That Was A Long Week

So I finished finals yesterday. Thank God.

After my last final, I went with Eric, Alberto (from Brazil, goes to Northeastern), and Lorenzo to the Ladies Market in Mong Kok. I picked up some stuff for Christmas presents and some stuff for myself.

We then met Josh and a couple other at a Korean barbecue dinner. It was quite good. I was very tired, so I didn't want to go out afterwards. Most of us went back to campus, and then we went over to the uni-bar for a couple night caps.

Today, I woke up and went to see Avatar with the same guys from last night (Gunter also joined us). It was really good. I highly recommend it. See it in 3-D.

I'm really tired now. I want to take a nap. Perhaps I'll do that, then some laundry, then some packing. I'm back in Chicago in two days. It's crazy.

Finals

I have been in the library every day from 9:30am-11:00pm, at least since last Saturday. I'm there now. I finished my final in Operations Management at 7:45, then I went to dinner with some friends - just on campus, though, as I needed to get back here. Because of the amount of time I've been spending in the library, it's been pretty dull. Basically, I leave to sleep or eat. That's it.

In happier news, I finish my finals in six days. I come home in nine. That's what I'm looking forward to right now...

Last Day of Classes

So today was the last day of classes for the semester. Yeah. Now only four finals and a couple papers away from Chicago...

Before that, however, we need a recap on the weekend.

Thursday night was a lot of fun. We went to this party on-campus beforehand and had a few beers. Everyone was having a good time, but then they ran out of beer and ended the party. This was actually a good thing, however, as we were just about to leave for the show in Wan Chai. So we made our way over there, and we made it just in time to hear the entire set. It was good. My friend Eric rapped with them for one song. He did a good job.

Friday, I didn't do too much. I worked out and worked on some homework.

I spent all of Saturday in the library working on my paper. (Literally, 10am-8pm. A great day)

Sunday, I got to the library again at 10 and further worked on my paper. I watched the movie again to get some more ideas. I just have another page, which I am finishing now.

Last night, the British kids with whom we hang around planned a "Sunday Roast" dinner for all of us. So we made our way to Central to have dinner at the Yorkshire Pudding restaurant. I had roast beef, roasted potatoes, vegetables, and two little Yorkshire puddings (which I expected to be something like a white pudding - a sausage - but it was like a little puff pastry. Tasty nonetheless). Then I also got some dessert, a sticky toffee pudding (a slice of pie, basically). Both my dinner and dessert were delicious. I was very pleased to have such a nice feed on a Sunday.

After dinner we walked over to the IFC building (the one in the Dark Knight movie) as we heard that there was some public areas atop it which offered some incredible views. Unfortunately, that part wasn't open, but a sitting area on the fourth floor was. It was very nice. After that, we took the Star Ferry across to TST in order to see the Christmas lights decorating all the buildings (on the island side). Once we got to TST, we putzed around for a little, then we took the MTR back to campus. I got back to my room and went to bed. The only bad news of last night was that I forgot to bring my camera with me. I looked at it when I was changing and said I was going to bring it with me, but it slipped my mind. Hopefully my words paint enough of a picture for all of you (doubtful).

This morning, I had breakfast and then my last class of the semester. It's crazy that it's over, but I have a lot of work between O'Hare and myself at this point. I'm in the library now, and I will probably be here for a good while.

Good to hear the Bears finally won a game. And BC got a bowl (although it is the Emerald Bowl, and it's against USC - in California). Oh well. Take care. Good luck with finals Kelly and Sean.

The Week

So, Sunday and Monday were spent in the library, doing work. That's it.

Tuesday, I went to class, ran, and then was invited to go to a Korean barbecue restaurant. Since I never had had Korea Barbecue before, I accepted the invitation. It was Eric, Lorenzo, Josh, and myself who ended up going. The food was very good, and there was a lot of it. I was also happy to find that there was broccoli there. Most of the food, however, was meat, which we cooked ourselves on this little grill at our table. It was a nice evening. (Pictures - there's only three, sorry)

Yesterday I went to my first class, then I went to the library to decide on a paper topic for my final paper for my film class. The paper examines an adaptation of text to film. I decided to do Breakfast at Tiffany's, so I decided to watch that in between my classes. It was a good movie, and Audrey Hepburn was great, naturally. (I've read Truman Capote's novella before.) After class, I went to work out.

Our farewell dinner was last night for all the exchange students. It's crazy that it is the end of the semester, but it was a fun dinner nevertheless. After dinner, I had a beer with some guys, then went to bed.

Today, I had my classes, ran, and now I'm about to go to dinner. A band comprised of exchange students is playing tonight in Wan Chai, so I (along with most of the exchange students here) will be going there later. Take care.

Caitlyn Should Have Told Us About These Pictures

I was snooping around on facebook trying not to do homework, and I found these pictures from Caitlyn. They're great.

An Excellent Short Story

I haven't done too much today, but I did read this short story. It was in the New Yorker. It's called "Alone" and it was written by Yiyun Li. It was very good. If you have some time, I'd recommend reading it.

The Racetrack and Thanksgiving in Hong Kong

So, on Wednesday night, we decided to go to Happy Valley Race Track, which is located right between Wan Chai and Causeway Bay. I hadn't been there before, and I heard it was fun, so I wanted to go. I went with Susanne, Heidi, Lorenzo, Eric, and AJ. We also met some other kids from UST there. I was really impressed by the size of the race track. It was cool.

When we walked in, this guy wanted to take our picture. He then gave us the decision to either keep the picture or get a certificate for free beers. We kept these pictures, but soon took more and got some free beers. That was cool.

I didn't do any betting, but the people I was with did so. Most actually won, too. Lorenzo put $10 down and ending up winning $200. Not too bad.

After the races, we walked over to Wan Chai. There was a band playing in a bar there, so we decided to go there. The band was pretty good, and there were also some other kids from UST there, so it was pretty fun.

Yesterday was a little different, since I was going to class on Thanksgiving. The classes went well, nothing too exciting. After Lit (around 6pm), Lorenzo, Josh (from WashU, via Canada), and myself took off to TST to pick up our Thanksgiving meal. We got four turkeys, cranberry sauce, salad, bread, and stuffing from Fat Angelo's. Then we went over to KFC down the street and picked up three buckets of chicken and mashed potatoes. We then took a cab back to campus and met the rest of the eating group in a room. There were about 20 of us. We had three of the turkeys pre-cut, and the last one I carved with a huge knife - the one I bought from Stanley Market. Most of the food went. It actually was really fun. I wasn't expecting to have such a good Thanksgiving while in Hong Kong.

After dinner, we put some music on (I brought my iPod and speakers) and played a few drinking games. It was fun. We then went out for the evening, and had a fun time. All in all, a very different but quite good Thanksgiving.

Today, I talked to Mom, Uncle Bill, Auntie Ro, and Kristina. I'm catching up on stuff now, and I'm gonna run shortly. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.

Oh, and there are more pictures up, starting here.

Tuesday: Lots of Food

Yesterday was a great eating day. After OB, Lorenzo and I went to Choi Hung to pick up our student Octopus cards. Then we decided to go to Mong Kok (one of my favorite places in the entire world) to do a little shopping. I wanted to get a new flash drive, as some of the locals showed me very small ones with tremendous memory. So, we went in search of the Computer Center. We happened to stumble upon it, and it was a very unimpressive building. There was only one small storefront in sight, so I was a little disappointed. We went up a staircase, however, and we were confronted with every imaginable technology device needed. I purchased two things: an 8GB flash drive and a USB number pad. The flash drive is about the size of top half of my thumb; it is incredible the amount of memory they can put into something so small. I got the number pad because there is not one on my laptop, and I will be doing a lot of work with Excel next semester. I will be going back there, in order to get a 1 terabyte external hard drive. That amount of memory is so absurd that my spell check did not even recognize the word. I also might get the Windows 7 update, because I think the price will be better.

