Stuff.co.nz – SAHIBAN KANWAL
“China is far more relevant to New Zealand than he imagined, former Timaru resident Sam Brosnahan is learning. Brosnahan, the head boy of Mountainview High School in 2012, is on an exchange for one semester (August to next month) at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics…Since arriving in Shanghai, Brosnahan has had a chance to learn a thing or two. “The world doesn’t revolve around English the way it does back home. The differences in culture are also striking: the food, language, people, air quality and the driving habits…”This time last year, I truly thought this whole experience was simply going to be for me to improve my Mandarin. And, although my conversational Chinese has definitely been on the up, first and foremost this exchange has given me a glimpse into the way China lives, works and breathes. “I’ve learned that the opportunities China presents to us are endless.”…His tip for success for young people is to find opportunities, then take them. “Don’t just sit back waiting for things to happen.”(more)