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Egg Waffles, known in Cantonese as “雞蛋仔“， are the cherished childhood and traditional street food innovated by the Hong Kong locals. These waffles are distinguished by their unique bubble-shaped appearance, offering a savoury contrast between their crispy exterior and soft, chewy interior. The egg waffles first appeared in the 1950s as an economic solution to use unsellable cracked eggs, demonstrating the creative ingenuity that is a statement of Hong Kong’s street food culture.

As a third culture kid, possessing Chinese heritage yet immersed in a diverse cultural environment, egg waffles served as a cultural artefact linking and reminding me of my roots. This fusion of traditional ingredients and modern culinary practices reflects Hong Kong’s vibrant multiculturalism.

The experience of enjoying an egg waffle wasn’t merely about eating a sweet treat but rather an immersion in the surface culture of Hong Kong, where street food acts as a significant social anchor and tourist attraction, popping up in many must-try guides. The evolution of egg waffles mirrors the dynamic adaptability of Hong Kong’s culinary experience. While the traditional flavours stand on top, the emergence of variations like blending flavours into the egg recipes or adding ice creams and sweets captures the city’s openness, allowing tourists of any nationality to enjoy the traditional flavour with a twist, akin to their own taste buds.

For me, egg waffles evoke profound feelings of nostalgia and cultural connection. They transport me back to the afternoons after school, where the anticipation of enjoying this treat provided comfort and joy, relieving my stress. They symbolise my unique cultural journey as a third culture kid, embodying the insecurities of my heritage, the diverse environment of my upbringing, and the broader global context nurtured by my IB education. Through this perspective, egg waffles serve not only as a delightful culinary experiment but also as a rich cultural symbol of my cultural identity, linking deeply to my childhood and my everyday lifestyle culture.

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Red Packets are a significant tradition in Chinese culture, especially during the Lunar New Year. These bright red envelopes, usually containing money, symbolise good luck, prosperity, and protection from evil spirits. The red colour stands for happiness and energy, central to the festival's meaning. Beyond their festive look, red packers strengthen family bonds and uphold cultural values. Elders and married adults give them to children and unmarried relatives, showing care and respect to the younger generation.

Personally, receiving red packets reminds me of joyful family gatherings mixed with laughter and sounds of Mahjong pieces clashing, filled to the brim with warmth and connection. Many Chinese kids, myself included, save the money for future needs. The appreciation from my family feels like a gift of love, especially on important occasions in my life. Unfortunately, in our school environment, especially people who have a mixed Chinese nationality, miss the deeper meaning and see the red packets as a symbol of wealth. However, they shouldn’t underscore and miss the fact that every dollar symbolises every drop of sweat and tears they’ve worked for to love and support them. In summary, red packets represent more than financial gifts. They blend festive celebration with deep surface culture, expressing unity, love and respect across generations. Hong Kong’s societal values highlight the implications of multiculturalism and adaptability in an ever-evolving global hub that is our home.

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Windsurfing is a dynamic watersport that merges the thrill of surfing on waves with the control and mechanics of sailing. Originating from Newman Darby’s 1960s vision and popularised by Drake’s ‘Windsurfer' design model, it jumped to an Olympic sport in 1984. This swift evolution reflects societal norms of technological progression and media-driven spread of information, which helps the growth of modern fusion for more exotic sports like windsurfing or windfoiling.

As a Hong Kong IQ Foil windsurfing athlete, I view this cultural artefact as something that can intertwine the surface culture and the deep culture of Hong Kong's image. It is a vibrant element of Hong Kong’s coastal sports scene, embodying the city’s rich maritime heritage and spirited dynamism. Significantly, Windsurfing brought Hong Kong’s first Olympic gold medal, symbolising national pride as an athlete of the sport and bringing confidence to athletes who take on this sport. On a deeper level, it reflects the resilience of the person withstanding the wind and waves, harmony with nature and perseverance, connecting with the core values of the Hong Kong cultural identity representation.

Windsurfing connects me to my roots to the Hong Kong seaside and identity as an athlete of the sport, growing up in this coastal city where the sea felt like an extension of home. Stepping onto the board for the first time, I was captivated by the seamless flow of wind nd waves, sparking a passion that shaped my ambitions and goals for the future. The sport challenges me to embrace uncertainty and adapt, and has shaped the person I am today.

The sport bridges individualism and collectivism, demanding personal skill while fostering a supportive community of enthusiasts eager to help each other learn and grow. This connection highlights the importance of the sport to the Hong Kong community, from bringing home the gold medal to continuing with the handover to the new generation, introducing changes to designs and strategic fields of the exciting sport.

In conclusion, windsurfing transcends being a mere sport; it is a cultural narrative that was woven from the connection of two ideologies of sports, embodying adaptability and innovation. As a cultural artefact representing my own culture, it symbolises the blend of modern ideas and traditional older ones, symbolising personal ambition sparked by the love of two sports, the heritage of our nation and a rightful belonging in the global sports community.

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Dogs play a vital role in both surface culture and deep culture worldwide, symbolising loyalty, protection, and companionship. In surface culture, dogs are seen in various societal roles, from beloved family pets to aiding in police and rescue operations. On a deeper level, dogs represent elements like trust and emotional support, emphasising the beliefs and feelings that reveal the strong bonds between humans and animals. In Eastern culture, dogs have been revered for their protective qualities and are often associated with good fortune. According to the 2019 White Paper on China's Pet Industry, China's dog population exceeded 99 million, highlighting their significant presence in Chinese households. In surface culture, dogs are seen in various societal roles, from beloved family pets to aiding in police and rescue operations. Furthermore, the Chinese believe that dogs are loyal guardians, usually kept in the house to ward off evil spirits. Similarly, the East take on a softer approach with dogs being seen as family, associating them with protection and good fortune, expressing collective values with household pets instead of animals that are treated as productive tools, secondary to us humans.