After leaving the computer center, we wanted to get some street food. So we found a little spot and I got pig intestines on a stick. I wanted to try it because I see it all over and it's pretty popular. And it was actually pretty good. It's not my favorite, but it wasn't terrible. We walked around some more, then decided to get some more street food. This time I got octopus balls, which were delicious. They might be my favorite street food yet.

Once we got off at Choi Hung, we went over to the little market over there and walked around. I ended up buying some pork neck meat, which is absolutely delicious. If anyone is getting Chinese food in the near future, I would highly recommend it.

We then went back to campus. Susanne had invited me during the day to go to hotpot with her and a couple friends (mutual friends - Heidi from Canada, and AJ, visiting from BC via studying abroad in Australia). So I ran, showered, and headed back out. The place was in TST.

The food was quite good. We had lamb, beef, dumplings, veggies, clams, etc. It was a lot of food. We ordered so much because it was all you can eat (and drink) for only about US$10. We also had a few beers, and ended the night playing some drinking games around the table. It was a lot of fun.

Today, I ate breakfast, went to class, worked out, and talked to Mom and Caitlyn. Now I need to shower before my next class. I am going to the horse track tonight, so it should be a fun time. I'll update how it is later.

And, if I do not do so before tomorrow, I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

P.S. - I just got a haircut. A nice buzz. I'll bring the camera to the horse races tonight and take some pictures and then everyone can see the new cut.

New Pictures

By the way, I put up some pictures from the Philippines. I also forgot to mention that I got roasted by the hot Filipino sun yesterday. It rained/ was overcast most of the time, so I wasn't expecting it when the sun came out. It was only out for a short while, but pale Irish skin and hot, tropical sun is not a good combination. Have a good Monday everyone.

The Philippines

So Thursday night began our journey. I met Dominic, Wolfgang, Francesca, Janina (all Germans), Yaser, David (both Americans), and Soren (Danish) in the atrium at 10pm. We took a cab to the airport, had some food beforehand, then got on the plane at 12:50am. We landed in Cebu, the second biggest city in the Philippines, around 4am. We then took a cab from the airport to the port, from where we took a boat to Bohol, another island in the Philippines. The ride over was quite uncomfortable, as someone decided it would be a good idea to create a seat with two uncomfortable mounds right where the butt cheeks would sit. We arrived in a couple hours, then took a cab from the port to the resort.

On the way, I was very surprised at the level of poverty in the Philippines. It was very disconcerting. The are only a few streets which are paved, most of the "houses" are little more than shacks, and there were all sorts of people walking around without shoes. I thought of the Philippines as a developing country, but they have a long way to go.

So, we arrive at the resort and they show us to our rooms. They were a little modest, but they were right on a beautiful beach. That more than made up for it. Everyone was quite tired from the long journey (we arrived at the resort around 9 or so), so everyone had a bit of a nap.

When I woke up, I had lunch and then I read my book for a while. Then we went to dinner. I just had a drink, since I hadn't eaten too long ago, as did some others. I eventually ate some pizza, which was actually a lot better than I expected. We had some more drinks as the nights progressed, and it was a nice night.

The next day I had a bit of a lie-in. When I woke up I ate something, then read my book on our deck. Then, we decided to take some motor bikes around. I was a little nervous, as I had never ridden one before and because the Philippines doesn't really have "rules of the road", but it ended up being pretty fun. Upon our return, we showered and then went down the beach for some dinner. Dominic, David and I shared a whole fish and a whole squid. They fried the squid (as in calamari) and they barbecued the fish. Both were very good, but the squid was a real standout. There was also a guitar trio which came over and played for us during dinner.

After dinner, our waitress asked for my autograph, as she thought I was Elijah Wood. Yaser also convinced her that I was, despite my protests. It was pretty funny. I signed E Wood, so as not to disappoint.

After that, we had a couple drinks at the bar next door, then went to bed early, as we were waking up at 5:30am on Sunday.

We had ordered breakfast the night before, so it was waiting for us when we woke up. We ate on the boat, as we were rushing to try to see some dolphins. And, we actually got to see some. It was very cool. We went to an island not too far from our beach and snorkeled, which was awesome. There were so many fish and other interesting sea creatures to see. We putzed around the island after snorkeling, then we took the boat back to our beach. We had some lunch down the beach, then it was time to leave. It was a quick weekend.

The return trip was also a journey - we left the resort at 3pm and didn't arrive back on campus until 1:15am. It was exhausting.

Now it is back to classes and whatnot. Thanksgiving is Thursday, although that means nothing here. I am going with a couple of friends to pick up dinner for Thursday and bringing it back. I think the final tally for the eating group will be around 25 or so. Hopefully the food won't be too bad, although it won't compare to a Filippello Thanksgiving. There won't be any fried turkeys for me this Thanksgiving.

Also, I have 27 days left in Hong Kong. Wow.

Rest of the Week, Philippines for the Weekend

So, this week was very studious. Today, I had a presentation for OB and a paper in Anthropology of Food due, so this week was a lot of preparing for these two items. Both turned out well, and I was pleased. I wore my grey suit with blue shirt and yellow tie for my presentation. I looked very professional.

I'm off to the Philippines for the weekend. I'm very excited. We're taking a midnight flight, then we get in around 4am or so I believe, then we take a ferry a couple of hours to another island. It should be quite the adventure.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Go Bears and Eagles.

By The Way It Got Really Cold

Today, it got quite cold. It was about 45-50 degrees, rainy, and quite windy. I wore a thermal shirt and some jeans. There were people wearing hats, scarfs, and full-on winter coats. Completely unnecessary, but it was very different from the usual weather. Just FYI. Apparently it will be warming up this weekend. The Philippines will be good weather, I am led to believe. I'm glad about that.

The Weekend, and Monday

Thursday night I stayed in. I ran after class, and I already was tired from my whole day of classes. Also, most people were staying in as well. I read my book, and got some good rest.

Friday, I worked out, did some homework, and then went out to dinner. I went in a group of nine to an all-you-can-eat hot-pot restaurant. Hot-pot is very popular here. You are given a pot full of boiling broth in which you can cook meat, vegetables, seafood, etc. It's pretty good, but not my favorite. After dinner, we went out and had a fun time.

Saturday, I had a group project meeting. I didn't plan on going out, but I was talked into it by Eric and Lorenzo. We went to a party down in the city, and it had a mafia theme. I wore dress pants, a white shirt, a vest, and I slicked back my hair. I was pleasantly surprised that everyone else also decided to dress up. It was a fun night.

Sunday, I woke up, took a shower, and had some breakfast. Then I trotted off to the library for the rest of the day. I met a couple others for dinner after my library day, and I got roasted pork neck with rice. It was delicious - probably my favorite meal I have had on campus thus far. After dinner, I watched Thank You for Smoking, as I thought I deserved a break after the full day in the library. It was very entertaining.

Today, I woke up, had breakfast, and went to Operations. After class, I searched far and wide on the internet for a stream of the big game between the Colts and the Patriots. I had to settle on watching the ESPN gamecast update every few seconds. I was disappointed. Also, I stopped watching the gamecast after the Patriots took a 31-14 lead. I really wish I had been able to find a stream, as the game turned out to be quite the classic. Too bad the Bears can't have wins like that. At least those Eagles are still in contention.

After the game ended and I had lunch, I went to my discussion for Food. After that, I worked out. Then I met with the group with which I am going to the Philippines on Thursday. We kinda firmed up our plans for the weekend and such. After that, I went to TST to pick up my third and final suit, this one a navy blue one. It looks very nice. On my way back to campus, my friend called me and asked if I was still serious about going to Taiwan next weekend (Nov 26-29). I said I was, so I think we are going. We want to book flights tomorrow.

