Walking along the basement of Canaday library reminds me of one of those scenes from the horrors movies, where the lonesome virgin girl is peering above a shelf with her bespectacled glasses. And then slowly but surely a dark, shadowy figure looms behind her.

I'm pretty sure that I'm the only person down here at the moment. Creepy.


On another note, it's terrifying to see the scars decorate your arms.

Right, so I may be a partial duntz or a complete duntz.

In my sleep deprived state I just realized that the 'wiring' of plugs I made on my wall works.

The goal was to have two lights turn on independent on the third string of lights.  Except for the past month and a half, I've been under the assumption that the two lights only work if the third one is plugged in.  I wonder if I knew this before/wired the wires to work this way.

omgz complete duntz

DEAR ONLINE APPLICATIONS,

I HATE YOU.

KTHXBYE,

My room is messy

It feels as if I am floating on a plane of liminality.  Forever and ever, but only for a second, a minute or barely at all.  I started running again today and it felt sooo good to just burn, burn, burn away all the thoughts.

Moon cakes are my favorite

Since arriving at school, I've had this insatiable desire for all things considered to be Asian food - rice, noodles(PHO), stir fry vegetables, rice paper wraps, honey chicken...and the list goes on.

Over the weekend, I spent sometime getting dim sum in Philly's Chinatown.  It was good to have a savory meal of meats and more meats, with several cups of sweet tea.  It was also good to be surrounded by all the families getting their afternoon grub on, shopping for weekly groceries and just enjoying the Mid-Autumn Festival.  I don't particularly like Chinatown, much less Philadelphia's, to hang out in, but seeing all the bustling activity was a nice change of pace from college life.  Soooo many cute babies - I could barely stand not picking up one.

For a little bit, I contemplated on buying moon cake since it's one of my absolute favorite Asian desserts.  But in the end, my broke ass decided to be really frugal and I realized that I probably don't need to consume such cholesterol filled snacks on top of returning to my American college potato and cheese filled - actually not filled but rather ONLY - diet.

And then today in the midst of listening to Girls on the Dance Floor, my phone starts buzzing.  I get the surprising and semi-inconvenient once a month call from my dad, and pick up with the expectation of going over the alarming rate of expenses I've put on my credit card.  Instead, he tells me that he painted my room and purchased a new dining room table because the old one was ugly and too large.  In the back of my head, I start wondering if he's going through a mid-life crisis and has resorted to doing full renovations on the house.  But then in the end, he says to me that if I would like some moon cake, he'd ship them over to Bryn Mawr.

Sometimes I wonder about the devastating relationships that go on in the house, but then there are instances like this that make me realize that maybe another hour together at home isn't so bad.

I'm still waiting on the call about the credit card bill however.

What fitting weather

for a sad, sad day.

Eight years ago I was sitting in math class when the Assistant Principle came in and told us.

It was the first time I shed tears for people I didn't know.

I like how deceiving (facebook) photos can be.  Sometimes, people never look quite the same in real life as they do in the pictures (read: oogly).  Like the girls who take pictures in blinding overhead light so bright that it distorts the actual features of the face and hides the numerous blemishes that are littered all around.  But it's all relative, isn't it?

How do we judge people by their appearance from a few second's worth of camera shutters rather than by what they say?  Or is it that how they look that conveys the personality through images rather than words..?

Over the summer, I picked up the habit of reading Craig's List missed connection boards.  At first the act was something to pass the time during the wee hours of the morning.  But now I feel that I was searching for that one ad addressed to me; I wonder if the strangers I see on the train or walking past notice me.  There are so many people in New York City, is it really that difficult to remember a passing face?

This is kind of really about Cambodia.

The summer's been winding down but it isn't over until it blows out with a bang.

I spent the past two months doing a load of nothing - fulfilling my filial duty as the eldest daughter while rebelling in whatever inconsequential means possible.  The days, or nights rather, were spent watching the Food Network Channel in attempts to learn how to saute vegetables, reading the random books strewn across my room, going out to the city for random meals and shenanigans like a hooligan, and searching for ways to get back to Asia.

But I've come to realize that my desires to return aren't as strong anymore and are based on superficial notions of wealth and socializing.  There's been some thought about my times in Hong Kong, but rarely any of the weeks I did in Southeast Asia.  Honestly, I've blocked it out for good reason.  Until tonight.

