One More Week in Hong Kong

I'm probably at the 3 months, 3 weeks mark of my Hong Kong stay. Uhh! But I love it here! Because of my student Octopus card, I take the metro anywhere in the city for under a dollar. My favorite thing at the bakery is this little cheesy puff at Yakazaki bakery, which are 25 cents USD each. I can get a milk tea boba, 24 oz for 1.50USD. No tax when purchasing items. McDonald Value Meals are under 4 USD. The weather finally dried up, resembling more of LA. A wonderful 20 degrees Celsius here in the middle of December. Finished all my 24 hr. finals, group projects, research papers, oral exams, etc. Here, the toilet paper comes in three-ply; the States doesn't even have that. And, for my four months of cell phone use, I've paid about a total of 45 USD. What else does a person want out of life?

But... in a week I have to take a 12 hr. flight home to San Francisco, stay 8 days, and hop on a place of some length to go to London. Then, meet up with Christina, and possibly have to leave again only to reenter as a Student. Silly, immigration office, you're just making more work for yourself by not accepting me as a student in the first place. Like I would really stay there illegally when I'm a U.S. citizen. Discriminate against a national from a developing region. Come on, now.

And look, I've found a cup cakery in Hong Kong. And only a dollar each!

I'm calling this place home!

Location: Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR

Song Playing: One More Time with Feeling by Regina Spektor

One Month Mark in Hong Kong!

Welcome to the One-Month Mark!

I remember reaching that one month mark in Peru only to be left alone by my fellow volunteers at Cusco Airport a few days after. But, the funny thing I just realized is that I haven't celebrated a one-month mark in the States since July, nor will I until hmm... July of 2010. Does that earn me expat status?

Being in Hong Kong for a month has made me really appreciate weather I have always taken for granted. I have learned the feeling of upper-lip sweat, now understand the need for an umbrella (not that I practice that nor will I ever; I will just return home looking like burnt toast), have experienced the native ritual of standing in front of the air conditioner. Oh, how I miss the San Francisco fog, or even dry Los Angeles, 85 degree heat sounds attractive right about now. Other than the weather being worthy of complaining, the mosquitos. Oh, those darn things that makes my legs look dalmation-themed. I never heard one buzz across my ear, but I sure see the remnants of their gluttonous appetites. Enough with the complaining about my last month here, classes at Chinese University of Hong Kong has begun. Human Rights, Love in Indian Culture, Intermediate Mandarin, Korean Society; I mean business, yo! Taking classes Monday to Wednesday with Thursday and Friday means 'hello' East and Southeast Asia! One weekend in October for Seoul (aka Seoul-Trippin' in October) and another very long weekend in Bangkok (any play-on-words for Bangkok would just be inappropriate.)

To mark my time here in Hong Kong, or really having a base in Hong Kong for the rest of my Asian travels, I will purchase some cheap Moleskine replica and write down all the memorable Lost-in-Translation English I see here in Hong Kong, as well as Seoul and Bangkok.

Here's the breakdown of the price of food in Hong Kong:

1 USD = 7.75 (or 8) HKD

24 oz of Milk Tea Tapioca = 11HKD

Bowl of Won-Ton Noodle Soup = 16HKD

Student Fare of Train from University to Kowloon = About 5 HKD

Vanilla Bean Flavoured Beard Papa = 12 HKD

McDonalds Big N' Tasty Meal = 26 HKD



Beautiful. Call me king 'cause I sure eat like one.

Location: Shatin, Hong Kong SAR