Hong Kong!

Okay okay I am a whiney brat, Hong Kong was awesome, I’m going to talk about that first because it was yesterday and China is 5 giant long days to talk about, so, our boat was ported IN A MALL! A mall with like over 700 shops, it. Was. Awesome. AAWWESOOMMMEEE. Haha, so we got bused back and into the ship by about 1. and every time we enter the ship we have to be searched, all our stuff, walk through a metal detector, that whole thing so that no one’s trying to sneak on a samurai sword or alcohol or anything, so that can take a long time. my frustration for the night comes from the fact that I had been building Hong Kong up in my head all week as this wonderful place where I would see all my friends again and we would go out and have a lot of fun, but we got back so late it was just me and this girl, and we didn’t know were to go and if it was safe or whatever and it was pouring rain so yeah, internet café, but then we went back on the ship and ran into some people kind of knew and they also had gotten back late so we decided to head out with them, 2 boys and 4 girls and they were a really good and funny group, so for awhile we ran around and around in the rain trying to find an atm so we were sufficiently wet before we set off for an area we were told was fun, but this was a Sunday night at like 2:30 sooo when we got there… we saw no one really, so ran around in the rain some more and then went into this mall – all of their malls are open! Not the stores but the buildings - just open! In the middle of the night! 24 hours a day!

I’m not explaining very well how awesome Hong Kong is yet, like the port is the center of the city there’s the island of Hong Kong and we were across the port on… this area that starts with a K anddd yeah it’s surrounded by amazing beautiful lit up buildings and all that and it’s perfect, haha, but so we were ported on the K side, and that is were we were trying to find some fellow SASers, and we had a funny nice cab driver who, despite our first impressions and therefore cab discussion, did speak very good English… haha. SO, here we were in this new giant amazing mall (all of Hong Kong was a giant amazing mall and it was amazing.) when we ran into some natives, who told us the place we had to be was Hong Kong island, haha and they came along with us.

So the ferry was closed but there are underground tunnels you can take, so we did and we went to an area that some sasers had been coming home from when we were leaving. And I have to describe this right because it was wonderful, we got out of the cab and then kind of had to walk down a hill and we saw tons and tons of people –SASers and other foreigners and Hong Kongians… haha, all dancing in the street in the rain! And it was like brick street and it was kind of secluded and music was playing and everyone was dancing and singing and (a lot were kissing… haha not me though, :( though I do kind of have a crush) anyway the song on when we got there was an American classic and it was… well it was like magical that it was so cute and perfect!

Also Andre 3000 was there, but I didn’t see him for some reason, but, it’s worth mentioning because that’s pretty cool, but the place actually closed not too long after and no where else would let us in because we were too wet… haha so we… well we essentially kind of walked all around and saw the whole city and then took a taxi over to Wan Chi (I think it’s called, it’s an area of HK) and walked around there for a bit, I was happy about that because the next day I wouldn’t have gotten to see it! I had read a book this summer that took place there.

So we got back to our mall port at early o’clock so I had a breakfast of a sausage mcmuffin at this crazy basement 24hr MacDonald’s. So I know it doesn’t really sound like anything too special but I was just SO happy the whole night because I got to do something! And it like defied all the odds and I was out and in Hong Kong with cool people having a good time :) So really it was like the best night I could’ve had. Very very wonderful.

Hong Kong really was so cool so it was upsetting not to get to spend more time there, and it was rainy literally from the time the boat pulled in (so I’ve heard) until a few hours before we left. I spent a tooonnn of money though so I guess it’s good that I got out of there, though it would have been nice to spend some time at the beach, friends who went to HK early spent some time windsurfing and all that! But I spent my day well, I got up at 8 because I had the only FDP that I signed up for (Faculty Directed Program) and listened to a speaker, a business man from America who lives and works in HK talk about economics, and it was cool, interesting, only lasted a little over an hour. I learned some good stuff. Haha. I really enjoyed it though because this guy graduated with a liberal arts degree, did Teach for America for 2 years, did temp work for a few years and then got into business in some other country and then Hong Kong, so it gave me hope that even though I don’t know what I’ll be doing or what my degree will be, I can pretty much apply anything anywhere and will eventually find something good.

