Semester in Hong Kong: October 2011

It's midterm time and I have been really busy and a little stressed out lately. At CMU, I would say that grades for most classes typically depend on more than just a midterm and final exam, but that's not the case at Lingnan. Almost all of my classes here are based only on presentation, midterm and final exam grades. On one hand, there is less work to do throughout the semester, but on the other hand midterm and final exam times are very stressful. Just last week I had a presentation, midterm, and paper to turn in, and next week I have two midterms and one group project to complete. I don't doubt that I am capable, but change is a little difficult to adjust to. Had I known it would be so different, I think I would've applied for the credit/no credit option as opposed to having the grades calculated into my G.P.A, just to be safe.

On the bright side, it's almost Halloween! There are decorations everywhere and it reminds me of home, except for that the weather is still suitable for the beach. I would not have expected people in Hong Kong to celebrate Halloween, but I am really looking forward to it.

Even though I have been working really hard these past few weeks, I have still been playing hard too. I really love Hong Kong!

Taking a break

Hiking above the skyscrapers of Hong Kong

Cool panoramic photo on the Wilson Trail

Sunset after a day at Gold Coast Beach, just 20 minutes from Lingnan University

Working hard on a group project :)

Japanese photo booth

Representing CMU at the Student Exchange Fair!

Surprise birthday party for Anna on a boat!

Floating

Trying my hand at bouldering!

Happy Valley horse races

Last weekend 6 friends and myself traveled to the Philippines! It was better then I could've imagined. We went to Puerto Galera, which is on an island just south of the main island. I think we took about every form of transportation that exists to get there, bus, train, plane, taxi, boat and last but not least tricycle. We stayed in Small La Laguna, just down the beach from Sabang, for the first 2 nights. We had 2 rooms connected by a porch over looking the ocean. We even had a kitchen! We don't have any way of cooking for ourselves in the dorms at Lingnan, so this was a treat. I will never forget the home cooked dinners and breakfasts we had together in the Philippines.

For our third night, we migrated to White Beach, just a short boat ride away. White beach is famous for it's big waves and it's a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. We got there fairly late in the day, went for a swim and got massages right on the beach for only 200 pesos (about 4 or 5 USD). That night we went out for Filipino food and dancing on the beach.

Being that we weren't staying in a resort, we really learned a lot about the Filipino people and their culture. They speak a language that is similar to Spanish, so I could pick up words here and there. Their English is also very good, even better than the general population's English in Hong Kong in my opinion. We became close with one local in particular, Miko, who was our tricycle driver the first day. He took us around all weekend, to Tamaraw Falls, scenic overlooks and lastly to a private beach. Now I'm not sure if it was a coincidence or not... but his entire family was having a barbecue at the same private beach. He invited us over and they welcomed us with open arms and food! I have to say this was probably my favorite part of the trip because it reminded me of my own family and our get togethers. They were so friendly and fun! Had we booked a package deal resort vacation ahead of time, we could've never had this experience.

On the ride back to the airport, we saw the effects of the recent devastating typhoon in the daylight. Near Manila and Clark many houses were half underwater, and people picking up the mess. It was very humbling for me, I felt too fortunate to be on my way to the airport while all of those people's homes were destroyed. The typhoon had not effected the south, where we stayed, at all.

All in all, this amazing vacation only cost about 250 USD! Yeah. I'll remember this trip for the rest of my life.