Fortrose may be a small town, to some it possibly will be seen as isolated, but unknown to many, Fortrose has connections across the globe. People have moved to Scotland from as far away as Asia and South America. Even in the school many pupils have moved from other nations.
We interviewed two pupils who moved from other countries asking them to compare Scotland and where they last lived. We asked about things they miss, new school subjects, weather and additional questions.
The first pupil we interviewed was Jessica Young who moved from Hong Kong, China last year.
Why did your family decide to move to Scotland?
My dad wanted to, because he spent 22 years in Hong Kong, so he wants to have a change and see what happens.
What do you miss most about Hong Kong?
I miss a lot of my friends, but mostly the business of the city and my little cousin, Sophie.
What do you like in Scotland?
I like that there’s a lot more space in all of the social areas. We didn’t have that in Hong Kong. And also the fresh air around here. In Hong Kong most of the air is polluted.
Did you have any family in Scotland before you moved?
Yes, I do, my grandpa and my aunt live here.
When did you move here?
I moved around the 1st of August, 2014.
What are the biggest differences between Scotland and Hong Kong?
Well… the schools are very different, because there’s a lot of extra space in this school, but the local schools in Hong Kong are quite small. The school I had before was about half the size of Fortrose Academy. And in Hong Kong, there are lots of tall buildings, but here, there are none.
Do you have any subjects here that you didn’t have in Hong Kong?
Well… My secondary school on Hong Kong was a Buddhist School, so we had Buddhist Education, but not like here, you get RE learning about lots of different religions. In Hong Kong, there’s no French, but instead, we had Mandarin. Also, in Hong Kong, there’s no Tech and business studies, but we had two kinds of computer lessons, there’s Computer Literacy and Computer Application. In C.L., we learn the basic use of computers, but in CA, we learn how to make models, creating websites…
Do you plan to visit Hong Kong? Have you already gone back since moving?
I’ve been back in the October Holidays, and I’m going back to visit Hong Kong again in Easter and Summer Holidays.
What are the weather differences?
Here in Fortrose, there’s a lot of snow in the winter times, but in Hong Kong, you don’t get snow. In Hong Kong, there’s a lot more rain, and typhoons are a lot more common.
What part of Hong Kong did you live in? The city or the countryside?
HK is like a really big city. You have shopping centres everywhere, and you only get countryside in the edges of the country. Not like Fortrose, you get towns and countryside all over the place.
If you had to pick a country which one would you pick?
It’s really hard say because I have a lot of relatives here and in Hong Kong. And I love my friends here and there too and I really like the environment both here and there. So it is impossible to choose between them.
Was there another language spoken in Hong Kong?
In HK, the main language is Cantonese, but the main language in China is Mandarin. I can speak both languages fluently. Hello in Cantonese and Mandarin is 您好( ni hao), the characters are the same but it is pronounced differently.
Thank you for your time!
We interviewed Lewis MacPhail who moved from California, roughly two years ago, to compare the differences between America, China and Scotland.
Why did your family decide to move to Scotland?
My family moved to Scotland because most of my family lives here and my brother is going to Glasgow university and we wanted to be close to him.
What do you miss about California?
Mainly the weather because in California the sky was always clear and usually sunny but here sometimes it’s dull and grey. It is fine but is very different.
What do you love about Scotland?
I really love Scotland and I think it may be because I’ve been living in California all my life, so coming to Scotland it is like a whole new place. Even the people are really nice to each other. Some of the buildings are different too. It is nice to live in a new place.
What are the main differences you have noticed?
Actually I’m not too sure, I haven’t really noticed… The school education is quite different here in Scotland, the teachers try to push you and want to help you to do well in class. In the States, they do that as well, but I feel like here, they push you to achieve a certain subject.
What are the different subjects between Fortrose Academy and your old school?
In my old school, we didn’t have Tech, we did have art but only around once a month which is quite weird… We did have science but the way we did it was quite different from the way we do it here. We only had PE once every week.
Do you plan to go back or have you already gone back to California?
I actually went back last summer to visit my dad and my two brothers and sisters and my stepmom are over in California and I hope to go back again this summer.
Where about did you live in California? In the countryside or the city?
No, actually, I lived in up a valley in a small town called Callister.
Which country do you prefer if you had to choose?
Well… I think I will choose Scotland, because being here, I feel like I’m at home, but even though I was born in California, I still think that my family should’ve moved here.
What about in the future? Do you want to move back to California or stay here in Fortrose?
In the future, I might not move back to California, maybe just visiting but not staying…
Are there any differences that changed your life?
I think definitely the school was different coming here because of the uniform. But I think the biggest change of my life style is in Scotland. Sometimes it’s too wet to go outside or there’s snow, so you want to stay home and keep warm, but in California, every day I could go out. I mean it’s possible to go outside every day, even it could be really hot outside, but you can deal with it.
What are the differences of the houses you lived in?
In the States, I had a smaller house, and there weren’t 2 levels, and now I live in the Tulloch Homes in the North Kessock.