While celebrating H's birthday in a semi-inebriated stupor, the conversation turned towards the Peace Corps and the correlation of aid on the different scales in terms of value.  Basically, there was a drunken argument about whether change is more efficient by personally volunteering time and skills (aka your life as to be dictated by the Peace Corps) or by donating huge amounts of money to promote change.  And it made me think about Cambodia.  Not because of a direct 'people need to go here and make a difference,' but through a convoluted remembrance of a society so rooted in its own shit.  Although, that may not be the best word to convey the actual connotation I'm looking for.

Of the four countries I traveled through, Cambodia runs as the top contender for changing my life the most.  It also disgusted me the most.  Not the disgust in the physical sense of grim, which there was a fair amount of, but in reference to the gripping hold it had on my mental and emotional state while I was there.  Even the background knowledge I had on the country could not prepare me for what I experienced.

During my freshman year of college, one of my courses focused on violence - the class was literally called 'Violence, Terror & Trauma.'  Every week was spent learning about a different sociopolitical situation and its aftermath - Cambodia included.  To this day, I can recall reading the historian's accounts of the tactics employed by Khmer Rogue and the anthropological interviews of the soldiers in Pol Pot's silent army.  It seems strange how much the concept of 'face' could compel someone to murder another person.  It also baffled me how these leaders were able to orchestrate modern day genocides after the consequences of World War II.  I also particularly remember how I thought that these events were so completely removed from my own reality that I wondered about the pedological reasons for learning it at all.  And then I saw it in person.

Phnom Penh was rampant with poverty - children begging for food and money, men missing various limbs from land mines, and families literally sleeping on the streets.  Despite all those years of seeing the homeless in New York, it was completely different in this lonely city thousands of miles away.  Walking through the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum made me want vomit in my own mouth.  There seemed to be blood everywhere, stained in the classroom tiles for more than a decade.  I always thought that blood would wash away from wherever it was split.  It doesn't.  There is a room of tiny wooden cells that is connected by open doorways to more just like it.  As I stood in one of the doorways, I looked down the dark and narrow hallway into the adjacent room.  There was enough uniformity in the cells that it seemed as if the string of rooms would never end.  In one of the large photographs, there is a Khmer woman holding her baby.  At that moment, I wondered if I was staring into the eyes of woman who knew she was going to be tortured and murdered.

In Cambodia, I saw the core reasons of why people volunteer years of their lives to help others; the purpose of these programs finally made sense.  But, at the same time, the complete and utter despair I felt in my short duration of this Southeast Asian country was only a minor reflection of how it has actually impacted Cambodian society.  It makes me think that one, two, or a thousand people going into these places can't really change a thing; but it also paradoxically makes me realize that a small effort of difference is still a change.

The despair and empathy I felt for the Khmer people in S21 was upturned as soon as we left the school gates and we were once again reminded of our foreign status.  How quickly I went from sadness, shock and then anger and disbelief amazed me.  I wasn't sure if I was supposed to understand and accept the actions of the people because they've been afflicted by such horrors of the past or if my then once again altered views were justified by the reoccurring events of personal offenses.

Cambodia was just a contradiction for me.

summer'09 six

5:18 AM.


I could never keep normal hours.

Living by a mental institution, it should be normal to expect strange encounters.  But it seems that my luck has extended from a mile radius around my house to a mile radius of everywhere I go.

And so here is my top three list of weirdly offensive experiences I can recall off the top of my head:

01. While I sat on the train with a box of cupcakes fresh out of the oven, a homeless lady came on screaming obscenities in Spanish, paused her cursing, spat on me, and left the train.  Shock prevails, there's spittle dripping down my cheek; and I've never been so relieved to have wrapped up my baked goods.  -- All before the train closed the doors to leave for the next stop. 

02. As I consumed a muffin on the bus, the man next to me commented on how scrumptious it looked.  He asked if it was home made or purchased, and then politely requested a piece.  Being a sucker for appropriate reactions to odd situations, I tore off a piece and put it in his hand.  Then he asked me to be his girlfriend.  In retrospect, maybe he wasn't referring to the banana nut muffin that was crumbling in my hand.

