exploring OUTLOOK

exploringOUTLOOK

Grant Huyghe immersed himself in a new world of protests and overseas internships in Hong Kong.

by elizabeth yu

raving an enriching experience, Grant Huyghe ‘20 took a leap across the Pacific Ocean last summer, immersing himself in the unfamiliar world of Hong Kong. Once he became an intern at Mayer Brown, an international law firm, everything about his daily routine changed. His morning commute on Hong Kong’s MTR train displayed Hong Kong’s organization, cleanliness and quietness. The locals remained silent, either reading a book, napping or listening to music. At first the silence was uncomfortable, but eventually Huyghe appreciated his quiet train rides as he adapted to his new environment. From third to fifth grade, Huyghe lived in Hong Kong where his father worked in construction. After classes finished at his French international school, he hiked up mountains with friends and took taxis without his parents. When he returned to Hong Kong, he did it all over again. “It was kind of like reliving my childhood freedom, being able to go wherever I wanted on the buses and the trains and the taxis whenever I felt like it,” Huyghe said. “I think the freedom was mostly the same.” Standing on top of mountain peaks, he viewed the entire city and wandered down to the harbor to see light shows at night. He visited open air markets. Unlike indoor grocery stores, massive fish tanks filled open air markets. Customers chose which fish they wanted, and stall keepers killed and prepared the fish to ensure it was fresh. “I tried to find areas that I thought were interesting, and I would go whenever I wasn’t at my internship,” Huyghe said. Although he enjoyed exploring the city, Huyghe realized this time around that there was more to the Hong Kong of his childhood. As a child, he stayed on Hong Kong Island, a nice, upscale area. He never saw the mainland until last summer. “It’s all buildings jammed together,” Huyghe said. “I had never seen that before because when I was younger, I didn’t care or pay attention. I was just living my childhood and having fun all the time.” When Huyghe returned to Hong Kong this time, he looked at colleges and explored possible career options. He wanted to learn how to be independent. Huyghe had searched for an internship that would provide opportunities to push him out of his comfort zone, and that is exactly what he got. Instead of shuffling through papers in an office on his first day, he took a forty-five minute train ride to the court house. “I got to sit through a proceeding where they were arguing about the safety of one of the MTR stations,” Huyghe said. “It was pretty fun but also very hectic for my first day at an internship.” Wearing a translator headset, Huyghe sat in the courtroom for over five hours, listening to lawyers switch between English, Cantonese and Mandarin as they spoke to construction workers.

On other days, along with the other interns, Huyghe worked in an people were questioning the protests and whether it was a good office and attended meetings to take notes. People working in various idea,” Huyghe said. “I didn’t really want to have an opinion on the departments dropped by with assignments focused on organization protests because it’s not my place.” and converting files. Even though Huyghe had lived in Hong Kong, he acknowledged “It wasn’t the most interesting office work, but I valued the that he was a visitor and a guest. experience of getting to work with them,” Huyghe said. “I got more “Being a guest in a country, you need to behave as a guest with of the feel of the office and cultural etiquette,” Director of International how the law firm functioned. and Global Connections Mr. Stéphane I learned what it takes to Allagnon said. “It could be difficult to stay maintain a job.” if you do not agree with the political views Since the law firm was of the country you want to study in.” positioned above a mall, Since Huyghe was a visitor, the Hong Huyghe usually visited the Kong police and protesters paid him little food court for lunch. At the attention. While witnessing the protests on end of the day, he headed back the street, Huyghe did not see any conflicts to his Airbnb. However, there between the protests and police. was always a chance he would “The police were definitely there, like be stuck in the law firm––and on bridges, but no one was stopping the not just because of long work protesters,” Huyghe said. “They let them do hours. what they wanted, especially in the peaceful “I remember them saying areas. Instead, there were more police in the you can’t leave right now areas where there was more violence, like because there are protesters around government buildings.” outside, but it was usually For Huyghe, the protests were no longer during the middle of the day,” distant news from Huyghe said. “By the time I across the Pacific. was supposed to leave, it had They were real and already died down.” happening around Before he arrived in Hong him. Not only did Kong, Huyghe knew little Huyghe reflect on this about the protests occurring cultural experience, there. Though the news sometimes covered the unrest, it was an issue but he also reflected across the ocean that did not affect his everyday life. on his time at the law “I didn’t really know how big it was going to be,” Huyghe said. firm. “Full streets shut down.” “I went in thinking The Hong Kong protests revolved around proposed changes I wanted to do law, in extradition laws in a bill proposed in China. The bill stated that and I came out if someone committed a crime in China and fled to Hong Kong, not wanting to do the Chinese government could go to Hong Kong and arrest them. law at all,” Huyghe Hong Kong had been a safe haven for anyone who antagonized the said. “I wasn’t fully Chinese government, especially those who advocated for free speech interested, but also on the mainland, and this bill would change that. the environment of “The concern is that people with different political ideas might be the law firm was very punished by Chinese law,” Chinese teacher Ms. Sherry Cheng said. serious. It wasn’t me. Although the causes for the It helped define what protests were complicated and I wanted to study and people supported the protests what I didn’t.” for various reasons, many people in Hong Kong rallied “I took a risk, and this was one of the Even though Huyghe no longer wanted to go together. “It was cool to witness greatest experiences I’ve had.” into law, he still learned from his internship and everyone gather for a common cause,” Huyghe said. Grant Huyghe planned on majoring in international studies and “Everyone was very helpful doing another overseas and caring towards one internship in college. another. For example, they “I took a risk, and had stations under bridges to hand out water to the protesters.” this was one of the greatest experiences I’ve had,” Huyghe said. The Hong Kong protests were part of the conversation at his “Don’t be afraid to go somewhere different, scary or new. Learning workplace, but most people focused on their work. to rely on myself was the most valuable thing I learned from this “Although most people at work supported the protests, a few internship.”