Letters from the dorm: Quality of life is so important

I was honoured to be selected as a youth delegate from Hong Kong under the scheme organised by the Home Affairs Bureau and the Commission on Youth.

It gave me a precious opportunity to broaden my horizons and get to know more about Ireland. It is a lovely country with very helpful and friendly people. I saw some remarkable places, learned a lot about Irish culture and got involved in the community.

During my eight-day trip, I was fascinated by the lifestyle of the Irish people. In Hong Kong, people put too much emphasis on work and have to live under a lot of pressure. It's a slower pace of life in Ireland and they lead a very simple life, which is what I want to experience in my life.

The most impressive part of my trip was a meeting with John Buttimer, the lord mayor of the city of Cork in the southwest of Ireland. When I was in his office, I felt privileged as it was a valuable opportunity for me to interact with the chairman of Cork City Council.

Delegates were able to ask him about Ireland's education system, the environment and architecture. Through the Q&A sessions, we all got a better understanding of Ireland and its traditions.

During the trip, I was also able to spend some time hiking to see some of the scenery of Ireland. This included a trip to Torc waterfall in Killarney National Park.

I was really captivated by Irish culture and dance. I was taught how to do some of the Irish traditional dances and this was really exciting and entertaining. Dancing with the Irish youth delegates was a good way to improve communication and form friendships.

I was glad to be one of the Hong Kong representatives and to have the chance to visit Ireland.

After the trip, I really appreciated the Irish people's attitude towards life. People in Ireland want quality, not quantity, in life.

I hope I can have a quality life because that's rare in Hong Kong.