03. I was standing at the bus stop just watching the cars zoom by the intersection.  Perhaps I should have paid more attention to the pedestrians crossing the street towards me, but the shiny cars caught my interest more.  And I suppose I was so enraptured by the cars that I freaked out when I felt what I assumed to be a dog, licking my foot.  But to my utter shock, I turned around to see a grown man crouched on the ground, saying "Ma'am, you have really nice feet..."

On another note, since I'm done documenting life in Hong Kong, it's only appropriate that I change the address of this blog.

summer'09 five

Seven months and eleven countries later -

I am itching to sit and write in a cafe, in Paris

This peripatetic nature could be a dangerous one during the upcoming year.

summer'09 four

As I walked through the rows upon rows of household items (from the cracked ceramic plates situated against the faded plastic bags, to the empty tubes of toothpaste and ragged dolls) of wu jing qu yong/Waste Not, I was struck by how well the images of my own experience paralleled that of the artist. His description of his mother’s background, specifically of how quintessential it was of the generation living under communist rule, made sense of practices that I’ve ridiculed since I was young. I never fully understood the purpose of keeping those extra takeout containers or saving clothes that clearly could not be worn any longer. Criticizing the absurdity of retaining such useless materials never affected my parents either, as evident by their ambiguous retorts and growing piles of crap.

Despite my belief that these actions were characteristic only to my family, seeing the eclectic assortment of his mother’s collection settled something from all those years of questioning practice. Strangely reminiscent of my own home, he exposed that it was not limited to such.

I can now fully comprehend that the action to waste not serves as the remnants of the need for survival.

But I wonder sometimes if life would have been that bad for my parents if they had never left for America. Choice and a better life they always claim in their talks of life here. They say that they escaped communist rule as refugees but the paradox of such opportunity in the States is seemingly hidden in their stories of the “good” life of their respective home countries. What is the meaning of choice and a better life when those euphemisms are reflected in chasing the American dream in the form of hard intensive labor? There are times when the trade off seems unreasonable, but what in my wonderment is to guarantee that they would have had the good life if they had stayed? After my travels and seeing such communist countries inflicted with capitalist principles, I was left to reconsider the negative constructions of these places. But I am blind sighted in that 2009 is not the four decades ago and my position is not one of a native. Perhaps, my romanticized memories of Asia have finally gotten the better of me.



Ironic though, how a change in perspectives can change more than just the perspective.

summer'09 three

Exhaustion..... possibly describes the beginning of this week. On the plane, I held on tightly to the belief that this summer would be uneventful for absurd reasons. But it's starting to look like it might be my busiest...

Even after a week, I'm still recovering from jet lag.

The two suite cases I brought back have been emptied and I've been pondering how so much has happened since last year. At the moment, I'm wondering what Lily Allen means by 'a Chinese' in her song 'Chinese.'

My allergies are returning; I spent five long minutes sneezing my heart out.




The plastic bottle taste of Poland Spring water is comforting, if not concurrently a bit disturbing.
I want to wake up with the sunrise and feel the sand beneath my toes.

summer'09 two

This is my first summer to be able to do absolutely nothing since...junior high school. How strange it feels to have no real obligations.


As much as I claim that I'll move away after graduation, home will always be home. I love sitting in my dining room, hearing the laughter echo from outdoor family dinners and the music remixes blaring from the stereos of someone's car several houses away. I love the eclectic smell of home cooking, the mixture of Indian food and barbecues wafting about in the air. I love listening to the sound of children giggling from the nearby park, as they run around the juggle gym and soar on the swings.


I think I lose interest in things and people too quickly.


like reckless abandonment

summer'09 one

I've been away for so long that I'm not sure if the mailman is the same one I've seen since I was a toddler.

Ridiculous how much the inside jokes are still relevant and how small are our circles really are -- Gorg! (come back to my apartment) & never see you again (only to see you the very next day)

and I came home to ridiculous-ness

In New York City, you can...

1. listen to a man vehemently shout about the gun he has in his pocket, shanking someone, and child molesters....to only then discover that he was deliriously yelling into the air

2. have a kid scream at you to take a photo....of him and several other kids grooving it out on a party bus. except not the party bus that high school teenagers take to prom, but what is literally an elementary school bus - that has been painted over in psychedelic colors

3. be interrupted by a man on the obsession that Asian folks have with all things green tea while drinking juice .....at Jamba Juice

thirty

What a bittersweet ending ...




