So, I never remember to post. I don't think I really like to write all that much. No wonder I can't keep a journal.
So now it's the end of April. That marks the end of month 11 out of 14 that I am to spend in Hong Kong...the first time around. Time has gone by so quickly, but at the same time has been passing at the speed of a snail, especially after February. If I had one recommendation for anyone who wants to study abroad, it would be to do so for a maximum of 9 months. Anything more becomes tedious. I sometimes literally think that I have become mad these last 2 months. I'm sure my parents can attest to that fact after all of the random phone calls that I've made to them. That's not to say, however, that I dislike my current situation. In fact, I love Hong Kong. I will always look at it as a comfortable, familiar country where I can relax and find the rhythm, the ridiculously fast-pace rhythm.
Hong Kong is a city of such diversity, not only in race or cultures, but in activity and lifestyle as well. I can, in one day, visit a remote fishing village that time has not touched for many decades, and attend a world class opera in the middle of the city. I can see students, backpackers, businessmen, and pleasure seekers from all over the world. The local Hong Kongers with their colonial history and world-view, the mainlanders (visiting and otherwise) who come for the luxury and openness of the Special Administrative Region, and the Filipino maids seeking a more prosperous future. I often sit back and wonder how I will be able to leave this vibrant, eye-opening city to return to South Carolina and the US.
However, I remind myself that I still have 3 months here. Three months to check things off of my "To Do" list. I need to have high tea that The Peninsula, the most famous hotel in the city known for its tea service. I need to hike around Lamma Island and eat its legendary seafood. I need to go back to Mainland China and see the Terracotta soldiers and visit Shanghai. I need to visit everywhere. I want to go home, but I hate to leave Hong Kong and my life here. That's the funny thing about time I suppose, it can simultaneously be too fast, and too slow.
4/29/2012
3/04/2012
January and February Adventures
Ok, so I admit it. I'm a terrible blogger. I always knew I would be. I couldn't even keep a diary when I was younger and that was with the inspiration of the Dear America series that was so popular in the early 2000s. Now that we've established that, I can give a short recap of my adventures since mid-January.
My stay in Guangzhou with one of my native mainland Chinese friends was amazing. At first, I was supposed to go with one of my IBCE classmates, but due to some visa troubles, she had to drop out of the trip. I was hesitant about pressing on, but I am so glad I did. I will never forget that week. I think my favorite part of the entire vacation was the fact that I got to live with a family, not in a hotel. I've realized that as comfortable as I like to be, hotels can seem so sterile when I'm trying to really discover the flavor and culture of an area. The Hyatt in Guangzhou, China is no different from the one in Columbia, SC when I really think about it. Staying with a family allowed me to see, however briefly, what its like to live as a local in the area. In the morning I would eat breakfast with the parents before leaving with my friend to go visit her favorite haunts and the most famous attractions of Guangzhou, tourist or otherwise. We would sometimes eat at local, not contrived tourist, restaurants, or , even better, her father would cook a traditional meal at home. He's a great cook; I've never enjoyed Canton style food so much. For the first time since I've started my study abroad experience, I can honestly say that I've experienced local Chinese life and culture.
My second trip this semester happened a little more recently. Late last month, my friend Sheimaliz decided that she wanted to go to Taiwan for her birthday. Granted, she had been saying this for a month, but we finally decided to go.......a week before the trip was supposed to take place. This is probably the most spontaneous thing I've ever done. I was so nervous while booking the ticket, wondering "What if people drop out? What if I could have gotten a better deal? What if I don't like the trip? What if......" Then I realized that maybe college is the time that I'm supposed to be a little spontaneous and loosen up because honestly, how bad can it be? Let me tell you, it wasn't bad at all. It was so much fun. We stayed at a hostel (another accommodation first) called Chocolate Box which was totally cute and a lot better than I thought it would be. My 5 travel companions and myself shared a room and when sightseeing through Taipei together. I ate the best street food in Asia (bao zi, a steamed bun with veggies or meat inside, was amazing as was the bubble tea), went to a public hotsprings, took the world's fastest elevator to the top of the second highest building in the world (Taipei 101), and visited museums and memorials. Taipei was a lot like Hong Kong, but less westernized and Mandarin speaking (here, unlike in Hong Kong, they expect you to learn some Chinese before you visit. Not one person started off a conversation with me even though I knew many of them could probably speak English. I was pleasantly surprised with this expectation.)
