Daw Je to HK

Is the Language of Love Universal?

2009-02-17T04:32:00.012Z

As Valentines day came and passed, I started wondering...is the display and understanding of love universal or do localities have a stronger affect on the culture, especially the expression, of love? With my random ruminations and limited analysis of two distinct cultures during Valentine's Day, my conclusion to the question, Is love a completely biological and internal 'thing'?, is...sorta, not really.

Matchy matchy...look at those pink headbands!

I've been in two different countries on Valentines Day, USA and HK. I've noticed that both cultures highly commercialize this holiday but in completely different ways. As a single researcher in both countries, I noticed a different commercialized push during Valentines, one for internal completeness and the other for social worth. Both show us that buying flashy, sentimental, or sexy gifts is what we should do if we want to make ourselves and our partner happy. Buying stuff shows that we care (about the relationship or displaying that we're in a relationship). Not buying something for someone on Valentine's Day can imply that you're missing out emotionally (what I noticed in the US) or socially (analysis in HK).

A Western ideal of Valentine's love?

Eastern ideals of Valentine display? Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

Everyone, in whatever culture, wants to feel like someone gives a damn. But for some cultures it's more for social one-up-manship or keeping up with the Joneses (you're a better citizen, woman, or man), while others it's for the notion that it makes you a better individual. With commercialism, buying or receiving something on Valentine's Day gives you a feeling or acceptance of worth, whether it's social or internal.

Although I've only experienced Valentines Day in the US and HK, I have seen the culture of affection in at least eleven distinct cultures. Having a Valentines symbols "I am desirable" "I am amazing enough to be loved" "I am worth enough for someone to think about giving me this gift."

My roomies (from HK and Mainland China) told me that there are a lot of breakups after Valentine's Day in HK. Girls getting a bouquet of flowers much smaller than others', or none at all, was the reason for many of these splits. Walking around HK on Valentine's Day was very different than anything I was used to. Every other girl was toting around a bouquet of flowers. They were not embarassed or weighed down by this display like many Americans would be walking around with a massive bunch of flowers. They flaunted. Valentine's was a social display of worth. Same same but different?

Heavy, but worth it.

It's been so long. Ruminations without a FOB haircut.

2008-11-17T00:18:00.000Z

I started writing this journal the week I got my haircut for the first time back in the States. It had been an entire year. I am finishing this around a month later. I deeply apologize to my vast and loyal DJTHK following about my dilatory nature, esp. with this blog.

My life has changed so much in the past 382 days, especially my last now 161 back in the motherland. Yesterday, (now eight, ok now eleven...sixteen) was the anniversary of my first steps outside of the U.S. (minus Canada because that doesn't count.) as well as my first steps of expedited personal growth. So many great memories since these baby steps into a foreign land. Yet, it's so vivid and recent. It's been a long time since then; it's been a long time being back too...

I only realized that I've been back for so extensively from such a long journey when I looked at my new haircut after my 4 hour trek to a Santa Monica hair salon via Los Angeles' infamous public transportation. The significance of my new U.S. haircut took me awhile to understand. I had just cut off my visual connection to my travels. As I purused my mid-HK blog posts, I remembered how my Chinese haircut was that step that pushed me full on into cultural immersion...past attempting to learn Mandarin and Cantonese, past frequenting da pai dong (dirty street food), past dressing in my 5 quai ($0.60) sweater with holes (aka "Ugly") when I went bartering for clothes and practicing "Tai gwae la! Wo shi qiong xue sheng" (Too expensive! I am a poor student.) for an entire hour in the Hong Kong KCR train. My haircuts abroad changed me more than I would have initially imagined. With their irreversible and blatantly obvious appearance I could have tried to tell the person cutting my hair same same please just a little shorter or perhaps Same same m'goi. Siu siu la, but that was not my intention. This time, like last I told my hair stylist, "Shorter please. Do what you want." Now I look like I'm from the States...although I sometimes pull out a fobby "shirt" or a bracelet from Yunnan, generally I'm identified as Filipino-American. That or ESL...all U.S. classifications.

I remember the three haircuts I had abroad vividly:

Haikou, China. 2/24/07.

Hairdressers: 12 Chinese fellas with extremely different personalities via their dos Result: Becoming truly Asian

Mongkok, HK 4/18/07.

Hairdresser: Freddie

Result: A thirst for adventure and looking like an Asian boy with an asymmetrical do

Earl's Court, London 7/10/07.
Hairdresser: Eric

Result: I'm guessing a semi-uneven trim but the birth of a friendship.
Pic: Someone stole my camera, the bastard.

Please contrast to pre-abroad style:

By the way, you're probably wondering how can Crystal not look non-FOBy? This is my new haircut. FOB? I think not!

Ok, so I'm not so un-FOB that I am now a brunette or grew my hair out silky and smooth. I'm the one in the red, silly.