But it's good to be back.

Why Some People Are Gay

I do believe that this article SUCKS, to put it quite simply.

I must be on crack or something when I write these posts; they all seem so overly melodramatic.

Back from three weeks in Southeast Asia and I have concluded that it's really damn hot on this part of the world.

Currently wondering if I was on vacation or if I was traveling. There's a distinct difference I suppose.


I want to go to a rave actually. Maybe that will be my next stop.

twenty-nine

Someone once told me that there are billions of moments in life that are noted by the brain, but only a select handful of them are recorded and stored. And the lucky selection of those memories are apparently the ones that strike a deep resonance within the person.

Of the four months that I have spent in Hong Kong, I remember most clearly the first night here - spent on my window seat overlooking the harbor. A lot of my questions have been answered since that very first night, some with definite conclusions and others with even more questions.

to be continued.

twenty-eight

For this number, I really wanted to write 'and thus concludes Hong Kong.'

But that would be a lie.

After looking at recent photo albums today, a wave of nostalgia hit me. Home is yelling at me; my love for family and friends is getting a bit much again. But I think that there will be an extension of my adventures in Asia for just a tad bit longer.





I came back from mainland China twelve hours ago. And now I'll be flying off to Japan in approximately seven hours.

twenty-seven

Sometimes I wonder what the most beautiful moment in life could be.

twenty-six

pacific ocean, april 2009

twenty-five

As we were leaving the building, I spotted a homeless man - wearing nothing on his feet and standing in a puddle - by the garbage can.  Straying away from the norm, he wasn't searching for food or begging for money.

Instead, he was browsing the newspaper.

That was my most memorable moment from Taiwan.

twenty-four

I haven't booked a ticket home yet but most of all, even though I miss home, I just want to go to Luang Prabang.

twenty-three

Back at Bryn Mawr, I used to read the news every single day. Since Hong Kong, however, my attempts to keep up with the world have greatly failed. So it's quite chilling to see what's been happening in the world of non-JYA lately.

Last week I watched the movie Burma VJ for the HKiFF and it really cleared up the things that happened there pre-cyclone disaster. I felt really disgusting after watching it, actually. To be living a life like this, while others can't even voice dissatisfaction - does that somehow invalidate own enjoyment and accomplishments? Is it even worth it to try to make a difference? Even if there is supposedly little I can do to alleviate totaliarian regimes in places quite far removed from home, I just wonder about life sometimes. Okay, many times, not sometimes.



Anyways, onto my adventures in Asia...

After the Rugby 7s my life has been packed with random meetings and dinners and the like. I went to another Bryn Mawr in Hong Kong and after meeting these women for a second time, I now have [new] idols. It's like spelling success in every means possible, especially that beyond the material gains. I've also given tours to some friends around this tiny city, and more to come when others come for this upcoming Easter Break. Even though it's crazy walking so much throughout the day, it's so relaxing and comforting to see people from home again.

And speaking of home, I recently met an uncle for the first time. He's a pretty cool guy, I wish I had made a stronger effort to contact him earlier. We went to the temple that my grandpop's has his ashes stored in. It was quite crazy to see all the empty spots next to him with red flyers and chinese letters all around - these were mini tombs that people had reserved for themselves after they pass away. Even though they do this in the States, it's still just an 'uhhh..' moment. At this point in life, even though I say the world is going to end in soon, . Well I guess I won't think about it because it really is a strange practice that's been normalized in most societies. Oh anthropology..

Also sometime over the past week, I went to Shenzhen, China - known for the best fakes in the world. I didn't buy anything and got super antsy in the mall. I've come to realize that fake stuff really, really freaks me out sometimes. But we went to the spa and I gorged myself with green tea icecream! I kind of felt like a baby and was slightly reminded of the society from the movie Wall-E. Everyone was just laying in chairs in the same jammies with a television in front of them, eating fruit and icecream. Walllllll-EEEEEEE! I really love that movie, btw.. And so, being in pampered in the spa made me feel like a mindless tool, but I enjoyed it quite immensely. All the knots on my back and shoulders are gone!



