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.
31 January 2009
25 January 2009
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.
I desperately want to go to Luang Prabang more than anywhere else in the world.
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.
24 January 2009
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.
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.
20 January 2009
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.
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.
19 January 2009
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.
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.
18 January 2009
15 January 2009
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.
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.
12 January 2009
11 January 2009
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.
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.
03 January 2009
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