ALOHA! My name is Stefen Joshua Rasay (Josh is fine) and I am an upcoming senior at the University of Hawai'i, Shidler College of Business; I study Marketing, Finance, and International Business. Originally from the Philippines, I grew up on Oahu immersed in its unique multicultural way of life, ultimately inspiring me to become a polyglot. Despite having grown up trilingual, different languages remain a challenge for me--especially when the goal is twelve. Nevertheless, learning a language means much more than what is spoken. Rather, it is the cultural values embedded within the words that shape a conversation between a native and non-native speaker. Should I fail in my travels, I hope the poor listener will at least get a laugh out of it. 

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My appetite for languages matches that for my other interests: food and photography--"it is the 21st century; a meal is not a meal without taking a picture first," I say unapologetically. Perhaps, I can take cooking classes abroad to learn the culture with my hands and taste buds! #foodstagram pictures in the pipeline! Jokes aside, I do love street and landscape photography as well, capturing moments of life as they unfold naturally. Ready with a camera, good walking shoes, and an empty stomach, I am off! As I develop my business acumen and hone my hobbies this Fall 2017 at the City University of Hong Kong, follow along during the in-betweens as I finally encounter cultures in which I have immersed myself for so long only through food and media. My adventure awaits!

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