I would like to thank Macau Polytechnic Institute for providing me the opportunity to study abroad and enrich my summer holiday this year. It has been unforgettable and meaningful to join the MPP Global Professionals Program in Monash College for three weeks. This was a fantastic, memorable and exciting trip from 31 July to 21August.This trip has not only improved my English communication skills but broadened my horizons, I also understand more about Australian culture and the difference between Macau and Melbourne.

The Program provided home stay families as accommodation to let oversea students adapt to an English speaking environment and improve their English communication. Also, it provided students an opportunity to become familiar with the history and culture of Australia. I stayed with a single woman who is vegetarian and eats rice with her hands. That was very interesting. We had long chats and a lot of fun. It was the first time I spent a long time to talk to foreigners in English. The beef in Australia is cheap but tasty and unforgettable. I also tried to cook dumplings to introduce Chinese food to the host mother. It was a wonderful home stay experience.

We had lessons with students from Japan in the second and third week. They were friendly and nice. We did projects, presentations and discussions together and shared our own culture. We built up unbreakable friendships with each other and gained better understanding of our cultural difference. In the program, I learnt small talk, presentation skills and pronunciation, etc, which was extremely helpful for non-language major students like me. After the program, I found that my English communication and listening skills have made a good progress. It is a great encouragement to prepare for my IELTS test. Monash College also provided us with a chance to visit some local companies. I visited the Port of Melbourne, an international company, which is in charge of the largest import and export trade in Australia. I was very happy to learn how to manage and operate a large company and their company culture. It was very different from Macau’s. The staff enjoys much flexibility in many aspects, such as what they wear to work, and they just work about 36 hours a week!

I think Melbourne is a good place to live in. Because of the comfortable environment, convenient public transportation system and friendly culture, I think Melbourne must be one of the most livable cities in the world. The cost of living there is almost the same as Macau’s. There are not many high buildings in the city center. We can listen to the birds singing around the city. The facilities and services for sightseeing are user-friendly. The public transportation is always on time. I think the only bad aspect in Melbourne was the frequent weather change. In Melbourne, you basically experience four seasons in one day. Still, I’d love to like in Melbourne.

Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to Macau Polytechnic Institute and Monash College for organizing this Overseas Study Program. In addition to improving my English proficiency, the Program has enriched my college life and experience. It has marked a perfect end to my summer holiday in 2016.