Monday, June 29, 2009
Its an EPIDEMIC of SEVERE PROPORTION
Well despite the awful weather and swine flu epidemic (someone in my dorm has been diagnosed with it so there are currently warnings/face masks everywhere) life in Hong Kong is going rather well! Thursday night we went up to Victoria Peak via cable car and enjoyed gorgeous night views of the habour and skyline. Friday my alumni mentor (who is a bigwig at a Hutchinson shipping company) invited us all to her luxury apartment for dinner and to practice the Columbia fight song for Saturday night’s Black Tie Ivy League Ball. It was at the Grand Hyatt and quite grand, with a four course dinner, fusion dance performances, a live band, and an exciting cheer competition that Columbia won of course. I also have never witnessed so much pretension in one (ball)room…but I guess that is to be expected!
As it was a rainy weekend, I did not do too much exploring, but we did go to a funny Indian/Swiss movie “Tandoori Love” as part of the Asian film festival last night and find really good Mexican food afterwards. If I needed evidence of globalization, I found it through a delicious steak burrito in the middle of Hong Kong.
Work is going well…we have a holiday for the “Handover Day” on Wednesday. CNN doesn’t actually recognize the public holidays here (there are tons of them) but I managed to wrangle myself a half day off. There is going to be a joint celebration of handover (from Brits to Chinese) and protest of the new Chinese censorship laws. Should be pretty interesting. Maybe I’ll join a picket line somewhere and put my rebellious Ivy League education to some good use.
As it was a rainy weekend, I did not do too much exploring, but we did go to a funny Indian/Swiss movie “Tandoori Love” as part of the Asian film festival last night and find really good Mexican food afterwards. If I needed evidence of globalization, I found it through a delicious steak burrito in the middle of Hong Kong.
Work is going well…we have a holiday for the “Handover Day” on Wednesday. CNN doesn’t actually recognize the public holidays here (there are tons of them) but I managed to wrangle myself a half day off. There is going to be a joint celebration of handover (from Brits to Chinese) and protest of the new Chinese censorship laws. Should be pretty interesting. Maybe I’ll join a picket line somewhere and put my rebellious Ivy League education to some good use.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
I don't know why Asian horse jockeys
surprised me, but they did. Went to the last horse races of the season last evening at Happy Valley Racetrack. It was an experience...screaming expats in work attire, old Chinese men with full pitchers of San Miguel, and a huge racecourse with a backdrop of skyscrapers. I didn't bet, but my roommate won 150 HKD. Beginner's luck, we were told.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Escaping the city
View of the boat parking lot
Where we docked for swimming
Im on a boat!
The lovely beach at sunset
View from the restaurant where we had lunch
Delicious dumplingsss
PIRATE SHIP in the HK harbor
Monday, June 22, 2009
IM ON A BOAT...
This week at work went by super quickly! Wednesday we had a great dinner with our CEO liason from Columbia who was in town, and then Thursday there was a fun reception at a lounge with a bunch of Columbia alum from Hong Kong. We also found a really lively street in Kowloon with lots of busy restaurants and bars and went to an interesting African live music venue (?) with some people from work. Who knew they had a thing for Bob Marley even in Hong Kong…
Friday night I accompanied my friend Hilary to the opening of a new lounge in downtown Central, and then met up with some friends at an ICE bar (it was cold but actually made out of plastic? Very confusing!) Saturday we decided to go searching for an outback steakhouse…which took approximately 2.5 hours to find…and then after a (great) cheeseburger decided to call it an early night
Sunday (Happy father’s day!) may have been one of the best days of my entire 21 years of life. No joke. One of the girls from school who lives in Hong Kong took us all out on her father’s yacht for the day and we sailed through the harbor and out to the outer islands outside of Hong Kong. The views were mainly of huge rocky cliffs and beautiful beaches and looked like something straight out of the tv show LOST. I expected clouds of black smoke and the “others” to appear at any minute! We stopped for lunch at her father’s club house and had a delicious meal of dim sum, noodles, duck, and other Chinese delicacies and then sailed on to a really nice beach where a smaller rubber boat took us to shore for a couple hours. The water was really clear, although warm and probably not that clean since there were typhoons a couple days ago, and we did some nice walks over the cliffs and to a freshwater creek nearby. The sun was quite strong, but as soon as it became evening and the breezes picked up it was truly paradise. The ride back at high speed over the bumpy waters was more terrifying than any roller coaster, but I managed to not throw up or fall overboard! We then were treated to another great meal of “Shanghai-nese” food...it was quite spicy and I by mistake ate a huge pepper and then burned my mouth gulping down tea afterwards. Very classy. For summer solstice last night they dimmed all the lights of the buildings on the harbor and set up telescopes for stargazing, but it was too cloudy and smogy to really see much of anything. Cool idea though! The skyline looks quite different without all of the multi-colored lights.
