The Chinese University of Hong Kong International House

Yes, I know, my 3^rd article about CUHK, but nothing in CU is more dear to my heart than this place which I have spent almost half my university life in.
International house, better known as ihouse is a place far from the campus, so far that it takes at least 15 minutes to get to the main campus on foot. The distance makes it particularly difficult for people like me to attend classes early in the morning, not a good excuse I admit, but when the shuttle comes only every 20 – 30 minutes, there is basically no hope in leaving that place anytime short.
Rather different from most hostels in CU, the layout of the flat is pretty much like normal households, except having few more shower rooms. There is a common living room, a kitchen and a balcony in each flat; there are even cleaning equipments in the kitchen so that you can do some sweeping and mopping for your own likings.
The coziness of the flat really makes you feel at home during your stay. For the year and a half that I’ve stayed, i have been staying with a japanese and a korean; it was quite an extraordinary experience and i was quite amazed by how different the lifestyles in different cultures could be. Perhaps this is part of the education out of the classroom, and indeed it was most invaluable.
Indifference to its distance from the main campus or indeed anywhere, ihouse is one of the places i miss the most in my CU days.

Checking out the map and you may wonder where this place is really located. True. That’s what most people think, even for those who are currently residing in CUHK. And I am telling you this is the best place to be.
I spent my last year living in the International House and the entire year was filled with great memory and joy. First off, it is the only place where you share the entire flat with students around the world. Each flat has sofas, a television and a balcony that you can have a nice pre-​game before heading out later. Instead of sharing the bathroom with the entire floor, you will have three separate bathrooms inside the flat. Cleaning lady will come every other day and it certainly is the cleanest hostel in the entire campus.
As for the hall life, it really depends on you to be honest. If you are a rather out-​going person, you will meet lots of new friends that you will cherish for the rest of your life. As living here gives you ultimate freedom if you know what I mean. If you are rather quiet, no worries, you can still lock yourself inside your room and spend the entire evening playing video games. During festivals, they will have home-​made cupcakes and sweet soup to give out! BEST THING EVER!
One may wonder how is that going to be convenient when it is located at the farthest. As a matter of fact, it is just 10 minute walk to Shaw College and less than 5 now with the new college Morningside right next to it. If you do not want to wait for the school bus, simply walk down the famous haunted route — the one and only single braided lady road. And sorry to disappoint you but during my last year there, I had not seen anything strange there no matter how late it was.
I understand nowadays there is the third building, but that is located at the main campus. And trust me, the first and the second ones are still the best.