Hong Kong Highlights

My parents picked me up at the airport.  Our car pulled into the garage and I leapt out, ran to the kitchen door, entered the house, and threw myself at our dog.  She spent my first day back confused and uncertain.  She spent my second day sitting on my lap.  On the third day I left the house briefly and she sat in front of my mom and stared at her, trying to gauge how my mom felt about me leaving, and when I came back an hour and a half later she greeted me excitedly at the door.  On the fifth day my mom and I packed a few things, grabbed a box of Christmas presents, and drove to Minneapolis so that I could meet my nephew.  My dog did not like us packing the car.  She barked and ran around the house and tried to keep us at home.  We returned on the sixth day and she once again took her spot in my lap.  We have now made it my to eighth day back in the country and we have returned to our normal routine: naps, sitting together as I do homework, snoring beside me as I try to fall asleep a

Maria's last test was on December 6th.  Excited as she was to return home after 6 months abroad, she decided to take advantage of her proximity to Beijing and visit for a few days before preceding back to Iowa. She had family friends with connections in Beijing who had asked to arrange her trip for her.  Accordingly, having only briefly glanced at her schedule, she packed and left for the airport (she was not sorry to say goodbye to her dorm bed).   And thus began an unintended game called "how many modes of transport can Maria take before checking into her hotel?"  After leaving her dorm, she took:  A taxi to the airport  A bus from the gate to the plane on the tarmac  An airplane from Hong Kong to Beijing  A shuttle or an "Automated People Mover" from one part of the Beijing airport to another  A private car from the airport to her hotel Maria was very amused by the time she reached her hotel room. Maria then spent four action-packed days ex

Hot Pot: a Chinese soup containing a variety of East Asian foodstuffs and ingredients, prepared with a simmering pot of soup stock at the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. I adore hot pot.  It is one of my favorite dishes I encountered in Hong Kong.  In the center of the table is placed a pot of hot soup (as you can see there can be multiple types of soup for the meal).  As the meal progresses you add meat and vegetables to the pot periodically as needed.  By the end of the meal the flavor from the various foods has improved the overall taste of the soup itself. What's more fantastic is that the hot pot restaurants I have gone to are all you can eat.  It is a meat haven.  As my group of friends prepare to depart, we decided to treat ourselves to excellent food on one of our last nights together as a gang.

I have experienced so many new things this year.  I have met many people, some who are likely to be life-long friends.  I have gained greater appreciation for what I have at home.  The list goes on. But what strikes me as I sit here, five and a half months into my journey, is that I have been able to make it this far.  I have battled with medical conditions for years which, while not controlling my life, have definitely shaped it.  I've been able to sleep on a dorm bed for months, to walk up and down flights of stairs each day, to spend an entire day out with friends, to battle homesickness and win, to successfully be a student despite the possible difficulties everyday life presents.  A few years ago I canceled a study abroad trip because I knew that at the time I would physically not make it.  I am so thankful that I have reached a point in my life where I am able to travel and experience so many new things.  I am so thankful for where I am at the moment, more than just geograp

Bamboo in Iowa: Bamboo in Hong Kong: This bamboo thicket is taller than I am. To put it into Iowa perspective, this bamboo is taller than corn gets  Or That's right, Bamboo Scaffolding! Seen all over Hong Kong

Hong Kong has taken so many of my "firsts" ... the first city I've lived in. ... the first time I've had dim sum.  ... the first time I've watched Grease. ... the first time I've felt so homesick. ... the first time I've tried Subway food. ... the first time I've seen street markets. ... the first time I've ridden a metro/subway. ... the first time I've encountered urban smog. ... the first place I had to apply for a visa to enter. ... the first time I've had a severe allergic reaction.  ... the first non-English speaking place I've lived in. ... the first time I've been considered 'tall' in a decade. ... the first time I've had so many international friends. Good or bad, I've experienced so much thanks to my decision to study here.

I signed up for a tour through my university only knowing that the description stated this 5 hour long program would explore death in Hong Kong and paper making.  Unable to make the connection, I still thought it sounded really cool (and it was free) so I signed up. The program started with a brief overview of different types of burials common in Hong Kong (traditional burial, cremation and the variety of ways of dealing with the ashes, and donation of body to the medical field).  Apparently, it is common practice for Chinese, regardless of religion, to continue practicing funeral ceremonies and beliefs from ancient China alongside the various practices proscribed in Buddhism, Islam, or Christianity.  And here is where the "paper" comes into play. The traditional Chinese belief is that the afterlife mirrors this one.  In the afterlife, the dead will need money and food and clothes along with everything needed to live in comfort today such as cars and smartphones.  Th

