughter yoga to waterfall diving inspired students to think out of box and step out of their comfort zone to take up new challenges. A hearty language and cultural exchange with local students further prompted the students to examine their values and attitudes towards life.

Revisiting Nature Brought New Self-Discovery

CHUI Yee Ching, Ashlynn （Chinese for Professional Purposes, Year 1）

Nature is always enchanting and powerful but we seldom make enough efforts to understand and appreciate it. Before the trip, I was more like a consumer of Nature - taking in the scenery and not giving it another thought. I was not aware that there could be a more profound relationship between nature and me. In the tour, our instructors once used a tiny leaf to show us a lot of tricks like blowing bubbles and making necklace. These small gestures had a huge impact on me. It dawned on me that my love for nature was shallow and empty and I should put my heart into knowing more about it. Also, in my discovery of nature, I also found a new me. I have learnt to strip off all the self-doubt and disguises, accepting who I truly am for the very first time.

A Lesson on Sustainable Living and Team Spirit

YEUNG Wing Man （Creative Communication, Year 1）

The most significant learning goals I have achieved in joining this tour are stepping out of my comfort zone and broadening my horizon. Hong Kong is, no doubt, a prosperous and international city; however, it is also cursed with serious pollution and a suffocating pace of life. Even though I had to wave goodbye to my familiar Hong Kong-style life – hot showers, flushed toilets and bug-free bedroom, a whole new world of sustainable and responsible living was opened to me in this tour. My stay at Green Camp and the visit to Green Village and Green School amazed me by the locals’ efforts and success in creating a truly environmentally-friendly life with nature.

Also, this tour provided me with an excellent chance to meet some of the kindest and most unique people – my teammates and the local instructors. Regardless of the language barrier, the seamless cooperation and perfect communication among us exceeded my expectations. We demonstrated effective teamwork in all of the tasks. This tour is one of the few things I will never regret doing.