I have less than two weeks to crank out a semester's worth of work on four topics that I have no interest in. I am scrwed.

But I'm also going to Taipei next weekend for my second visit...ever. During the first, I was five and got the worst bowl hair cut ever because they messed up and cut off my pineapple ponytail. I just hope I come back with all my hair and a stomach full of food for this next trip.


PS Taiwanese view of the world...here

twenty-two

Rugby 7S should be synonymous with amazing.

Even though it poured and poured and poured until there were puddles in my shoes, and we searched and searched and searched for seats, when we finally sat and just absorbed it all, it was bloody fantastic.

As vain as it sounds, I forgot how hot I thought rugby [and rugby players] are. Right, just a tad superficial...

Anyways, we ended up in the 18 and over section in the South Section. My friends pulled out their flags to represent AMURICAH during the Scotland vs America match. We were surrounded by non-USA supporters [to be euphemistic]. And so as the Scots and the Yanks were duking it out, we got fries, cups, and what I hope was beer, thrown at us.

What a crazy experience.


So I've recovered enough from my stomach flu/virus to start eating again. Maybe enough to hit up a dim sum buffet place. It'll be like heaven, I'm sure. Or it could quite possibly be like the ultimate liquidation of my insides. I've had two meals since 5 AM today - the most I've eaten since Saturday night...it's fucking terrible I hate stomach bugs.

Recently, I've realized, or perhaps it's something I knew all along, that I lose interest a lot faster than normal people. It's not ADHD, but I'd say it's pretty close considering the million to zero things that run through my head ever second. It is somewhat like playing a game - if it's too predictable, I may just drop it, but if it's too complicated, it may not be worth it.

And so, I think tonight I may finally get to bed before the start of a new day...

twenty-one

Over the weekend, I went to a small Bryn Mawr alum gathering and just met the most amazing women. From what I gathered, each of these women had established herself in her life....field of work and in her home. It was refreshing too, to be able to hear a Bryn Mawr type of conversation again - whether it related to the topic or just the way it was spoken about. And long story short, I am once again reminded why I fell in love with Bryn Mawr.

twenty

After looking at the last few posts, I realized that this blog has turned into a jumble of incoherent ramblings leaving my doings in Hong Kong completely ambiguous. So I guess I'll try to stop with that.

Ever since returning from my travels in Malaysia and Thailand, I've slept more than I believe I've ever slept in my entire life. And I still haven't found the motivation to do work. And since I don't remember much of last week, whether that's due to bad memory or something else, I'm not even sure about how time flies by so quickly.

So this week I've been completely bummed out because of the decisions from ResLife. I just always thought that I would end my Bryn Mawr career by making that one last final contribution to the community. Yet, even as emotional as I've gotten by it, it may just be better for next year..

Thinking about my summer has been also been a bit of a bummer. But after thinking for the past couple of days, having a daily plan doesn't seem to be as important anymore. Sitting in an ACed room is nice, but doing bitch work, is not. It's just that prior to Hong Kong, I always put this correlation between summer jobs and my life after graduation.

It kills to wonder how friends and family are doing right now. They do make up a huge part of my life, and being miles away, I feel as if there's a huge gapping void in my heart. All the emails and messages and skype conversations still don't cut it. But I'm sure the homesickness will pass when things start to pick up again.

If I'm not sleeping in Hong Kong, then I'm usually out at night. And to be honest, thinking about going out to the same places and doing the same things kind of irks me. Being there though, is another story. It reminds me so much of home, but at home the repetitiveness has a spark to it. Well actually, that's a bold faced lie, home life is not repetitive.

I think I'll make a conscious effort to start returning to a non-nocturnal life again. Less partying and more exploring. Since arriving here, I've wanted to see more of Hong Kong. ---hiking, museums, and food.

I guess I'll see what happens.

nineteen

"With every step someone takes, she is on the brink of catastrophe."

When I heard this last year, I thought 'maybe this physical explanation applies to more than just walking.' Too bad there aren't any real anthropology courses at this uni.