Now, I'm just in my room, working on finishing up my paper for Food, and waiting for my OB group meeting to commence in an hour.

That's all for now. Hope the week begins well.

Why Did the Bears Trade for Jay Cutler?

Seriously, why? Unless they want to spend some money on some new offensive linemen (and 85 year-old Orlando Pace doesn't count) or some decent receivers (Devin Hester played cornerback and kick returner at Miami for a reason), then having a former Pro Bowl quarterback is pointless. But seriously, 5 interceptions? Five? Wow, that is awful.

So, back to Hong Kong. I have some work due next week, so this weekend will mostly be occupied doing that. I got some more music from the library, so now I'm over 9,400 songs (putting that in perspective, I could listen to music 24 hours a day for the entire month of February and never hear the same song twice). The new music is all classical music.

This week on campus, there were graduation ceremonies. Here, they apparently take after the British, as the students who graduated last May do not have a graduation ceremony until now. This is a little different, but no big deal. It became a big deal, however, when they decided to do this three-day ceremony in the middle of the atrium in the middle of the school. Mind you, you cannot get anywhere on campus (seriously, anywhere) without going through the atrium. This made it exceedingly complicated and frustrating to try and navigate to various classes. It was also extremely crowded. It was very annoying. It's fine if you want to have the ceremony in November. It's also fine that you want to do it in the Atrium. It's not fine, however, to do so during the week while classes are going on. It's ridiculous.

Another little quirk about Hong Kong: no one picks up their own garbage. Say, for instance, you are out at a fast food restaurant. You eat, then you bus your own table. That is not the case here. Everyone leaves their trash on the table, and then it is someone's job to come around and pick it up. Maybe it has some communist overtones, as a company needs to employ an extra person just to pick up trash. Everyone can have a job then, I guess.

That's all for now. Hope all is well. I'm gonna go for a run now. Go Eagles.

A Birthday, A New Suit, and Some New Food

So, yesterday was my friend Eric's 21st birthday (he's also from BC). So we went to the uni-bar and had a few drinks to ring in the occasion. It was a fun night.

Today, I went to dim sum with my fellow BC males (Eric and Lorenzo) as a quasi celebration of Eric's birthday. In fact, I think we all just kinda wanted some dim sum. We ate on campus, and the dim sum was actually excellent (if anyone doesn't know what dim sum is, it is Chinese breakfast. Most of the food wouldn't be considered breakfast food in the west.). And, for the first time, I ate chicken feet. They were quite interesting. I wasn't a particularly big fan of the feet, but I tried them. They are quite bony, and there's not a lot of meat to them.

After breakfast, I went to see a speaker. He was the executive director of HSBC, so I thought it worth my while (and skipping a class - sorry) to see him speak. It was. He gave a very nice, technical discussion of the recession and what the new world order will look like in the future. I enjoyed it, and I am glad I went.

I hurried off to OB after the talk. After class, I got some crab and pineapple pizza for lunch with Lorenzo, who is also in my class. Then I met Eric to go to TST to pick up our suits.

When we arrived in TST, I got my perfunctory Mango Sago, which was delicious as always. I also got curry fish balls on a stick, which were actually pretty good. Then Eric and I picked up our suits. My new suit (grey) looks very nice, and I am excited to wear it next week for my OB presentation. While at the place, I also picked up another suit - this one a dark blue/navy suit. I knew I wanted one, and it being Eric's birthday and my third suit, we got an especially enticing price. So that one will be ready on Monday.

We both fell asleep on the MTR back to campus, but we awoke in time to get off. When we were on our way out of the station, I took Eric to see the little night market nearby. Then, we decided to eat dinner there. No one could speak English at the place, so the waiter called a friend and we ordered through her. We ended up having a really good meal, and it was quite inexpensive. We were both pleased.

Tonight doesn't hold too much for me. I'm currently skyping with Mom Jones, so I'm sure I'll be on that for a while. I do need to finish today's paper, and maybe I'll get some other work done.

Sidenote: I am now in the room by myself for a while. Today, Gunter left for Indonesia for twenty days. He really doesn't need to go to classes, as they do not count nor do the credits transfer. So, he is going to train at his kung-fu place in Indonesia.

That's all for now. The Bears really disappointed me this weekend. Oh well. Hope all is well back in Chicago and elsewhere...

Mad Men

Lots of surprises in the finale of Mad Men. I'm very sad that the season is over. I really enjoy watching that show. I am very excited for the next season to start, even if that isn't until next August...

Another Visitor

Last night, I met up with another visitor. This visitor was Michele Dietz, who is a Park Ridge native and fellow '07 Ignatius graduate. She was studying abroad in Thailand for the past five months, and her group came to Hong Kong before leaving. So I was able to meet up with her. We first met at the Mong Kok MTR station, then I showed her the ladies market, the enormous open-air market for everything. She said she definitely wants to go back before she leaves on Tuesday.

After that, we took the MTR over to TST and walked around there a bit. We also got some delicious meat-sticks and Mango Sago, both of which were great. Then we walked through the huge mall there, and she almost had a heart-attack when she saw that the mall had both Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnicks (sp?) shoe stores there (Ellen Jones did the same). Then we went and took the Star Ferry across to Central. As luck would have it, we got on the ferry at exactly 8 o'clock, which is when the light show begins. So we had a great view for that.

We went to Good Luck Thai in Lan Kwai Fung for dinner, one of my favorite spots to eat in Hong Kong. We had chicken and beef satay (more meat on sticks) for an appetizer. We also had some garlic naan (Indian flat bread), chicken curry, some Thai rice, and a couple Tsing Tao's to wash it all down. Everything was great.

After dinner, we walked around LKF, as "Carnival" was going on at the time. We purchased a couple of beer things which hung around your neck, which were cool. We had Erdinger, as I mentioned at dinner how good it was. We saw the sites, finished our beers, and headed back. On the way, this guy on the MTR struck up a conversation with us. He was an American, that was obvious from the accent. Then I asked where he was from, and he was from Boston. To continue on the night's theme of a small world, I told him that I go to BC but was studying at HKUST for the semester. His daughter goes to Ohio St. and is also studying at HKUST for the semester. Very funny.

Michele and I said our goodbyes at Yau Ma Tei, and I was home by midnight. It was a lovely night.

Today, there's gonna be some homework finished and such. I also will get to start my new book (Blink by Malcolm Gladwell), as I finished 1776 on Friday night. It was excellent, and anyone remotely interested in American history would really enjoy it.

Go Bears.

Lost in Translation (the movie)

I just watched Lost in Translation, with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. It was really really good. The story takes place in Tokyo, and the plot involves a lot of miscommunication between the leads and the denizens of Tokyo. There were some really funny parts (i.e. - the part in the hospital with the old man) that I especially identified with due to the language barrier I have here. I would highly, highly recommend this movie (although there is a brief scene in a strip club, so for mature audiences only). There is also a sorta-love story aspect to this film, but it is really well done. I think this is one of my favorite movies I've ever seen. I really enjoyed it.

10/10

Thursday and Friday

Yesterday, after my marathon of classes, Eric (another BC kid) and I went to TST to get some suits. This time, I decided to go with a grey suit, 2-button, with cuffs. And I got a nice blue shirt. I think it should be nice. After the suits, we went around TST and ended up at this restaurant nearby. It was full of people, so we figured it must be good. And it was. I had fried noodles with beef in XO sauce, and Eric had some curry beef. Good stuff. We came back to campus and I met with my OB group for a project. After that, I met up with some other kids at the bar on campus for a couple drinks before bed. I was back to my room by 12:30, so not too late of a night.

