The Nightmare Before New Year

So I think I'm undergoing that more depressing stage of studying abroad. I mentioned it in my last post, about now being able to see past the glitter of the city and beyond the surge of freshman-dorm-like excitement. I've been having a lot of nightmares recently. I usually don't remember having many bad dreams. They all randomly give me anxiety. But I think they're a processing of the emotions I'm having here in HK.

I had a dream that I was a lone doctor in a war zone with several families who found out that their children had rabies. I felt so lost. I could've helped but I didn't know the system, the logistics, how to sign the papers. So all my work was inefficient trying to get to know just how to do things. Then I asked, why am I a doctor? This is why there's residency. I wish I could understand this place and my place in it.

Where's Waldo?
Ok, I'm not in this picture. Significant?














I also had a dream where I was on a large boat that announced that we were travelling in acidic water. The boat was full of children and they were all pushing each other off the highest levels of the boat to save themselves. They used physical as well as social tactics to save their skins over the kids next to them. They were pushing and clinging and telling each other they couldn't pee in their pants, to get each other off their posts. And then I got to thinking, how has humanity come to this? Why is everyone fighting for himself? There are no ties, no greater importance to these kids other than their lives. Is this what it really comes down to? But then I too, was not giving up my little pole of wood. I clung desperately to it, not willing to let another child steal it away from me.

These dreams are probably workings of my feeling of fighting, fear and not understanding. I am realizing the extent of these HK language and cultural barriers. And really, this is nothing yet. I have not stepped into Tibet or Cambodia yet, been completely unable to orally communicate in Beijing, nor gotten my purse stolen without a translator. Actually I'm posting this a week after I wrote this draft. Maybe these dreams stem from a chemical imbalance with my increased intake of MSG, pork fat, noodles, dan tat (mini custard/egg pies) (ok, the first day I was in HK I ate more dan tat than I do in most years) and ?questionable? substances. But I think most of it originates from my emotional realizations in HK.

One of the ?questionable? substances, yes.
Good thing I didn't eat it.
Uhh, sorry I didn't warn you.














Arguably the largest culture shock I had was this Sunday. (This has now changed and I plan on writing a new blog soon...) I was grocery shopping on a Sunday...never again. Since the HKers have 5.5 workdays, the grocery store was filled of barely moving small Asian people. There was little room to walk and get to places, especially in a grocery store. Me, the monsterous, gluttonous American that I am was too ignorant to understand why minimalism, especially in consumption, was highly practiced in buying groceries. So being used to Costco I tried to strike a deal with the fruit market owner and the bakery owner outside asking if I buy a large amount can I get a small discount? Me being me I asked a few friends if they wanted me to buy them fruit so that they could be part of this brilliant plan. So I bought $50 of fruit and $30 of bread/pasteries (many dan tat) and then headed to the grocery store. I of course compulsively bought a lot. Totally but not so totally worth it. The ladies giving out samples are just too good! They're highly aggressive, nice and follow you around. How can you resist, "Leng siuje, leng siuje sii ____ haa. Hou sihk a?" "Pretty lady, pretty lady try some of this ____. Good huh?" "Look, it's right here, try another. No no, it's right here, this shelf." Yeah...

Anyhoo, so by the time I was done I had $250 worth of groceries plus all my heavy fruits and breads. And I was thinking oh my goodness. I can't do this. I can't carry all this anywhere let alone to the train station or my apartment. I didn't know what to do. I was paralyzed for twenty minutes. But I finally decided to take a few steps and break whenever I lost circulation in my arms. And after too many cycles of step-step-step-break-people looking at me funny, I eventally made it to the train station. Never again...

My horde of food. Normally this isn't that much, but here supposedly this could feed me for 3 weeks (said all my flatmates who gasped at my fei (fat) gluttony). Next time I should only get this much when I have a village to help me carry it back.














Those sales people suckered me into buying this.
I am glad though, coconut gau (gluttonous rice cake for New Years) is grand.














I felt so stuck. Usually when I go shopping on any other day I am able to ask people questions. Questions have been my savior. But at such a crowded, dog-eat-dog time I totally just had to do it on my own. I didn't know what everything was, just tried to get a grasp of things by visual cues. My motto here is, Do what the locals do. Obvious it seems, but it doesn't solve everything. I mean...I like to know what's in the pasteries I buy even if thirty other HKians buy the same thing. I know they like their animal feet, eyes, and random body parts. Yes, I know that one. That's for the next blog...