The twix bar I'm eating tastes like it's been soaked in a vat of butter.

eighteen

I'm searching for something I can't find -










a good slice of pizza.

seventeen

it's 6:14 AM and I am back from exploring southeast asia

---am very slowly working on the emails. last night, I found out that heroes had started playing again and I've missed out on the past nine episodes. it was as my life was on the brink when they told me!! two full months have passed since being in hong kong and I'm not sure where all the time has gone, really. in one of the classes I do attend, we talked about our consciousness over time and how regulated our lives are. a bit scary, perhaps.

I lucked out on my travels - I am still alive. After four hospital visits, motorbike accidents, infected mosquito bites, and sketchy people, I just have a slight limp and several wounds. Pretty much lucked out. Everything that I've ever been warned against, have had slight to major objections to, or have questioned the relativity of, was broken or experienced in some way. Like how parents tell their kiddies to never accept rides from complete strangers - done. Or how much of a bad idea it is to drive without a license - yet again, done. And how it may not be such a good idea to domesticate wild animals, like tigers, in a petting zoo - even the Thai monks said done.

For the past couple of weeks, I've wondered what apologies, guilt, and trust really mean. is there really satisfaction in any of it ?

thai floating market -
you sit in a boat, they pull you over with a clawed stick and you bargain for presents and food!

sixteen

funny how everything always manages to happen on the most inconvenient of nights

the internal workings of the mind.

happy mornings, malaysia.

fifteen

Three interviews in a span of fifteen hours. the irony!
I am pooped and sleep deprived.

Countdown to beaches, elephants, and motorbikes: not soon enough.

fourteen

Today, I am most proud to be a Bryn Mawr woman.

What a special Friday <3

thirteen

I just remembered that I left Indian food in the fridge...two weeks ago.

That is really a 'my bad!'



This video is somewhat akin to how I want to reflect on my life. wow what an awkward sentence... Anyways, it just reminds me of those slice of life epiphany type movies like Garden State and Lars&the Real Girl. ----a paradox of something epic but mundane for the protagonist just aimlessly living in a cardboard box?

Twelve

i iz xc slackerz.

This is getting a bit out of hand; I wrote a cover letter and sent it in while I was still drunk :(



Further adventures in Asia, to be updated later.
[But next up: When Kelly Jumps Off the Tallest Building in Macau]


MC hammer

Eleven

So I haven't slept in the past twenty-four hours.

I spent part of the night in the hospital waiting for my friend to wake up from 'food poisoning' and listening to a drunken grown man cry in Cantonese over broken love.

Ten

& this is what happens at home.

It's officially been a month since I left New York.

My view from the library window is of buildings and mountains. But even at the library, I still end up not working...

By the end of this semester, I'm sure my teeth will have rotted from all the Chinese/Japanese milk candies I've eaten. I go through a pack a day, too bad they don't make patches for people addicted to sugar.

Eating all this candy reminds me of how my dad used to tell me that he had to brush his teeth with twigs when he was younger. Then again, he would always end the story by shoving toothpaste and a toothbrush in front of my face, so maybe not.

Best fireworks show I've watched:

She's actually taller than me, in real life.

Nine

Hitchhiking in Europe?!

nice...Bush and shoes

Hong Kong has been an endless vacation, or maybe it's because I'm actually on vacation right now that it feels this way.

It's been a superficial life so far and I've been content - just not sure how much long this will be satisfying for. My daily log should probably read as: wake up, go out, sleep, and repeat. Not that it isn't loads of fun...

I've always wanted to go out and do something meaningful for others and this feeling is starting to nag again. But I guess the first step begins with me. Quick road to becoming a humanitarian, much? Perhaps.

Eight

The view from my high school was a field where kids smoked pot. And in L.A.? This.


Marvin Harris makes me wonder if the Chinese clean before New Year's because it's ecologically advantageous or if it's because they are extremely superstitious. Maybe a bit of both? Thank you anthropology.

It feels like the Twilight Zone in my hall because barely anyone has stayed and I've been cooking gourmet ramen to feed myself. Yes, gourmet.

Lunar New Year's at the Batman Building

I desperately want to go to Luang Prabang more than anywhere else in the world.

Seven

Guiya, China

The first 'what the hell am I doing in HONG KONG' moment I had was the first night here, watching the harbor from my window seat.

And then last night, I had my first 'OMG, I am here across the world in ASIA' moment at Ebenezers. Ebenezers is a kebab place. The best kebabs I've ever had, actually. How ironic.

