Halfway There!

Today marks the halfway mark in my semester abroad. It’s weird to think I’ve already been here for two months, but even weirder that I still have two more months. It seems like such a long time. When I was driving to NYC with my mom the day before I left for Hong Kong, I created a list of things I wanted to see and do while in Hong Kong; although I’ve seen so much already, I still have a lot to cross off on my list. This past weekend, my friends and I were planning when we wanted to go see certain things- we’re trying to get a lot done on the weekends and days off from school so we’re not just cramming everything into our free days in December, but I am still worried I will miss a few things.

Classes have started to pick up- group projects are being assigned, presentation dates set and rough drafts written. Yet, I still don’t feel like I’m at school. This whole meet once or twice a week thing is different. I had a midterm the other day that consisted of ten multiple-choice questions and four short answers. It felt like nothing. In addition, I find myself actually talking in class. At home, I’m rather quiet/rarely say anything, but here since the Chinese students rarely talk I always find myself raising my hand and offering my thoughts.

I am becoming more and more aware of the language barrier- see post, Lost in Translation. I didn’t think the language would be much of a problem because when I applied for this program I was told everything was in English because it’s an English-speaking school. LIES! Haha. Those small side conversations that occur during class, the conversations in the elevator, the signs in the bathrooms and the guest speakers during class all make me feel rather stupid/ignorant because I am the outsider/can’t understand the language. But I’ve slowly gotten used to feeling comfortable when those around me are speaking in Cantonese. If it is not during class, I like to think that if I really needed to know what people are talking about, they’d tell me.

I haven’t really gotten homesick, but I know come Thanksgiving I’ll be dying for the family gathering and Aunt Barbara’s cooking. {Side note: I went and saw Eat, Pray Love the other day (a post is coming) and they had a Thanksgiving Day feast and I was jealous to say the least.} I’ve been able to get a lot of American food here (thank you globalization) but it’s those classic meals my mom makes that I miss- twice baked potatoes/boiled potatoes, steak, omelets, grilled chicken (FYI- Mom, I’m creating a list of foods that we shall have over Winter Break haha).

I do miss Fall, the leaves changing, the cooling temperatures, the sweaters and scarves. I’m still walking around in a tank top and shorts and am still dying of heat. I know I’ll still be in shorts in December.

I still don’t know which side of the street to walk on and am constantly dodging people as they walk. Or actually I am trying to pass them because they walk rather slowly. And I still don’t know how to eat meat that comes on the bone, but I am getting much better at eating noodles with chopsticks!

I’ve found some dishes that I love at the local restaurant we frequent, one being friend string beans with minced meat (it sounds odd, but it’s great) and I am getting better at having the ladies at the Canteen understand my lunch order.

I’ve gotten into routines where I wake up and run in the morning, shower while my roommate is at class (the whole showering situation requires another post at some point) and go to lunch and class later on. In addition I’ve become best friends with the security guard at the track so I don’t even have to sign-in any more he just waves me on. I’ve been tracking my running since I arrived and have been able to see my endurance/number of laps improve which is keeping me motivated for the Spring Crew season.

I’m trying to keep everything in perspective and welcome each and every challenge that comes to me with open arms and ears, slowly adapting my own understand and perspectives. Two months down, two to go!