Some things you might find intersting

Well we have had quite a bit of discussion about my travels. Now for some things you might find interesting, concerning daily and what I have learned about Hong Kongers (how natives refer to themselves).

1. If you wear under arm deodorant, don't tell anybody or they will think you have a sweating problem. Thus Hong Kongers do wear deodorant they just don't admit to it. 
2. My roommate plays World of War Craft of at least 8 hours a day. 
3. The most common response by a Hong Konger to any given stimulus in any given moment is to giggle, complemented by a energetic short step shuffle. This includes when the teacher asks a question (no actual answer follows just giggling), observing something interesting, weird or surprising etc. 
4. There are no clunker cars here. Most people take the subway (quite an impressive subway at that), take taxis, drive luxury cars, or high performance sports cars. Thus people spend a lot of money on cars to show off, it is not uncommon to see a Ferrari, Lamborghini etc.
5. They don't use clean water to urinate or defecate in, all buildings have separate water lines. One running grey water (or salt water) and tap water for bathing and washing. The tap water is treated with ultraviolet light for consumption at select locations. 
6. At 90% It everything you touch is wet. even the bottom of my bed perspires from my body heat over night.
7. Being over weight it totally unacceptable. Young adult males are not ashamed to criticize girls for what they eat or for being slightly more than slim.    
8. Class participation is nonexistent, playing on your laptop while talking to your classmates in class is completely normal. 
9. You have to pay for air conditioning in your dorm by putting credit on you room key.
10. Everybody has an Iphone and makes a point of showing it off by playing with it on the subway.
11. To be continued...

A Week in China

There was certainly more to my week in China than Xi'an. After two days in Xi'an visiting the terracotta warriors and the Wild Goose Pagoda (built in 652 A.D.), we headed back to Chengdu were we had landed briefly on our way to Xi'an two days earlier. Chengdu, the capital city of the Sichuan province, and home to some of the spiciest food in the world.

A short bus trip out of Chengdu took us to the largest Buddha statue in the world, since the one in Afghanistan having been recently destroyed.  Carved into a mountain side over looking a river, the surrounding monastery and park was quite beautiful with traditional gardens, bonsai, and ponds. The next day was quite and adventure due to flight delays we only had 2 hours to spend at a beautiful park in Juizhaigou, called The 5 Color Lakes. Due to the content of the soil. the water has a different colors at different depths. Then back in a taxi for a 2 hr ride to the airport, good night's rest in Chengdu, the next day Shanghai.

By this time I was a bit tired of traveling and spending so much time in big cities, but just the same Shanghai was quite amazing. We visited the 3rd tallest building int the world, and the next day, after a late night at the hostel in deep intellectual discussion with an Irishman and Frenchman, we went to the Shanghai museum. Which along with the Terracotta army was probably the most significant part of the trip. With over 8,000 years of Chinese history, it effortlessly conveys the truth that Chinese culture has exceeded others throughout history.

Since we last spoke

I am seriously laking in the quantity of blog entries, though I have been writing a lot my journal. Sorry you don't get to read it, but you can read this... my public journal. So I hope you enjoyed the effort I put into the writing my previous entries, because I have decided to compromise the quality for quantity. 

The picture is a at international fashion show hosted by the exchange office of City U. My friend Ivan, a local student with whom I studied with last semester at UNCA during his semester abroad, purchased the Uncle Sam costume for me at a large market in Hong Kong. It's funny because there are so many things to be found at this particular market, but I wouldn't have thought he would find this costume. Before and after the fashion show at least a hundred pictures were taken of me with local students, that I am sure are among the millions of photos on Facebook shared with friends containing various captions. 

It was quite an amazing opportunity to travel to mainland China this past week for 8 days over the lunar new year holiday. Arriving in Xi'an on Feb. 10, the ancient capitol of China, after 2 hour flight that turned into a 6 hr flight (almost landing in Xi'an, changing course to land in Chengdu and then back in the air to Xi'an). Here we visited an almost 2,000 year old Buddhist pagoda, walked along the ancient city wall, and most importantly accomplished one of my most anticipated destinations in China...the terracotta army. Build by the first emperor to unify China over 2,000 years ago, it is without question one of the 8 wonder of the world. 

Weekend Trip to Tia O

I spent the weekend with a volunteer organization sponsored by City University, called City Youth Empowerment. During the semester I will participate in a variety of social work activities from playing with school children, tutoring college students in English, cleaning homes of the elderly etc. This weekend's activity was spent in a traditional fishing village, Tia O on the island of Lantau.
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I have been to Tia O twice now, but this time was a completely different experience. First time was on a hiking trip (more like walking) with other exchange students for the day. This time I was the only non-local student among 25, or so, Chinese students for two days. The first night there ended up being a lot of discussion about cultural differences, which I really enjoyed, among other topics such as "what do you think of Chinese girls?" and are American girls like they appear in the television show America's Next Top Model. For example, Hong Kong locals admire "relaxed" American culture. That is, they feel that the motivation to succeed professionally in Hong Kong's competitive work environment  compromises one's enjoyment of the "good" things in life. 
One of the most notable observations of the fishing community was how terribly polluted it is. It was the first time I realized how sheltered I am from the harm that is being done to the earth. For me this epiphany was even more meaningful because, well I am an environmental studies major, and all I have done is learn about how bad things are and this was the first time to experience it. Despite the overwhelming amount of trash prevalent everywhere and the awareness that whenever a toilet was flushed the pipe lead straight to the water below the stilt house we were staying in, it was a very charming, relaxing and pleasant atmosphere. I also had the opportunity to see the white dolphins, learn about the relationship the natives have with the land and the sea, also understand the factors that effect the rapid change of the community and the people's way of life there.