As many of you know, I spent my spring break in Hong Kong as part of Penn State’s international reporting class. Deciding between going to Puerto Rico and Hong Kong was a tough decision, but ultimately I had to go with the one that would most benefit my career, and I have to say that I do not regret my choice.
Many people don’t realize how challenging reporting can be. Sometimes, stories are fairly cut and dry and things fall into place nicely. But most other times, you have to run around to get what you need to tell an accurate and compelling story. You have to ask people to talk with you on camera and try your best to make them know that they can trust you. You have about 30lbs of equipment that you carry around, hoping that something doesn’t malfunction while you’re in an interview. That’s just part of the daily grind — but add the fact that we’re now on the other side of the world, and that’s what we experienced this past week. 
Reporting in Hong Kong and Macau was one of the most challenging journalism experiences I have ever faced, and I’m happy to say that I overcame the challenge. Now the verdict is still out on just how compelling my story will be, but I came home with three interviews and enough footage to fill a newscast.
There are so many memories that I could talk about from the trip, but for this week I’ll start with just one: visiting public housing. Seeing the tiny apartments that so many Hong Kong residents live in had a tremendous impact on me. Below is what I wrote for our class’ blog, which is posted on commedia.psu.edu:
Earlier this week, a few of us visited Sui Wo Court, which is one of the public housing complexes in Kowloon. Dr. Zhong lived in an apartment complex near the public housing, so he was familiar with the area and took us there for story research.
Some of the giant apartment buildings in Kowloon.
The first thing I was struck by was the amount of apartment buildings that we passed on our way there. It seemed like there was an apartment complex of some sort everywhere I looked. It was hard to imagine the sheer number of people who all lived in Kowloon and Hong Kong.
The second thing that struck me was how massive the buildings were, yet how small the apartments seemed. Once we pulled up to Sui Wo Court, it was obvious that these apartments were, in fact, as small as they seemed.
A close-up look at the public housing buildings in Sui Wo Court.
Walking around the complex made me realize how fortunate I am and how much I take for granted. My apartment in State College would be a mansion for some of the people in Hong Kong, especially those living in public housing.
But the third thing that struck me was how happy all of the residents seemed. Even though they lived in incredibly crammed apartments, none of them seemed upset by it. Children were playing, nannies were socializing, and adults were reading the local newspaper. To them, this was normal; this was their everyday life.
A woman and her granddaughter play on Sui Wo Court’s playground.
A marketplace is also attached to the public housing complexes. This woman waits for customers to arrive.
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