My roommate moved in last night but I thought she had gone home for Lunar New Year's. Shock of my life when I got back at 5 AM and there's a sleeping body next to the door.

I dried my jeans in the washing machine four times and they still weren't dry after those four hours.


Since arriving, my germaphobia has increased tenfold. Every time someone coughs without covering their mouth [using their sleeve], I cringe and shuffle away. Those 'sar's' masks are really fashionable, by the way. I'm also really conscious of whether hands have been washed before meals, when people have extremely long and dirty fingernails, and the state of their teeth. I feel like those crazy ladies on the subway who put down napkins on their seats before planting their butts down. Like my mom.

Six

The day as followed:

6:50 AM
1. Jogged to cemetery
2. Skyped Kendra&Mellie
3. Napped instead of class
4. Skyped Walter
5. Went to Class
6. Shopped
7. Yes, Dinnered
8. Walked through three towns
9. Went wine tasting
10. MADE HISTORY; hope and change


Oh, btdubs - ceasefire in Gaza.

five

What a lady

So even though I'm twenty minutes from the beach, I would love to feel the adrenaline of gliding on powder once again. Aish, carving and face planting- how I miss thee...

Even though my hall mates said that the track and field was super far, I went for a jog yesterday from my campus and ended up in front of a HUGE cemetery. Seeing all the tombstones and the end of the sidewalk/forest/dead end freaked me out hardcore so I skedaddled my tiny butt back as fast as I could manage. And then I ate a nice fatty steak for dinner.

Every morning I change in front of my window. Today I looked out my window and realized that all the workers fixing/cleaning the courtyard [two flights down] could definitely see my birthday suit. What an oversight..



By the way, I spent the weekend in paradise.

four

I am on an epic search for dim sum and a track field.

three

It's been a week since my arrival to Hong Kong but it really feels like months have flown by.

Classes have started but as my student visa is not ready yet, I haven't been able to register in my Faculty and officially sign up for any of my preferred classes. There are some interesting courses here and I'm hoping that there will still be spots open when my visa issues work out. So far, my favorite class is Mandarin, ironically. The professor explains everything so clearly and has this type of wise energy oozing off of her. She told us about how she while she was browsing through this completely empty mall in Thailand, a student she had five years earlier turned the corner and called out her name. And so, she always behaves herself - no matter where she is in the world. Meng Laoshi is a famous lady.

Hall life here is extremely interesting. I just went to a meeting where they passed out the 'New Admission Scheme: Assessment criteria.' The Floor Tutor, Representative, and Hall chairpersons give each resident a score based on their active [or non-active] participation in Hall activities. As soon as I saw the title of the packet, I started freaking out [no lie]. While it's cool that they're really into Hall spirit, I feel as if this violates something. And that's probably a reflection of my American upbringing. Is it really necessary to merit the relationships we have with our hall-mates? I love that they foster these relationships and have all these available activities, but it's just a little strange for me to be graded on how I go about my life.

Being here has also made me rethink my post graduation plans. While the man from the US Consulate talked to us about how much they care about us and our passports, he was also trying to sell us a bit about becoming a Foreign Service Officer. I think he sold part of it to me. I've always been really interested in development and hearing his story about microeconomics in the Middle East kind of struck me. Granted, I love learning about anthropological theory and all that jazz, but I don't think that it's enough to just sit and observe cultures that struggle with getting the basic necessities of life or suffer from a violation of "basic human rights." Cultural relativism, much? Morally, it doesn't make sense to be living in such metropolitan areas while others struggle on a daily basis. Ah, the circumstances of birth... The other part of me though, still wants to just go to law or business school, get out and make 'mad bank.' Thank you for the phrase, Mister Pre-Med.

So back to Hong Kong...it's still really cold here. When I was imaging a subtropical island, this was definitely not the picture I had in my head. There are also so many Chinese people here. I know it's an oxymoron but I was imaging a lot more ex-pats than they actually have.

I don't remember much of last night, but my friends filled me in with some pictures. They are quite embarassing, let's just say. And then when I was talking to someone today, he said one of the funniest things was that I kept saying that I worked super hard last semester so that I could just party when I get here. True story. Except that I didn't work super hard but pulled away with more than what I wanted. Too bad it's pass/fail here. Actually, maybe that will be a good thing. Ugh, here I am across the world, still thinking about grades...