The end of my FOB do is the end of an era.

~~~

So for everything, even outside of a new sense of visual expression, I've got to say it's been awhile...about times when I could just explore my environment like Dora the Explorer (my new role model), when my whole goal was to gain daily enrichment, when I could just have fun with good people.

If you couldn't discern my U.S. do in the previous picture, it looks like Dora's here! (Mi amiga Dora es inteligente y adventurado!)

But I often forget that I've been slowly reacclimating back into society with baby steps and good times. I am not yet out of this confusion and longing of being back. However, I need to remember the times when I have explored around this ghetto of L.A., that I do get daily enrichment through the academic endeavors at school, and I have been able to enjoy life with friends, even if it's sometimes just through sporadic emails.

There have been the few things that have kept me going. The explorative lifestyle that I have learned from my travels has enabled me to enjoy a few adventures here. I am trying to continue to immerse myself in the culture (yes, the U.S. has culture) and acclimate myself (like an annoying but inquisitive tourist) to understand what makes the locals tick. When in Rome do as the Romans do. When in Los Angeles, be superficial? lol. I kid...?

Immersion continues with the following:

As always, I have delved into the poor man's cuisine of my surroundings: now, Mexican food! In HK I ate dan tat (custard egg tarts) nearly daily, in Thailand pad thai, in the London pubs I couldn't keep myself from the steak and ale pies. Yes, I became obese with my gluttonous behaviors. I think this is partially where the locals get the impression that people from the States are overindulgent pigs. Sorry "Americans," I misrepresent?

My daily perspective of HK and Thailand...? Nearly ;O)

The Brits make pies and puds of everything.

In Beijing xiao long bao (little meat-filled dumplings) were eaten 12 a day and I couldn't get enough of Malaysian roti (flying bread with curry)! I do not think people understand how much local foods really impacted my experiences abroad. It infultrated my waking hours. Every time I strolled around or after a nice splurge of Asian shopping...where are the dirty, cough...I mean authentic, food stands and stores? You'd always find me immersing there.

Beijing dumplings (hopefully the report on how the Chinese added cardboard to the meat fillings were false. Though...I wouldn't be suprised if it was true; sometimes I do expect worse).

This is a Malaysian scrumptious roti!

Although I'm not in Mexico c'mon, L.A. is basically an extension of Mexico! Thus, Mexican food has infultrated my life as much as I can handle! It's great because I can't get Mexican food in Hawaii, and well, Mexican food in Britain and Asia...would you really trust that? And I mean Mexican more than just Taco Bell. Coming from a state which has a 1.6% Mexican contingency, I think most Hawaii locals think Taco Bell is not only good but what Mexicans eat daily.

Trying to get addicted to new things unfortunately:

carne asada tacos (duh!)

hortacha (a cold refreshing non-dairy drink made of ground rice, cinnamon and sugar rumored to be a cure for a hangover. Wow, did not know)

chimichangas (deep fried burrito created accidentally in 1922 and named after the dirty utterance when that happened)

tamales (steam cooked corn meal, also a term to indicate good looking individuals, aka hot tamales!)

conchas pastries (bread roll with colored sugar on top, reminiscent of Chinese bolobao, pineapple buns which I was addicted to for 2 months in HK and then I just realized it was bread with sugar on top with nothing to do with pineapples)

churros (cinnamon fried dough stick, healthy huh?)

pupusas (stuffed corn tortilla generating an income of $22.8 million in El Salvador in 2002).

I went to the Tamale Festival a month ago in the ghetto Mexican area of downtown L.A. Ghetto meaning infultrated with culture... See the More 4 Less store back there? Good example. Spent a week's worth of pay to gorge and really taste what it's like to be Mexican. Tried using some espanol too. Failure.

Largest takeaway from here: These people are resourceful. Check out that grocery cart turned into a corn on the cob griller. Impressive.

My one and only travel trek since I came back was my weekend trip to Mexico. Although we only got to visit Mexico's north and touristy cities of Tijuana and Ensenada for global business research, I was in much need of traveling again and was glad to immerse myself into a new culture. Four classes in four buses of USC students drove through San Diego's fires into Mexico to study Mexican business and consumer culture by touring maquiladoras (multinational companies in Mexico that benefit from free trade agreements). Although we got a lot of touristy culture, here's some of my highlights of my Mexican cultural immersion.

Wrestling capes for the Mexican kids...

...and Crystal of course. My Halloween costume as a Mexican kid: the KKKitty. What did I tell you...full on immersion! Though Hello Kitty's Japanese...hmm.

The highlight of my life...or something near to it. We got to do the Mexican Wal-Mart cheer after hearing management decisions and strategies. *clap clap clap bounce wiggly* "FANTASTICO FANTASTICO!" Sigh, mui bueno.

I'm going to miss non-Taco Bell tacos if I ever move.
Eric and Sean: equally excited.

Mexican gaming in McDonalds!
Better than our U.S. ball pits which sometimes have IV needles in them.

Mexico bueno times y amigos.

L.A., the City of Angels, and My Demons

2007-10-14T12:35:00.000+01:00

I'm semi-sorry for anyone (really no one) who reads this imageless blog. Someone stole my camera while I narcolepsied in Scotland. If you find them, beat them up...for your own sake. I know how dry these life reflections are, especially with only my mind-numbing stories. You were warned...

I will be blunt. I am currently not intending to backlog-update my blog. I know I promised and I'm dying to show the world and keep my memories of Thailand, Malaysia, China, Stonehenge and prehistoric civilizations, the gardens and castles of the UK, and my lonely trip through Scotland. But I currently can't. I miss this blog so much, but I cannot listen to my passions right now. No more enrichment for the time being, which is sad because I know procrastinating on life choices and things that mean the most to me will probably be regretted. Oh well...I've already accepted that my spirit and personality has become muted.

This weekend I've decided, I hate Los Angeles...I hate it so much it hurts. It's ugly, disappointing, and gaaaar. Now, the ugliness...whatever. I embrace ugly. To the contrary, I would love to dance amongst ugly. But alas...I cannot.

L.A., you're so disappointing. Everyone hears so much about L.A. It supposedly has everything. This is supposed to be the place where there's cool shops, nice beaches, chill people, a glittering nightlife, you know...something. But where are they?! I don't know.

All I do here is sit in my little piece of the ghetto, dying to explore, to be free...but am trapped in location as well as in spirit. Even when I do try to explore this city, I draw upon utter disappointment. It frustrates me because I know that L.A. is so cool, with hidden spots of intrigue and an integration of unique cultures. But I can never tap it. I can never find it. My high expectations are never fulfilled. The last few times that my experiences exceeded expectations feels like so long ago...Laie, Hawaii/Yorkshire, England/Beijing, China/Mongkok, HK. I miss those times so much...where I just feel like skipping around, reflecting about life, or gasping, "Oh my goodness. Why are you so beautiful?"

And I mean, I get that some. Friday I went to the famous Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles, where trans fat in arteries meets diabetes. And it was amazing to sit under those pink florescent lights amongst obese minorities, dipping fried chicken in maple syrup while talking about life, manwhores, and creating ephemeral beauty within an art piece, like drawing on the shower glass after a hot shower just to watch its message dissipate slowly. Friday was a day of disappointments, but also of inspirations to pull myself back out from it. I will skip over the disappointments because I hate hating L.A. It's not my personality, but it's what I've become...a hater. I must remember that there have been a few inspiring times coming back in this ghetto home. The complaining must stop...at least for awhile. I've had some good times?

Immersing myself in ghetto fab at the cheap, gold sequined store across from Roscoe's with girls equally enthralled with, I want to say ugly, but it's probably more accurate to say "culture" (aka. L.A. sweatshop clothes stolen/sold out to vendor stalls run by a 40 year old man who truly thought this stuff was currently fashionable.)

Narcolpsying under California's golden rays and getting a tan (more like multiple, weird tan lines) after smelling roses instead of reading my cases as intended.

Eating the best, cheap burrito in another ghetto, (randomly located between Hollywood and Melrose Place) while slopping on "guacamole" and being serenaded to by two men in sombreros.

Finding a B-ranked, Thai restaurant after walking for 40 minutes after getting off the incorrect bus stop, taking two wrong buses and misinterpreting that most of Melrose is not full of vintage shops.

Seeing the passion of being a Trojan, from its poor and intoxicated students, to its highest donors and celebrities who get their hot dogs and pretzels delivered by an idealized, bronzed and brilliant Trojan student (me) through the watching of a sport of dancing to protect an animal-skin-covered, oblong object.

Experimenting with culinary talents...if you ever eat my food you probably don't want to know how I made it. My last ingenious culmination included oyster sauce, peanut butter, oranges, vegetables, and (peach) yogurt...

Pretending to speak British again with the use of words such as mingin' (butt ugly), wagwan (hello, ghetto British), and righty-o. In the same sense, inserting random Chinese like waaai? (hello?), wo hen ben (I'm obtuse), and random las (i.e. I am ok, la. You are weird, la.) to unsuspecting people in conversations. Now, however...I have been adapting to my Mexican Spanish surroundings to say mui caro (way too expensive, mister) and my all time favorite, no bueno (no good!).

Communicating with people that I'm missing or will miss. Whether it's people that sleep two steps away from me or people that sleep 7,500,433 steps, 640,500,000 freestyle strokes and half a day away from me. It's nice to hear your vocal mannerisms or read your one-person-in-the-world-type of humor.

Realizing that I'm going through something that I keep telling myself will make me stronger.