What's in this pasterie? I've been doing a lot of guessing recently.















(P.S. Feel free to subscribe to this blog. That way you can resume with your life instead of compulsively checking for infrequent postings on my part. You will get an email when I post great or equally bad posts. I infrequently go on the internet now. Gasp, I know.)

My Path Has Begun

I have been in HK for 25 days. The first week and a half of ignorant wonderment has worn off and my HK experience has been evolving into a different beast: less awe still with confusion. Although there's less opportunity for exploration and random adventure, this burgeoning phase of my study will probably mean more to me with a deeper understanding and truer experience of another country, not just a blindly happy vacation basking in the sun.

Time flies...
KCR Train


















Part of the dwindling springboards of adventures is the consequence of...ok, I'm just going to say it... school. I'm learning so many things in my business classes, I am! I love seeing the business world from the other side of the world. I've learned about so many major companies that I as an ignorant citizen did not previously know of. Despite this, I feel like there's so much to learn outside of the hilly confines of CUHK.

Temple of 10,000 Buddhas, Shatin














Initially I thought 10,000 was just an metaphoric, over-large number used.
Apparently I was wrong. (12,800+)















These past two weeks I've been staring at maps of Asia and I've realized how much I still have not seen. Looking at the expanse of China and its countless towns has made me think that I don't have enough time to stand on new soil, hear what others have say, and connect with souls from other constructs.

I want to boat on the Yangze river, see Shaolin kung fu with my own eyes, participate in a lion dance that circles Tianamen Square, get my legs muddy tilling a rice patty, backpack across boarders, pet pink dolphins, learn three languages, climb the Tibetan mountains, see the sunset over a broken city on an elephant, and offer incense on my unknown ancestors' graves... You may be commenting, Ho waan aa. (Sounds like a jolly 'ol time), asking, Jun haih ma? (For real?), or maybe even, Sihk jo fahn meih a? (Have you eaten yet?). The answer to all is Haih aa. (Yes.)

Tian Tan Buddha (aka Big Buddha)
Ngong Ping, Lantau Island
























You may call me a hippie, fine. I would choose a $5 hostel over a five star hotel any day...not because of the cost, but for the invaluable experience of social knowledge and minimal consumption. Yes, I'm sure I will cave into comfort and familiarity a lot, but these are my visions. I don't know why but I don't want my experience abroad to be easy. I want to come out alive, yes. But I want to come out having seen things, having experienced the different, and questioning what is culture and how do I fit into its global environment. Mom, please don't be too worried at my disregard for comfort and safety at times. I believe in my decently trained cranium and the goodness of people. Ironically through the financial stories I've heard, however, I've realized how insecure, unfair, and uncaring people can be even when they have another other choice.

So you ask, Q: "What's your plan of action for the near future and how have you started to delve into the HK culture, along with a more global one?"

A (What small steps I will take to accomplish my goal):
I will get a HK hairdo. Scary, but I it's my most obvious visual signal that I'm not local (well that and my face...) I will take the risk of getting a mullet and/or really high non-integrated bangs. I also need to celebrate Chinese New Year in China...period. I plan to go all out on that.

Temple of 10,000 Buddhas


















I should take pictures with more reverent poses with the Buddhas.


















A (Some baby steps I have taken):
Unfortunately I still have not stepped outside of HK yet. I have explored, however, and found a few enriching places within these islnds. As you may have noticed, there's a lot of Buddhas on this page. I've seen a lot of Buddhas so far. A gigantic, 250 ton one on Lantau Island, and 10,000 in Shatin. I included this paragraph just to explain the plethora of Buddha that you may have seen if you are still awake reading this blog.

But yipee you may say, the end is near. I close with words from the poet Robert Frost. You may have heard of his poem The Road Not Taken. Ironically I quote. However takng knowledge from the journey of others' paths is just as important as discovering your own.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Immerse Myself in the Culture

So random find of the morning...

I accidentally bought myself whitening moisturizing lotion. I guess I'm supposed to feel insecure with the amount of melanonin in my skin. It's borderline, if not horrendously ugly.

I should buy more Asian products. Immerse myself in the culture!

