Finally, I’ve reached the end of my epic travels through Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. Yes, my very last day in Hong Kong warranted an entire blog post all its own. Please enjoy my parting memories and know how much I’ve enjoyed sharing my travels and my new-found love of Asia with you. Continue reading
No matter where in the world you may be, finals season is one of the most stressful, sleep-deprived times of a college student’s life. And it wasn’t very different at HKUST (jokingly referred to as “Hong Kong University of Stress and Tension.” But in order to survive the stress, we came up with some great diversions. So join me as finals and shenanigans ensued.
Eager anticipation doesn’t even begin to cover how excited I was about going to Taiwan. The only thing about this trip is that it also meant my time in Hong Kong was quickly drawing to a close. But better not to dwell on that fact. Pack your bags for Taipei!
I don’t know why I never thought about the differences in religion there might be between Christians from the US versus Christians from Asia – but there are! Check out my latest blog, where I went to Bible study, the clubs and then island hopping in just a few short days. Busy, busy, busy!
All during my time abroad in Hong Kong there was always something happening. Whether it was birthdays, nights out or other random happenings, things never slowed down. Read my post to find out about the nightlife every night of the week in Hong Kong.
I thought Chinese dragons were as colorful as festivals got in Hong Kong, but I was wrong. Have you ever heard of flower cannons? If not, check out the Hung Shing Festival in Kau Sai in my latest post.
Did I mention I discovered my new love for Xiao long bao here too? Yeah, that happens also. Continue reading
There was never a similar week during my stay in Hong Kong, and this week at the end of March was no exception. The world-renowned Rugby Sevens event came to town, and I say on of Hong Kong’s most colorful, whimsical faces. Spartan warriors and grown men in tutus, anyone? Continue reading
This field trip still boggles my mind to this day. If you’ve ever taken a class field trip, wipe any preconceived notions you may have, because they don’t come close to rivaling this journey into the heart of a rural Chinese village. Prepare for nearly live lunches, gigantic ancestral shrines and more food than anyone should consume in a 2-day period. Continue reading
Now to pick up where I left off – Part 2 of our first trip to mainland China: Guangzhou.
March 1, 2010
There was a little drama at the Guangzhou train terminal, because two of our girlfriends, Soohyun and Ilaria, didn’t get off the train at the right stop, luckily, they were able to contact us even though normal Hong Kong SIM cards don’t work in mainland China, and get back on the returning train just 20 minutes later. We found our hostel, which was super nice and clean and safe, without much trouble or asking people on the streets, checked in, were directed to yet another cheap and delicious restaurant a 5-minute walk from our accommodations (there was absolutely no English or pictures on that menu, but thankfully Angela and Soo knew enough to order great food for us all). We walked along a street right beside a river running through Guangzhou, which the hostel was situated on before collapsing for the night. Continue reading
I thought I had acclimated to China after almost two months of living in Hong Kong. Boy was I wrong. Once I arrived in Shenzhen, China, the culture shock was back on! Below is Part 1 of my 2 Part post diving into China head on.
March 2nd, 2010
The entrance to Nirvana for just $21 USD for 24 hours.
Though all parts of the same country, Hong Kong has little in common with mainland China. The differences were stark and stunning. After my first visit I could barely express how glad I was to be studying in Hong Kong, China and not mainland China. I thought I had culture shock in Hong Kong; but I was going through a culture earthquake in Shenzhen and Guangzhou! Let me back up though, and start from Friday when we left for the motherland.
Vittles and Voyages 