By the way...I'm going to Mexico. I know I'm way too excited, mui feliz... I would've added 50 exclamation points if grammatical and not trying to not be excited (negative negatives!). I don't want to be so happy as to be disappointed yet again, but I just can't help it. I really need to explore and be my adventurous self once more. Hopefully my no bueno espanol (which is worse than my Mandarin...yeah that says a lot) will allow me to explore and have enough utility to buy four Mexican burrito and thirty Mexican pastries.

I cross my fingers. But now realize that I should've been researching my future (Peace Corps vs. domestic job vs. work abroad vs. golddigging), and implementing good student qualities. Crap, I just re-realized that I'm behind in life. Hasta luego!

Not an entry. A rambling because I'm confused and I woke up from a 11 hour nap at midnight. I'm a bit screwed up. Don't judge.

2007-09-17T10:26:00.000+01:00

I don't know. I don't know...

What am I to do with my life?!
As I said before, I don't know.

As I am looking at my life I wonder what am I capable of, what can I continue to do that I will enjoy and be enriching. What? What!? Sigh, I don't know. Nothing, possibly. Maybe the only career I can have is a trophy wife.

But alas, I don't even have the marketable skills for that.

One of the major things that I learned in London was yes, of castles and an eternity of history. But also of how I want to live in the working world. I realized how short-sited the U.S. culture of working can be. I was enlightened to see how the UK and much of the world sees a job as part of one's life, not life entirely. We start off in the states with 2 weeks vacation time a year while that is just one vacation period someplace else. Taking a long vacation and having a balanced life was supported when I was in Europe. Yes, it is hard to cover someone for two weeks, but everyone is more than willing to pick up their calls and help out so that you can catch up on living. There was a mutual understanding that one can get the job done and get the job at home done too. That makes so much sense to me. It makes business sense; it makes Buddhist sense. People are most efficient and inspired that way.

Average Number of Vacation Days
Around the World Per Year

Italy	42 days
France	37 days
Germany	35 days
Brazil	34 days
United Kingdom	28 days
Canada	26 days
Korea	25 days
Japan	25 days
U.S.	13 days

Source: World Tourism Organization (WTO).

Pull yourself out of bed, get to work, work, get back home, breathe, sleep.

How would life be without that breathing part? Some people do not need that breathing period in their day. I am not one of those people. When I was in London, sometimes I sacrificed my breathing. I pulled myself out of bed, got to work, loved work, traveled to other work, loved work again, showered and thought about life to then climb into my crickety bunk bed. It was bed transport work transport work transport bed. The story of my life. I guess if you love work and transport, you'd love your life. But even if I adored every aspect of work, this life would not be sustainable. It would not be a life. If you only had time to breathe on your breaks or on weekends, how horrible would it be to dread holding your breath yet again on Mondays? But that's what it is like now. As it is 3:05am on a Monday morning, I'm thinking, fuck. How can I not breathe again for another week?

As I am looking at different jobs, it amazes me how much people sacrifice. Learning, love, sanity... Sacrificing is not bad. By definition, you get something else for what you give up, assumably something that is of more value to you. It's called opportunity costs. Sigh, I guess I have to really look at myself and what I value. I wouldn't really mind spending three quarters of my life in a cubicle if when I'm working I love what I'm accomplishing and love the people that surround me in it. And in reality maybe it wouldn't really matter if I came home late to do nothing other than brush my teeth and sleep. Because everyone will probably be gone doing their own thing, living in another part of the world and be caught up in their own working lives. People won't just be there for you. Life isn't Friends. They will just want to sleep. They will just want to go to work that next day.

If you couldn't tell...um, it's recruiting season.

And I say a cordial wagwan (hi in British) to all those recruiters who get onto my page, (though I don't know how or why you'd get this far since my friends avoid DJTHK like a plague). Do not fret, if I applied to your fine organization I will put in my life's valuable time and love. I will go grey for you. I will be that dependent, competent employee, the one who knows why she is sacrificing and what enrichment it gives to her. I only address my concerns because I weigh all decisions, unfortunately. Once I make up my mind, I put nothing less than my heart into it. To inquire about a resume, please give me a top-notch contact. I am too busy blogging. Only serious companies with a net worth exceeding $4 billion, with fringe benefits of premium health insurance, a violet Pinto, and over 13 vacation days please.

Marketable skills...marketable skills...
Where art thou?

_______________
On a side note, I think I've whittled down what has become my downers in this period of my life.

1. Lack of transportation. This seemingly insignificant logistic has been crutial in bashing any chance that I had on taking my explorative nature and passion to enrich myself when at home. It has whipped both the functional and passionate properties that independence has on a person. L.A., you are so behind in the times. Even China trumps you.

2. Different priorities. Everyone is busy with their own lives. This is as should be expected. ...But sad. Everyone, including myself is too busy...too busy for each other's grandeur.

3. I've been filling up my time with who knows what (ok I do know what), but this filling has taken away from my being. Sometimes I have to just sit and reflect. But it's sometimes too busy to even remember that I need to reflect...or eat. Sigh, you have to breathe and eat, Crystal. Goddamn it...it's imperative for living. Other things may be important, but you must remember to sleep, eat, and breathe. These are imperative actions to keep on living. Living, in the sense of having a beating heart, and living in the sense of having a beating heart.

I am lucky to have found the rose garden in South Central. I have been there a lot these past days. Though I always attempt to read cases and do homework there I unfortunately always spend too much time smelling various rose species' reproductive organs, weeping for the abroad times, and of course, narcolepsy-ing. Thus, if you see me please ask to see my distinct and unique tan lines which range from two-inch-thick backpack strap on arm to large oblique triangle on midriff.

I really should not be blogging right now. But sometimes you have to do things that you do not "have" to do. And those things that I do not "have" to do have kept me going. These have been my breaths. Talking to people just make my heart beat again. Smelling a rose, same same.

Peaches

2007-09-07T13:43:00.000+01:00

Can someone make the pain go away?

like please?

Homesick...but Finally Home

2007-09-03T14:59:00.000+01:00

I was meaning to put this up three weeks ago and have failed yet again. I have been writing this post for 16 days and much of it is outdated. (I'm now in Los Angeles and just had my first day (...now week) of school back. That's a whole other post on superficiality, intimidation, and readjustment.) However, I still wanted to express my initial feelings and observations of coming back. My blog on secondary impressions is being started so maybe in the near future you'll read about another stage of my reverse culture shock...and maybe even about my long promised 4 month late travels. (Likely? You decide.)

______________

After being abroad for 7 months and 10 days I am finally back to the place I call home. It's been an amazing journey. When people ask about it, I never know how to start, how to explain what has been the most amazing experience... I can talk. I can show with the pictures that I have...the ones that weren't stolen! But retrospective words somehow cannot quite capture its essence. And for some reason, this is what contributes to my loneliness.

Somehow this blog sometimes catches a glimmer of what I feel, how traveling has impacted my very essence. I am always the most pensive and real when I write. So for anyone that reads this blog, thank you (daw je/xie xie/kap koon ka/terima kasih/cheers) for being there for me. It's nice to be heard sometimes, especially on pensive ramblings that mean so much to my sanity. That is unless I do not know you. Then...get a job or something.

Alone with my thoughts.
But beauty once again. The sanity-saving equivalent to London parks and Asian gardens.
Laie Beach, Hawaii

After being away for so long, it's ironically yet inevitably unfamiliar being home. I have told a few people and I still stick by this. I am homesick. How in the world does this happen when you are home, weirdest Crystal? Sigh, I've built myself a home in HK; I've built myself a home in London. Right now, I miss them both to pieces. I probably shouldn't be reflecting as it makes it hurt so much, but how else would I grow?

I didn't realize how essential growth and learning were going to be to me when I first started this journey. And as I reread an earlier blog entry, I am glad that I started my journey with the philosophy: To do, not just to see to tell, but to change. When I started this journey I wanted to grow as an individual and world citizen. I didn't want my experience to be easy, in hotels and only in shopping malls. In the end, I'd say I didn't get easy. I'm impressed that I was able to learn so much...so much about cultures, so much about different perspectives, so much about the human heart...

I tried for every part of my travels, for all 7 months and 10 days, to live for the experience, to enrich myself and others around me. Learning was a priority over fun, over comfort, even over friends and safety sometimes. And for this, it was hard to shun easy. With easy I may have enjoyed life, but would I be living it? And by me always keeping this mindset, for me to actually try, I got the experience that I did. And for that, I don't regret mistakes. I do so much, but yet...no. It has allowed me to become an empathetic person. Before travelling I could only be a sympathetic person, understanding only a half.

