Susana So

National Day Celebration of Mexico with all the Spanish Lecturers.

Majoring in Spanish in HKU brought miracles to my life. In the process of acquiring Spanish up until now, my horizons were broadened, my social circles were extended globally and my career pathway became extraordinary.

Learning Spanish is not just about being able to speak the language, it opened a grand door into the Hispanic world. Lecturers showed and guided me to speak and enjoy Spanish and its culture. On top of lectures and tutorials, there were plenty of activities which greatly facilitated my Spanish acquisition experience in HKU. One of the most unforgettable memories was the Hispanic month; we danced flamenco; tasted Spanish food; enjoyed Hispanic music & culture, etc. There were abundant activities outside the campus which allowed you to practise what you had learnt in campus and apply it to your daily life. Because of Spanish, I made dear friends from all over the world and we practiced Spanish in Hong Kong all the time. What is more, there is a summer course which will further enhance your Spanish experience by immersing yourself in a Spanish speaking country. Mine was in 2008, and I fell in love with Spain. It was absolutely a different experience in Spain because I spoke the language.

Spanish Meetup: Tortilla & Sangria Competition 2013

Apart from my experience in Spain and on campus, learning Spanish led me to a new level of unique experiences in my career life. I was lucky to join the Consulate General of Mexico as an intern through the internship programme. I really enjoyed exploring Latin American Culture there. Two years after my graduation, I joined the Consulate as the Executive Assistant to the Consul General. Numerous valuable experiences were gained there. Can you ever imagine assisting a President and other officials’ visits to Hong Kong? It was also an absolutely stunning opportunity to work with artists, musicians, chefs from a Spanish Speaking country. After working with the Foreign Affairs department, I was glad to have the chance to serve the Secretariat of Economy of Mexico for a short period of time. There, again, I gained wonderful experiences and learnt loads regarding the economic situation in Hong Kong, China and Mexico.

Celebrating Chinese New Year with international friends I met via Spanish Meetup.

All these lovely experiences started from the moment I selected Spanish Language and Culture 1, and surprises came all the time. I only hope you can be as fortunate as me and enjoy wonderful experiences. Welcome to the Spanish world!