Pictures to follow!
Friday night I accompanied my friend Hilary to the opening of a new lounge in downtown Central, and then met up with some friends at an ICE bar (it was cold but actually made out of plastic? Very confusing!) Saturday we decided to go searching for an outback steakhouse…which took approximately 2.5 hours to find…and then after a (great) cheeseburger decided to call it an early night
Sunday (Happy father’s day!) may have been one of the best days of my entire 21 years of life. No joke. One of the girls from school who lives in Hong Kong took us all out on her father’s yacht for the day and we sailed through the harbor and out to the outer islands outside of Hong Kong. The views were mainly of huge rocky cliffs and beautiful beaches and looked like something straight out of the tv show LOST. I expected clouds of black smoke and the “others” to appear at any minute! We stopped for lunch at her father’s club house and had a delicious meal of dim sum, noodles, duck, and other Chinese delicacies and then sailed on to a really nice beach where a smaller rubber boat took us to shore for a couple hours. The water was really clear, although warm and probably not that clean since there were typhoons a couple days ago, and we did some nice walks over the cliffs and to a freshwater creek nearby. The sun was quite strong, but as soon as it became evening and the breezes picked up it was truly paradise. The ride back at high speed over the bumpy waters was more terrifying than any roller coaster, but I managed to not throw up or fall overboard! We then were treated to another great meal of “Shanghai-nese” food...it was quite spicy and I by mistake ate a huge pepper and then burned my mouth gulping down tea afterwards. Very classy. For summer solstice last night they dimmed all the lights of the buildings on the harbor and set up telescopes for stargazing, but it was too cloudy and smogy to really see much of anything. Cool idea though! The skyline looks quite different without all of the multi-colored lights.
Pictures to follow!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Views of Hong Kong
Night in Central Hong Kong
View of the harbor from the Star Ferry
View from my room!
View from Lili and Jay's apartment in Repulse Bay
Again
Monday, June 15, 2009
No, I have not tried Shark Fin Soup
Well after my first weekend in Hong Kong, I can say that I am truly beginning to appreciate the unique mixture of malls, beaches, mountains, and temples that this island packs in to a relatively small space. Unfortunately, mosquitoes also seem to appreciate it—my entire body is covered in the evidence of their love bites (despite the 3948 layers of bug spray I apply several times a day) and I expect to begin to look like a one giant bug bite by the end of the summer.
Friday night we enjoyed a great dinner in Kowloon near my dorms—a little tricky since the entire menu was in Cantonese with no pictures or English translations. Picking a random entrée worked out well this time, although that may not always be a reliable method in the future. Then headed to Central Hong Kong Island via the Star Ferry (cheapest ferry in the world..about 25 cents for a single ride) in order to enjoy the harbor and skyline at night. We went to this district called Lang Fei Wang which was teeming with students, tourists, and expats enjoying imaginatively themed bars and lounges. It was crowded and colorful, but not that different from the nightlife in any other city…felt remarkably similar to Barcelona, Bombay, or Budapest.
