Hong Kong is wonderful. My daily routine has been firmly established. For example, today, I woke at 10 and moved slowly into our hotel bathroom, much to the chagrin of our floor maid who was unusually eager to clean the bathroom today. I had three classes today, from 2-4, 4-6 and 6:30-8:30. I had quizzes in two of them, Chinese and Money & Banking, so I spent much of the morning logically watching old clips of the Olympics. I mean when you have quizzes, YouTube and Wikipedia truly are the anti-homework. I’m waiting for the IOC to decide the 2016 host. My lunch of an apple and peanut butter & crackers was not unusual, but tasty nonetheless. Crunchy peanut butter feels like home. It takes us about a half hour to get from room door to classroom door, but I like to leave a few minutes early to go down to the classroom by myself so I can rock out to music on the way. I like Asian people looking at me when I’m listening to my music.
I broke down today after reading my friend Kate’s blog. She’s in Tanzania and really desires a true fall. I mean I wasn’t crying. I just wanted to wear a hoodie and jeans for Christ’s sake. I really desire a true winter…like now. So I listened to two Christmas songs on the way to class: I Listen to the Bells (Luther Vandross) and It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Andy Williams). After I had my fix, I left the Kowloon Tong station and headed into Festival Walk, the mall that serves as our meet and greet once leaving the metro. Honest to God, every MTR exit is to a mall. Our classrooms are located in either (Nope, not the school) the Hong Kong Productivity Council or the Jockey Club Environmental Buildings. Such beacons of education.
My lessons today were a mix of horrible and fascinating. My Chinese quiz was a joke. Ditto for Money & Banking. I did spend 2 hours learning about the Silk Road, which is a surprisingly awesome subject. I want to learn about it more, but alas, I went back to Yau Ma Tei and Nathan Road where we live. The same man in a wheelchair was begging for money, except he was motionless and was just holding a hat whilst sleeping, like always. The street was crowded. Not unusal. The aromas from my favorite Vietnamese restaurant were calling me. I eventually ate there for dinner. I love Sri Racha. I spend most nights in various peoples rooms, avoiding the work that I don’t really need to do. I think we students take our classes more seriously than our professors.
A M&B Quiz Question:
A bank is an example of an
A) Financial Instrument
B) A Coffee House
C) A Financial Institution
D) An Insurance Company
I almost put B, but realized sarcasm doesn’t translate well on tests. Tonight I was at any one point laughing about accents with Mango and PomPom, playing Sporcle with Marshall and Kim or begging for dinner company with Alice and Billy. Either way, I’ve decided that while I won’t be long term friends with many of these people, I just like people, so I’d rather spend time getting to know them than wandering the streets alone. Solitary tourism can suck it…until I go to Vietnam.
I would have picked B, just because it involves caffeine. Hang in there Baby, you are halfway there. I will make sure there is snow when you get home and you can Christmas Music for as long as you want.
Evannnn! Can that quiz be my midterm/final for all of my classes? I might actually do well on cumulative exams in that case…I miss you but am glad Hong Kong is treating you well. Listen to “Carol of the Bells” it’s so creepy and wonderful and christmas-y.