Kitty Chiang in the China Department went to the Antarctica earlier this year and was so impressed by all the amazing sights that she joked "whoa" was probably the word she said most often during the trip. Bouncing through the ice floes on a high-speed inflatable was like an hour-long roller-coaster ride, until the scenery changed upon arriving at a small island. Kitty and her travel companions soon found themselves surrounded by a large flock of adorable penguins, but visitors are required to stay at least five metres from Antarctic creatures such as penguins, sea lions, seals and the like to preserve the ecology. Kitty told the SHKP News: "Whenever the penguins came close, we had to stop and wait quietly until they left, as if we were playing the "traffic light" game when we were kids."

Special elements of the trip such as having a barbeque and icecream in the freezing outdoors for the first time, the excitement of setting foot in Antarctica and the spectacular Antarctic scenery still linger in Kitty's memory. She is grateful for the support of her supervisor and colleagues, as their help in taking over her job duties while she was away enables her to discover the frozen land worry-free in a once-in-a-lifetime experience.