Departure

In 12 hours, I’ll be flying back to America. Eekk! I’m excited. My bags are just about packed, minus the last minute things, my ticket is printed, and my alarm is set for 4am (don’t worry- I have 3 alarms set- I will not sleep through them!). I think I’m ready.

When I booked my flight back in June, Orbitz told me my trip was 127 days and 128 nights. When I thought of it in those terms, day and night, it didn’t seem like a long time; 4 months seemed longer. And now, I can’t decide whether or not it seems like I just got here, or if I’ve been here forever. Looking back, I’ve done a lot. Thankfully I kept this blog because otherwise I am sure I wouldn’t remember half of my experiences. I completed everything that was on my “Things to Do in Hong Kong” list; I traveled to Thailand, Vietnam and Macau; explored as much of Hong Kong as possible and took 5 classes! I am very happy with my semester abroad; I was challenged and pushed outside of my comfort zone; I’ve learned to appreciate America more than ever before, but I’ve also gained a respect and understanding not only of Hong Kong but of many other South Asian countries. I’ve tried so many different types of food and have learned how to cook various dishes in a microwave.

 My List

About 3 or 4 weeks ago, I started making a list of things that I would be ‘Taking’ from Hong Kong and ‘Leaving’ in Hong Kong. To share a few (it’s been much easier to decide what I’m leaving rather than taking, but that’s not really important as I am sure ‘Taking’ list will grow once I’m back in America)…

I will be taking my chopstick skills, a greater appreciation for the American education system (the Hong Kong education system is a completely different story- basically only a certain amount of students can continue on after a certain point, and each year that number gets smaller and smaller)

I will be leaving the shower technique (you go to the shower fully dressed, leave the flip flops outside the shower, strip inside the shower stall, hang your clothes over this bar or in a bag, shower, put clothes back on. At the beginning of the semester I just about died from heat stroke doing this, so to avoid this, I timed my showers so my roommate wouldn’t be in the room); the discussion procedures (class discussions are more of a Q&A session rather than ‘discussion’ and the local students rarely talk, so there wasn’t a lot of communication within the classes), and the acceptability of spitting/burping/nose picking in public (it’s just nasty. I’m sorry. I’ve been on the MTR and see people picking their nose with their fingers, no tissues, or people hacking up mucus on the street. Not my cup of tea). I will also be leaving the bugs. Literally, the bugs here have attacked me. Anytime I’m outside, I get about 4 new bug bits. My calves are covered in bug bites.

The bathroom and showers

There are many things though that I wish I could take: the MTR system (literally, it can get you anywhere in Hong Kong; it’s so easy, accessible and cheap. I will surely miss it.), the money (sure, the exchange rate was great, but the smallest bill they use is $10, they have a $1, $2, and $5 coin, as well as $0.10, $0.20 and $0.50 coin. Things only cost $7.90 or $8.00, not $7.99 or $7.49, it’s so much easier to deal with money without having to worry about those little cents). I wish I could take some of the food back (dim sum, this green bean and minced meat meal, the fruit desert I wrote about earlier, all so delicious and can’t be found in the States). The final thing I wish I could take is the cleanliness of Hong Kong (I am pretty sure the cleaning people collect the trash on our floor at least 4 times a day; everyday, there is a lady sweeping the leaves off the path to our hostel; the elevator and escalator handrails are disinfected at least 4 times a day. It’s crazy, but it’s so clean).

Packing...

It’s been a great semester and I am thankful for every moment over the past 4 months.

Also, I'll leave you with a comparision of the weather here in HK, Hull and Geneva...

I am going to freeze.

The Beginning of the End: Temple Street

Saturday night, I joined Lex, Anna, Kat and Kat’s mom for dinner at Temple Street. Temple Street is famous for its night market, so we decided to grab dinner before strolling through the market. While Ladies Market in Mongkok is mainly for women, as it’s mostly clothes, scarves, etc., Temple Street is the “men’s Market” and focuses on electronics, cds, videogames etc. It had a few vendors selling souvenirs and t-shirts, but not nearly as many as Mongkok. The market at Temple Street opens around 4pm and stays open until around midnight; we were there between 7 and 10pm and it wasn’t too busy, which was nice- there was actually room to walk around! 