I now understand poor (up to a level, true), what it's like to starve, to only look at the "discounted but still fresh" section to find your lunch and dinner for under 3 pounds. I now know what true loneliness is...what it's like to really leave...how people just need to be heard. I saw truly desperate, both financially and emotionally, and have experienced both. I have learned how to hide tears in the subway. I saw what it's like to need to communicate and not be able to in not only language, but also emotions. I've felt unexpected generosity and complete openness from strangers. I have seen how strongly people need each other, but more so, how strongly people need their pride. I have seen the power of sitting amongst the weeds. I've seen the power of one flower, one dollar, one smile. I have learnt the complexity of the human self. How much you can learn from a stranger. How much you can still learn from a good friend. I have learned what utter disappointment is, how full a heart can be and how quickly that can empty. I have seen how much I want to do with my life. But yet, I still must figure out how I can make that impact.

I am so excited to be in my childhood home, don't get me wrong. I've been looking forward to sleeping on my small but perfect bed with Strawberry Shortcake sheets, feeling my parents' unconditional love by their feeding me obese levels of Hawaii food, and having a stronger connection with my grandparents by having "conversations" in the languages of my roots.

However, being home is still not 100%. Part of my mind and heart has been left behind. I want to share what was my world, what inspired me, what ugly things I participated in. But I realize this can never happen.

I talked to my brother and he told me, "Crystal, of course you're depressed again. Maybe if you're lucky you'll stop being depressed by the end of the semester." I asked him how to make the pain go away. The only things that kept him going through the worst time of his life was daily doses of War of Worldcraft and Friends. And yes, I meant to type in Friends and not real friends...how sad our lives are, I know. His prescription was to watch a good movie, 300 perhaps, and by all means to not talk to friends because that makes it hurt. Similarly the only thing that kept my cousin Todd going was hating life with other depressed abroad returners and watching the awesomely bad reality show about stranger "love", Shipmates. What is to become of me?

Look at these non-depressed, naiveties pre-travel.
Some may call it the calm before the storm. 1988.
This is my brother.

It hurt like this when I left HK. The loneliness, the longing for familiarity, needing people that you shared experiences with. It's hard for me to go through this again but this time it's been easier. Maybe it's because I actually have more than a hands-worth of friends here. Quite frankly I sort of have to get used to knowing people again. But weirdly enough with love from so many family and friends I still feel a weird sense of loneliness. People do not always understand. I love talking about my explorations but it usually lacks that connection of a strong understanding...or even that people really want to hear it.

I stumbled upon this reverse culture shock site in my last ditch to add an emotional roller coaster graph (not found). I was surprised at how impeccable its description is to what I wrote with several descriptions of my current ethos. It's nice to know that I'm not alone but am with other losers with this seemingly irrational perspective of loneliness, agitation and lack of inspiration.

Despite my sagacious brother's warnings, I've been keeping myself busy with quality people and things that remind me of what I miss: exploration, cultural immersion, and loving things like I may never be able to again. These have kept me going and smiling. Keeping busy takes away the amount of time you have to think. Boredom is incessant thinking and devastation. I know I did not want easy, but sometimes I can't keep myself from trying to get over this and scheduling too much in to distract myself. But other times I feel like I shouldn't try to forget. I shouldn't cop out and pretend that my travels aren't a significant part of my life and just move on.

I have 11 days in Hawaii. I only have 5 more left. Hopefully at that time I will not be writing another lame blog about being homesick. Crystal, suck it up you're only in such pain because of how amazing your year has been. You have been tremendously lucky to have traveled to 7 different countries in 7 months. And I realize this. And I thank everyone who has allowed me to do that, which includes everyone reading this for you have all in some sense experienced this with me and provided support.

Fighting the consequences of the travel bug, I decided to smack it with it's own medicine, to travel within my home. I mean, why can't I explore this home? I know I'm only in Hawaii of all places but maybe I could jump off a waterfall or something. Ugh.

Some hike in a Palolo, Hawaii backyard with random fruit plants and a sewage pipe

So yesterday I went hiking up a random unheard of "trail". We printed out directions to get to this "hike." So after winding up a few roads, passing a "white pole that says 'Let there be peace on Earth'" and a KAPU (forbidden in Hawaiian) sign we got to this "trail"...probably someone's back yard. Looking around we did not see a very distinct path but with our critical thinking skills decided to just head for the stream and follow it as there was a waterfall ending. Unfortunately, to get down we had to climb down a nearly vertical hill and cling to vines and roots. Fortunately, we saw ginger (which have highly useful roots...though not for clinging to) and Hawaii mountain apples (which we couldn't hit down with rocks). And shhh..secretly I love random non-trails.

Matsumoto's shave ice. Infamous. (See 50 First Dates)
Me being weird and uncoordinated...dropping some.

That morning I remember missing being able to wander and smell the most fragrant roses from a random UK garden. But then for the first time I felt that I was able to finally appreciate Hawaii, to really appreciate it's gorgeous nature and idealized essence with one deep breath of ginger. I was at home. I was able to smell what Hawaii is, what everyone dreams it to be. Seeing an actual ginger plant, a non-commercial interaction with this herbal and essential culinary ingredient in the wild with its untouched white flowers blew my mind. I know, I sometimes look too much into things...

Home...like "home"
Same same but different

Thank you, Hawaii.
Thank you Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, England and Scotland.
Daw je.

If you ever meet your inner child, don't cry.

Tell them everything is gonna be alright.

World, hold on.

The End is Soon

2007-08-27T09:57:00.000+01:00

I wanted to let everyone know that I am physically ok. I haven't been writing because of my attempt to be too busy to feel homesick not because of any bomb incidents, torrential flooding, or a physical inability to. Thank you to everyone who thought about me when they heard about all the terrorist attacks in the UK from attempted car bombs to an inflamed car speeding toward Glasgow's airport and even when there happened to be too much rain in this already rain-soaked country. It's nice to know that some people care about my safety.

If you didn't know, terrorism scares gripped Britain several weeks ago and non-stop raining flooded much of the middle of England this past week...and then some.

Although I haven't been writing online, I did write about my reflections on these powerful incidents in my journal which I am sharing with you now, postdated on July 2nd. Initially these things didn't phase me. It felt so far away. But one day when I was sitting at work looking at the map of the car bomb locations, it really hit home. I was there. I walked those streets. I looked at Tiger Tiger and thought that could be a fun place to be one night. But it definitely would not have been fun on that night. Here it is:

On Thursday evening two cars were found in relation to terrorism attacks. They had petrol and nails in them. If they blew up it would've sent huge fireballs with shrapnel the size of houses throughout a 400 yard radius. The cars were found in Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square, close to the pub where I work.

Initially the disastrous event didn't really hit me. It was not a reality to me; it didn't affect me; it didn't seem to harm my living. However, when I saw the pictures of where it occurred and actually thought about these attacks in more than a selfish, immature way, it's scary. It's really scary...

I work close to the places that were supposed to be bombed. Just the other week I left work, took a drink at another pub and tried to find the bus back home. I took a few wrong buses, of course. (e.g. wrong direction, switched number, which one's stop E?!, fell asleep, got my phone stolen...ok not all of that is from that night...) I ended up through Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and Oxford Street, the places mentioned before. I remember seeing the club Tiger Tiger and thinking how ghetto-swanky it looked and reminisced about Singapore (because everything in Singapore is Tiger-related, from Tiger Balm to Tiger beer) and Tiger Heat (the most hopping Cali-based gay (aka 'light' in England) club). The car bombs were found outside Tiger Tiger when an ambulance man who was attending to a knocked-up inebriated man saw smoke coming from a Mercedes, i.e. the car bomb that would have devastated this city I love. It seems too surreal. That was where I was. That is where I could have been. That is where I continue to bus past.

Bombs could be wherever I go, sure. These "hot spots of terrorism" however, are places where I frequent. They're upping security at Wimbledon, at the parks, at the airport. These are all places where I will be this week. And then it really hit: this affects me. Fireballs the size of bloody houses?! I can't handle that. Shrapnel piercing through staggering night clubbers trying to run away? No, la.

But what hit me most was the question that seemed the most logical then: If a large piece of nail pierced my chest and I did died, how would I feel? And I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't mind so much that I'd be dead. I mean it wouldn't be ideal. I would have liked to have seen Japan, to have seen friends and family again, to change the world in insignificant ways, yes. But I would be fine with the end of my life if it occurred tomorrow. The end would be the end, yes. However, I'd care more on how people would remember me and react to my end of existence. I'm just curious who'd cry, who'd care. If anything would really be different.

I thought about my life and concluded that if I died I'm pretty happy with where I am now as a person. If people just remember my life up to now, no regrets. I've been so enriched from traveling and have become a person that I could look at objectively and not despise too much. I have grown and gotten a better understanding on my true personality, how much of a nutter I am, how curious and full of intention I am, and how dilatory and pensive I've become. Traveling costs so much money and time that I and everyone else always have too little of. I am just so lucky to fit in traveling even when I think I cannot.

