Hong Kong was surprisingly awesome! It is a very international city so that is probably a big reason why I enjoyed it so much! The city is spread out over several islands, most of them dedicated to housing and a couple, like Hong Kong Island, used primarily for business. This seems fitting because Hong Kong is the economic capital of the world.
We arrived mid-afternoon the first day, and had independent study time. The professors advised us to take the famous Star Ferry across to Hong Kong Island, a place famous for many different reasons. We were there obviously for the design aspect. Skyscraper after skyscraper dominates the skyline and in between each building is an elegantly designed plaza or public space with a shopping mall on every other corner; definitely a place too fancy for a girl with a backpack, tennis shoes, and a t-shirt.
A small group of us took the ferry and explored the area for a few hours, ensuring that we made it back to the mainland before 8:00 p.m. A light show starts at this time every night that involves the entire skyline of Hong Kong Island and some of the mainland. The buildings coordinate their lighting to music so that it becomes a symphony of lights, complete with powerful lasers that shoot into the air from a select few buildings. It was pretty impressive for a free event.
After the show it was dinner time for my group! Tired of rice and mystery meat, we decided to pick an American cuisine for the night at T.G.I. Fridays. Do not laugh! You cannot judge us until you have been in our position. I have never wanted a cheeseburger more in my life than right about now. My Jack Daniel’s Burger was fantastic, but pretty expensive. Apparently eating American food on the 10th floor of a high-rise in Hong Kong is not cheap.
The next day consisted of a half-day touring and a half-day of independent study. The bus tour took us to Victoria’s Peak, the South China Seafront, and the famous Jumbo restaurant. Victoria’s Peak overlooks Hong Kong Island, Victoria Bay, and the mainland of Hong Kong. It was pretty awesome to see all the skyscrapers from above. I got the best hazelnut cappuccino and sketched the surreal scene before me; it is one of the more memorable things I have done in the last couple days.
The next destination was the other side of Hong Kong Island that borders the South China Sea. This area was so beautiful and was completely different than the bay side. It is more of a vacation-like destination, rather than just a city. I was really sad that we could only stay for 45 minutes because I could have spent all day there lying in the sand. I suppose I will have to wait until this summer for my relaxing vacation.
The last leg of the tour was spent visiting the famous floating restaurant, Jumbo. A local family’s boat took us out to it to get photos, and on the way we were able to see the houseboat district. People here have lived their entire lives on the water. It was cool to see because our guide told us that this is a tradition of Hong Kong that is quickly becoming history.
For the rest of the day, I had an independent study tour of the famous shopping street in Hong Kong with Dan and Devin. We figured what better way to learn about Hong Kong’s economic importance in the world than to participate in it ourselves. Nathan Street is 2.5 miles long with nothing but shops and restaurants. We basically window shopped all day, but it was a great time! I had a pretty boring night because I had to stay in and work on homework. My assignment rotation started today, so unfortunately the next week or so is going to be stressful!
Today has been a long day of travel; it is 11:00 p.m. and we still are not done! We left the hotel at 1:00 this afternoon to catch a train to Guangzhou. After the two hour train ride, we had a 1 hour coach ride to the airport where we waited for several hours for our flight that got delayed. Finally around 11:30 p.m. or so we were able to take off; we are flying somewhere over China right at this moment. Let us all hope that our tour does not start too early in the morning.
For some reason I have been a little bummed for the past week and I was having a little trouble figuring out why. Thankfully Dan and I had a great talk tonight that worked through a lot of issues I have been having. He helped me realize to some extent why this trip gets so hard sometimes. We get hardly any free time. We have little control over our everyday activities like who we hang out with, the places we go, and when to use the bathroom. Here lately, I have not even been able to choose what to eat. In Asia food is often family style. Since we have no idea what we are ordering the guide arranges our meals. Basically you eat whatever comes out on the table, or go hungry that day.
Ok I know I am just straight up complaining now, but I cannot help it. At home in an everyday life setting, I am usually a very independent person. It has been a huge adjustment here because my schedule always depends on someone else and there is always a compromise. I feel like I am sometimes trapped in a cage here which is ironic, seeming how I am halfway across the world! It is so frustrating because I will only be in these cities once, and a lot of times I do not make it to the places that I would like to. Then I snap out of my pity party a few seconds later and I think of Vietnam and Malaysia, how incredibly blessed beyond my comprehension I am compared to some citizens in the world.
I have said it before and I will say it again; World Tour is a test of emotional ups and downs. I sometimes wonder if it is ever going to stop and slow down just for a second so I can catch my breath. You know that part in the middle of a roller coaster ride when the initial excitement is gone, your brain has finally registered that it is being jarred to death, and you begin to feel a little nauseous from all the action. Yeah, that is about how I feel right now. I am fully anticipating the end, and I am ready for it to be over, but I am also sad because I know what happens at the end. It is an immediate relief when I realize I survived the madness, but a little while later I always look back and say, "That was awesome! Let’s do it again!" Except for this trip, there is no getting back in line for me. All I can do at this halfway point is pray for the comfort I need to enjoy every single experience I have, and trust that God will continue to open my eyes to his will for me on this trip. I have made it 52 days, why not 51 more?