Saturday we took a twenty minute train ride to the new territories north of Kowloon and climbed a mountain to reach a Buddhist monastery complex called “monastery of 10,000 buddhas” (there are actually 12,800). It was nice to escape some of the city noise and smog, and the mountain views were quite serene and beautiful. Tried to count the buddhas, gave up around number 500. Received approximately 12,800 bug bites as well. That evening my roommate Emile and I were invited from some friends I met in Prague to a very exclusive, members’ only lounge called m1nt (not a typo, just some sort of creative play on words?). One wall was actually a shark tank….I don’t think additional description is required.
Sunday we had dim sum for Sunday brunch (I tried jelly fish…it was pretty gross) and then walked around the malls and street markets of the Mong Kok area (where all three of the recent acid attacks have occurred). I haven’t really enjoyed going to the mall since my days as a middle school brat, but it is a cultural staple of Hong Kong where the air-conditioning and modern amenities offer relief from the hot and crowded streets. A mall by my house offers 11 levels of high-end shopping, at least 50 dining options, a move theater, grocery store, bowling alley, and even a ice-skating rink. People here seem to use malls as a one-stop for entertainment, shopping, exercise, and socializing. I think I will learn to appreciate “malling” again over the next few months. The street markets (which include a jade market, bird market, “ladies” market, etc.) are especially smelly, hot, and claustrophobic compared to the cool calm of the high-rise malls, but the bargaining was fun. I learned not to ask for prices or look too hard at anything after having to run away from pushy shopgirls afterwards—an indicative conversation went as follows:
Me: “excuse me, how much is this purse/cell phone cover/tacky watch?”
Shopgirl: “150 dollar”
Me: “No, thanks, that’s too much”
Shopgirl: “Okay, 100 dollar”
Me: (not really interested anyway) “No, sorry, thanks” (starts to walk away)
Shopgirl (chasing me down the street): “Okay okay for you, very special price, 50 dollar. No? 25 dollar? 20 dollar? 10 dollar? Come back, come back, how much you pay?”
Me: *Runs away*
Shopgirl: *Pursues me for about 5 minutes before giving up with a disgusted look*
Figured out the picture thing, so look for some later today!
Friday night we enjoyed a great dinner in Kowloon near my dorms—a little tricky since the entire menu was in Cantonese with no pictures or English translations. Picking a random entrée worked out well this time, although that may not always be a reliable method in the future. Then headed to Central Hong Kong Island via the Star Ferry (cheapest ferry in the world..about 25 cents for a single ride) in order to enjoy the harbor and skyline at night. We went to this district called Lang Fei Wang which was teeming with students, tourists, and expats enjoying imaginatively themed bars and lounges. It was crowded and colorful, but not that different from the nightlife in any other city…felt remarkably similar to Barcelona, Bombay, or Budapest.
Saturday we took a twenty minute train ride to the new territories north of Kowloon and climbed a mountain to reach a Buddhist monastery complex called “monastery of 10,000 buddhas” (there are actually 12,800). It was nice to escape some of the city noise and smog, and the mountain views were quite serene and beautiful. Tried to count the buddhas, gave up around number 500. Received approximately 12,800 bug bites as well. That evening my roommate Emile and I were invited from some friends I met in Prague to a very exclusive, members’ only lounge called m1nt (not a typo, just some sort of creative play on words?). One wall was actually a shark tank….I don’t think additional description is required.
Sunday we had dim sum for Sunday brunch (I tried jelly fish…it was pretty gross) and then walked around the malls and street markets of the Mong Kok area (where all three of the recent acid attacks have occurred). I haven’t really enjoyed going to the mall since my days as a middle school brat, but it is a cultural staple of Hong Kong where the air-conditioning and modern amenities offer relief from the hot and crowded streets. A mall by my house offers 11 levels of high-end shopping, at least 50 dining options, a move theater, grocery store, bowling alley, and even a ice-skating rink. People here seem to use malls as a one-stop for entertainment, shopping, exercise, and socializing. I think I will learn to appreciate “malling” again over the next few months. The street markets (which include a jade market, bird market, “ladies” market, etc.) are especially smelly, hot, and claustrophobic compared to the cool calm of the high-rise malls, but the bargaining was fun. I learned not to ask for prices or look too hard at anything after having to run away from pushy shopgirls afterwards—an indicative conversation went as follows:
Me: “excuse me, how much is this purse/cell phone cover/tacky watch?”