Also ! just before that the student life director (who knows my name – which is I think why she did this) asked me if I wanted to go to a special reception at 7 that night on the ship for this famous guy who’s done a lot for the SAS program and also is responsible for like… starting Hong Kong, seriously. Haha so I had to be back on the ship and dressed up by 7.

Meaning I had 8 hours in HK, so then I decided to take the day by myself, I didn’t really know where my friends were and shopping is kind of a one woman job, I had looked a lot at my book and had places I wanted to make sure I made it to, and I don’t know it seemed like a good and easy place to experience by myself. It was good because I might have been rude to others on so little sleep and others may very much have annoyed me… haha. The only down side to this was I didn’t take many pictures, because it would have been weird for random blonde girl to stop on the street and take a billion pictures, though I did take a few.

I set off around 10 and took the Star Ferry across the harbor to HK island. I was definitely the only white person on it, but it was very cool and very cheap. It was pouring almost all day but it’s really cool because there are billions of skyways and covered walkways and signs pointing everywhere, (ahhh Hong Kong is SO COOL!) in English first then Cantonese, which was so cool and easy, though I did manage to get lost for a fair amount of time. But yeah, by the way Americans, English, Irish, Australians, Canadians, other English speakers… So lucky! Man almost everywhere (so far) people speak our language and we are so so so lucky. And HK was filled with white people, almost all business people. So that was definitely different then all the other places we have been. Downtown at least, when I went up the peak of the mountain it was mostly Chinese and European tourists again, though all employees seemed to speak English.

But yeah, so immediately my mission was shopping. Hong Kong has no taxes on anything shopping related other than cosmetics and cars (90-150% of the cost!! !! ahhh) . So I spent a lot of time trying to find this one building that my book told me that though not a major mall, had designer stuff on clearance on floors 4,5, and 6. And I was kind of overwhelmed because I didn’t feel in place walking into some of the billions of really fancy stores, but in my search I can across a store mentioned in my book of a Chinese Designer, and decided to check it out, and was very glad that I did, because it was really cool, like a modern twist on traditional Chinese clothing. I wanted to buy my mom this really pretty sweater for $400 but settled on something I could afford, for myself (haha), an umbrella, and it’s really cute, and was highly necessary. :)

They directed me on my quest (stair case about 5ft away, hehe), here again I was very much the non-native though people spoke some English. Only being in Hong Kong under a day I didn’t pick up ANY of the language, at least in the other countries my knowledge extended to hello and thank you, but Cantonese has two thank yous and I guess that was just far too confusing for me. Anyway, After spending a great deal of time in different stores I walked away with a sweater and a tank top. : )

By this time I was hungry, and it had been in my head to sit down to a nice lunch on “the peak” Hong Kong is a beautiful city of lights at night, of cool buildings and ships by day, and just behind them huge green mountains. One can get to the top taking a tram, very cool. So following the signs, using my umbrella and the overhangs found my way there. Even though it was a rainy day the view was still phenomenal, I walked around the top a bit, then sat down for the best lunch ever (I took a picture) I went to a coffee’ish shop, got a heated foccocia (sp??) sandwich, a brownie with 4 little marshmallows on top, and some grapefruit juice. And I ate it in front of a window on top of Hong Kong. : ) It was great.

Sooo up there, there were some more shops and I made my last, biggest, though cheapest purchase. I got a long-sleeved white and silver shirt dress, gray leggings, and this gold thing that’s really cool, it’s like scarf shirt’ish with buttons on it, you can wear it like 5 different ways.. anyway very stylish. haha, but this was the only part of my day were I felt sad alone because a big group of SAS boys walked by (the only SASers I saw practically all day) when this lady was wrapping the thing around me… and they were like “it’s gorgeous! Buy it!” embarrassing. Ookkayy, I wanted to make it to this giant Buddha, but it was on a different island and those who went spent all day there, so I cut my losses and did some more walking, in the rain, with all my bags, satisfied and done with my shopping, went through the square, which was cool, had some nice art in it, I took a few pictures, and then headed back to the ferry and the boat.