We arrived mid-afternoon the first day, and had independent study time. The professors advised us to take the famous Star Ferry across to Hong Kong Island, a place famous for many different reasons. We were there obviously for the design aspect. Skyscraper after skyscraper dominates the skyline and in between each building is an elegantly designed plaza or public space with a shopping mall on every other corner; definitely a place too fancy for a girl with a backpack, tennis shoes, and a t-shirt.
A small group of us took the ferry and explored the area for a few hours, ensuring that we made it back to the mainland before 8:00 p.m. A light show starts at this time every night that involves the entire skyline of Hong Kong Island and some of the mainland. The buildings coordinate their lighting to music so that it becomes a symphony of lights, complete with powerful lasers that shoot into the air from a select few buildings. It was pretty impressive for a free event.
After the show it was dinner time for my group! Tired of rice and mystery meat, we decided to pick an American cuisine for the night at T.G.I. Fridays. Do not laugh! You cannot judge us until you have been in our position. I have never wanted a cheeseburger more in my life than right about now. My Jack Daniel’s Burger was fantastic, but pretty expensive. Apparently eating American food on the 10th floor of a high-rise in Hong Kong is not cheap.
The next day consisted of a half-day touring and a half-day of independent study. The bus tour took us to Victoria’s Peak, the South China Seafront, and the famous Jumbo restaurant. Victoria’s Peak overlooks Hong Kong Island, Victoria Bay, and the mainland of Hong Kong. It was pretty awesome to see all the skyscrapers from above. I got the best hazelnut cappuccino and sketched the surreal scene before me; it is one of the more memorable things I have done in the last couple days.
The next destination was the other side of Hong Kong Island that borders the South China Sea. This area was so beautiful and was completely different than the bay side. It is more of a vacation-like destination, rather than just a city. I was really sad that we could only stay for 45 minutes because I could have spent all day there lying in the sand. I suppose I will have to wait until this summer for my relaxing vacation.
The last leg of the tour was spent visiting the famous floating restaurant, Jumbo. A local family’s boat took us out to it to get photos, and on the way we were able to see the houseboat district. People here have lived their entire lives on the water. It was cool to see because our guide told us that this is a tradition of Hong Kong that is quickly becoming history.
For the rest of the day, I had an independent study tour of the famous shopping street in Hong Kong with Dan and Devin. We figured what better way to learn about Hong Kong’s economic importance in the world than to participate in it ourselves. Nathan Street is 2.5 miles long with nothing but shops and restaurants. We basically window shopped all day, but it was a great time! I had a pretty boring night because I had to stay in and work on homework. My assignment rotation started today, so unfortunately the next week or so is going to be stressful!
Today has been a long day of travel; it is 11:00 p.m. and we still are not done! We left the hotel at 1:00 this afternoon to catch a train to Guangzhou. After the two hour train ride, we had a 1 hour coach ride to the airport where we waited for several hours for our flight that got delayed. Finally around 11:30 p.m. or so we were able to take off; we are flying somewhere over China right at this moment. Let us all hope that our tour does not start too early in the morning.
For some reason I have been a little bummed for the past week and I was having a little trouble figuring out why. Thankfully Dan and I had a great talk tonight that worked through a lot of issues I have been having. He helped me realize to some extent why this trip gets so hard sometimes. We get hardly any free time. We have little control over our everyday activities like who we hang out with, the places we go, and when to use the bathroom. Here lately, I have not even been able to choose what to eat. In Asia food is often family style. Since we have no idea what we are ordering the guide arranges our meals. Basically you eat whatever comes out on the table, or go hungry that day.
Ok I know I am just straight up complaining now, but I cannot help it. At home in an everyday life setting, I am usually a very independent person. It has been a huge adjustment here because my schedule always depends on someone else and there is always a compromise. I feel like I am sometimes trapped in a cage here which is ironic, seeming how I am halfway across the world! It is so frustrating because I will only be in these cities once, and a lot of times I do not make it to the places that I would like to. Then I snap out of my pity party a few seconds later and I think of Vietnam and Malaysia, how incredibly blessed beyond my comprehension I am compared to some citizens in the world.
I have said it before and I will say it again; World Tour is a test of emotional ups and downs. I sometimes wonder if it is ever going to stop and slow down just for a second so I can catch my breath. You know that part in the middle of a roller coaster ride when the initial excitement is gone, your brain has finally registered that it is being jarred to death, and you begin to feel a little nauseous from all the action. Yeah, that is about how I feel right now. I am fully anticipating the end, and I am ready for it to be over, but I am also sad because I know what happens at the end. It is an immediate relief when I realize I survived the madness, but a little while later I always look back and say, "That was awesome! Let’s do it again!" Except for this trip, there is no getting back in line for me. All I can do at this halfway point is pray for the comfort I need to enjoy every single experience I have, and trust that God will continue to open my eyes to his will for me on this trip. I have made it 52 days, why not 51 more?
No comments:
Post a Comment