This morning, I did some further things with my OB group. After, I did some skyping and some downloading music. Then I went for a run. Then it was back to TST for a fitting. The suit is looking nice, and it will be ready next Tuesday. After our fitting, Eric and I walked around TST, stopping in a couple bookstores to browse. I'm just figuring out which books I'm gonna get come winter break. I got a pretty good list working already. We also got some mango juice, and some "meat-on-stick" things, which turned out to be quite tasty. We also had a couple pork buns, as I had a craving for one (I am becoming Chinese). Eric wanted to stick around and do some more shopping, but I wanted to get back, as I was tired and my back was a little sore (nothing to worry about, though, mom - I took some Aleve). When I got off the MTR, however, I noticed a shop which was lit up right nearby. I walked over to it, only to discover that there was a whole night market going on. I walked around there, looking at the fresh fish and the butchered meats, and I ended up getting an egg tart. It wasn't too bad. Then I cam back to campus, had some dinner (a barbecued pork omelet, which was much better than it sounds), and now I'm back in my room. I'm gonna attempt to do some work, but I think I might take it easy tonight. I'm gonna hit the library tomorrow after my workout.

That's all for now. Hopefully, the Bears will have a successful weekend. No game this week for the Eagles. And we can start cheering for the Bulls once again.

And happy birthday, Kelly Whitney. I am shocked, legitimately shocked, that you are now fifteen. Unbelievable. Nevertheless, I hope it's a good birthday weekend.

It's Cooling Down (kinda)

These last two days have been the coldest days I've yet to experience in Hong Kong. Yesterday, it got down to 70, and today is only 75. Needless to say, I wore a sweatshirt these last couple days.

I think it will be quite the rude awakening when I return to Chicago and Boston.

These last two days, apart from the change in the weather, haven't been too interesting. I had my classes, I ran and/or worked out, ate meals, and slept. And did some homework. That's about it. I'm reading the paper right now, and I'm going to do some Operations Management homework after this. It's gonna be an exciting night.

Best Episode of Mad Men Ever

The newest episode of Mad Men is the best episode of the series thus far. And the most important. It was great. Watch it.
Season Finale is next week. It's called "Shut the door. Have a seat." I can't wait.

Some Other Thoughts

I forgot to mention how good Mad Men was last week. Maybe the most important episode ever. If you didn't see it, you really missed out. You can buy episodes on iTunes. And maybe it even is on-demand. Or it replays Monday night before the replay of the new episode.

Also, I was happy to hear that BC won yesterday. Too bad they couldn't have pulled out a victory at old Notre Dame. Most of my friends actually drove out to ND for the game, travelling in RVs. Joe, my roommate from last year, told me how he rode there with eleven other people in one RV. I guess it was pretty crowded. He said it was a great time, though, and I'm disappointed that I missed out on it. Oh well.

I Did More Exploring

So, on Friday, I decided I needed a costume. I went with some other to Central and got some stuff. I then heard that the Ladies Market (which is a huge misnomer) also would have great stuff. It is in Mong Kok, not too far from Tsim Sha Tsui. So I stopped there on my way home from Central. It was so cool. Mong Kok is the most crowded area of the world I have ever seen - there's stuff and people literally everywhere. I walked around there for a while, bought a couple of presents for some people, then went back. I will definitely be coming back. It is a really cool place. Next time I'll bring my camera...

I got back to campus then around 8 or 9, and decided I would go into Lan Kwai Fung with Gunter and Yaser for dinner. I didn't plan on going out after, but I wore my Rex Grossman jersey just in case. We had a pretty good dinner at a Thai restaurant, but it didn't have anything on my meals with the folks. I ran into some of my BC friends after dinner, and, of course, they talked me into coming out with them. I had a very good time, and I'm glad I went out. It was very crowded, being that it was Halloween weekend, but it was fun.

The next day, I had planned to go to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha. It is called the Tian Tan Buddha, and it is the largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha. It is indeed huge. I went with Bryan (from Vancouver), Ellen (from Florida), and Micro (local). We had a really good time, but it did take a while to get there. We first had to go to Central, then catch a ferry, then take a bus when we get off. I'm glad I went though. There was also a Buddhist monastery nearby, called the Po Lin Monastery, and that was also very cool. We left the area via a cable car, then had some dinner before heading back to campus. It was a great day. All told, the trip took around 10 hours. I went out last night to a jungle-themed party, and it was also pretty fun. No complaints.

So that's about it. Hopefully this post, and the other novel I just wrote, satiate everyone for a while. There's a ton of pictures up from the Buddha and from the parents' visit. Enjoy. Thanks for reading.

The End of the Prolonged Silence

Sorry about the lapse since my last post. The last ten days have been pretty crazy. This could be a long one.

So, last Thursday I finished my two tests and then rushed off to meet the visitors for our 8pm reservation at Lung King Heen. It is rated the best restaurant in Hong Kong, as it is the only one with three Michelin stars. It is a Cantonese restaurant, and it is located in the Four Seasons: Hong Kong. It was quite good. And, of course, it was lovely to finally see a couple of familiar faces in Hong Kong. Dad hit a home run with some fried rice, as did Mom with prawns in some sauce-thing. I hit a bloop single, as I ordered scrambled eggs with crab for some reason. They were good, but not as good as the other two dishes. Dessert was quite good, as we got some mango stuff. It tasted like the classic Farrelly dish, jello and ice cream. After dinner, I went back with the parents to their hotel, as I was going to stay with them for the weekend. We stayed at the Langham Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, and it was great. I was able to watch sports and CNBC, two things I sorely miss over here. I told Mom and Dad that I hadn't watched television since I left in August, and that's the truth. Also, I stayed on a cot. Normally, that would be followed with a frowny-face; the cot, however, was one hundred times better than the bed on which I have been sleeping for the past two months. It was a nice break for my back. Dad and I stayed up late watching a replay of some golf from God knows when.

Friday, we woke up and had a delicious breakfast at the hotel buffet. There were eggs, dim sum, bacon, an automatic pancake maker, etc. And, there was the most delicious croissants I have ever eaten. I think the three Jones members had a round dozen between us. I wanted to use Friday to walk around and such. So we did just that. We went around Central, walked on the long escalator, and walked down the small side streets marveling at the fish markets and butchers. Then we went back to the hotel because we were tired. We had reservations at the Pearl on the Peak restaurant on Victoria Peak. We started out early enough - we gave ourselves an hour and a half to get there. The traffic, however, did not agree that that was enough time to get there. We got to dinner at about 7:30, a half hour late, and a little stressed. But we had a great table with a great view, so the stress quickly went away. We had another great dinner. Mom got some noodles with prawns (and some scallops too, I think), Dad had a braised beef rib (I think) and I had steak au poivre, which was prepared table-side. Everyone enjoyed their dinner, and we also got some dessert. Mom got some crepes with an orange sauce and some ice cream, which was also prepared table-side. I got something too, but I don't remember what. I do remember that I enjoyed it, though. After, we went outside and enjoyed the view for a bit. Then we went back to the hotel, which took much less time because we took the Peak Tram, which was quite the experience. It went backwards down the Peak, at close to a 45 degree angle. It was a little disconcerting. We walked to the MTR station, then back to Langham. We meant to go to sleep, but Notting Hill was on HBO, so obviously we had to watch it. What a great movie. Loved it.