Anyways, email in the works - soon, soon, soon! I'm planning on going for a run early tomorrow morning if I can manage to find the gym.

two

I'm bugging out; it's 3:40 AM; I've been awake since 6 AM.

Why is Hong Kong brick cold?

One

Hello all!

The breakdown: part i = summary of my time here, part ii = realizations..

Part i
So, as some of you know, I’m studying abroad in Hong Kong. My decision was last minute – about a week or two before my letters were due by the Uni. At the time, I thought it was the toughest choice I’ve had to make in my twenty years of living. The circumstances were tight, let’s just say – to leave everything behind or build on the opportunities and relationships I had back at home? And now reflecting back on this, it’s scary how close I was to the second choice.

My time here has been non-stop, so to say. Since arriving on Wednesday night, the jet-lagged mornings has been the only time I’ve had to myself to just sit and…zone out. All of Thursday, I explored the campus and its surroundings, getting some of the basic necessities (sheets, toiletries, underwear…just kidding ‘bout the underwear part).

A good half of Friday was spent trying to stay awake during orientation and then I finally met up with my cousin Latina for a quick dinner. It really helped to see a familiar face in a land that seems so like New York but not, at the same time. And it was good to see her again especially after all that distance. She took me to her apartment afterwards, and her view of the HK skyline is a ton better than the one I have from my dorm. That’s definitely saying something considering I can see the waterfront and parts of Kowloon.

To my luck, when I headed back to campus Friday night, I saw some people on exchange and went to Wan Chai with them for a gathering for the orientation students. Wan Chai was interesting. The place reminds me a lot of the randomness that goes on in St. Marks. Yet, concurrently, it was so starkly different (and this goes for Hong Kong in general).

Anyways, I spent Saturday aimlessly walking with some buddies. We walked through the entire northern part of Hong Kong Island, I would say. On our journey, we passed so many shops that just had the same stuff and I wonder, what happens to the items that people don’t purchase? Especially the perishable ones? Like, it is really necessary to kill all these animals and make these products just to parade them for better prices than the place next door? But, this is a criticism of the world in general. Of course, everything probably works outs and it’s how people make a living. Globalization, much? Moving on, I saw my cousin again that night and met some of her work friends in Mong Kok. Finally got a cell phone – what a life saver…

On Sunday I explored more of Mong Kok with people and went to the Peak. I also met up with Will!! It’s good to have a friend from back home who is also abroad and can charm middle-aged wombats with his Canto. The Peak is damn chill. I’ll post pictures when I purchase a cable to connect my camera.



Part ii
Tis Monday now – the first day of classes. I haven’t looked at classes yet, actually. Now, of all the shocks I had in Hong Kong, the worst one was probably finding out that I WASN’T actually a student at HKU – despite already moving into a Hall, getting confirmation emails from random administrators, etc. So, also on Friday, I officially became an HKU student by signing ANOTHER admissions letter, but in front of them, this time. I still have to get my student visa and register into my Faculty before anything can proceed [AKA, the rest of my academic life here].

What a long post…I know that I told a bunch of you that I’d do a video blog. However, it is unfortunately 7 AM, Hong Kong time. So I look like a fright and have been awake since 6 AM, despite passing out three hours earlier.

I miss my fam and home slices back home, though. Hopefully, I’ll be making videos and sending out more personalized emails out soon [READ: the real life breakdown of what’s been happening]. But just a shout to say that you’ve all got a piece of my heart!

And so, concluding this crazy long post, coming to Hong Kong has been one of the best sober decisions I’ve ever made. All those sporadic moments when I thought going to Hong Kong was just what I needed or that I should stay back in the states seem to be irrelevant now. Although there are NO wrong paths, this seems to be a considerably excellent choice. For a little while, the night of winter vacation when I thought I was going to die - hallucinating about erratic Tasmanian devils in a speedy little car and praying that I’d be alive for Hong Kong was the epitome of realizing that this experience was exactly the one I needed. Yet, now that I’m here, I know that this is exactly the right path for me.

thirteen

hallucinations




being alive never mattered more