2008 – Josephine Wing-chee Ng
M.A in Historical Archaeology of the Modern World
Studying abroad has always been my dream, a fascinating yet distant prospect. Thanks to the Bristol University Hong Kong Convocation, I am now able to walk along the slightly crooked Woodland Road on my school days.
Heritage conservation is a pressing issue in Hong Kong that continues to take second place to the demands of the property developers and the needs of an ever growing population whose expectations of their living environment rise continuously. Historical Archaeology, a discipline concerned with the archaeology of the contemporary past, is one of the latest developments in the field. It provides a new perspective to help us think about the challenges we face in a modern society to understand the meaning and significance of the cultural landscape of our city – which forms the basis of any conservation plan. The Historical Archaeology course offered by Bristol University provides me with an intensive training in archaeological and analytical research skills, emphasizing the consideration of the material remains in a global context. What’s more, the department organises various fieldtrips in different parts of Britain, which provides us with on-site training and exposure to the possibilities of historical archaeology. These are invaluable experiences that I will most certainly make good use of in my future conservation research projects in Hong Kong.
Life as a Bristolian is full of new experiences. One of my most important “achievements” is to discover that I actually love cooking. I am living with flatmates from China, Italy, Jordan, Turkey and the UK, and we have lots of cultural exchanges in our big kitchen – in terms of cooking and so much more! I have had an unforgettable birthday in Bristol, where I had a big feast at home with all my new friends – with a basket of home-made Hong Kong egg tarts and a cup of Turkish coffee to read my future! Besides this, the kitchen window in my flat is the best spot for seeing the sunset, I even started a little photography project to record the Bristol sunset through this window!