Next morning Mom and Dad had some breakfast, and I went for a quick workout at the gym at the hotel. After this, and a shower, we began our journey to Stanley Market. It is a great part of Hong Kong; there are small shops all over the place, and a street full of restaurants all with great views of the sea. We walked around for a while, did some shopping, and bought a few things. Mom found some "chops" (basically, Chinese stamps) and some other little trinkets for herself and others. I purchased a knife with a cool decorative blade (I don't know why), and a Dale Earnhardt (not Junior) windbreaker. A good day of shopping on my part. We then had a bite for lunch at The Boathouse; I had fish and chips and Mom and Dad split a sandwich of tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and prosciutto. Back to the hotel, as the day tired us out once again. That night, we went to Delaney's, in TST, for dinner. It's an Irish pub. It was pretty good, but the bangers there were a disappointment (I got bangers and mash for dinner). Mom enjoyed her fish and chips, and Dad ate something too. Back at the hotel, I think that night we watched Point of Origin (one of the top ten worst movies I've ever seen) and Phonebooth.

Sunday, we went for Dim Sum in Causeway Bay, at the same restaurant I went to the week before. The food was again excellent. Both Mom and Dad very much enjoyed their meals, which I was pleased about. Afterwards, we walked around "Times Square" which is a very swanky/expensive mall in Causeway Bay. We then took the train over to Yau Ma Tei to go to the jade market. Mom and I walked around and did some bargaining, and Dad found himself a nice seat outside. There were some purchases made and some money spent. That night, we went down by the pier and walked around. We then hopped into the nearby mall and walked around looking for something to eat. We got lost, but eventually found Star Restaurant, and we had a great meal. We had fried rice, the common denominator in most meals, some prawns, and some other stuff I forget. It was really good though. We felt very local by the time we got back to the hotel, having gone to Dim Sum in the morning and a local spot for dinner. That night we watched Phenomenon with John Travolta.

Monday, we went to a restaurant in the basement of the hotel for breakfast. I got corned beef hash and two fried eggs and coffee. Easily the best breakfast I've had in Hong Kong. I can feel myself getting hungry as I write this. We also were able to watch some of the baseball game, and it was fun to feel as though I was back in the States for that time. After, we walked around TST for a bit. We then went back to the hotel, and then went for afternoon tea at The Peninsula Hotel. It was very swanky and fancy. The scones and little pastries were delicious. The tea was, well, tea. I don't think even the fanciest place can do anything besides putting some leaves into boiled water. That night, we took the star ferry from TST over to Central. We went to Lan Kwai Fung and ate outside at Good Luck Thai, my third time there. As always, it was delicious. We had fried rice, prawn cakes, some spicy minced beef, and chicken curry. All great. We walked around LKF for a bit, then stopped at Azure, a sky bar, just to see the view. We then went back to the hotel, and of course another Hugh Grant movie was on - Four Weddings and a Funeral. I didn't really care for it, mainly because Andie MacDowell is a useless actress, and the character she plays isn't too much better.

Tuesday, we again went to the same breakfast place for corned beef hash, eggs, and coffee. Mom had a bagel and smoked salmon in an attempt to keep kosher, and Dad got pancakes. I could eat that breakfast everyday and not get tired of it. After breakfast I had to go back to HKUST to attend my classes. Those went well, then I went back to my room to check my (bulging) inbox, as I had been without internet for the weekend. Mom and Dad then (bravely and successfully) navigated there way to campus. I showed them around, and then it was off to Sai Kung for a seafood dinner. We went to Chuen Kee Restaurant, and it was great. We had prawns, crabs, lobsters, clams, scallops, and broccoli. It was another great meal. I think Mom and Dad really enjoyed the "local-ness" of it all; Sai Kung is a very far cry from dinner at the Four Seasons. I didn't stay with the folks on Tuesday, as I had to be at class at 9am the next day. Which brings us to...

Wednesday, I had two classes. I was out at 4pm, and I then quickly made my way over to TST. Both Mom and Dad expressed interest in tasting Hong Kong pizza, so we went to Pizza Express. Another great meal. I had pepperoni pizza, Mom had something adventurous which escapes me, and Dad had the best of the night: Italian sausage with onions pizza. It was awesome. After dinner, we again walked around TST. There's so much to see there, and it also is my favorite part of Hong Kong. I got some mango juice (which is one of the best things ever), and Mom finally got to go into the world's larges Luis Vuitton store. I think she liked it, and Dad and I waited around outside for her. That night I stayed in the hotel.

Thursday, what did I have for breakfast? Corned beef and hash, eggs, and coffee. I wasn't kidding that I could eat it everyday. Then I went back to campus for a nice six hour block of classes. As our last dinner, we went to Spring Deer in TST, just a few blocks away from the hotel. We were a little worried walking there, as it was a bit further down the street than we thought. Then when I saw the entrance, which was up stairs through the middle of some small shop, I was further worried. When I walked in, however, and most of the tables were full, my worries seemed to be unfounded. We had Peking Duck, and it was absolutely delicious. You take the slices of duck and put them into a tortilla-like thing with a little quasi-barbecue sauce - incredible. We topped it off with some fried rice, and we had prawn cakes to start. It was a great last meal with the parents. We once again putzed around TST, and then went to Aqua, a sky bar near the Langham. I had an old fashioned (thanks, Don Draper), Mom had something with champagne and a liqueur, and Dad had a raspberry smoothie. We enjoyed the view and the drinks, and then headed back to the hotel. We then said goodbye until December 20th (at 11:48am, but who's counting).

All told, we had a great time. I ate better than I have my entire time here. The food was wonderful. The company was great as well. I was also able to re-experience some of my favorite parts of Hong Kong - Stanley Market foremost among those. Also, I got a chance to do some serious walking around in TST, which is still my favorite area in Hong Kong.

Thanks for a great time, Mom and Dad. I know the sleep situation was (and is) not the greatest, but I hope it was a good time regardless. Thanks for making the epic journey out here as well. I'll be back home sooner than you think.

Dim Sum Sunday

Before beginning my studies yesterday, I went out to Dim Sum with Wolfgang and a new friend, Eugene (goes to Cornell, from California, originally from Taiwan). We went to Causeway Bay and ate there. It was not very expensive, and it was delicious. I will be taking the visitors there, probably on Saturday or Sunday morning. Pictures are posted.

I also watched The Diving Bell and the Butterfly last week, and I would recommend it to everyone. It's a really good movie.

Also, I finished Moneyball by Michael Lewis last night. It was good. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes baseball and who wants to see how the "new" general managers are doing things. It's a cool book.

The Eagles had a great weekend. 59 points? Very impressive.

Too bad the Bears refused to win last night. Matt Forte seems like a completely different player.

Weekend

So, Thursday I went out with eleven other guys for all-you-can-eat sushi. It was in TST, where next week's visitors will be staying. It was actually quite good. I didn't set my hopes too high, as I thought the quality would be low for an all-you-can-eat type of place; it wasn't, and it was delicious. Some of the guys went out afterwards, but I was tired from a full day of class and went back to school.

Friday, I woke up, had some breakfast, read the paper, ran, and did some homework (during the day). Later, I went out to dinner with Wolfgang and Dominic. We were gonna look at a couple options, including a Lebanese restaurant and a Chinese restaurant, but both were rather empty. We opted to go to Pizza Express, which does not correctly convey the restaurant. It was very modern but nice, and the pizza was excellent. It was much better than the last place from which I got pizza, and it was less expensive.

The reason we headed down to the city last night was because a couple of girls here were having their birthdays at the same club. They also managed to get the entrance fee waved for the HKUST students, so a lot of people were going. I didn't know either of the girls, but my two co-travelers did. So after dinner, we walked over there, only to encounter a mass of people standing out front. There was a lot of confusion, but we eventually heard through the grapevine that the place was "full". So, most of the kids there, including us, had to find something else to do. I kinda felt bad for the two girls, as most of their friends were not able to get inside. I think this was a case of very bad planning: the two girls invited a lot of people, but I don't think they let the place know that. Anyways, we walked around for a while, then settled at a bar and had a couple of drinks before heading home. It wasn't a complete waste of time; it ended up being a pretty fun night.