Dogs are domesticated mammals descended from the grey wolf species. They are among the earliest domesticated animals, dating to 14,000 to 29,000 years ago in northern Eurasia(Europe and Asia before separation due to the movement of tectonic plates). The domestication process occurred in many regions and gradually helped dogs adapt to human environments by scavenging near hunter-gatherer campsites. Dogs have played crucial roles throughout our history, initially as hunting companions, helpers in herding livestock, then around 7000, 9000 years ago, being integrated as social companions in many cultures, starting in ancient Egypt, and in some cases even worshipped, being associated with divine qualities and owned by royalty.

Growing up, I treated my dogs like siblings, which shaped my view of what family truly means. This "artefact" symbolises the family culture I was raised with alongside the more Western values developed from school and marks the origin of my deep love for animals. My dogs have taught me responsibility, compassion, and what it means to build genuine bonds. One memory that stands out is when I thought my dogs loved my mom more than me, but I eventually realised that love must be earned through time and effort. I wish more people understood that animals deserve to be treated as beloved members of the family, not just pets for show.

In conclusion, dogs serve as a cultural artefact close to my heart, embodying the principles of loyalty, companionship, and care across different cultural contexts. Their presence highlights the importance of both visible and hidden aspects of culture, resonating with values of family and the universal dialogue of love across species. Dogs, therefore, exemplify a profound connection within the framework of cultural values, navigating the intersections of identity, society, and emotional well-being.

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At RCHK, I take the IB program that fuses Western educational philosophies and style with Hong Kong’s culture, influencing the projects provided. This curriculum in our school emphasises critical thinking, global awareness and understanding of other cultures, reflecting ideals of collectivism for many group projects and freedom of academic of the form of many different activities.

The IB program fosters the habit of inquiry and openness to ideas, on the surface looking similar to other schools with high scores and a false view of a study-only structured school, but deeper, it values the teaching of life skills and techniques required for future use. As a student attending here, I experience a blend of different ideas where many topics are subjective, and I can have more personal exploration and also collaborative learning with more openness. Western influences on my values encourage my adaptability and critical thinking. RCHK stands as a cultural artefact that has shaped my thoughts and feelings towards things on a daily basis that I might think differently if I weren't exposed to Western teachings. It synthesises Western principles with the local culture, providing a space for students to build a sense of belonging to the local place while navigating global contexts.

In summary, the IB framework goes beyond traditional Hong Kong test-driven education. Integrating personal and societal values, fostering the adaptability of individuals to many topics and styles, innovative thinking and a community learning system, allowing a school with many nationalities to embrace multiculturalism. The journey equips me to contribute meaningfully to both my community and the wider world

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Conflicting Culture: Scoring Expectation’s in Asian Households to a Third Culture Kid attending a IB School. 

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Conflicting Culture: Scoring Expectation’s in Asian Households to a Third Culture Kid attending a IB School. 

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As a Third Culture Kid, I constantly try to balance the cultural expectations of my Asian heritage with the education provided in my IB-centred school. This dynamic causes a lot of external pressure where I get burnt out in studying to receive affirmation, but also my school time gets affected due to the tired state I am in.

In my family, traditional Asian educational norms are deeply ingrained. My parents, brought up in local Chinese schools, are accustomed to straightforward grading, typically based on scores out of a hundred or letter grades like A, B and C. For them, academic success was taught as a qualitative measure, equating high grades with respect and status in a collectivist community.

In contrast, the RCHK’s approach, rooted in multicultural and individualist perspectives, challenges these traditional values. IB grades, capped at 8, emphasise critical thinking, inquiry, and reflection in the form of different forms of assessments for each criterion. It assesses a student’s ability to analyse and innovate, valuing long-term development over immediate results. Despite explaining that a 7 can signify an already excellent score, my parents often view it with scepticism, underscoring deep cultural beliefs.

This mismatch extends beyond academic performance, affecting my mental well-being. High expectations at home, focused on quantifiable success, can lead to stress and anxiety. The regular phrase heard even after getting an impressive score, “This is what separates excellence and the average”, creates pressure that detracts from the holistic development endorsed by the IB curriculum. The IB values personal growth and emotional health, and my parents' alternate focus leads to cultural friction and frustration, followed by a subconscious pressure to work nonstop to receive praise.

Understanding my parents’ perspective, rooted in deep-seated values, is equally important as them understanding from what I’ve learnt about expectations. By presenting IB’s holistic approach as a path towards long-term development and well-being, I want to foster an appreciation for the IB’s philosophy, demonstrating that personal growth and emotional well-being are as crucial as academic excellence. The understanding of high grading is equal to a higher successful income, yet the value misses the ungraded factors of this real-life application. The local school framework doesn't grade things like critical thinking, creative thinking, and communication skills, which are the real aspects that push you to success. I wish for them to understand it’s not the grade that counts, it’s the hard work put behind the number.

Ultimately, my journey involves trying to balance these conflicting ideals by integrating my heritage’s rigorous expectations with the IB’s inquiry-based approach. This effort extends beyond academic success to include thriving in a deep multicultural environment, blending surface and deep cultures to nurture academic potential and taking care of my well-being. Embracing these diverse elements allows me to navigate my own path resiliently, celebrating my unique cultural identity as a TCK.

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Hong Kong Egglet Delivery. (3/6/2024). From Hong Kong streets to Singapore eats: The journey of the egg waffle.

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