I am rather happy with where I am now despite me feeling lost and behind all the time. I have met so many amazing people abroad and made meaningful experiences with them. This made me appreciate all of the people and experiences that I have at home. Unfortunately I'm homesick and ironically this consequently makes me already miss London and HK. I cried yesterday...in a good way. I realized that I have grown so much in all these places that I am and will miss so much. My heart has grown in HK and England. Leaving these places and the people here makes me feel empty not because my heart is torn out. But my heart has become larger by living in these places, and a loss from leaving them makes my heart still greater than it was before. It's good. I've grown...but it doesn't make it hurt less.

But I will be reunited one day, possibly. I will be reunited with Hawaii soon, hopefully soon enough.

Attempts: Fitting in London...Fitting in in London

2007-06-17T21:52:00.000+01:00

I think I may have worried some people in my last post. Um...sorry for that. Sorry I miss you guys too much I guess. But I'm doing better...ish. I've tried to make myself busy to feel too much loneliness. It's quite good medicine, this lack of time. So what have I been doing to try to forget about you all and even not get my needed hours of beauty sleep? I don't know how I keep not doing all I need to do (i.e. blogging), but this post will possibly enlighten with some highlights.

Time Consuming Fodder #1:
I found myself a part time paid job. It overlooked the London Bridge which is utterly gorgeous at night. Too bad that ended...but all for the best as working 12 hrs a day was not good for the soul...or the lungs. We'll keep bad talking to a minimum on public forums. But if you want the juice, feel free to call/email me.

From my classy restaurant job
...which served defrosted dim sum and other types of classy "Asian" cuisine

Time for Immersing #2:
I found myself another job. Now I'm a bartendress. Although I'm not a beer guzzler, it's nice to learn a new skill. A lot of rich USC people within the program here keep asking, why are you working? Well... 1. I'm not rolling in pounds (every Londoner goes on trips to Manhattan because it's goddamn cheap! Yes, I still don't understand that. Damn this conversion rate!) and 2. I want to immerse myself into the British culture, which involves everpresent boozing. (There was a huge concern recently on the alcoholic nature of the Brits, whose beer costs cheaper than water.) So far, pretty interesting interactions...maybe I'll write about my observation and philosophies on human needs and nature someday. Too bad tipping's on the low end...like a pound an hour?

So I've realized how little time I have in London and needed to get my arse (as they call it) together and stop pouting. Too much to see. So last weekend I went to see my first castle ever. Enough with temples; now cathedrals and castles! It's funny. In Asia...(the infamous and supposedly annoying start to many of my sentences, which I'll have to save for reunions unfortunately) you always randomly bump into temples and pavilions. Always refreshing. Here, it's beautiful churches and cathedrals...scattered with homeless people.

Time Distraction #3: Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle, 1.5 hours out from London took me surprise surprise...4 hours to get there. Let's just say that it wasn't only my bad directional skills, but also that London has the worst customer service in the world. It makes me not feel bad putting 10% tips.

Leeds Castle, the royal residence for six medieval queens of England, included a castle surrounded by a moat, gardens (of course), a hedge maze, and too many types of fowl.

Insensitive to culture

At least I'm not the only one
The Painted Hall, Greenwich

What a pompous creature. I'm surrounded by pompous creatures.
It opened its feathers and turned around 9 times.

But gorgeous...

Scaling...like a Mongol.
(Man do I need to post about China. Oh the stories...)

Yeah, I know I said I didn't have friends. This is one of my few friends, Karen.
She's an Aussie. She teaches global things to me, like of nasty food like Vegemite (yeast extract that weirdos put on toast) and what Prince Harry looks like when taking a jog...red.

Boring, I know...a garden.
Another beautiful garden.

Enough of castles for now. Look forward to falling, ruinous castles abandoned by their owners. That's what I want to see. Enough of pristineness, enough of perfection. I want to see the effects of history, intrigue, and reality. Hopefully one day...

Blinding Myself of Time #4 by Learning About it:
Last week I headed out to Greenwich (Pronounced Gren-ich, though you'd think that the English would know English phonetics). Greenwich is known for being the origin of global timekeeping, King Henry VII's principle residence, and where Bloody Mary and the Virgin Queen (Elizabeth) were born. I went into a clock museum. Exciting, huh? Well, it actually was. Nutshell of excitement: accurate global time has everything to do with latitude/longitude and maritime. That is why the Prime Meridian (the origin of our time measurement system) has everything to do with Greenwich Median Time (GMT). Thus GMT+8 (i.e. HK) is 8 hrs ahead of London time (Greenwich is in London, so it's GMT+0) (ish...matters with daylight savings) which is 8 longitude measurements over. [Long sentence, read by no one.]

On the prime meridian
My body is in different time zones. Is this the source of all my confusion and dilatory nature?

Painted Cathedral
Me and Sir Christopher Wren?

Time scarfing #5: Gluttonous food consumption
So as my co-workers want to disprove that the Brits are known to have the worst food in the world, they've helped me compile an extensive list of what to eat. One thing that was claimed to be rather lovely is the treacle tart, a crispy pie crust filled with a "gooey sugary goodness". So we had a treacle tart party at 3:30 but these sub par pies were pretty much just filled of liquid sugar...covered in soggy cornflakes.

Supposedly these grocery tarts were not a good representative of the wonder of treacle tarts.

The co-workers respond:

Viscount Langley-Smith...

The British cuisine aficionado admits this British defeat to American desserts

The Sheriff ignores this pud for more interesting work
Brits call all desserts pudding...even if it's not...well, pudding

My first fish and chips

I found out that the Brits have a different type of egg style than us: Eggy Soldiers. Once I heard about them I had to make them and be a Brit for a night. These supposedly scrumptious numbers are strips of toast dipped into carefully hacked into soft boiled eggs. I um...screwed up the eggs. Google failed me again and said don't boil them more than 3 minutes, but they were still runny. So I put them in the microwave...Boom! I made another alteration and used garlic naan instead of bread. I am now a laughing stock within the office. A laughing stock!

I tried...

Taste of London
Got excited for great but not-really-English food

Time Item #6: Not Blogging, Obviously
I wish I could post more often. I do fail at life quite often. Sorry for any and no one that may read this religiously. Unfortunately, posting takes me days as I try only to put up my best...which some still think is sub par. But do look forward to pictures and commentary on life in Malaysia, China, and London (which includes my adventures of this week).

Like a fish out of water...or more like a water out of fish

2007-05-30T16:39:00.000+01:00

I've been here in London for five days...yet, I still feel out of place. Every night I've been sleeping in a room full of five other girls but ironically...I'm lonely. I can't believe I'm writing this in a globally public place, but yes...I feel by myself in many ways right now. This is the first time that I've been so disconnected from that which is familiar in terms of personal connections. I have to start from scratch here. I've moved to a few places: LA, HK...yet, I've always at least semi-known a few people, it was always easy to make friends, and I actually wanted to make friends.

I feel as out of place as this Smart Car does. Watching it parallel was impressive. Quite like a circus...

Hyde Park, a savior to my sanity

Yes...I'm going through a bit of reverse culture shock and it's affecting my British experience. I was semi-excited to come to London. Though if I did more research I'm sure I'd be ecstatic. Everything here is so similar to what I'm used to in the States: English speaking, sitting toilets, an understanding of what's in my food...easy. Yet, it's so dissimilar to what I'm used to now that I've been away for so long: rarely accurate communication, being targeted as a foriegner, nasty puddles...hard. I can't handle this "easy" situation. My attitude is blinding me to the character that the burroughs of London teems with.

Here in London I fit right in. Ironically, this makes me feel out of place. There are other people taller than me again. Not only guys...women too. You get used to having a certain angle of viewing the world...and then it changes by who is around you. Some people are even fatter than me; there are obese people again...how odd. I no longer get stared and pointed at. In Asia there are hordes of men and women. China alone has 1.32185888 billion people. When I was there I felt a sense of individual worthlessness. There were so many people who all seemed the same to my ignorant self: features, mannerisms, knowledge etc. And I thought, what does one life mean? It seems so insignificant. Look, they're all same same. (Sorry if I use the Asian mantra "same same but different" incessantly). Yet I felt different because of this; I felt foriegn. They gawked and pointed. That made me feel special...even if it was in a "what's wrong with her?" way. Now, however, no one cares about me, even in that superficial she-looks-funny point of view. So it goes...same same makes me feel different.

I checked into the internship program a few days ago. I am in a sea of Americans (not like I wasn't in Hong Kong...). But they feel American. Though what does that mean, really? All I can say is that during orientation I saw a sea of fake Los Angeles highlights and was like, oh...

Another thing that hits hard is that costs are exhorbant. Too bad eating lots of good food is often the highlight of my travels because food has been subpar. Even the dirty, sketchily cheap foods that I've had within Asia have been better and fresher than this. I don't waste. Yet, I've had to here even though it costs me my left arm to buy food. That's got to say something. Hao chan...(poor Crystal)