Today, I woke up, ate breakfast, read the paper, worked out, and tried to do some homework. I had planned to eat dinner and then go to the library afterwards. When I was sitting at dinner, however, my friend Brian (from Toronto) told me that the library closes at 7pm on Saturdays. It was 7:07pm when he let me know that. So, I'm back in my room now, and I'm gonna get some reading done.

Hope everyone has a good Saturday. Go Bears. Go Eagles.

P.S. - I also made a dinner reservation for the visitors and myself for next Thursday. It's called Lung King Heen, and it is regarded as the best restaurant in Hong Kong. We shall see if that is true.

P.P.S. - This article from Malcolm Gladwell in the most recent New Yorker reminded me of when Uncle Jimbo remarked after Michael Vick was imprisoned on dogfighting charges that dogfighting was no better than UFC fighting or the like. It's an interesting article, if not his best.

Nothing Much to Report

I had a midterm test yesterday in Organizational Behavior, and today I had a presentation in Literary Classics in Visual Culture. So, needless to say, my weekend was pretty quiet. I was pretty much just in the library for the most of it. I do think both my midterm and my presentation went well, though, so at least I didn't waste my weekend.

That's about all I can do for an update. I'm looking forward to the weekend, which starts tomorrow night, so that's good. Hope all is well in Chicago.

Suit Picked Up and Pizza Eaten

I guess I never went into detail on my suit, and apparently some people want to know about it. It is black with a kinda subtle pinstripe. I don't know what it's made out of, but it is nice. The shirt is also nice - it is white with a small squares all over it (nothing too overt; pretty subtle). I'll put up a couple pictures soon.

I never mentioned my new books haul from the other day. I purchased Moneyball by Michael Lewis, which will be my next book. I also bought The Partnership: The Making of Goldman Sachs (the business section was a little lacking), and 1776 by David McCullough. I thought it was a little weird - an American buying a book on American history in Hong Kong. O well.

Last night I went out with Wolfgang and a new friend, Soeren (pronounced Sern - it's Danish). It was a fun night; we met some other folks at a club in Lan Kwai Fung and had a night of it.

Today, I picked up my suit and downloaded some new tunes (I got a really good new song - it's a bootleg mashup of a Radiohead song and a Dave Brubeck song. It's awesome). It was a pretty relaxing day. Tonight, I went with Wolfgang and his friend visiting from Germany, Max. I was online and a picture of pizza popped up, and I knew I needed pizza tonight. So we went to a restaurant in the city. It was quite good. It was funny though, as it was located in an nearly-empty mall yet it was extremely busy. We were lucky to get a table - they were turning away people a few minutes after we sat down. I had a thin pizza with sausage, pepperoni, tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives. It was very good. After dinner, we showed Max the views from some of the sky bars in TST. Actually, my favorite one is right next to Langham Hotel, where my visitors will be staying in less than two weeks. We actually had a drink in this one; I finally tried an "old-fashioned" and it was pretty good.

The reason I tried that drink gives me a good segue into my next topic: Mad Men. (The main character, Don Draper, always drinks old-fashioned's.) If you don't watch Mad Men, I would highly recommend it. It's major selling point (no pun intended, as it is about advertising) of the show is its attention to detail. Obviously, the acting and writing is excellent, but the small details really make the show. It is set in the 1960's, so it is before smoking was frowned upon, drinking was commonplace, even in the office, and children could play around in the back seat of the car without wearing their seat belts. If you can, start from season 1. You'll grow very attached to the characters. (Mom, I loved the last episode. I loved seeing Joan again - they're not gonna let her get off the show. She's too good and too important. Pretty much every episode this year has been great.)

If you want other shows to rent and watch, I also would highly recommend The Wire (for the mature crowd) and Arrested Development (the funniest show ever on television).

While I'm pontificating, I would also recommend to all the (male) readers to read Bill Simmons if you are ever bored on the internet and have some time to kill. He is really, really entertaining and very funny.

Tomorrow holds some studying, as I have another test on Tuesday, and probably finishing my book. Also, I plan to go to Dim Sum (Asian breakfast) on Sunday. I'll be sure to bring the camera.

And how about Mr. Obama? I think the Nobel might be a little premature, but it's pretty cool nonetheless.

Hope everyone has a good Friday and a good weekend. As always, Go Eagles (and let's hope the bye week doesn't slow down the Bears). Bye for now.

Busy Weekend Full of Nothing

I had a test today in Operations Management, so I had a pretty quiet weekend. I did quite a bit of studying, and not too much else.

Friday, I actually went back to TST once more. When I returned from having my suit fitted, I ran into a few friends (Kyle, from Ohio State; Priankha, from Texas; Amy, from Texas; and Yaser, from Minnesota) who invited me out to dinner. I accepted, then asked where we were going. TST. I was there and back three times in about 12 hours (mind, it takes about 40 minutes one way, so most of my day was on the MTR). We went to an Indian restaurant. The food was delicious, but the portions were tiny. We ordered just a few dishes for the five of us, thinking it would be more than enough, but it would not have been enough to even satisfy one person. We were a little disappointed when we left. We all came back to campus afterwards, and I read and went to sleep. I was tired after so busy a day. I was disappointed to hear, however, that Chicago had not gotten the Olympic bid. Oh well.

Saturday and Sunday involved a lot of library time preparing for today's test. Same with Monday. And of course last night.

The test went pretty well, I think (and hope). There were a few tricky ones, but there always are. Anyways, it's done.

I am picking up my suit today after my next class. Let's hope it looks good.

I made a reservation today for dinner in a couple weeks. I have some visitors, so I think (hope) they should like the place I chose. Anyways, that's all for now. Sorry this was such a boring post - school is becoming more school-like now.

Update - The suit was ready, but the shirt wasn't. I'm going back Friday. The suit looks very nice. I was able, however, to pick up a few books. I am about halfway though the last one I brought with me, so I needed to replenish my stock.

I also made a stop by the TST Langham Hotel, where my visitors will be staying, and it looks very nice. It's in a pretty busy part of town, but there's so much to do around there.

National Day Fireworks, and Other Things

The fireworks last night were quite impressive. If Uncle Jimbo and Uncle Bob could get to work on something similar to this, that would be great.

After watching the fireworks, I went with Dominic, Wolfgang, and Dominic's brother Manuel to grab some food. I actually ended up just getting a drink since I was really thirsty and not too hungry. I got a mixture of pineapple juice and coconut milk - it was delicious. We left to go back to the MTR, but on the way we stopped for a beer (an Erdinger, naturally, as I was with Germans) in order to hear a live jazz band. Wolfgang plays drums in a jazz band back in Germany, so he thought it would be a good idea. The band turned out to be pretty good, but more entertainers than musicians. We left at about 10 and made out way back to campus. I went to sleep (at least tried to) at midnight.

This morning Gunter and I woke up at 8 to meet his mother for breakfast. She is in town for a week with her friend. We had a delicious buffet downtown at her hotel. She was very nice. They invited me to come along for the rest of the day, but I declined as I had other things on my mind: homework, and a new suit.

So I got a new suit. It is currently being cut, and I'm going for a second fitting shortly. I got a tailored suit and a tailored shirt. I think they should be quite nice, and I got a very reasonable price. I ended up about paying less than half of the original price.

There are more pictures up as well (starting here). I'm off for the next fitting...

P.S. - I watched McCabe and Mrs Miller. It was pretty good, but a little meandering and slow. It's the type of movie I might have loved in the right mood. On another note, let's all hope Chicago has a good day. Though it could be a major pain, I think it would be really cool to host the Olympics. And the city has already spent a hell of a lot of money, so might as well see it through.

My Weekend Started at 10:20AM This Morning

It hasn't stopped raining here since Monday. It's kinda annoying, but not a big deal...

