Long story short: Hong Kong is absolutely incredible. I am in love with this city and all that comes with it!
First things first, that plane was
rough. I had heard rumors about how
long the plane ride would be, but 15 hours of leg cramping and the constant anticipation of arriving was hard to sit through. Plus, the food was interesting- we had cups of noodles instead of peanuts and breakfast consisted of what I would consider a Chinese omelet (if there is such a thing). As long as the flight was, the entertainment selection was awesome (86 movies, 500 tv show, and like 800 songs cds). With the combination of movies and sleep, I wasn't bored much.
The adventure really started at 07:37 when I arrived at Hong Kong International. My friend Matt met me at the airport and he helped me get to the hotel. I have since learned that the transportation system here is incredibly efficient, but at the time I was in a blur amazed by the masses of people that were moving about from one train line to the next.
*Anytime they do construction here they use bamboo as scaffolding...
With a stop at Starbucks and a quick walk in the city, we headed off to Stanley (a train ride and a beautiful bus ride through the hills). It is a small town that used to be a popular fishing town and is known for it's markets and relaxing atmosphere. Stanley reminded me a lot of a Mediterranean city (well what I have seen from pictures) because of the colors and boats in the bay. Despite the beauty of the town, the humidity here is unbelievably distracting, sticky, and kinda gross. Therefore, we stopped at one of the restaurants on the main stretch of the road to cool down before hitting the markets. I highly recommend visiting here if you have the chance to make it here!
Throughout Stanley, there were little temples scattered in the town. They were painted with lots of red colors, guarded by dragons, had incense constantly burning, and had kneeling pillow for people to pray. It really shows how much pride the locals here have in their traditions, faith, and customs.
We made it back to the hotel, went for the swim, and passed out by 20:00 (8:00pm).
Day 2, 3, & 4: The Dream Careers Program Starts!!
Matt, Melissa, and I headed to the City University of Hong Kong to check-in for the next two months. It had been a while since I have been in the dorms, but part of me misses the social atmosphere. However I do not miss the small little space they call a room. Oh well, it is going to be a great 8 weeks! The people in the program are incredible... I thought that most people would be from America, but actually out of the 58 of us only about 20 are from the US. For starters, my roommate is from Paris, France and then there are others from Sweden, Canada, Jamaica, Haiti, Mainland China, Thailand, Mexico and more.... After moving in and a short orientation, we had a blast spending time in Lan Kwai Fong which is the world-famous club district in downtown Hong Kong. It was a great time to bond with new friends and experience the culture.
The next day we had our official orientation to the program and heard about all the events to come this summer! Tuesdays are Tasty Tuesday and we are going to try a new restaurant in town each week. And throughout the Summer we're going to: visit Victoria's Peak, spend a weekend in Macau, tour Hong Kong, visit Lantau Island, and so much more. There is so much to look forward to this summer!!
That afternoon we went on a "practice run" to our work, I am working with Ross who is also from the UofA and we will be doing a marketing internship at Intuitive Automata which is located in the prominent Science and Technology Park in the New Territories north of Hong Kong. Many start up companies have offices there because of the amenities for innovative and technological advancement.
*I can't take credit for these pictures, but here is the link for the park's website: http://www.hkstp.org!
We officially start the internship tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, and I cannot wait! I am anticipating that it will be a great experience because the company is relatively new and there are a lot of creative and advanced ideas being used for the company! I added a tab to this blog called "Intuitive Automata Internship" where I will be reporting the concepts I am learning and doing over the next couple weeks!!
Then we met up with some friends at a diner back in Lan Kwai Fong to have some long awaited American food :).
Today, we spend the day doing errands, eating lunch overlooking the ocean, and exploring the city. Now we are all just catching up on all we missed on the internet. It is amazing how dependent our generation has become on the internet and we are really lost without it. For example, I just found out about 3 hours ago that the Mavs won the NBA championship!!! And it doesn't help that the phones we are all using are from about 1999 and we have to readjust to texting on a normal keypad and no camera phones!! I'm sure many people are rolling their eyes, but watching our group go back to "a regular, low-tech" phone is almost sad. Butttt every moment has been an adventure and every step has been a refreshing learning experience. It is great to step away from the internet, away from the constant buzzing of the phone, and from the daily worries and really get the chance to explore and find the amazing things about this world that we wont find on a computer screen.
I love you all and miss you! I can't wait to keep you posted on the adventures to come!!!
♥
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