I know that I haven't updated in a couple of days, and I feel a little bad about that. When I called my mom today she said that people have been asking her why I haven't, and its simply because I've been so busy that I haven't had the time to sit down and organize all my thoughts. I've managed to upload the pictures I've taken, and I am also working on organizing them. Life is fast-paced here and if you slow down for one second, you will be left behind. I will try to be a little bit better about updating from now on. Sorry everyone!
It is now the year of the dog, (which is good for Bertie and Tucker), and it looks like it is going to be a pretty good year. First of all, let me start of by saying that Chinese New Year is now my new favorite holiday. You get a week off from school/work to celebrate, spend tons of time with family, and eat tons of good food. All the married couples and older people also give young single people lai see, which is the red paper pocket with money inside. There is also a parade, and the fireworks that the Hong Kong government spent 2 million dollars on. I also went to a few local students homes for dinner, and that was also a wonderful experience.
After looking at where I left off, I should talk about the dinner I had the night I went to Victoria Harbor. Megan and I went out with her rommate Jess, Karen, and Phoebe. Phoebe is leaving for the states soon, so she wanted to take a lot of pictures of Hong Kong to show to prove where she lives. We decided that we had to be real touristy that night and go see the ligh show in the harbor. Every night at 8pm, along the famous Hong Kong skyline, there is a light and laser show put on by all the big companies who own the buildings. I got some great shots of the skyline and with us girls infront of it. The show lasted about 20 minutes, and it was pretty cool. It was a little bit like watching electronic fireworks. The I.M. Pei building always looks fascinating to me. (Its the triangular building with white lights) Its holds one of the biggest banks in all of Hong Kong. So after the light show, we made our way over to the shopping center where we took some other really cute photos with the New Years decorations. Jess and Karen took us to a Shanghainese restaurant called the Jade Crystal Garden. To date, it is the best meal I have had here. I can't even think about it without getting hungry. Soup dumplings are now my favorite food. I can't wait to go back there! I tried this peanut noodle dish that was so spicy I started crying. Megan told me that I was still pink in the face about an hour after dinner. After dinner we walked around Harbor City for awhile, mostly window shopping (Because none of us can afford Louis Vuitton). It was a good night.
Friday morning was my breakfast with the president of Lingnan, and my last class of the week. I was a little embarassed because breakfast was scheduled for 8-9am, and I had to leave halfway through for my 8:30am class. The president of Lingnan is quite famous in Hong Kong as an economist. All the students I have talked to have nothing but nice things to say about him. He is retiring next year though. The president is a very funny and knowledgable man. I hope that I will get another chance to have a full meal with him. So because of my early breakfast with the president, I had to go to my Methodologies in Cultural Research all decked out in my suit and heels. And I thought I got weird looks for just being an American. Now I was a dressed up American at 8:30 in the morning. The good news is that people at least sat next to me in this class. I just hate having class that early. My professor has a weird accent too, and I have yet to place it. Would it be wrong to ask him where he is from? Once class was let out, I just had to go back to my room and catch a quick nap. Terrance had a afternoon class, and as soon as she got done with class she took me out to Mongkok where she lives. I was introduced to her mother, who runs a booth in the ladies market, and the neighborhood that she lives in. Terrance and I then went and got a light dinner at a spicy noodle place. Apparently I hadn't learned my lesson with spicy foods, because I thought it would be a good idea to have more. In this restaurant, there are 4 levels of spiciness that you can order and I was brave enough to try level 2. I immediatly started crying, turning pink, and my nose was running. Terrance got a good laugh out of it as I was coughing for 5 minutes straight. I took the soup home with me but I have yet been brave enough to try it again. After our short dinner, Terrance took me to the Flower Market in Mongkok, which I have been dying to go to. You could smell the flowers from 3 blocks away. I love being in the flower markets, being surrounded by fresh flowers everywhere. Terrance also took me to one of the New Year Fair's that has a huge market for students. A lot of university students get booths and sell fun products, like the pillow set that looks like mah jhong tiles that Terrance is selling. I found some yarn and knitting needles there that I really love. We walked around the market and then Terrance showed me home. Sadly, she had to go back to work until 3am that morning.
I just have to take a second and talk about how wonderful my roommate is. Terrance has been so kind and welcoming to me. She hasn't been around as much as she would have liked to be, and she told me how bad she felt about that. I was really flattered that she has already taken me to meet her mother. Terrance also was telling me how much she wants to take me around and show me all her favorite spots in Hong Kong. I'm knitting her a scarf right now to show her how fabulous she is. I think that living with her is going to work out wonderfully.
As of right now, it is about 3am. I want to continue on and talk about my New Year's experiences, but I need to get some sleep. I don't have any plans for tomorrow, so I might have a little more time to update again. Something will popup though, I know it.
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