Currency Conversion and Examples of my Pain:
1£=$2=15RMB/HKD ; 1,000HKD=£61

One night dorm at a hostel (£20) could buy me almost two week's stay in Kunming (25 RMB).

What I can get with a bottle of water in London (0.80 £) could get me 16 in China (0.80 RMB). (However...I will beat the system as I now refill my Evian bottle with tap which isn't diharrea-causing.)

1 plate of Pad Thai here (£6) could get me 18 in Bangkok (20 Baht).

1 umbrella here (£13) could buy me 20 on Mongkok (10HKD)...though maybe they'd actually work.

However, don't cry for me. I love a good challenge. I have confidence that I can go cheap cheap anywhere. I've been buying Reduced for Quick Sale! items and have gone semi-vegetarian. And some items are actually cheaper i.e. museli and dairy...mmm!

I had to take double trips up the stairs...good thing thing they didn't fine me for leaving bags unattended...

But the Brits have been nice...not in a I-want-to-take-your-money-way that I'm used to. I have quite a few stories of that... (to come, be sure). I was in the Tube (train station) with my huge 30kg luggage bag among other things pulling it down stairs with a furrow on my brow. And people actually asked if I needed help! That never happens in Asia...for someone you're not connected to to want to help you to help you without a thought about external rewards. Even if I told them that I was ok sometimes they'd be like, "No" and carry it up for me (and not run away!). Good thing I dumped a full luggage at the airport before this. I didn't realize how much 23kg was because the US is a weird country and doesn't teach standard measurement to its citizens. (fyi for fellow ignorami it's 50lbs. Anyhoo, I was 25kg over which would have cost me 6,250HKD (aka $820...waaaah!) so you could see me dumping clothes, rice, an alarm clock...everything out into the airport trash can. I felt like a little hobo... But anyhoo here are a few pics of what I've seen in London. I've been sleeping in and trying to get better every time it rains but I'm still coughing up a lung.

Statue of Prince Albert, Hyde Park

Some parts of London remind me of HK...even more so than HK sometimes. (Go wyked wellies!)

Camden!

Wanchai but dirtier?

London can be so beautiful...

Goi Gin to HK

2007-05-24T00:36:00.000+01:00

So I leave Honkey Town tonight.

Yesterday I cried a little in the MTR. I was travelling by myself to pick up a suit and when I'm alone I always start to think.

As I was walking around Shatin doing normal things I had to keep catching myself from commenting/sharing inside jokes and memories because there weren't people to share them with. I kept thinking about events that happened or was reminded about...but couldn't say anything. I just had to think about things in a sea of same-same...but different.

The comments/jokes/reflections that were meant to be said will never be. It's painful getting cut off and knowing that you'll be cut off from people that you've been around/saw/talked about/talked with/communicated with so much. All the little things that you'd continue to share cannot be shared, and even if done so later would not
seem as significant nor shared completely. I was alone in my thoughts with memories of shared experiences. I missed what was...both inHK and being home home in both Cali and Hawaii with friends and family.

Hong Kong has changed since I came back from my travels. So many people have left and with them they took away so much of what I experienced as "Hong Kong". I don't just bump into exchange students wherever I am anymore. I miss that incessant connection to home that hits when you least expect it. And I still have good friends here. Yet I still miss everyone; even the people who I'm still cherishingHK with. It scares me how I'll do in London without any friends and family, really. I have to remember that easy will not stimulate
growth. I'm going to love London (hopefully) but starting all over...sigh.

I was looking through my papers so that I could pack. I found the packet of CU orientation materials and it was kind of hard to look at. It reminded me of getting here: the frenzy of friend-making, real communication before phones, exploring, feeling like I was in the Amazing Race. In retrospect, my experience was an amazing race. We packed in a lot of sites, adventures, and experiences but it went by so quickly.

Some unexpressed memories that I had while walking around HK. Too bad what was meant to be heard will not be. Too bad these are just less than adequate:

"I give you happy discount," digestive biscuits, walking left game, wishful nightie parading, 10,000 Buddha reminiscence, Shenzen pulling/touching/"Missy, missy!"/feeling bad for white people/not being able to find where the fake DVDS are, the disgustingness of Chinese nhaaaawk, whole wheat bakery goodness, i-house warnings, cheap dan tat, "no, la!", order-out Chinese pizza, "Hello missy. Ok," opposing taste in clothes, Candarin, Wanchai sketchiness, Ugly, Chinese mullets and haircutting experiences, monkey mountain and not being dumb, my dirty wallet, Drop, 24 jam,doot doot doot doot doot.

So I heard this song in the Shenzhen Wal-mart and it felt fitting. I never noticed the lyrics before because this song was actually the butt of a joke. But it hit home on how I'll miss all the good people that are/will be far from me in distance though not by heart. Cliche...don't judge. But it's true!

I'm a big big girl
In a big big world
It's not a big big thing if you leave me
But I do do feel that
I do do will miss you much
Miss you much...

I can see the first leaf falling
It's all yellow and nice
It's so very cold outside
Like the way I'm feeling inside

I'm a big big girl
In a big big world
It's not a big big thing if you leave me
But I do feel I will miss you much
Miss you much...

Miss you much! But don't cry for me...I'm a big girl now. However, do expect the ever-elusive update posts. They'll have pics unlike this boring post.

I wasn't planning on writing this post but I felt that I had to reflect before I left even though packing is realistically more essential during this period.

Thailand

2007-05-11T20:22:00.000+01:00

So...sorry for you die-hard DJTHK fans (ok that's only mom and dad...when I tell them that there's an update.) for neglection of posts. But yeah... I have been meaning to update, as I've been meaning to (however unsuccessful) schedule other enriching activities and experiences into my life. This post is dedicated to my first week and a half experience outside of China (and its subsidiaries) and the U.S. when I was in Thailand. I endeavered to Bangkok about a month ago for a mini-backpacker's experience. Depressingly late, huh?

Ok, this post is in major draft form as I do not have the chance to polish it now. I intend to by May the 23rd. Plain pics, only in Bangkok. A more selective choice of pics, pensive commentary of my experience, and pictures from outside of Bangkok hopefully in due time. I am currently in Beijing trying to type softly as my friends are sleeping. We have to wake up early to wander the streets to absorb Beijing essense and see its unique people. I hate half-assing things but I needed to start this post since it'd be hard to upload pics later as I have to pay for internet and am backpacking cheap cheap. Next stop: Chengdu. Enjoy this current crap.

ha

Teaching in China

2007-03-30T10:31:00.000+01:00

So two weeks ago I made a trek out to Zengcheng, China with a bunch of fellow CUHK comrades. We went to this small town in Guangdong province with the mission to expose the students here to English language and non-Chinese culture. We had a blast with the students and the town. Other than the nice people, there's nothing really crazy about Zengcheng...except that they produce 70% of the world's denim.

Suprisingly I didn't see any child labor

Zengcheng. View from the school. Excited to see China China!

So we first visited Zhiye Jishu vocational-technical school. They teach middle schoolers skills for their future career which may include banking, fashion design, or other things. They were really excited. Several of them brought fake money to show off their counting skills. I wonder how their tests go. Probably a lot of paper cuts.

Zhiye Jishu, students ecstatic to show us how talented they are and how successful they will be in their future careers.

They live on campus in tight quarters. 12 per room to be exact. And I whine about my HK dorm life and touching gross walls while showering. Weak, Crystal...weak.

Their cool exercize room. I pogo balled!

The kids there are cool. As you can see.

The next day we taught a bunch of younger kids in a huge classroom. I taught them by myself. Well, not exactly by myself...just me and my Lonely Planet Phrasebook. What an experience! You really learn by teaching others. Of course they were teaching me more than I was them, I'm sure. I asked what they thought of the U.S., what Americans are like etc. They responded: NBA, movies, McDonalds... It's interesting how they couldn't really understand my accent, they probably got the Chinese accent down. When I wrote it down they often understood it. But still I love how you have to be creative while teaching. Rephrasing is key. It amazes me how many different ways you can say something. Amazes me.

Some things I taught them. The differences between the U.S. and China:
1. There is greater diversity. I said, "In China there's only Chinese. Hai Junggwok yauh Junggwok yahn je. In America, there's Chinese, white people, black people, red people...um, do you understnand yellow people? (and the answer is yes, yes they do have the concept of yellow people there) Hai Meigwok, Junggwok yahn, baak sik yahn, haak sik yahn, hung sik yahn, wohng sik yahn..."
2. Toilets are different. "In China you have these. (me squatting) You understand? Ming m ming baak? And these (i grabbed a chair and sat on it) Ming m ming?. But in the U.S. you only have these " So yeah, I told them about racial and potty differences between these two superpowers.

It also made my day how much interest everyone had in what I was saying. That doesn't happen very often. They didn't always understand the words that were coming out of my mouth, but some things just don't need to be said.

We later talked to high school students. Yeah, the stereotype for Asians come from somewhere, don't they? Look at those stacks of books. Insane! We asked them how long they go to school for. 6 days a week for 8 hrs a day. What do they do for fun? They say sleep...and study. OMG. We asked WHY?! To get into college, of course. But then we told them of life in the U.S. and how having a social life and normal life was important to universities they were a little bit baffled. I felt bad telling them how life could have a side other than studying.

