It probably goes without saying that the last few days have been hectic, but now that my first week of school is over and I am FINALLY beginning to sleep at night... I think it is only fitting to update on my days.
Monday was a day of extreme exploration. We decided to take the MTR (metro system) to Mong Kok, a more authentic part of Hong Kong full of markets and street vendors. Upon stepping out of the station, I could tell we weren't in Kansas anymore Toto! People were everywhere, the streets were dirtier (although there are people picking up liter constantly) and the pollution was at its peak. English was scarce in this area and I stood out like a sore thumb. After eating a questionable lunch, we walked to a famous local market called the "Ladies Market". It was fun to look around until a persistent woman came up begging us to accept her offer of $98HKD for a pedicure and massage. Needless to say, we pretty much left the market trying to dodge her. After popping in and out of some unique stores, we searched around the city for the "Goldfish Market". I'm not quite sure what we were expecting to see but it was a very interesting scenario that we found full of pet shops including dozens upon dozens of hanging ziploc bags full of goldfish. It was like Petsmart on steroids in the middle of Hong Kong. Lastly, we decided to brave the heat for one last trip to the "Flower Market" and "Bird Garden which were next to one another. The Flower Market was full of BEAUTIFUL flower shops and greenery. It really took my breathe away to imagine the green thumbs that went into harvesting such beautiful flowers. The Bird Garden was similar to the Goldfish Market in that there was a variety of birds for sale that marketed in different ways. Although there wasn't anything inhumane about the garden, it seemed hard to pass by so many caged birds without wanting to leave rather quickly. We then returned home to the residence halls to rest before attending an event Whitney, Andrew and I had created. We had decided to post a message on the International Exchange group on Facebook to see if anyone would like to join us to watch the "Symphony of Lights" night show on the harbor where skyscrapers along Hong Kong Island light up to an orchestra of music for about 15-20 minutes. We anticipated there being about 5 of us but walked downstairs to find a group of 40 all ready to make the 30 minute walk down to the north side of the harbor. Overall the night was a complete success, the light show was spectacular, we met new friends and learned more about friends already made, ate dinner at a nice restaurant, had a drink at a nearby pub and then returned home for a great nights rest.
Tuesday was a much more relaxed day of errand running. We woke up on our own time and decided to venture out to try and purchase cell phones. Most of the international students have cellphones and after an entire week of not being about to effectively get in touch with people, I felt like it was time to invest in a local phone. Back to Mong Kok we went to find a very cheap yet nice LG cellphone for practically nothing. We also poked around the market streets until we decided to head back home to do some much needed laundry. (Picking up frozen yogurt on the way, yum!)
Wednesday began the first day of my life as a graduate student. I barely slept at all Tuesday night and woke up bright and early to make sure I had more than enough time to eat breakfast and get ready. My first class began at 9:30am. This was a Supply Chain Management course that I REALLY enjoyed. My professor (Chris) is very personable and relatable. The highlight of the 3 hour long class, however, was finding out on the syllabus that we have two, two week spans of no class! These breaks make the perfect time for extra travel to hopefully Vietnam, Thailand, maybe Taiwan and loads of free time when my mom comes to visit me. After class and a much needed power nap, the Facebook group for International Exchange students arranged a dinner for all Exchange students in Hong Kong to come together at a fancy restaurant that was rented out for us. Although the dinner was someone unorganized, I unknowingly tried some of the craziest foods ever such as jellyfish, fresh octopus, shark fin soup and duck feet (couldn't actually bring myself to try that one). Afterward, a group of us who having been spending quite a bit of time together, all went out to a district called Wan Chai for what is known as ladies night where ladies get into clubs/bars free and drink free all night... it is a girl's paradise. I had the time of my life and danced the night away!
Today was a very difficult day to start, although I had a WONDERFUL time last night, the 4 hours of sleep that followed were restless making the 9:30 class again this morning dreadful. The class itself was great being that it is a Global Branding and Marketing class. Not only that but it is almost a Fashion Philosophy class where the professor makes you think about why brands mean something to the consumer... fascinating to me! Afterward some friends offered us the opportunity to go see the largest buddha statue in southeast asia located off Lantau Island here in Hong Kong. The mountain cable car ride was more than majestic. In spite of the overcast weather, the experience was phenomenal. We arrived at the buddha only an hour before close so we will most definitely make a repeat trip on a clear day to experience more of what the beautiful area has to offer.
Next week we have Thursday class free so we have decided to take the extra day and put it to good use by going to Bejing for our long weekend. Tomorrow we are planning to go to the immigration office to pursue our visas for the trip! SO exciting!!!!
A few little things I have learned:
-I understand now why asian food can be a little scary! Chicken heads on the plate, an entire fish served on a big dish, bones within meat and fat served, these things are not common in the US.
-In Hong Kong, pets are very important to their owners... especially dogs.
-Climbing 268 steps up to the Tian Tan Buddha can really make someone realize they are out of shape.
Write again soon!
<3 Debbie
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