Shopgirl: “150 dollar”
Me: “No, thanks, that’s too much”
Shopgirl: “Okay, 100 dollar”
Me: (not really interested anyway) “No, sorry, thanks” (starts to walk away)
Shopgirl (chasing me down the street): “Okay okay for you, very special price, 50 dollar. No? 25 dollar? 20 dollar? 10 dollar? Come back, come back, how much you pay?”
Me: *Runs away*
Shopgirl: *Pursues me for about 5 minutes before giving up with a disgusted look*
Figured out the picture thing, so look for some later today!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Swine Flu, Typhoons, and Noodle Soup
I am writing this from work, which may or may not be allowed...I never did quite finish reading through the fifty-page packet of Turner Broadcasting Rules and Regulations. In my defense, it was also double-sided and in 10 pt. font.
I, along with the rest of the Columbia students in the Columbia Experiences Overseas (conveniently acronymed CEO in a prediction of our certain future titles) have moved into our housing in the NTT International House of Hong Kong Baptist University at 32 Renfrew Road in Kowloon Tong on Kowloon Tong Island, Hong Kong. Quite a long address, but you should send me mail/cookies anyways. The housing is less dorm-like or apartment-like and more like a low-budget hotel. We have (almost) the entire floor, and the rooms come with identical double beds, maid service (yay for fresh towels daily!), tiny showers, and "tea-making facilities"...also known as a hot water heater. We also have refridgerators and color TVs, with CNN (represent) being the only English channel. My view from the 11th story is dingy by day, but a beautiful city panoroma at night. Looking at the colorful, brilliant lights of the city skyline it is easy to see where Hong Kong's huge pollution and environmental problems may begin. But at least I have a cool view. Still trying to figure out how to upload pictures.
So far I haven't done much but commute to and from work, run around the office, try to find food, and get lost between my dorm and the subway station. My office is in an area called Quarry Bay which is a megaplex of offices on the north end of Hong Kong Island. I live in a quieter residential area on Kowloon so theoretically I could take a ferry to work, although so far I'm still trying to figure out the subway systems. My one experience in a taxi was a bit hilarious: I had my destination written in Cantonese on a post-it which the guy seemed to understand fine and we took off, no problem. However, he five minutes later started trying to have an urgent conversation with me, the only words of which i understood was "mother," "go now," and "okay." I somehow took this to mean we were picking up his mother on the way to my destination. I soon realized this was probably not the case when he started pulling up to other taxis and trying it pawn me off on them, eventually just depositing me and all my bags on a random side street in Central Hong Kong.. Seems his mother was more important than my taxi fare.
Today i also spent some time at the Mandarin Oriental (even more politically incorrect given the location) with my boss, interviewing the "Chinese equivalent to Oprah" who has currently sold 10 million copies of her book on pop-Confucianism. My favorite part (and the only part I can actually mention until the article comes out) is when her assistant asked me if I wanted my water cold, warm, or hot. Yes, boiling water is apparantly a common beverage choice. Go figure.
So far I am not a huge fan of this city--too hot and humid, I ruined my favorite shoes in the rain, and common menu items include "cheese pig knuckles" and "cottlefish balls." I had McDonalds today for the first time since Happy Meals came with Hot Wheels. I think we will do some sightseeing and hiking this weekend though, and hopefully the island and its people will begin to grow on me!