I found this place shortly after coming to Hong Kong and fell in love.  Despite being outside for two hours in the heat and humidity I enjoyed my first trip immensely.  Now, with only a month left of my study abroad experience, I returned. C h i L i n N u n n e r y The nunnery is a combination of garden and temple.  Located in the middle of Hong Kong the contrast with its surroundings adds to the charm of the garden. My love began in the garden.  The garden is meticulously taken care of and this dedication shows.  The garden has thematic music playing softly throughout the area which, when combined with the sound of several waterfalls, causes one to relax as they delve deeper into the garden.   The creators of the garden worked with the many elements of nature to create this haven - the combined effect of trees, rocks, and water is hard to communicate in words. At the end of the gardens is a cafe and gift shop where we bought slushees and enjoye

 I had to pay a bill to my host University.  My payment options?  Through x Chinese banks -> nope  Through direct deposit online -> can't do this option either  Payment transfer through PPS -> I have no idea what this is  Payment online through Chinese credit card -> once again, no  Cash payment at bank on campus -> we have a winner! And thus during a break in my schedule I arrived at the bank and joined the queue.  Wow, did I underestimate this process and the time commitment needed.  The queue was long and moved slowly, except for the people who buzzed past the line and were in and out in 5 minutes.  Apparently, banks can have different levels of status for patrons that confer various benefits, such as skipping the line. In order: regular, preferred banking, and prestige It took 45 minutes to reach the counter in the "regular" line.  I presented the information regarding the payment and my debit card to the clerk and found out, to my surpr

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain. Bob Marley The first note played and I felt myself shiver in anticipation.  My entire body relaxed and I realized that, regardless of what else happened tonight, this experience was worth it just for that one moment of relaxation.   When asked why I desire to live in a big city, I respond that I want to live in a place filled with museums and cultural events.  Having visited many of the museums in Hong Kong, I decided to begin focusing on the events offered by a city of 7 million that I cannot get in a town of 50,000.  Thus on Thursday night I found myself at the Hong Kong Cultural Center Concert Hall with a ticket to see the Philharmonic Orchestra of Seoul.  Deciding that it didn't matter where I sat provided I could hear the music, I bought a seat in the cheap section which, when added to my half-off student discount, came out to be $11USD.   From my seat I had a unique vantage point to see t

Universities are undeniably about classes, but there are other forms of learning available as well.  I decided to leave my comfort zone behind when I boarded a plane and left the country for six months; now that I am here, I don't want to spend all of my time in my room studying.  Beyond exploring my host city, I am also exploring the opportunities available at my host university.  These opportunities have included guest lecturers, workshops, art classes, and musical performances. I have gone to lectures ranging from violent political issues in southeast Asia to environmental crises in the polar regions as well as in Hong Kong to the analysis of the impact of Confucian ideas in the founding of the United States.  I have enrolled in a Chinese calligraphy course that meets every Tuesday evening and in an online month long course exploring the changing arctic due to climate change.  Deciding to try something I have never taken advantage of at ISU I chose to attend personal growth wo

Unlike most big cities, Hong Kong does not have a proper zoo.  The closest approximation is the Botanical and Zoological Garden.  At 10:00 one night I got a text from my friend Esme asking me if I wanted to go to the garden the next day, which is how I found myself experiencing something unlike anything I had seen before. The first thing to remember is that almost everything in Hong Kong will be uphill.  Every few minutes we took a pause, drank water, at one point sat down on the sidewalk to prepare ourselves for the next leg of the trek, and crisscrossed the road as needed to remain in the shade.  On the way up we passed a group of Japanese tourists trying to haul their suitcases up the same hill; it was incredible, even without understanding a word they were saying we both picked up on their sentiment and Esme and I grinned in sympathy at each other as we went by.  Twenty minutes after the start we stumbled through the gate to the gardens and both bought ice cold drinks and

Necessities for daily life in Hong Kong What I need to get through the day in Hong Kong is different from what Iowa life requires.  For the first couple of weeks, I regularly arrived at campus, rummaged through my bag, and then got to backtrack to the dorms to grab what I had left behind.  For a while there, I really longed for a rembrall to help double check that I had not left anything on my bed or by my desk.  After a month and a half of living in Hong Kong, I can now pack my bag for the day without forgetting the key items to surviving in the city. Daily checklist includes: 1) Umbrella I arrived in the rain.  I found out quickly that August and September are the wet months here.  My poor umbrella has taken a bit of a beating from being shoved into my backpack everyday, but it has saved me from being soaked many times. 2) ID, room, and MTR cards The all-important MTR card In order to function in Hong Kong City University, you need to carry all three of these cards o