So after showering I met up with my friends and we got dinner at the CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN!! inside the mall. It was like heaven. Haha I got salad and pizza and ice cream! ahhhh. But I think this may have made me very sick, as I am currently quite sick… have been all day, but it’s manageable and I’m hopping goes away before Vietnam! (I’m hoping it isn’t food poisoning from China but the fact I hadn’t had dairy for 5 days before CPK, haha in case you care that much about my health… harhar) But we had all been on different trips so it was great to chat about what we did/learned in China and our crazy stories and stuff ( I bet you can’t wait for mine can you… ?? hehehe).

I went back to this ship after dinner and went to the reception thing, it was cool but I wasn’t in the mood to drink (this was the only time I think our ship has ever/will ever have free drinks for me, otherwise a little cup of cheap wine is $3.50 ! and these were fancy and in glasses, haha oh well I took advantage of a free diet coke), and felt kind of underdressed and stupid (I was so full and also kind of drained), I talked to some of the other students there and finally met and had a good conversation about working in foreign affairs with our Global Studies professor Mac, I think I may try to double major in Communications and International … whatever that international degree is and (along with my little business minor) graduate in what like 8 years?? Haha. But, being an American ambassador like my hero would be amazing. Oh I also have to learn a language… like stat. hahaha. I use such strange words these days.

So because I was feeling kind of out of it I didn’t really want to jump in and meet the guy so the thing was cool but I was not a sparkling personality or anything. Haha, at 8 I made sure to be outside on the deck because Hong Kong has a light show every single night, music plays and the lights on all the buildings dance along. It’s really cool, haha I mean it’s not like a firework show, but it was definitely cool, also it had finally stopped raining! So it was wonderful.

After, as we had to be on the ship, we watched a few Friends episodes until 11, when we were disembarking, so went outside to watch, we walked around a bit but eventually sat down on the back of the ship and stayed as the ship pulled away from the city, it was really unbelievable. We didn’t get enough time, I’d of liked to go to the night market – a big deal, and do a few other things, but it was great there, despite the weather.

Today I was pretty much a waste of life, slept through my morning work out time, zoned in all of my classes, was sick after everything I ate almost the whole day, and lost my id card like 4 times, haha couldn’t get into my room so took a 2hour nap in my friends’ room while they both left to work out and then both showered.

Ok but then I pepped up for our Vietnam Preport – the 2 days before a port (so like every day we’re on the ship now) we have a cultural pre-port and then the night just before a logistical preport were we get like health info and times and stuff, oh also before every port we have interport students, so these two girls from Japan were on for the week before Japan, this guy from China and HK the 2 days before, and now this guy from Vietnam, and they do a presentation for us too, and they are always really interesting and cute and nice and helpful and professional and funny, and their English is worked so hard on, and yeah, it’s really cool getting to know kids from around the world.

After our pre-port (we also listened to a panel on the Vietnam War – though I typed some of this through a lot of it – I’m thinking it takes me a lot longer to type then it takes you who read to read… so I hope you like it, it’s responsible for my serious lack of homework doing, but whatever I’m a busy world traveler, who has time to read Spinoza and study physics?? Not me, plus American Psycho (I bough in China will type about tomorrow) is getting really good… haha yeah I’m reading American Psycho while traveling to China and Vietnam, I can’t put it down.) anyway, I went to a Sea TV meeting, I’m going to be the news anchor for our show between Vietnam and Thailand, any news gong on I should be sure to include? I’m really out of the loop and will only have wiki news to rely on, celeb gossip is also welcome! Email me. ebasten@gmail.com

MISS YOU! will post this in the morning (I am getting up for 6:15 kickboxing, I must! Plus we’re retarding the clocks tonight so it’ll be like 7) and I’m going to watch an episode.. or 4 of Friends season 10 and fall very much sound asleep! Whew, China took a lot out of me.