 The entrance to Temple Street

We grabbed dinner at a restaurant on a side street. At these types of restaurants, patrons eat outside at small tables and on little stools. We shared a few dishes- sweet and sour shrimp, broccoli, some sort of noodles and veggie spring rolls. It was delicious! I will definitely miss the classic Cantonese/street food!

 Kat, Anna, Lex and I at dinner! (Lex's photo!)

We said goodbye to Kat before heading back to campus, since she was staying with her Mom and heading to India on Tuesday we wouldn’t see her again before leaving for the States. Although it was sad, we all know that since we all live relatively close this wasn’t the last time we’d see each other. We’re already planning a reunion in the future!

End of Classes!

Today was my final day of classes, here at Lingnan! Sure, I still have 2 papers to write, 2 exams to take, a project and a take home exam to do, but I don't have to go listen to any lecture or participate in tutorials any more! And I am completely done with one of my five classes (we had our final exam last night during our usual class time)!

It's now crunch time but I am trying not to procrastinate (let's see how this works out for me) so I can enjoy my final days here.

Yay!

3 Month Mark

So I’m a little late, but I’ve passed the 3-month mark and have less than 4 weeks left here in Hong Kong! How time flies!

Classes end this week and then come finals! I have 3 exams (one is actually this week, on the last day of class) and then one on the 9^th and one on the 13^th; a paper due the 6^th and another due the 16^th and then about 5 days to enjoy Hong Kong some more and pack. {I’m actually not worried about fitting everything in my suitcase. I am pretty sure I will have plenty of room since I don’t have 4 months of pump supplies to pack.}

I’m excited to go home. I’ve definitely enjoyed my time abroad but 4 months is the perfect length to be away.

It’s still warm here, weather wise. It’s been in the 70s for the most part; therefore, I am still in shorts and t-shirts. It will be such a dramatic change when I land in JFK on December 22 (which reminds me—Mom, you should probably bring a jacket for me since I’m pretty sure my light sweater won’t do any good!). The sudden temperature change will be crazy but I’m starting to miss wearing winter clothes.

I’m starting to get sick of rice. I never really loved white rice. At home, whenever my mom made rice with dinner she always had to make two kinds- white rice for my sisters and rice pilaf for my dad and I. I’ve always found white rice to be rather plain and dry and being here has just confirmed that. So whenever I get white rice here (which, as I am sure you expect is at most meals) I always try and combine it with some sort of sauce or main dish just to add some flavor to it. It’s been working but it’s getting kind of old. But I have discovered the art of cooking a potato in the microwave. I forgot how much I loved baked potatoes.

3 months in and I still don’t know how to walk in public though. Literally, I have no idea which side is the correct side to walk in. But it’s okay, because I don’t think the locals do either or it’s not a big deal to them because they just walk all over the place. And I am still struggling with the language barrier. There’s this one lady at the canteen who doesn’t understand English. So when she sees me in line, she usually asks the student ahead of me to wait and translate for her. It’s great and I always laugh it off. But the language situation in the classroom has drastically improved and for the better. It’s been nice being able to have discussion with the local students (even though discussions are more like Q and A’s rather than discussions).

The list that I created while driving to NYC in August, of things I wanted to see and do while in Hong Kong is slowly dwindling- just about 7 things left! But I’ve scheduled time/days for all of them. Things left to do include, but are not limited to: Macau (next weekend), Tea at the Peninsula Hotel (sometime during Finals), the Peak at night (again, during Finals), Happy Valley Horseracing (some Wednesday night?) and the Wetland Park.

AHHH! Only 25 more days! But that means I’ve been here for over 100 days already! I don’t know which is harder for me to believe- that I only have 25 days left or that I’ve been here for 102 days?

Vietnam: Saigon Day 1

Anna G., Kat and I left Hong Kong on Monday night for Vietnam! We took a later flight (we flew United- it was a great little taste of America as an episode of The Office was shown and Lays potato chips were served) and arrived in Ho Chi Minh City around 10pm; we ordered our visas online and picked them up before going through customs and the baggage claim area. Unlike all other airports I’ve been through, our bags were required to go through another security/scanner check before leaving the airport. We were able to easily find our hostel driver/taxi guy and were on our way. Drivers here are on the left side (like in the States) and drive on the right side of the street- it was great to be back on the correct side.

Our hostel is located down an alley and surrounded by many other hostels. It’s a skinny building but very tall- we’re somewhere above the third or fourth floor- there are no exact floor levels here.