Thank you for your time!
Overall Scotland has such a diverse mix of residents and even affects small places like Fortrose. It is fascinating to compare life in far off places and life in our town.
Thank you for reading our article.
The first pupil we interviewed was Jessica Young who moved from Hong Kong, China last year.
Why did your family decide to move to Scotland?
My dad wanted to, because he spent 22 years in Hong Kong, so he wants to have a change and see what happens.
What do you miss most about Hong Kong?
I miss a lot of my friends, but mostly the business of the city and my little cousin, Sophie.
What do you like in Scotland?
I like that there’s a lot more space in all of the social areas. We didn’t have that in Hong Kong. And also the fresh air around here. In Hong Kong most of the air is polluted.
Did you have any family in Scotland before you moved?
Yes, I do, my grandpa and my aunt live here.
When did you move here?
I moved around the 1st of August, 2014.
What are the biggest differences between Scotland and Hong Kong?
Well… the schools are very different, because there’s a lot of extra space in this school, but the local schools in Hong Kong are quite small. The school I had before was about half the size of Fortrose Academy. And in Hong Kong, there are lots of tall buildings, but here, there are none.
Do you have any subjects here that you didn’t have in Hong Kong?
Well… My secondary school on Hong Kong was a Buddhist School, so we had Buddhist Education, but not like here, you get RE learning about lots of different religions. In Hong Kong, there’s no French, but instead, we had Mandarin. Also, in Hong Kong, there’s no Tech and business studies, but we had two kinds of computer lessons, there’s Computer Literacy and Computer Application. In C.L., we learn the basic use of computers, but in CA, we learn how to make models, creating websites…
Do you plan to visit Hong Kong? Have you already gone back since moving?
I’ve been back in the October Holidays, and I’m going back to visit Hong Kong again in Easter and Summer Holidays.
What are the weather differences?
Here in Fortrose, there’s a lot of snow in the winter times, but in Hong Kong, you don’t get snow. In Hong Kong, there’s a lot more rain, and typhoons are a lot more common.
What part of Hong Kong did you live in? The city or the countryside?
HK is like a really big city. You have shopping centres everywhere, and you only get countryside in the edges of the country. Not like Fortrose, you get towns and countryside all over the place.
If you had to pick a country which one would you pick?
It’s really hard say because I have a lot of relatives here and in Hong Kong. And I love my friends here and there too and I really like the environment both here and there. So it is impossible to choose between them.
Was there another language spoken in Hong Kong?
In HK, the main language is Cantonese, but the main language in China is Mandarin. I can speak both languages fluently. Hello in Cantonese and Mandarin is 您好( ni hao), the characters are the same but it is pronounced differently.
Thank you for your time!
We interviewed Lewis MacPhail who moved from California, roughly two years ago, to compare the differences between America, China and Scotland.
Why did your family decide to move to Scotland?
My family moved to Scotland because most of my family lives here and my brother is going to Glasgow university and we wanted to be close to him.
What do you miss about California?
Mainly the weather because in California the sky was always clear and usually sunny but here sometimes it’s dull and grey. It is fine but is very different.
What do you love about Scotland?
I really love Scotland and I think it may be because I’ve been living in California all my life, so coming to Scotland it is like a whole new place. Even the people are really nice to each other. Some of the buildings are different too. It is nice to live in a new place.
What are the main differences you have noticed?
Actually I’m not too sure, I haven’t really noticed… The school education is quite different here in Scotland, the teachers try to push you and want to help you to do well in class. In the States, they do that as well, but I feel like here, they push you to achieve a certain subject.
What are the different subjects between Fortrose Academy and your old school?
In my old school, we didn’t have Tech, we did have art but only around once a month which is quite weird… We did have science but the way we did it was quite different from the way we do it here. We only had PE once every week.
Do you plan to go back or have you already gone back to California?
I actually went back last summer to visit my dad and my two brothers and sisters and my stepmom are over in California and I hope to go back again this summer.
Where about did you live in California? In the countryside or the city?
No, actually, I lived in up a valley in a small town called Callister.
Which country do you prefer if you had to choose?
Well… I think I will choose Scotland, because being here, I feel like I’m at home, but even though I was born in California, I still think that my family should’ve moved here.
What about in the future? Do you want to move back to California or stay here in Fortrose?
In the future, I might not move back to California, maybe just visiting but not staying…
Are there any differences that changed your life?
I think definitely the school was different coming here because of the uniform. But I think the biggest change of my life style is in Scotland. Sometimes it’s too wet to go outside or there’s snow, so you want to stay home and keep warm, but in California, every day I could go out. I mean it’s possible to go outside every day, even it could be really hot outside, but you can deal with it.
What are the differences of the houses you lived in?
In the States, I had a smaller house, and there weren’t 2 levels, and now I live in the Tulloch Homes in the North Kessock.
Thank you for your time!
Overall Scotland has such a diverse mix of residents and even affects small places like Fortrose. It is fascinating to compare life in far off places and life in our town.
Thank you for reading our article.