Sean Todd’s recent exchange trip to the Jiading district of Shanghai was about building connections and learning about different cultures.
The Waihī College year 12 student attended the 2024 Jiading International Youth Friendship Camp in July.
He told The Profile the most significant part of his trip was “just seeing how different life was for other people”.
“It was incredible to see their way of life and how it compared to what we do here in New Zealand,” he said.
Sean wasn’t expecting to go to China until a week before his departure date.
Sean’s trip was funded by the Hauraki District Council Sister Cities fund.
The camp is part of the Sister City relationship between Hauraki District Council and the Jiading District.
“It is because of them that I got this opportunity to go.”
Sean said he was able to learn some basic greetings before he left the country.
“Being there gave me an opportunity to learn some new words and phrases that I could use while over there.”
He said that learning about other cultures “helps us understand” and connect with others better.
“It opens our minds to new ideas, and improves how we communicate with different people.”
It “helps us see the world” from different perspectives, he said.
Sean was part of a group of students from Germany, Japan, Korea and New Zealand.
“On the first day, we had an introduction ceremony where we all came up and spoke about ourselves and where we were from.”
Sean said it was cool being able to tell everyone about Waihī, the history of the town, the gold mining, and also things he liked to do for fun.
He “stayed connected” to friends he made on the trip as they ended up creating a group chat to keep up with one another, he said.
One important thing Sean said he learnt in Jiading was “being open to trying new things”.
“Every single day I had to push my boundaries, commonly in the form [of] new foods such as jellyfish or liver with a jelly coating.”
If Sean had the opportunity to go back again, he said he would be interested in learning more of the traditional crafts and activities.
“I really enjoyed learning about the traditional metalworking and also the grass weaving.”
Sean said he would tell any students who wanted to be involved in the exchange to “really look around” and appreciate everything you see or try.
“It really is a unique experience that you may never get to have again.”