Tuesday morning we woke up ready to explore Ho Chi Minh City. We ate breakfast at the hostel and were going to be on our way when our room key broke so we were held up for about a half hour.

When we left we walked to Ben Thanh Market.  It was this huge inside market with thousands of stalls selling everything from towels to purses, fruit, coffee beans, and clothes. (Apparently Northface is extremely cheap here- we saw backpacks at the market for less than $20USD when they go for more than $100 in the States). We are planning to go back and do some shopping Friday morning.

{Sidenote: $1USD = ~20,000 Vietnam Dong; meals go for around 40,000 to 100,000+ Dong, a can of Diet Coke is usually around 10,000 Dong, bottles of water is between 7,000 and 10,000 depending on the size}

When we left the market we decided to do something like the tuk-tuk in Bangkok but is a tricycle and the ‘tourist’ sits in the front chair (see picture for better explanation). We were able to get up close and personal with HCMC traffic on our way to the Jade Emperor Buddha.

The Jade Emperor Buddha wasn’t too exciting or different from the Buddha’s I’ve seen, but it was still interesting. On the way in to the temple, numerous beggars came up to us and we passed various vendors, including one who was selling goldfish in bags!

We were then on to Notre Dame Cathedral. Unfortunately though it was closed, but the exterior of the building was gorgeous.

Our drivers dropped us off at the War Remnants Museum and when it was time to pay we were RIPPED OFF BIG TIME. Literally, crazy. Stupidly, we didn’t agree on a price when we first got on the bike, but still we were RIPPED OFF BIG TIME.

The War Remnants Museum was still closed for another half hour so we wandered over to the Reunification Palace. The Reunification Palace was the site of the end of the Vietnam War, when the North Vietnamese troops came through the gates and during the war it was the site of the South Vietnam government. Nowadays, it’s just a museum.

Ho Chi Minh and I

We then made our way back to the War Remnants Museum. Outside the museum were various US airplanes and tanks that we used during the Vietnam War. The museum consisted of three floors, filled with pictures, remnants and stories from the war. During my senior year of high school I briefly learned about the Vietnam War and throughout the museum information came back to me but I was still completely amazed at the whole ordeal. It was a basically an anti-America/look what America did to us museum, so it put a unique spin on the whole war, but some of the stories and pictures still blow my mind. In most museums, you see people taking pictures, and I took a few pictures inside of the museum, but I just couldn’t bring myself to take pictures at a certain point. I think we spent close to two hours in the museum, and I personally was glad we saved it for our last activity of the day.

One section of the museum focused on before and after pictures of areas effected by the Vietnam War

We made our way back to the hostel before heading out to dinner and went to bed early because we have a tour to the Mekong Delta early Wednesday morning!

For Your Information: The MTR

So I've come to realize that I frequently mention the MTR, and by now you probably now that the MTR is Hong Kong's subway system, you probably have no idea where I am talking about. So I decided to give you a quick blog post while I'm waiting for a class to being.

Hong Kong:

 

(Source: http://www.ely.anglican.org/education/schools/collective_worship/HongKong.html )

Okay, so Lingnan is located in the New Territories, in Tuen Mun (in the middle left hand side). Lantau Island is where the airport is (as well as the Big Buddha). Hong Kong Island is where Central HK is located. Lamma Island, between Lantau and Hong Kong Island is where I was last (?) weekend. And Kowloon is another part- that's actually where my roommate is from!

The MTR:

 

(Source: http://www.wenster.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/5731328243.jpg)

 Sorry if the picture is huge, I just wanted to make sure you could see it.

So Lingnan is at the Siu Hong Station, on the West Rail Line. It's on the left-hand side of the map, again, towards the middle. It's the second to last stop on this line. The little yellow lines around the purple/West Rail Line illustrates the Light Rail line, which is a smaller line that goes further out into the New Territories.
To get into Central, I'd get on at Siu Hong, then transfer at Nam Cheong(Orange Line) and take that to Hong Kong. Hong Kong Stations and Central are actually connected so you're able to walk from one station to the other without going outside- it's actually very nice and convenient.

I know I've mentioned Mongkok, the shopping area/Ladies' Market, a few times, and that is located right in the middle of the map, off the Red Line.

You can take the MTR to the airport, on Lantau Island. It's easy to do it you just have carry-on bags, but there is no way I am doing that in December. Haha.