HK from My Half Chinese Ears

I'm here! HK is amazing. It's a paradoxical, exciting beast with both big and small, exquisite and shabby, designer and dezigner. Today I had my first class but I'll update more on non-academic stuff...the stuff I'm here for!? (yes...? no...? your call).

The multiplisitic nature of HK: two views of the Peak.

So for the past few days I've been settling in, getting the essentials, and exploring HK with the random international students I've met. We're a diverse bunch...of Americans (and a Kiwi). Yeah don't lecture me, I know I know...but they're cool. I'll meet some cool locals too, don't fret. My roomies came in yesterday and one's from HK and the other's from mainland China and they're very friendly and open to teaching me how to be HKanese (aka to barter like a pro and dress all HK fashionable, aren't you excited?)

This past week has been what I would call in a nutshell, exhillirating survival. The locals speak much less English than expected and I often intimidate people with my impeccable English skills. I love it! It's a whole new experience having to truly focus on nonverbal communication, images, and instinct. I've been trying out my bad Cantonese that I learned from a book. Of course no one really understands what I'm saying (in either language, this happens all the time...with friends included. lol). But those few moments when someone understands, "chi saw haih bin dou a?" (where's the potty?) or when I shout "Expensive! Expensive!" in Canto, it makes me smile and think oh yeah!

On Wednesday we went to Sham Shui Po to an outdoor market. OMG, so fun! It was packed and shady. There were stand up bathrooms in the girls' side. No way Jose! (maybe for another day) We also didn't know the language at all; none of us, other than my pocket How to learn Canto book. But of course we still tried to bargain in Canto! So we kept consulting our bible and tried a few times, "No! Gwai, gwai!" (Expensive, expensive!) "Luk sap! Luk sap!" (60! 60!) And we got what we think are a few good deals but what probably are rip offs because those sellers are complete actors, liars, and theives rolled into one.

Getting Screwed @ Sham Shui Po



























Along with having fun in Tsim Sha Tsui, a Taoist Temple, Lan Kwai Fong, Wan Chai, and Ikea (did you catch that?) I also went to the night market in Jordan. I initially was having a little cognitive dissonance with bartering morally and culturally. America is a place where you don't fight for taking miniscule amounts of money, especially from people talking to your face. We don't confront people about them being cheap and lie...much. It's looked down upon as offensively frugal.

I initially felt bad taking money away from sellers and thus their infant children and elderly parents. The extra $10HKD ($1.30USD) wasn't worth fighting for (so I thought at first). I mean they did say it was good, worth that much and insisted that I already was asking for too low a price. But no! I've accepted the fact that no, this is a game...a war. If it's not worth it for them they aren't going to sell it to you. I should not feel bad. They are the ones actually stealing my hard earned Spagger money; they are taking meals from my pocket and I must fight tooth and nail for each dollar! They intentionally raise prices for buyers to bargain them down. It's inevitable to get screwed. And yes, I already have. The bag that I'm holding bellow is my screw bag. I got screwed. I've complained and accepted it. I love it but yeah, I got screwed. It's just so intimidating with them speaking another language (an angry-sounding one at that) along with trying to convert currency quickly while they make you feel bad when they reply in disgust, "Pfft? Chaat sap!? Chaat sap ($70)?! This one is 100! No no no, lady..."

Whatever... I'm going to expedite this post
because I bet no one has read this far anyway. But speaking about expedited, I wanted to explore the realms of expedited friendships. This week has been exciting because I've really gotten to know people so quickly. It seems like it's been weeks, a month even. I've been seeing people for like 15hrs each day? day after day after day (7 of 'um only?). Too much! (Yeah, that's right!) And I find it so amazing how people can get close when they need to survive and interact in horrendous amounts together. It's a nice change. In a sense I wish I was able to spend limitless amounts of time just hanging out with all my friends in a new country, trying food from dirty places and exploring together. But everyone's a busy bee.
















This whole experience feels like the Amazing Race! With language barriers, a lack of direction, limited money, exciting sites, rushed tasks, (and drama soon, I'm sure) my experience in HK has been an Amazing Case so far.

Despite its shyness, HK likes to bling.

...with x-mas decor, even in Janurary...

Tsim Sha Tsui

I kick ass even in Kung Fu nation.
Tsim Sha Tsui Walk of Stars

Yeah, I like HK.