“Nothing should be taken for granted”
Although spending only a few days of time in this Hunan trip, the rewards I have taken away with me are life-long.  “Nothing should be  taken for granted.”  This is the fact which I believe most of us have probably been taught a thousand times since we were small.  However, to be honest, it is ever so hard to literally learn and understand this phrase in HK where luxuries and temptations are well scattered all around us.  It is  almost impossible to imagine how poor the conditions in which people are living can be unless experienced it first-hand ourselves.  I cannot guarantee I have fully understood this phrase after this trip, but at least I can tell I have learnt a lot of living attitudes from those students I met. 
I was one of the members who went for home visiting.  We visited three homes, guided by one of the locals.  While we were on the way between house to house by car, unspoiled greenery views rushed across the car windows.  The natural scenery in Hunan is fantastic and impressive whereas in HK, scenic places are all being bulldozed over  for building purposes.  Compared with the highly compact and high standard buildings in HK, houses in Hunan are far too old and simple.  We had to travel at least an hour to go from one house to another.  Each family has only got some basic necessaries in their homes and most of them are handmade.  They planted their own food to sustain their lives as well as their families.  Lives are tough for them but this has not brought them down.  Instead, they are quite cheerful and optimistic.  Throughout the interviews I took with the students, they all are simple-minded, sensitive, brilliant and thoughtful.  Moreover, I can see hope and faith in them when we came to discuss about their future.  They are all very keen on learning and hard working which made no wonder why they can achieve good results and high compliment from teachers.  I remembered I gave a small notebook to a little girl in year 10 before I left her home as she laid her eyes on it during the whole conversation.  It was not a brand new notebook; a few pages have already been torn away, however, she still treated as a precious present and appreciated it very much.  We both shared our living experiences, living habits as we have totally different cultures.  We had a really great time together, feeling like student exchange.       
We are now living in a competing and stressful city and this trip offered me such a good opportunity to go back to simple lives. 
Last but not least, I am very glad that I have the chance to know a lot of new friends in this trip which further broaden my social network.  I finally realize how much I have taken for granted from people around me and have learnt to cherish the chance to study.
By Agatha TO (20 years old)