To view the light show/Avenue of the Stars you'd go to East Tsim Sha Tsui (which is on Kowloon-- the buildings on Hong Kong Island light up, so it's best to view the show from across the harbor)

I haven't had a chance to visit many of the stops on the right hand side of the MTR, but that is on my Hong Kong To Do/See List, so have no fear!

And sorry if this is a pointless post, I just figured/knew my mother would at least like this information, even so late.

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!

21st Celebrations

Friday, October 1^st, 2010 marked my 21^st birthday. Now in the United States, this is a big deal, but here in Hong Kong, well not so much. But I still celebrated as if I was in the States. :-P

We decided to head out to Lan Kwai Fong (a section of HK with bars that tourists go to) on Thursday night because it was ‘Ladies Night’ and ladies get free drinks at certain bars for a few hours.

At midnight, I celebrated with a bottle of champagne, purchased at the classy establishment of 7-11 (yes, 7-11 sells alcohol here). We hit up a few other bars throughout the night- danced and celebrated. J  

                  

Friday, my actual birthday, was National Day, thus a public holiday so there were no classes! The city actually put off fireworks along Victoria Harbor at night though. I went down to the harbor with a few friends to watch the 23 minute show- it was broken up into 5 different acts but I couldn’t really tell the difference between the acts. And for dinner, we found an Outback!              

                                        

New Beginnings

Hi! I’m Sara and I’m a junior at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS) in Geneva, New York. This fall though, I won’t be spending my days overlooking the beautiful Seneca Lake, but rather around Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, as I will spend 4 months studying at Lingnan University, trying new things and challenging myself in a new location.

A change of scenery is always a good thing; something new and different, something outside one’s comfort zone. With an HWS education, students are encouraged to become ‘global citizens’ or citizens who are actively involved in the local and global community and are able to make connections between the two. Studying abroad provides students this opportunity to become a global citizen as one becomes a part of another culture by experiencing it.  In just eight short days, my journey to becoming a global citizen continues when I board the plane my 16 hour-long ride.

                                                                                                      Photo Credit: Lingnan University

My journey to becoming a global citizen began long before today. Throughout high school, I frequently traveled as a Student Ambassador for People to People; I’ve been to China, Europe, South America and Antarctica. These trips provided me with a foundation and understanding of other cultures as well as my own. Experiencing different cultures allowed me to reflect on my own culture while learning to accept the differences.

You may be asking yourself, “Why Hong Kong?” I’ve been asked that question multiple times over the past few months; even when I first went to China in 2006, people always asked why, when I said I was going to China. And well, I have a few reasons:

1.     Why Not? When I came home from China in 2006, I was a different person. I fell in love with the culture and have always dreamed of going back. My trip in 2006 was scheduled to spend 2 days in Hong Kong, but due to weather and flight cancelations, we barely spent 24 hours there (which is why I decided to name my blog- More than 24 Hours) and I have always wanted to go back. When the opportunity came for me to study abroad in Hong Kong, I didn’t have to give it a second thought.

2.     In my mind, I can go to Europe at any age. I like to think it will be easier for me to travel around Europe when I’m older than it would be for Hong Kong or any other place in Southeast Asia. And a plus- the current exchange rate for Hong Kong is a much better for the U.S. dollar than the Euro. J

3.     It’s Hong Kong; it’s a cosmopolitan city. It used to be a British colony and is now part of China. It’s a booming city that will play an important role in worldwide business, trade, media etc. And it’s not a suburb like Geneva or my hometown. I’ve always wanted to go to school or live in the city and living in the cosmopolitan city will give me the experience I’ve always dreamed of. In addition, most people will speak English (from what I’ve heard) so although language may be a barrier in some situations, I will still be able to communicate with most people.

4.     It’s a great location. I’ve been surrounded by water my entire life- I live right on the Atlantic Ocean, and go to school on Seneca Lake. Studying in Hong Kong will give me a chance to live by another body of water. Furthermore, when I was looking to study abroad, I knew I wanted to have the chance to travel to other places, and in Hong Kong, it couldn’t be easier- mainland China is available by multiple forms of transportation while Thailand, Vietnam, India, Taiwan, Japan, and many other countries are just a plane ride away.

As I prepare for the next four months abroad, I’ve been asked multiple times whether I am nervous or excited. Truthfully, I’m excited. I can’t wait to live in a different country, experience a different culture, challenge myself and try something new.