My First Month in Hong Kong

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the overdue update. I've been busy exploring my new surroundings! My first month in Hong Kong passed by in a blink of an eye! I still have about eight more to go.

On academics...

I actually like my schedule very much. Most of my lectures are on Wednesdays, so my other days are pretty relaxing. My language classes are pretty easy. I'm taking two general education classes. One is called Evolution, Human Nature, and Behavior. The other is called Choices in Life: Self Development. The workload isn't heavy either. I just have to worry about a project, midterm, and final. My last class is Operations Management. I think with the exception of Operations Management, all my other classes are rather interesting and engaging.

Since I get out by 12:15PM three out of five days, I usually just hop on the train and explore Hong Kong.

On my living situation...

I'm living in United College, Chan Chun Ha hostel. My dorm room is alright. Some parts of the closet and walls have strange stains, but I don't really notice them anymore. I think my dorm was built in 2004. It's one of the newer ones, so I really wonder what the older ones look like.

The pictures above would be the view from my window. Yes, yes. I get to wake up to lovely construction every single day. -_- I guess I should be grateful though because the people that live on the other side of my dorm look at a side of a hill. It's like a high wall, so they don't really get sunshine. I know some people that have nice lake views, but they live in other dorms.

Canteen food is rather bland here. The better canteens are near the quad, but I don't always feel like going all the way there to eat (not that it's really far). I haven't tried the one near my dorm because I have heard nothing but bad things about it. And... every time I step in there and look at the menu, I always end up walking out because there's nothing that I want to eat. The good thing is that there's a kitchen, so I can cook my own food.

My room mate is a freshmen. She's only 17. We have like this four year age gap going on, but she's really nice. She's part of my dorm's student association. They basically plan activities for the dorm and what not. She's always out past like 2AM doing her activities. Poor thing.

Anyway, one thing I realized is that the clubs in CUHK vote for cabinet members in the beginning of the school year. I just find it strange because we usually do it at the end of the year in America. That way, the members kind of know who is capable of what and if the potential people can work together. o_o

On exploring the city...

I haven't really went to many places that were worthy of being blogged about. I went to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha, but I forgot to bring my camera that day. =( I had to use my phone's camera, which takes less than stellar pictures. Anyway, it wasn't all that interesting to me. I went with my uncle and his friend. I think there are several ways to reach our destination, but we took the cable car. For those of you that don't know what it is, you get transported from point A to point B in a container that is suspended in the air. I think we were in the cable car for at least half an hour. If you're afraid of heights, I think they also have boats that can take you there. Overall, I wasn't impressed, but it's still one of those places that you should go to if you're in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is famous for its street food so that's what I've been eating a lot. :p Most of the foods that I've tried have been delicious, but I would say that these street vendors aren't very sanitary. I think most people already know that and don't mind. I have a weak stomach, so I'm usually a little hesitant to try some things.

I LOVE egg waffles. It's like crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I love that combination!! It comes in different flavors too. Again, it's one of those snacks that you have to try if you're in HK. 

On shopping...

I haven't done a lot of shopping for myself. I think most of my money goes to food and transportation. There are places where clothes, shoes, etc. are really cheap, but you usually get what you pay for. The quality is so so, and the style is kind of strange (at least that's what I think). Other than that, if you go to a regular shopping center/mall, I think most of the prices are similar to America. It's just that we don't have to pay for tax here. If you're going to shop in HK, don't assume everything is cheaper than US. I guess it would be smart to do some research before hand. I think my friend said that certain Clinique items in HK are double the US price. o_O

I think the single most useful thing that I brought with me from America is my universal power strip, so if you're going to study abroad, please keep that in mind! I think I only have two wall outlets here which wouldn't have been enough for me. I currently use four of six of the outlets on my power strip.

Until next time...

Jenn