I finished my (one) class today at the above-mentioned time, and that began my weekend. It was a pretty light week, as my heaviest day is (easily) Thursday, which was cancelled because of the afore-mentioned National Day.

Last night I got back up on the horse and went out with a couple of my friends, Dominic and Wolfgang (another couple of Germans), into the city. It was a fun night, but I was a little tired this morning. No pictures, as there really wasn't a good picture opportunity.

After class today, I came back to my room and finished up a newsletter for the BC Accounting Academy, of which I am an officer. After doing this and sending it out to the greater BC community, I went to meet with a group for my film class to watch West Side Story. My group consists of myself, Simone (from BC), and Susanne (also from BC). We are preparing a presentation which compares West Side Story with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, its source material. I had never seen West Side Story before, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Sure, it was far too melodramatic at parts, a little long, and the acting was a bit stiff, but the movie is very good. The dancing was pretty cool, and some of the songs weren't bad.

After the movie, I went to work out. That went well.

I then came back to my hall, only to find a letter from the bank stating my replacement debit card was ready to be picked up. So I showered and then hustled up there, as I received the letter at 4pm, and the bank would be closed for the weekend at 5pm. But I got there, and the wallet is starting to grow again to its proper size.

I came back to my room, checked some emails, then I decided to watch Barbarians at the Gate, which was quite a good adaptation. Obviously the book is better, but the movie does a pretty good job of sticking to the story and not getting entirely off track. It left out a few details, nothing too big, but my major problem with it was the movie's Henry Kravis had a slight British accent. He's from Oklahoma. It didn't quite fit. But a good movie nonetheless, and worthwhile if you've read the book.

I got some dinner afterwards, talked to the birthday girl on skype, and now I'm rather tired. I think I will read (finish, actually) my book. Have a good day.

Things Are Looking Up

Yesterday and today were good days. I was able to get money from the bank, which enabled me to get a new student ID, which enabled me to get a replacement student Octopus card, which I used today to go to the mall in town to purchase a nice new wallet and cell phone. Classes also went well, and yesterday I ran 7 miles or so.

I just finished a meeting for a group project for Organizational Behavior and it went much better than I thought it could. We all communicated well (which is saying something since they are all local students), we came up with some good ideas, and we didn't take all night.

Before I went to my group meeting, I went to the library and picked up a few CD's and a couple movies. One is actually the movie adaptation of a book I read a few weeks ago, Barbarians at the Gates (the other one is McCabe and Mrs. Miller, an old Robert Altman movie). I'm not sure if it's gonna be any good, but we'll see.

I also read a great article in The New Yorker called "Rational Irrationality" - it was very interesting. I'm also almost through my third book since I've gotten here. I'm gonna have to reload after the next one...

We have a holiday on Thursday, which is for National Day. This year, there will be extra celebrations, as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC). There are many things happening; today at the mall, there was an exhibit on the stamps of the last 60 years of the PRC. There is also a star-studded movie premiering on Thursday. It is called The Founding of a Republic, and it is a very big deal. It has an Oscar-nominated Chinese director, and it has some of the biggest names in Chinese cinema, including Jet Li and Jackie Chan. I think it also is a source of pride for the people, because when my teacher mentioned it the other day in class, almost simultaneously the entire class cheered. I think I might try to see it, at least if there is a showing with English subtitles, that is. It looks to be quite the epic (trailer here).

Also, in the spirit of the USA, there is a (supposedly) unbelievable fireworks display scheduled for Thursday night. I was originally disappointed that I'm not going away for the long weekend, but now I am rather excited to see the celebrations. There are all sorts of decorations and parties around the campus; I can only imagine how great the city will look. I will be sure to take as many pictures as possible.

That's all for now. I'm glad to see the Bears and BC continue their winning streaks. ESPN GameDay is in Chestnut Hill this weekend for the Florida State game (very disappointed I'm missing that), so keep an eye out for that. Other than that, enjoy the rest of the week.

Mom wanted another post...

So, my mom told me I needed another post. So here it is.

I watched Up yesterday, and it was very good. Today, I watched District 9, which was much better than I thought it was going to be. If you want a couple of movies to see, see those two (and of course Iglourious Basterds). You can find them online and stream them, so you could get them for free if you'd like. I can attach a couple of links if anyone would like...

I got a new octopus card today, so that's good. It's a replacement student card, so at least I can keep the student discount.

Another thought: it's weird that a lot of guys here carry purses. I guess it's a European thing that moved over here.

Something I failed to mention the other day: I went to an Investment Banking presentation the other day. It was interesting, but not a lot of substance outside of the importance of the junior year internship, of which I was already fully aware.

I went out to dinner last night and had a good meal. I had minced chicken meat with green onions in some sort of sauce. I think it was Malaysian. Also, we had prawn cakes to start, which turned out to be really delicious.

I went over 9000 songs: George Harrison, Wings, Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, Frank Zappa, Stan Getz, Lou Reed, and Ornette Coleman pushed me over the edge.

That's about it. Take care, and go Bears.

Bad News

My wallet and cell phone were stolen the other night while I was out. I always wondered why people never felt themselves get pick-pocketed, but I guess now I know how it is. I did not think that this would happen, and I am extremely disappointed that it did happen. Now I have a lot of stuff to organize and get together just to get back to square one. It's a big hassle.

This kinda taints Hong Kong for me, so we'll see how things go from here...

Another Week Begins

I was happy to see the Bears won when I woke up on Monday morning. I'm glad to hear that Jay Cutler might actually be good.

Monday was not very newsworthy. My classes went well, I read the newspaper, my meals weren't that bad. I did manage to run a little, although it was on a treadmill. I only ran for 40 minutes, as I fit in a run between class and a meeting. It was my friend's birthday, so we did go down by the water and hung around there last night. It was very hot, but it was a nice view. I got back and started my new book, A Colossal Failure of Common Sense: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Lehman Brothers. I think it should be pretty interesting. I guess I forgot to mention that I finished The Black Swan, but I did. It was an interesting read, with some very bright spots when the author wrote about finance and investing, but there was also a lot of stuff that could've been cut. I'm glad I read it, but I probably wouldn't give it my highest recommendation.

Today I woke up, showered, and went to my Financial Markets class. We continued to go over bond valuations, something I learned last year, so it wasn't an immensely interesting class. In Organizational Behavior we went over the concept of motivations. I still don't know why this class is part of a business curriculum, as it basically is a class on common sense (i.e. "Don't mistreat your employees; they won't work as hard and they will resent you." Excellent insight). After class I worked out for an hour, came back to my room, showered, and read the newspaper and New Yorker. I then went to dinner, where I had chicken with vegetables (some of which I had never seen before) and rice. It was pretty good. I ate with my friend Eric from BC; we talked a lot about next summer's internship opportunities. We also talked about travelling, and we are talking about going somewhere the weekend of Oct 2 (we have a few days off so I think it would be a good time.) Right now it looks like Vietnam is the front runner, but we shall see, as we need to get a visa before we go. I just did some reading for class tomorrow, and I think I'm now going to continue with my book. Good night. And Morning, I guess.

The Good Meals Continue...

Last night Gunter, Josef (another German), and I went to Sai Kung, which is a little seaside village not too far from school. We walked around for a while, and ended up at a little place on the pier. We sat outside and ordered a five-course set meal. It was a great decision. We had shrimps to start, then we had mussels, then we got mini-lobsters, then some scallops in clam shells with garlic noodles, and then some vegetables as well. It was a really delicious meal. And it cost us less than US$20 per person. It was great.

Afterwards, we went back to campus. I didn't want to go out, and the others agreed. I decided to read my book. I'm almost done - I'm going to finish today.

Today, aside from finishing my book, I have some homework to do, as well as some laundry. Have a good Sunday. Go Bears.

Irish Web Site

I'm not sure if this site is any good, but I stumbled upon it and maybe some of you may find it interesting. If not, sorry for wasting your time.