Now it's March and midterms are over. I'm finally settling into the grove of Hong Kong again. Maybe now I'll write more blog posts.
My stay in Guangzhou with one of my native mainland Chinese friends was amazing. At first, I was supposed to go with one of my IBCE classmates, but due to some visa troubles, she had to drop out of the trip. I was hesitant about pressing on, but I am so glad I did. I will never forget that week. I think my favorite part of the entire vacation was the fact that I got to live with a family, not in a hotel. I've realized that as comfortable as I like to be, hotels can seem so sterile when I'm trying to really discover the flavor and culture of an area. The Hyatt in Guangzhou, China is no different from the one in Columbia, SC when I really think about it. Staying with a family allowed me to see, however briefly, what its like to live as a local in the area. In the morning I would eat breakfast with the parents before leaving with my friend to go visit her favorite haunts and the most famous attractions of Guangzhou, tourist or otherwise. We would sometimes eat at local, not contrived tourist, restaurants, or , even better, her father would cook a traditional meal at home. He's a great cook; I've never enjoyed Canton style food so much. For the first time since I've started my study abroad experience, I can honestly say that I've experienced local Chinese life and culture.
My second trip this semester happened a little more recently. Late last month, my friend Sheimaliz decided that she wanted to go to Taiwan for her birthday. Granted, she had been saying this for a month, but we finally decided to go.......a week before the trip was supposed to take place. This is probably the most spontaneous thing I've ever done. I was so nervous while booking the ticket, wondering "What if people drop out? What if I could have gotten a better deal? What if I don't like the trip? What if......" Then I realized that maybe college is the time that I'm supposed to be a little spontaneous and loosen up because honestly, how bad can it be? Let me tell you, it wasn't bad at all. It was so much fun. We stayed at a hostel (another accommodation first) called Chocolate Box which was totally cute and a lot better than I thought it would be. My 5 travel companions and myself shared a room and when sightseeing through Taipei together. I ate the best street food in Asia (bao zi, a steamed bun with veggies or meat inside, was amazing as was the bubble tea), went to a public hotsprings, took the world's fastest elevator to the top of the second highest building in the world (Taipei 101), and visited museums and memorials. Taipei was a lot like Hong Kong, but less westernized and Mandarin speaking (here, unlike in Hong Kong, they expect you to learn some Chinese before you visit. Not one person started off a conversation with me even though I knew many of them could probably speak English. I was pleasantly surprised with this expectation.)
Now it's March and midterms are over. I'm finally settling into the grove of Hong Kong again. Maybe now I'll write more blog posts.
1/21/2012
Happy New Year!
Ok, I know. I'm terrible at updating. It's been almost 6 months and no word from me. So, to rectify this let me give a brief synopsis of what I've been up to since my last post. After Macao my group went to Beijing where we stayed 5 days and had an amazing time. I climbed the Great Wall, saw the Forbidden City, and ate Peking Duck. Then we came back for the first semester of school. The school year was filled with long nights of studying, meeting new people, and having tons of fun around Hong Kong. In November, I went to Thailand for 4 days and had an awesome vacation with friends. We sunbathed, got massages and manicures, swam in the Indian Ocean, ate some of the best food I've ever had, and got an opportunity to see the local culture. I would definitely recommend Thailand for anyone who likes to travel. It was a beautiful country filled with kind people and a rich history and culture. After returning from Thailand, I had Thanksgiving dinner with my IBCE classmates and started taking my final exams. With God's grace, I passed all of my classes. Then I returned home for winter break and had a relaxing time with family and friends.
Now, I've been back in Hong Kong for a week and I have started to reflect on how my perception of the world has changed. Going back to the States felt like an out of body experience part of the time and I didn't know how to feel about it. Of course, I was happy to be home and there were many things that I missed about the US. My family, friends, being able to drive myself places, the convenience of knowing where everything is, and the comfort of my favorite foods. But I also found myself missing things about Hong Kong a lot more then I though I would. I missed the city, the hustle and bustle, the world culture, and the freedom.
