Bulletin Spring‧Summer 2004

Music and the Georgetown Experience Though outwardly very active, Si Yu describes herself as a 'quiet type' who seeks t r a n q u i l i ty in Dv o r á k, S i b e l i us a nd Tchaikovsky, besides reading, writing, and cinema. A skilled violinist, she has been a member of the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra since 1997. During her year abroad at Georgetown University, she played Mahler and Beethoven with the Geo r ge t own University Orchestra and intends to pursue her musical interest at Oxford if the opportunity is available. While at Georgetown, she also taught Afro-American kindergarten kids basic economic concepts and helped build houses for the underprivileged in North Carolina on a charity programme. The experiences exposed her to an entirely different world. 'During the ride from Washington D.C. to the South, we noticed the change in accent. Even the music was different. I had never known there was something called Blue Grass. It was eye-opening in far more ways than one,' she remarked. US: As an exchange student at Georgetown University A World Citizen Overseas experience has made Si Yu aware that she lives in the global village. Now she reads The Economist, The New Yorker, and The New York Times, apart from local papers and magazines. Her area of study at Georgetown, international relations, was also a determining factor in her choice of programme at Oxford. 'Philosophy, politics and economics is a broad discipline. I believe it will equip me for a career a a translator, which is about the bridging of language and cultural gaps to bring about a more understanding and tolerant world,' she said, adding that ultimately, however she would like to work in Hong Kong as this is her home. 4 0 Chinese University Bulletin Spring • Summer 2004