Chinese high school students. They kill a lot of the world's trees.

At night we explored the town. I guess a group of 12 foriegners is a big deal there as they don't see non-Chinese beings. They pointed. They stared. They took pictures. Of course we took pictures back as this was way too surreal. I never got celebrity status before.

Now I feel like I know what it's like to be white in China. Almost.

We were quite the celebrities. Sorta weird...

Our new friend Lucky! Her English was impeccable. We met her in the Chinese dance group where residents come together and learn traditional Chinese dance/exercises. She showed us the malls, famous dan tat bakery (where amazing dan tat is $0.60RMB, aka $0.08USD) and the $1 store. We're bracelet buddies. I'm going to miss really nice Chinese people.

Why am I always the only person looking happy?

If it wasn't for this program I wouldn't have ever experienced a small, non-touristy town in China, as touristy places are where travellers go. Hopefully I can immerse myself in real China before I leave Asia...hopefully, after finals, group projects, and papers get done with my soul. Although I have 2 papers, 3 group presentations, and 4 tests due in the next two weeks I will try and keep up the blogging as I have mini Thailand adventures to write about. You should be excited (xing fan). You should be quite excited as this last blog was short and subpar. I am sorry.

The Substenance of Life and Study Abroad

2007-03-19T17:18:00.000Z

So I've been playing catch up with my life recently; when intentions are always pushed behind something else. Something else always comes up, for better or worse. You'll probably see a lot of those something elses here. That's why I'm going to forego sleep for you, DJTHK. I've been neglecting you, and my loyal readers do not deserve this! Actually...I think my readership has plummeted and has contributed to my lack of motivation to reflect. If you want to hear more, comment. I do not know how people can subscribe to my posts, but I can inform whomever's when I sporadically update if you'd like. Though, who really cares?

This is a catch up post. I'm spicing it up a notch and I'm going to tell my story through only experiences with nutritional elements and my interactions with this culturally important part of the Chinese culture and essence (this includes the Special Administrative Region called HK). Pics with food will elaborate on topics of my feelings on both cultural immersion and cultural aversion. Hopefully only-food pics will cover how I feel about excitement, newness, and the nasty/weird/way-too-big-things that I've encountered here. Since nutrition consumption makes a significant part of HK life, I hope you enjoy and can pretend that you too are swallowing or refusing to swallow what I have encountered.

So we ate at Pizza Hut the third day that we were in HK. I didn't have McDonald's for another week and KFC for another month. I find it quite interesting how global businesses are run. How they keep their positioning or are completely different brands.

Look how happy we are; home sweet home...though when does anyone eat at Pizza Hut?

For example, KFC is huge in comparison to McDonald's, Pizza Hut sells salmon rolls and lobster pizza, and Espirt is actually trendy here. Also, 7-11 is worshiped and is as omnipresent as an ABC store in Waikiki, just more respected.

Yes, this is the interior of Pizza Hut.

One thing I noticed early on is that they eat dried anything. I wonder if this reflects their tendency to save and minimalize. I saw a pile of dried seahorses and that made me sad. (If you didn't know I had pet seahorses Yellie and Blackie, RIP) The question I have is, isn't it chewy?

Sam Sui Po, first week in HK

Vegetarian Buddhist food. Quite amazing despite how gooey it looks. I must immerse myself! I have gotten very sentimental with vegetarianism. I was vegetarian for two weeks; it made me resepect life a little more. It's quite impressive how impeccably they imitate animate objects with tofu and seaweed. You may ask why not just use meat? For the animals. For the animals they pretend to be...

Fung Ying Seen Koon Buddhist Restaurant

Asia is a community-oriented society. However this is the cause for prevalent numbers of Hepatitis B amongst China. Must keep the immersion going...!

Sharing is caring.

An impeccable display of gender roles prevalent in Asia. It is quite prevalent in this society.

You'd be surprised what you can do with the limited amount of resources that small Asian quarters allow for. We baked a surprise bday cake out of cake mix, cream soda, crazy lil koalas, a microwave and borrowed Tupperware. Too bad it's butt ugly. People didn't want to be the first to try it.

U-G-L-Y homemade cake. Though I've made uglier...(ice cream cake that melted before I could give it to Jaimie...boo cruiser)

Beef Chow Fun. You can never go wrong with that order. Except for ordering...chow fun (higher tone), chow fahn (fried rice, sorta-lower tone), chow faan, cheuhng fan, chaow fuhn, chou fuhn...ok ok I don't really know, but this is how confused I always feel. They all sound the same!
Cheap cheap! After 10,000 Buddhas trek

Eating everywhere...not even looking at the gorgeous view over Lamma Island. Mango mochi love.

I assume this is food too...

Yup, still looks like a pig and it's ready for eating.

This reminds me of the song:
Timon: Luau. If you're hungry for a hunk of fat and juicy meat/ Eat my buddy Pumbaa here 'cause he is a treat/Come on down and dine/ On this tasty swine/ All you have to do is get in line/Are you achin'...
Pumbaa: Yup, yup, yup.
Timon: For some bacon.
Pumbaa: Yup, yup, yup.
Timon: He's a big pig.
Pumbaa: Yup, yup.
Timon: You can be a big pig, too. Oy.

I'm such a wimp. I still feel bad chomping on live-looking animals. Especially whomping off shrimps' heads and pulling off their legs. The worst is when their brain starts shooting out. Poor guy.

Lantau Island

Hot pot buffet. Crowded. Dirty. Of course there's pushing and live sea creatures jumping at you. Look how crowded and popular this activity is. In the US it'd probably have an F rating. Nice.

Loved by all the Asians and Asian Americans. I'm so not Asian enough.

Look at everyone's faces. Me and Andy in disgust/awe, Lin with joy.

So some of the group decided that the almost dead but still jumping crayfish (aka peeing shrimp in Chinese for its supposedly well known abilities) had to go into the bubbling hot pot. I should get over the discomfort that I have for directly killing a living being. (esp. since mosquito season is coming up.) I mean I am the cause of many animals' deaths. They eventually get into my belly. Though, I do not usually see ostentatious hints of their past living.

Ok, so I'm not the only one thinking this eating experience is insane.

Showing us how to massage the peeing shrimp so you can pull it out of its shell in one go.

Seafood rice! Ok, so pretty much everything you get here can be classified as "with rice" or "with noodles." I know I'm an ignorant foreigner but that's what it seems at least compared to MEAT MEAT America. Though HK is supposedly the meat capital of the world... Warning: I'm eating a lot of carbs, MSG, and greasy fried foods. That's ok, fat's back! My non-fat roomie bought a scale from IKEA two days ago. I am now 60 (I don't know the measurement or what that even means). I told her she doesn't need to take diet pills because she's already thin. I meant it in a truthful nice way as stick thin Asians for some reason want to look anorexic. (I shouldn't be suprised by now, women of the world always do.) And she was like, "Crystal, the only thing we know is that I'm skinnier than you." So...take that as you will, cuz I'm still a bit confused.

Food can truly influence your level of homesicknesses. I don't eat McDonald's at home...maybe once every 3 months. But here, whenever we see a McDonald's we have to at least stop for a dipped cone (0.40USD). We even make pilgrimages there because it is one of the few places where the dirty/cheap fragrance reminds us of a place outside of our everyday lives here. It makes my day when I can eat a $1.80USD 6 piece box of Chicken McNuggets that tastes the same as back home. McDs makes your stomach full and heart warm.

So...the first food I ate in the homeland (China) was...McDonalds...tear. I have no willpower. When we went in there was security. He asked us to not take pictures and was following us the whole time in our stay here. Enter China.

Shenzhen. First 15 min in China.
McDs stop your supersizing powers. I already cannot buy any shoes here as I'm a 41 which supposedly is massive as men's sizes start at a 42. That and I often can't even fit larges and the saleswomen make a verbal note on this.

Long noodles for long life. However, it makes it quite difficult to consume. Quite.

So when I look at this picture I think talent. The Chinese like their food a little too fresh for my liking. They chop up fish without knicking the major organs. So in the markets even though the fish are completely butchered, you can see them still respirating with beating hearts.

Live fish. Not quite vegetables.

Still whole looking...almost to the point where it would jump and bite you in the face.

Of course we had to go to Starbucks.
What a relief it was sitting on these little couches...that and a sitting toilet in way too long.

The pastry shops here cover every block. With high levels of competition, we can buy ingeniously decorated and too cheap confectionary delights. Too bad I have a family history of diabetes, high cholesterol, and liking pasteries.

I bought this pastry from the girl as a bribe so that I could take a picture with her.

Yet another. Dynasty's! (Hey, but it was before a hike)

We had to do local pizza. No more Pizza Hut...hopefully. Please note me, on the right. I am wearing my ugly sweater, "Ugly." I bought it from Shenzhen, China for $5RMB ($0.80USD, maybe equivalent to 1 charsiu bau). Even the Chinese thought I was cheap. It is now unravelling. That's ok, it makes it more functionable as it is what I wear when I'm going out shopping at the markets and try to pull off the poor student or from Cambodia alibi. I say, "Pehng di la! Ngoh haih kohng hohksaang." (Ah! Cheaper please. I am a poor student.) It works. I pointed at all the holes in my jacket when I was bartering for a "Gucci" watch (I know...I can't believe I bought "Gucci"). They were like yeah...that is poor.

Don't I look like a talented waitress? Maybe that's cuz I am.

Starfish on a stick. How convenient.

New Territories

You're not supposed to eat/drink on the train. But if I ever get caught I'm going to pull the "Oh really? I'm so sorry...I'm a foriegner".

Ebineezers.

We get thirsty sometimes too.

Kung Hei Fat Choi / Gung Xi Fa Cai -- Chinese New Year Edition

2007-03-04T06:04:00.000Z