I, along with the rest of the Columbia students in the Columbia Experiences Overseas (conveniently acronymed CEO in a prediction of our certain future titles) have moved into our housing in the NTT International House of Hong Kong Baptist University at 32 Renfrew Road in Kowloon Tong on Kowloon Tong Island, Hong Kong. Quite a long address, but you should send me mail/cookies anyways. The housing is less dorm-like or apartment-like and more like a low-budget hotel. We have (almost) the entire floor, and the rooms come with identical double beds, maid service (yay for fresh towels daily!), tiny showers, and "tea-making facilities"...also known as a hot water heater. We also have refridgerators and color TVs, with CNN (represent) being the only English channel. My view from the 11th story is dingy by day, but a beautiful city panoroma at night. Looking at the colorful, brilliant lights of the city skyline it is easy to see where Hong Kong's huge pollution and environmental problems may begin. But at least I have a cool view. Still trying to figure out how to upload pictures.
So far I haven't done much but commute to and from work, run around the office, try to find food, and get lost between my dorm and the subway station. My office is in an area called Quarry Bay which is a megaplex of offices on the north end of Hong Kong Island. I live in a quieter residential area on Kowloon so theoretically I could take a ferry to work, although so far I'm still trying to figure out the subway systems. My one experience in a taxi was a bit hilarious: I had my destination written in Cantonese on a post-it which the guy seemed to understand fine and we took off, no problem. However, he five minutes later started trying to have an urgent conversation with me, the only words of which i understood was "mother," "go now," and "okay." I somehow took this to mean we were picking up his mother on the way to my destination. I soon realized this was probably not the case when he started pulling up to other taxis and trying it pawn me off on them, eventually just depositing me and all my bags on a random side street in Central Hong Kong.. Seems his mother was more important than my taxi fare.
Today i also spent some time at the Mandarin Oriental (even more politically incorrect given the location) with my boss, interviewing the "Chinese equivalent to Oprah" who has currently sold 10 million copies of her book on pop-Confucianism. My favorite part (and the only part I can actually mention until the article comes out) is when her assistant asked me if I wanted my water cold, warm, or hot. Yes, boiling water is apparantly a common beverage choice. Go figure.
So far I am not a huge fan of this city--too hot and humid, I ruined my favorite shoes in the rain, and common menu items include "cheese pig knuckles" and "cottlefish balls." I had McDonalds today for the first time since Happy Meals came with Hot Wheels. I think we will do some sightseeing and hiking this weekend though, and hopefully the island and its people will begin to grow on me!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
One more thing...
To my family and extended/adopted family members who felt the need to complain when I sort of dropped the ball on updating the blog this semester, if you don't comment once in awhile I don't know that you are reading and then get unmotivated. So motivate me!
That is all.
PS. Another observation: they eat too much twice-cooked pork here. Including in their egg mcmuffins.
That is all.
PS. Another observation: they eat too much twice-cooked pork here. Including in their egg mcmuffins.
Around the world and back again
Well I am no longer in Eastern Europe! After a great week in Prague with the parents, and a couple days in Prague and Budapest with Kanchi Mausi and Yogita Mausi (some tales of which are not suitable for the readers of this blog...just kidding...) I packed up, said some tearful goodbyes, and headed back to good ole Georgia. Stayed just long enough to witness Shilp's graduation celebrations (congrats little sis!) and drink some sweet tea, and then went to New York to catch up with friends and take care of some business at school. Now, after a 29 hour journey (including a nine-hour nap in the Starbucks at Heathrow) I am in Hong Kong, China where humidity levels are currently at about 250%.
Hong Kong is a world away from Europe, and in my jet-lagged and culture shock-ed state I am having trouble even taking it all in. So far my initial impressions are of crowded shopping centers, huge skyskrapers, and breathtaking views of cliffs and the bay. I am staying in Repulse Bay with friends of Tilak Mama and they have the most gorgeous view from the gigantic windows in their high rise apartment...I will try to put up some pictures once i figure out my new Netbook computer.
