Countdown

Less than 10 days until I leave California!

I just received my dorm assignment about an hour ago. I'll be in United College, Chan Chun Ha Hostel. Apparently, it's one of the newer dorms (built in 2004). It's also kind of close to the heart of the campus. I guess I'll find out more when I get there. D:

Anyway, I've been buying a bunch of last minute things via Amazon Prime...

1. Adapter (US electric plugs are different from HK electric plugs. I also got a power strip because I don't know how many outlets I have in the dorm and individual adapters to carry around.)

2. Converter (for electronics that aren't dual voltage)

3. Travel/dual voltage blow dryer (You most likely cannot use a blow dryer from home; it'll probably blow a fuse, lol. I rarely use it anyway, so I figured it would be more useful to buy a compact blow dryer. That way, I could still use it after I leave HK.)

4. Mosquito repellent(s) (I have one with natural ingredients and one with DEET... just in case the natural one is useless. I'm prone to getting bug bites, so better safe than sorry! I hope I don't run out. Actually, I hope I don't have to use it at all.)

5. A (smart)phone (I have a CDMA phone because of I'm with Verizon, which means it will not work overseas. -_- You will need an unlocked GSM phone. I bought a LG Optimus Chic through Amazon. I'm going to root it and put Android 4.0 on it. That way, it'll kind of be sort of be a replacement for my Galaxy Nexus. I'm really going to miss my phone. T_T Anyway, as long as you have wi-fi, you could connect with family and friends back home for free using certain apps!)

6. Medication (Obviously, bring prescribed meds if you have any. I also heard that the HK medicine isn't as potent as US medicine, even if they're the same brand. Might be a myth, but I'm packing it anyway. If you have a weak stomach like me, you'll probably want to bring a lot of Pepto-Bismol.)

7. MP3 player (I have a very, very old iPod Mini sitting in my drawer. The battery died a long time ago. I'm going to try to fix it by myself with a battery kit, lol! I don't really want to spend money on an MP3 player, so this is my best alternative. I figured it would come in handy since I'd either be waiting for a bus/train, riding the bus/train or walking a lot.)

My 25 inch suitcase is already filled with clothes. I still have a 21 inch carry on, which I'm going to fill up with more clothes and electronic things, and a duffle bag another 25 inch suitcase (mom decided against the duffle bag), which will probably be filled with a few pair of shoes and miscellaneous items. I wasn't going to bring the duffle bag another suitcase, but after packing my big suitcase, I realized that I need more space! I know I'm supposed to pack light, but it's kind of hard since I'm staying there for nine months.

I don't really know if all my luggage will fit in my dorm room. HK is notorious for having very compact living spaces, so that and the fact that I'm living in a dorm is a recipe for disaster. I think I might be able to drop off one of my suitcases with my grandpa though. We shall see...

By the way, with Verizon, I could suspend my phone for 90 days twice a year without being charged. The downside is that every day I suspend my phone is an additional day that gets added on to my contract. For example, if I'm due for an upgrade in December, I won't be able to do so until March if I choose to suspend my phone for 90 days. Thankfully, I actually like my phone, so having a later upgrade doesn't bother me too much.

Anyway, I'm actually very excited to go to CUHK now! I hope the plane ride won't be too bad. I'm going to download a bunch of e-books onto my tablet and catch up on some reading. I'm also going to pack a bunch of snacks, haha!

Until next time...

Jenn

Last Month in America

I'm not really excited to go to Hong Kong yet. I think that it's because I've been so busy with taking summer school and making time to hang out with friends that I haven't really had time to think about it.

Part of me wants to just stay here. I feel like I have gotten more attached to my family and friends over the summer. I don't want to leave them for nine months. :(

Jenn

On Comfort Zones

Yesterday, I booked my flight to Hong Kong. I will be boarding Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong on September 3rd. And, for those of you wondering, my airfare was about $650 one way. Anyway, at the very moment that I purchased my airfare, it hit me that I will be gone in three months. =(

I love being back home in Alhambra. Other than the fact that I get pampered at home, there is just nothing as comfortable as being back home. I have family and friends that I know I can see whenever I want. I have a car that I can drive to go wherever I want. I have everything here, and I have nothing in Hong Kong.

I know that I'll be pushed way out of my comfort zone in Hong Kong. I'll be on my own. I'll be homesick. I'll miss everything about LA. I might even regret studying abroad. The thing is... there is no turning back now. 

I'm going to have to make a lot of adjustments to my lifestyle, and it'll take time. I can only cross my fingers and hope that I will adjust quickly.

Potential issues/adjustments that I have to make:

1. I'm an introvert. I will have to be more outgoing at CUHK because.. I will have zero friends there. I need to make friends (quickly) if I want to have maximum fun there!

2. I'm very easy going, but people think I'm intimidating.. so I have to force myself to smile more (lol).

3. I like staying in. That's just how I recharge my energy. But, I know that I should really spend more time exploring the country. :( Cognitive dissonance. 

4. I'll have to walk everywhere and rely on public transportation. 

5. I'm going to have a room mate. I hope I get along with her. I really do.

6. I won't even know which dorm I'm living in until the end of summer. I'm seriously praying that it's not super far from the main campus. I'm really not trying to walk 30 minutes or climb a million step to get to class. :'(

7. I have to manage my money very well. I'm living there for a whole year, and I have no clue how much I would realistically be spending a month. I also have to set aside money for the traveling that I'm going to do around Asia. I actually think it won't be too bad though. I won't be able to shop online as conveniently there, so I guess that's kind of a good thing.

8. I absolutely hate humidity. Riverside's dry heat is heaven compared to any sort of humid weather. 

9. I'm going to be scared of getting lost every time I go out. LOL. I won't have the luxury of having my 4G phone to guide me anymore! :(

10. I hope the Chinese classes won't be too hard for me. The third year Chinese series at UCR was pretty easy. Fourth year was a totally different story though. I had to drop that class because it was too intense.

Anyway, I don't know why I'm being so pessimistic. I guess it's because I'm not a huge fan of change. I just have to tell myself that everything will be okay.

Jenn