This is going to be a primarily visual post. I will try and tell the story of my cultural connection back to my Canto roots...and then some. Just for warning, the most used lexicon I used during these 10 days was nasty. I mean, I loved the trip and all dearly, but oh man China does have its nasty moments. Um, but lucky for you I rarely take pictures of grossness. (Although I did take a picture of my legs which got 35 mosquito bites on them... Lucky for you I'm kind enough from posting that.)

So...less words. Yes, you may shout yippee!

GUANGZHOU (aka Canton, back in the day)

Cute old cotton candy vendor.
He peddled the machine with his foot and sold sticks for $0.30. However, Lin tipped big! ($0.40) One of the many Chinese New Year Carnivals/Flower Markets that I visited. All bling, all crowded, all totally Chinese.

Pearl River

Waiting for fireworks.
And then it started drizzling in which the Chinese needed to protect their heads from. A cultural experience in itself.

Getting lost in the crowd.
Ok not really. Throughout the whole trip we kept sticking out like sore thumbs. For some reason a Chinese girl, a white boy, and a South-East Asian girl draws question to most Chinese. Well, that's not completely true...I got Indian twice, African once (<--I know...) and omg, Chinese twice. They sometimes thought that Tim (white boy) married/bought me (SE Asian classy prostitute) and that Lin (Mando girl) was our paid translator. So it goes...

The Chinese can crowd.
Their tiny bodies and disregard for personal space enables incredible packing. This is where pick pocketers lie. We caught a lady digging in Tim's pockets and Lin got her used Kleenex stolen. Take that, evil missy!

Yeah, of course we had to Starbucks it.

Yuexiu Park
The supposed highlight of the park: the Celestial Monument of the Five Rams. Totally overrated.

Baiyun Shan
My favorite place in Guangzhou, maybe even China so far.

Why? Because of it's insanity of colors.

...along with its integration of beauty into nature and ostentatious manmade.

SANYA (The Hawaii of China)

Humph, they claim the beaches here are gorgeous...
I understand how it's on the same lattitude as Hawaii, but by golly gosh Hawaii beaches do not have neon green algae infestations.

That is me.
(Gogo haih gnoh.) Sorry financial backers (aka parents), that was $40.

The freshest ice cream I ever had.
Mango and pineapple peeled, cut, then mixed. Bam! Btw, this is the only non-exploitative person in Sanya.

Tianya Haijiao: The Edge of the Sky/Rim of the Sea Beach
The Chinese are quite adept and obsessed with creating plant sculptures.

Standing at what the Chinese originally thought was the edge of the Earth.
The Chinese are quite Sino-centric. Power to us.

Yeah I studied during vacation.
Mom, this picture is for you, and no it's not posed! Academics is a legitimate priority in between ugly beaches and mean taxi drivers.

Yeah, still sticking out as non-Chinese tourists.
They don't look like this.

They look like this.

Um, sometimes Sanya can look cool. Sometimes...
They are building a bridge to a nearby island (Pheonix Island) to further exploit travellers with frivolous vacation excesses.

HAIKOU (The Land of Dreams)
Haikou strangely reminded me of Hawaii. The people were the nicest I've met in China. They actually do not follow or shout after you if you walk past their products. They spit up noogies significantly less and don't look you up and down in a condescending manner as much.

Bus-ing from Sanya to Haikou.
Travelling on buses were one of the most culturally integrated experiences we got. This 4 hour bus was packed to start. Yet the lady collecting bus money kept trying to get more travellers in her tiny bus on our way up. She was a pushy one, and sucessfully got many Chinese to sit on hard steel boxes for 4 hours and sqush up on each other. This is a picture halfway to Haikou. We thought this was as much as the bus could fit. Of course we underestimated the willpower, Chang-ness (sorry for the derogatoriness but I don't care), and brains of the Chinese. We also watched bad Asian dancing and Indian movies on the bus TV which everyone was hypmotized by.

Rice farmers.
I really need to see more of these. I must stand and work on one before I leave.

Market shopping on Zhongshan Lu.
Summary: I bought shorts from that little boy.
Me:"Dou shao chien?" (How much?) (btw, did you notice I still can't write pinyin?)
Little 5 yr. old boy: "Shur woo quai" ($15)
Me: Thinking: $45? Nodding, didn't really understand. How much did he say? Why am I so bad at Mando? Life sucks. Goddamn. "Dou shao chien? Si shi wu quai?" ($45?)
Little boy: "Shi wu quai! blah blah blah" ($15. Doo di doo...I don't really know what's happening most of the time they speak to me, zoning out, doo di doo...this kid's cute I wish I understood how much he was saying. Why does 4 (si-4) sound so much like 10 (shi-2)? doo di doo. I think he said $15 maybe I'll make sure with Chinese hand symbols. Ok la.)
So long story short I bought shorts that my roomie thinks only an old man would wear. She told me to give it to my dad. I said I don't think he'd wear it. Whatever (see da na) I love it!

Random temple that we found walking.
There's quite a bit of temples that you run into when walking around China.

A line of tricycle buggies.
Cheap, fun transportation prevalent in Hainan along with motorbike transport. Much better than sketchy, exploitative taxi cab drivers. Look at that line; what competition. Same same all lined up.

Luckily for Lin, fruit's everywhere.

I had to buy fireworks, now didn't I?
I mean...I'm in China, it's Chinese New Year, and the Chinese are the inventors of explosion! So we bought two ariels that shoot off five rounds of glittery goodness each and a pack of water bombs which the seller told us were the most hao wan (fun). So we carried them around the whole day wondering, where can we fire off these babies? I mean with the semi-crowded streets of Haikou, we don't want to shoot someone's arm off. So we finally found an open river to start the madness. Yeah it was fun, but we had 2/3 of our ammo left. Where else? Well, everyone else is just shooting off firecrackers anywhere without much care concern about location or consideration to others. I mean the people in our hotel were throwing pop-pops onto our hall floor for hours at night. So when we found a somewhat large puddle on the biker's street I had to throw a water bomb in it. Luckily we are smart students. We made sure no bikers or little infants were passing by and threw it in. BOOOOOOOOM! It was huge...car alarms went off, the spray shot five feet in the air. The Chinese turned, looked, then resumed doing what they do (spitting noogies and waiting for buses).

Although my roomie from Haikou asked why American students would ever think about wearing pajamas (my translation for sweats) to class, this rich fella is while walking his prissy lil dog.

Me holding my weapon...
in front of Avon, which is more subpar in China than it even is in the U.S.

Zhen Zhu (Pearl) lady!
My new buddy. We could barely speak to each other through our broken Manglish, but friendship transcends boundaries.
The paper reads: Where are my friends? (Wo de peng you qu na le?) They've been gone a long time. (Ta men yao hui qu hun chang shi jian.) It took 20 min for us to understand my concern of where my friends were. Lin and Tim got distracted by food and left me hanging for an hour. I also learned pang (scared), sholian (bracelet) and jiezhi (ring). She is the owner of the oldest selling jewelry business in Haikou.

Cute girl we made friends with at our favorite, cheapo grocery store. (We ate meals here for $4...RMB, meaning $0.50).

Me waiting for Lin to decide what kind of coconut powder she/her mom/her relatives wanted along with how many, how to transport them blah blah blah decided to stimulate my mind by looking at weird Chinese pasteries. I saw a cool crepe-but-not looking thing and asked the girl at the counter, "Neiga jiao shenma?" (What's that called?) The indifferent girl shruged "Lian pi." Me: nod (response to Mando/Canto is always smile and nod, sometimes pretend I understand, usually ask again because I'm bored.) Me: "Dien di?" Her: "Lian piii." Me: "Pian ni?" Her: "LIan PIIIIIIIIIII!" Me: "Oh, ok... Lian piiii?! Uh...xie xie." Her: "blah blah blah" (Assumably: Where are you from? You are so dumb! Why can't you pronounce lian pi, you're older than me.) I base all my assumptions because I kept asking "Shenme? Shenme?" (What?) And her mom finally came out and probably did some hand motions or something. Me: Meigwo (America.) Her: Waaaa! Meigwo, Meigwo?! Blah blah (Probably no way! For real? Is that what she said, mom? You only speak English?). Lin finally decided which and how many coconut packets she wanted and came up and continued the enjoyable conversation that I sort of but wasn't really having. We were creating a semi-ruckus of excitement and language barrier that attracted 3 ladies to enquire about the pasteries. They asked the little girl and she ignored them, too interested in weird foriegners, of course. Persistantly they kept asking: "Dou shao chien? Dou shao chien? [and how much for this one? this one? what is this one?]" Pissed by being distracted from her American entertainers she responded, "Naga si quai! (That one's $4) Naga si quai (That one's $4) [This one's sweet and this one's salty.]" Then she continues to ignore them. Lol, cute girl. Of course through the whole conversation Lin kept telling me she was willing to bet that the kid was actually a boy although "it" was wearing a purple bandana with fake curly blonde hair attached and a purple dress.

Did I mention, I got my Chinese haircut? FOB FOB!

I'm a Failure, Sorry.

2007-02-15T03:06:00.000Z

Although I highly doubt that people actually religiously read my blog, I wanted to say that I'm sorry that I will not post before I leave for my 10 day vacation in China. I will be celebrating Chinese New Year in CHINA! I'm so excited. I leave in a few hours and my great plans on informing people about my mini-adventures (This blog was supposed to be about food, language, comfort and goals) and include a range of pictures from disgusting to BIG lobsters. Sorry, I guess I'll have to double-post a blog when I get back. Here's a quick list of what I've been up to. No, that would ruin the next blog. But I'll leave you with minimal quotes from the trip.

"There are random pockets of bad smelling air."
"Yeah. Right now we're in a BIG one."

"This place has the most man-scarves that I've seen!"

The Nightmare Before New Year

2007-01-30T05:17:00.000Z

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

2007-01-25T11:02:00.000Z

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

2007-01-10T03:28:00.000Z

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

2007-01-08T04:11:00.000Z

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.