Today was my first day at CNN International and it was exciting although a little anti-climatic. I expected reporters and anchors running around and lots of fast-talking and instantaneous "breaking news," but the truth is a little less glamorous. The office buildings are in Quarry Bay, where Time Warner owns 20 floors of a beautiful complex with more amazing views of the city skyline and great modern art and architecture. The newsroom is vast (although not as big at Atlanta's) and the reporters, cameramen, anchors, and TV and website producers are a truly international representation. I signed a contract today saying i wouldn't share any information about CNN on personal blogs, so I think i will stop there with my descriptions. The internship seems pretty exciting though, and I should be doing a good mix of research, writing, editing, video and audio feature production, and traveling with the newsteam and field reporters. I also get to produce my own special project over the next two months. Suggestions for topics are welcome! Found some great little local eatery for lunch with huge bowls of soup and noodles for dirt cheap. Hong Kong isn't turning out to be as expensive as I thought, thank goodness.
To Do List:
Find a hair straightener, pronto. Alternative: shave my head.
Learn some Cantonese
Figure out the transportation system after getting lost 2309482 times today
Track down decent coffee (the Chinese sure do like their tea)
Funny story: At lunch today they put milk in my green tea before serving it to me, with sugar on the side. According to my lonely planet guidebook the Chinese never drink milk in their tea so I can only guess they expected me as a foreigner/ethnically Indian to not know how to drink tea properly. The guy also chased me about four blocks after I "overpaid" for lunch by about $10 HKD (less than a 10% tip)
Tomorrow the rest of the Columbia students interning in Hong Kong this summer for various publications, research institutes, museums, and finance firms will arrive and we all move into housing at Hong Kong Baptist University. Still trying to figure out how I'm going to lug my stuff across two islands and the bay. Wish me luck!
Hong Kong is a world away from Europe, and in my jet-lagged and culture shock-ed state I am having trouble even taking it all in. So far my initial impressions are of crowded shopping centers, huge skyskrapers, and breathtaking views of cliffs and the bay. I am staying in Repulse Bay with friends of Tilak Mama and they have the most gorgeous view from the gigantic windows in their high rise apartment...I will try to put up some pictures once i figure out my new Netbook computer.
Today was my first day at CNN International and it was exciting although a little anti-climatic. I expected reporters and anchors running around and lots of fast-talking and instantaneous "breaking news," but the truth is a little less glamorous. The office buildings are in Quarry Bay, where Time Warner owns 20 floors of a beautiful complex with more amazing views of the city skyline and great modern art and architecture. The newsroom is vast (although not as big at Atlanta's) and the reporters, cameramen, anchors, and TV and website producers are a truly international representation. I signed a contract today saying i wouldn't share any information about CNN on personal blogs, so I think i will stop there with my descriptions. The internship seems pretty exciting though, and I should be doing a good mix of research, writing, editing, video and audio feature production, and traveling with the newsteam and field reporters. I also get to produce my own special project over the next two months. Suggestions for topics are welcome! Found some great little local eatery for lunch with huge bowls of soup and noodles for dirt cheap. Hong Kong isn't turning out to be as expensive as I thought, thank goodness.
To Do List:
Find a hair straightener, pronto. Alternative: shave my head.
Learn some Cantonese
Figure out the transportation system after getting lost 2309482 times today
Track down decent coffee (the Chinese sure do like their tea)
Funny story: At lunch today they put milk in my green tea before serving it to me, with sugar on the side. According to my lonely planet guidebook the Chinese never drink milk in their tea so I can only guess they expected me as a foreigner/ethnically Indian to not know how to drink tea properly. The guy also chased me about four blocks after I "overpaid" for lunch by about $10 HKD (less than a 10% tip)
Tomorrow the rest of the Columbia students interning in Hong Kong this summer for various publications, research institutes, museums, and finance firms will arrive and we all move into housing at Hong Kong Baptist University. Still trying to figure out how I'm going to lug my stuff across two islands and the bay. Wish me luck!
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