Jack Read - My unexpected extended stay in Hong Kong!

I think staying behind in Hong Kong with Amy whilst she recovered in hospital was a very eye-opening experience for me.

Firstly, I was taken by surprise with how developed the healthcare system in HK was. The doctors were very attentive to Amy, as well as other patients on the ward, and there were no signs of hospital overcrowding, with each patient receiving a high quality of care. This allowed me to rest easy as I knew that Amy was in safe hands.

The experience really improved my independence, as while Amy recovered in hospital, I was essentially in Hong Kong on my own. This was quite nerve wracking at first as HK is such a busy and diverse place, so being on my own for a couple of days allowed me to test myself in an unfamiliar environment and really helped to improve my confidence. I was humbled by how welcoming and helpful the locals were, and I had previously made friends with some of the HKU students during the program, so I felt comfortable approaching people if I needed help with anything.

When Amy was discharged, there was still a lot of things to be sorted before we could fly home. I spent a lot of time on the phone to the insurance company trying to arrange for the medical bill to be paid, as well as extending our hotel stay, and finally booking flights home. This could sometimes be quite stressful due to the time zone difference but Amy and I remained in high spirits throughout. I had never dealt with things such as flight bookings or hotel reservations before so this experience has certainly helped me with my organisation and communication skills. Claire kept in close contact with Amy and I to make sure everything was okay, which was reassuring as being in a foreign country under these circumstances was quite daunting at times!

When Amy was feeling well again, we were able to make the most of the extra couple of days we had in Hong Kong! I acted as somewhat of a tour guide as I had already experienced a lot of what Hong Kong had to offer by this point. Amy is a keen shopper so I knew some of the shopping hot-spots to take her to, as well as the best places to eat! By this point I was very familiar with the local area, as well as tourist destinations, which we made the most of. We visited a nice rooftop bar to have a drink in celebration of our Hong Kong experience before we flew home!

Overall, I believe that the experience was a challenging but equally rewarding one. I have huge respect for Amy for how she dealt with the situation. Being admitted to hospital in a foreign county can’t be an easy experience and I was very impressed with her maturity and ability to remain calm under the circumstances. The experience also taught me a lot about myself. I learned that I am much much confident than I initially thought. Having only ever travelled in large groups previously, I believe that this experience has improved my ability to deal with stressful situations independently, and has seen my communication and organisational skills improve as a result.

Ultimately, me and Amy were thrilled to be returning home in one piece and would like to thank all those involved in making sure we were well looked-after. Hopefully, Amy’s next visit to Hong Kong will be a lot smoother!

- Jack