Perhaps the oddest experience in returning to the States was staying at USC for a few days with some friends. I was on the same campus, staying in the same dorm with the same people as freshman year. It was great to be able to reconnect with people at school, but at the same time I felt as if I did not belong there. Even my friends told me that I didn't exactly look like I went to the school anymore. It's bittersweet how quickly a person can adjust to their environment. I know this time next year I'll be more comfortable in Columbia than I will be in Hong Kong. I guess it's good I learn how to adapt now.
I've also come to realize that I most definitely will live abroad for a few years sometime after graduation. I never noticed just how closed off from the world the United States is. It seems that in other countries, it is common to see people from a range of different cultures and countries coming and going, each leaving a mark of the city they inhabited for that period of time. This doesn't seem to happen in the States. Sure, it's a melting pot, but most everyone adopts an American culture. I need to live in a global city.
This revelation does not mean, however, that when I returned I found Hong Kong to be utopia. My diet has once again shrunk because of my food options here, people stare at me when I'm walking around, and the city is way too crowded. Actually, I believe that it is more crowded now than when I left. Every time I try to take the subway, I'm literally jammed into the car, hoping that don't suffocate from the mass of bodies around me. My theory is that the city is crowded because a lot of people have come for Chinese New Year which is on the 23rd of this month. Maybe the city will be less hectic in February.
The topic of Chinese New Year brings me to my last point. During this holiday, I am escaping the city of Hong Kong (which has 7 million people) to an even larger city (of 13 million). However, this gives me the opportunity to live with a friend's family and experience a traditional new year. It also allows me to practice Mandarin seeing as how her parents do not speak English. I'm very excited to see how then turns out. Pray for me as I make my trip to and from China. God bless and Happy New Year!
Now, I've been back in Hong Kong for a week and I have started to reflect on how my perception of the world has changed. Going back to the States felt like an out of body experience part of the time and I didn't know how to feel about it. Of course, I was happy to be home and there were many things that I missed about the US. My family, friends, being able to drive myself places, the convenience of knowing where everything is, and the comfort of my favorite foods. But I also found myself missing things about Hong Kong a lot more then I though I would. I missed the city, the hustle and bustle, the world culture, and the freedom.
Perhaps the oddest experience in returning to the States was staying at USC for a few days with some friends. I was on the same campus, staying in the same dorm with the same people as freshman year. It was great to be able to reconnect with people at school, but at the same time I felt as if I did not belong there. Even my friends told me that I didn't exactly look like I went to the school anymore. It's bittersweet how quickly a person can adjust to their environment. I know this time next year I'll be more comfortable in Columbia than I will be in Hong Kong. I guess it's good I learn how to adapt now.
I've also come to realize that I most definitely will live abroad for a few years sometime after graduation. I never noticed just how closed off from the world the United States is. It seems that in other countries, it is common to see people from a range of different cultures and countries coming and going, each leaving a mark of the city they inhabited for that period of time. This doesn't seem to happen in the States. Sure, it's a melting pot, but most everyone adopts an American culture. I need to live in a global city.
This revelation does not mean, however, that when I returned I found Hong Kong to be utopia. My diet has once again shrunk because of my food options here, people stare at me when I'm walking around, and the city is way too crowded. Actually, I believe that it is more crowded now than when I left. Every time I try to take the subway, I'm literally jammed into the car, hoping that don't suffocate from the mass of bodies around me. My theory is that the city is crowded because a lot of people have come for Chinese New Year which is on the 23rd of this month. Maybe the city will be less hectic in February.
The topic of Chinese New Year brings me to my last point. During this holiday, I am escaping the city of Hong Kong (which has 7 million people) to an even larger city (of 13 million). However, this gives me the opportunity to live with a friend's family and experience a traditional new year. It also allows me to practice Mandarin seeing as how her parents do not speak English. I'm very excited to see how then turns out. Pray for me as I make my trip to and from China. God bless and Happy New Year!
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