This project was set up by a medical student, some friends, and family.

I wanted to host an event that brings together a few of the things I love and care about - food, people, humanity, travel.

Some of you may know, after a year of baking for a living, I am pulling my socks back up and heading back into med school. YIKES. I'm apprehensive but excited. More than ever I'm compelled to make the most of my last two years as a medical student. I am also feeling compelled to do more of the learning and growing that comes at breakneck speed in your early 20s. Travel plays a huge part in this for me. As a third culture kid, I've been exposed to and embedded in various cultures, values and worldviews for my entire life. Sometimes unsure of where I stand in it all. I've been in Glasgow for so long now that it's become my base more than anywhere else. And I love it. But there are parts of my cultural heritage that influence the way I live my life, the attitudes I have, and the connections I make. Sometimes I'm conscious of them, often I'm not. I'm aware when they're different to the majority who surround me, there's often a temptation to box things into rights and wrongs, but most of us know by now that it's never that simple. Conflicting cultural values have always complicated things in my mind, they move the goal posts of what's normal and what's right. I'm as confused and my thoughts are as convoluted as this message I'm writing now. But I think about culture and its impacts almost everyday without ever intending to.

This is a big reason I feel driven to go back to India for my 4th year medical elective. The place where I was born, the place where my family spent a generation or two. I want to understand the attitudes towards health and wellbeing there. I want to get a glimpse into the lifestyles and the values that people hold. I want to see what it's like to be amongst a collectivistic society rather than just being a specimen of one grown in an individualistic world. These are some of the social determinants of health. They're complex and my understanding of them is in its infancy. But what I do know is that regardless of our personal beliefs or where we are in the world, the impact that these things have on the health and wellbeing of communities and its people is immense. As a prospective medical professional, I wouldn't feel prepared to go into the world of healthcare without first gaining a stronger foundation of knowledge, understanding and perspective on these wider aspects of life and how they interact with health on a global level.

Medical electives for 4 weeks can cost upwards of £2000. This includes application fees, programme fees, vaccinations, insurance, flights, accommodation and living costs.

I'm determined to raise as much as I can to cover the costs but people wiser than me have also said "change starts at home". I'm not sure where my career will go and I can't say if I'll make any impact in the healthcare world but there are already people dedicating their time, energy and resources to improving the lives of others. The Central & West Integration Network (CWIN) based in Garnethill have been supporting refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and BME people to access resources and improve their standard of living for over a decade.

50% of all profits made will be donated to CWIN and the other 50% will go towards my elective funds.

Saturday 12th August 2023 is the first launch of this pop-up bao cafe titled 'Take a Bao'. We will be setting up shop at St Charles Oratory Church Hall - 1 Kelvinside Gardens - located next to St Charles Primary School. From 12-4pm we will be serving freshly steamed buns and more. Vegan-friendly options available. Follow our instagram for more updates, info and a full menu, the handle is @_takeabao

Further events will be released in due time.

Please donate if you can, many thanks for reading if you've gotten this far.

Stay fresh and I hope to see some of you soon.

Claire Huang