Em.'s In & Outs

Today I am two weeks in starting my exchange! This is my first summer semester ever and I must admit I am struggling with balancing out fun and study. But let's start from the beginning...

We had an orientation at the beginning of the CUHK International Summer School (International Asian Studies Programme) - long name! There are about 150 students from around the world, the majority being Singaporian or Chinese Canadian. We got to know one another on the first day by enjoying some ostentatious meals and walking around the city. I finally went to the Peak, the highest point in Hong Kong from which you can see the whole city. Breathtaking! I met my ''to-date'' best friend, Mark, in Stanley Market (a touristy shopping area nearby a beach), when I was heading towards the military cemetary to check it out. Hong Kong has a very interesting history, and here are burried many Chinese who died to prevent the British to take possession of the Island during the Opium Wars, and yet many more who died fighting for the Union Jack during World War II.

After the official orientation, a large group of us went to Lai Kwai Fong, which is the clubbing district par excellence here in Hong Kong. It is a crazy crazy place, with so many people in the streets (lots of foreigners!) and many venues to enjoy some TsingTao beer (including the street itself - it's legal!). We had a good time, came back at 4 a.m. and got in trouble our first night. Congrats!

The first week of school I spent mostly with Yishin and Steph, as the former was gonna go back to Toronto soon. I will keep good memories of our visit to the Li Po Chun United World College, which is right on the other side of the harbor from my university, and which is where Yishin went to school for I.B. Such a great place; after having a chat with her tutor, it really gave me the taste for becoming a UWC teacher in India! So inspiring! It's good though, we've been goig around, and I am very grateful for my friends to take me around with their friends and family, I feel like I am not too secluded, which is an impression that I get when I look at most foreigners here, unfortunately.

The campus here is very very very pretty. Nothing Oxfordish like U of T, but rather the campus is located on a mountain! Literally! The best way to go from one point to another is to use series of staircases or elevators throughout buildings! The road is so steep and the campus so large that CUHK actually has a shuttle bus running throughout it! Isn't that nuts? But it's good, the panorama from the roof of the residence is stunning, with the Tolo Harbor and the mountains! I can't wait to go for a hike or a bike ride. Soon! So far I have been taking full advantage of the outdoors Olympic swimming pool and the yummy canteen next to it. I'm getting to tennis next week, I'm going to try to verify the hypothesis that states I'm really bad at tennis is Canada but rock at it elsewhere lol

My roomate on residence, Zhao Xin, is very very sweet! She did not come until 4 days into the program, and I was sincerely worrying I would not have a roomate! But she came! She's from Beijing (Pékin), she studies finance and she's very pretty and generous. She helps me with my Mandarin homework - which are killing me! - and I in turn help her with her English! ... I love languages

I have met some really nice people down here. I am convinced more than ever that the people make the trip, not the places! I have met some nice Honkies (no offense!) in my courses, and they have been super helpful in showing me the real student life here at CUHK (= instant noodles, lemon pie, and horlicks (a malted nutritional drink!)). This girl I met in Econ class is coming to Shenzhen (at the border of mainland China) with us later today, it's so good to have someone who can speak Cantonese! Thanks Vris! There is another guy in Econ class from Northern China, he is insanely smart, his name is Alex and he's very nice and helps me with my putonghua and introduced me to ''bamboo forest fighting music''. Xiexie Alex! I'll never forget them.

I met two really nice foreign students in the programme, their names are Mita and Mark. Mita is from Madagascar and she now lives in Paris, and we've been hanging out for bit. Mark is from Malaysia and we can talk about absolutely everything, it's lots of good time! Also, I met Maria, who's another girl from U of T, and she's also very nice. I seem to get along with people whose names start by M ah ah. Mita and I went to Macau together last week-end; Macau is a former Portuguese colony that has the same status as Hong Kong, that is, a ''Special Administrative Region'' of China. It was interesting, there are lots of casinos there and the government is getting over 50% of its revenues from gambling.

A word or two about courses now! I am officially taking three couses (the limit) and I am auditing another one. I am taking Economy of China, International Relations of the Asia-Pacific Region and Mainstream Chinese Philosophical Thoughts. And I sit in the Intermediary Mandarin class (which is everyday). I have put much more efforts in learning mandarin than in any other course (I have nightwares of complicated characters!), although they are, in general, very interesting. I learn a lot here, although I have really long days and when I'm all done, all I feel like is some good noodles and good conversations. But homework is starting to kick in and there are assignments and exams nearby, so I will get myself together soonish :0 Hopefully!

The University is bringing us on field trips in the week-ends when we want to. Last week-end, on the St-Jean-Baptiste day (Québec national day woooohoooo! I celebrated at the tea house rather than around the fire this year!), we went to a really cool contemporary art museum and to a temple, where we enjoyed some good vegetarian food! It was good, although this week-end, Mita, Mark and I are skipping the Ocean Park trip to go to Guilin, a city in the Guangxi province of China which is known throughout the country for its beautiful sceneries. I am told it's a backpackers' paradise. I just hope we can get the train ticket for the ride! 15 hours aiya!

So I am still not clear with any future plans (for when school ends as I still have 2 and a half weeks here in Asia), but I will write as soon as it gets together! Allright, that's it for today!