Living in Shanghai has given me a wider scope of the world, and has allowed me to integrate with the people and learn more about their rich culture firsthand. Over the years I have grown to love Shanghai and all its quirks, and although leaving China was painful and terrifying, I know I am very lucky to be able to experience the world at such a young age. In the fall of 2014 I joined sixth form in the Royal Masonic School for Girls in Rickmansworth, and this chapter of my life has made me more independent and confident as a young adult. The idea of living thousands of miles away from home was inconceivable to me, but I learned to love my independence as it allowed me to grow and mature on my own. I was a frequent traveller before coming to England, but actually living here for an extended time has made me appreciate its completely different culture and …show more content…
I began to take an interest in football at the age of eleven and joined the school team in the autumn of 2009. For five years I played on defense as well as making friends with the older girls who’ve been on the team longer than I have and new girls who join every year. Although we weren’t the best team comparing with the other schools, we always had fun during tournaments and never failed to show good sportsmanship. Playing football and being part of my school team helped me develop my leadership skills as well as working as a group. In the first year or two I’d get upset that we wouldn’t win every game, but as I grew up I realized that having fun and playing the sport I loved was far more important than winning. Another hobby of mine is photography, and in 2013 I joined my school’s Photography Club, where my techniques and skills greatly developed. I learned a lot about the different types of cameras and how I should capture the best shot possible, and as a club we’d go on “photo walks” on the weekends and capture every crevice of Shanghai. I had enjoyed my first year in Photography club so much that I decided to run for Secretary of the club the following year. I was elected because of my organised and tidy persona, and I enjoyed another great year discovering my artistic and creative side. Cookies for Kenya was another club that I really enjoyed, because it combined my love for baking with my