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/

Another Adventure and Some More Pictures

Gunter and I went into town today, as I was looking for a something for a certain someone with a birthday coming up. First, however, we needed to eat lunch. I took out my Fodor's guidebook, and it was immensely helpful. We went to Good Luck Thai (in Lan Kwai Fung) and had a great meal. And it wasn't very expensive at all. I had a whole coconut for my beverage, and I had some pork fried rice with shrimp, carrots, corn, and olives. It was delicious.

So we were very pleased to have a full belly from a good meal, and we decided to hop back onto the MTR and go to Yau Ma Tei. The Fodor's guide said there was a very cool jade market there, so we wanted to see it for ourselves. We walked around Yau Ma Tei, and it's a nice little place. We eventually made it over to the jade market, and it was very cool. It was in an enclosed area with tons of vendors trying to sell you all sorts of crap. I got a very nice piece though, and I bargained HK$600 off the price, so I think I got a very good price - hopefully. On our way back to the MTR we stopped at Tin Hau Temple, which was very nice for a pagan house of sin.

Tonight we are going out and meeting some friends nearby for a seafood barbecue/buffet. I think it should be good.

In Hong Kong, they have a very smart device called an Octopus Card. It is very much like a Charlie card or a Chicago card for the CTA, as you pay for the MTR with it. With the Octopus, however, you can pay for almost anything. Most stores have a pad which recognizes the Octopus card. I guess it's kinda like a debit card. I also forgot to mention that the Octopus card only charges you depending on how far you go. Say I went in to LKF, I would pay HK$5.4; on the other hand, if I was going to Yau Ma Tei again, I would only pay HK$3.8. It's a very smart system, and I think it's something the US cities should think about.

On another side note, I would like to mention that yesterday, with a little help from Billy Joel, David Bowie, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans, I broke the 8900 song barrier on my iPod. Uncle Jimbo, I'll update your iPod upon my return.

As promised, here's a little background on Hong Kong itself:

Hong Kong (officially, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) is a territory of the PRC (People's Republic of China) with a high degree of autonomy (a policy called "one country, two systems"). Hong Kong therefore has virtually full freedom, except in affairs of foreign policy and defense. Hong Kong keeps its own currency, the Hong Kong dollar, as opposed to the Chinese renminbi. Like China, it also pegs its currency to the dollar, holding the exchange rate at HK$7.75 per US$1. It has one of the most advanced financial systems in the world, ranked only behind New York, London and Tokyo.

For a long time, Hong Kong was a British territory (up until the mid 80s), and finally became part of the PRC in 1997. It is extremely developed, and extremely crowded (as those photos of the towering apartment complexes can attest to): there are seven million people living here in an area that's slightly smaller than New York City. It is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. It is also divided into four regions: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula (where I am), Lantau Island, and the New Territories. As I've mentioned many times before, it is extremely hot and humid here, as it is located directly on the South China Sea, which gives it a tropical climate.

Hope that helps/gives everyone a better idea of exactly where I am in the world.

There's another pic up

I have posted another picture. I think it fully showcases the wonders of globalization. It's quite impressive. (picture here) Also, I just finished watching Inglorious Basterds online (in one of those illegal movie-streaming sites) and it was very good and funny. I would recommend it to anyone who's not easily offended and likes Tarantino-like movies. The food has been good. And I worked out today, so that's good.

I went out last night, and we had a good time. I'm going out tonight. Hopefully I'll have a good time again tonight. I think I'm gonna bring the camera out tonight. Maybe get some good pictures...

Take care. And I hope that the two Whitneys have fun at Homecoming. Go Wolfpack.

Tuesday through Thursday (the food is improving)

My consumption has been significantly better these last few days. For dinner today, I had "pork chop fried spaghetti" and it was very tasty; I also had a nice dinner last night. The thing is, I've been doing the same thing I had been doing: I'm just guessing and hoping that certain dishes are good. I'll probably be back to bad food in a few days...

The weather has been very odd here, probably the remnants of the typhoon. We've had quite a bit of rain, but last night was dry enough that I could go for a run (and I worked out as well yesterday - I was impressed with myself).

Classes are going well. Today was a little long, though. I was in class from 12-6:30pm, with only three 10 minute breaks all day. I've been keeping up with the work, although there doesn't seem to be too much. Hopefully it stays that way.

There's really not much to update. I've been able to talk to a few friends at BC, so at least they won't forget about me. That's really all there is. I'm off to take a shower and I might go out, as it is the weekend, at least it is for me...

My First Real Typhoon

Monday, a level 8 typhoon warning was issued at about 4:30 in the afternoon. At the time, I was in a meeting to discuss the study abroad fair (we international students set up booths presenting our home universities to the local students here). After I left, I went with my friend, Susanne (from BC), to the store, as the dining facilities are shut down, along with the rest of the university, during a level 8 warning. Everyone seemed to have the same idea to go to the store, but it didn't take that long. Gunter joined me, and we just got a few apples, some peanut butter and jelly, some bread, and a thing of soup (clam chowder). There were people in the store preparing for the apocalypse, so we asked if we needed to do the same. The warning was to be lifted, we were told, by noon or so Tuesday, so neither of us really saw the need to stock up on too many things. We came back to the room, and it was basically just another day. The wind and rain was very impressive, but it didn't really affect me. I was able to watch Mad Men, do some homework, and continue with my book. I would say I had a pretty good evening.

Today I only had one class (OB), as my noon class was cancelled due to the warning not being lifted until 11am. I had a nice roast chicken sandwich and some iced tea for lunch, and I read the FT. I then went to the gym to watch a video that would allow me to use the facilities. This video was extremely boring, as it went through every possible exercise one could do in a gym one by one. I'm not an expert, but I surely do not need that kind of instruction. I continued my FT reading throughout the video, needless to say. I'm hoping to run tonight, but the rain is being pretty persistent. We are no longer under a level 8 warning (I think it's a level 1 - the typhoon seems to have passed some time in the early morning). Hope the weather is better back in Chicago.

P.S. - Here's a nice song I stumbled upon recently: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hircSEEbw_8

An Interesting Article

If you have any extra time, here is a very interesting article from the New Yorker by Malcolm Gladwell about the full court press. It's quite good: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/11/090511fa_fact_gladwell?currentPage=all

The Weekend

Friday: Didn't do too much. I played some basketball, and every thought as to the skill level of Asians was confirmed in just a few games. They don't play from an early age, so I guess it's not surprising that they aren't very talented. It was fun to play, though, as I hadn't played in a little while. The jumper is still there. Afterwards, I showered. I didn't go out, as I didn't really want to do so, so I stayed in and read. I'm enjoying my book.

Saturday: I didn't really feel like eating breakfast, so I didn't. And that not eating turned out to be my best meal of the day. Lunch looked like someone blew their nose into a plate and served it to me. I ate a little and then got a sandwich.

Gunter and I went out with some people we know to dinner (per Mom's instructions, the names of these individuals: Angelique from France, Laticia from Switzerland, Wolfgang, Dominic, and Josef, all from Germany), in a place downtown called TST (I'm really not sure what it stands for, but I'll just go with it). We went to a little dive on the side of the street. Everyone enjoyed their meal, except for me, as I got beef in soup with noodles. I, however, failed to realize this: beef (US)= beef and beef (China)=cow. I got a couple pieces of meat, a lot of pieces of stomach, and a lot of pieces of God knows what. It was either tendons or cartilage or an udder or something. So Saturday wasn't my best day in terms of eating.

After "dinner" we walked around TST, and it's quite an interesting place. There are people all along the street trying to sell you Rolexes, designer hand bags, and massages. I also had some woman ask me if I like beautiful women. I'm not sure what that meant, but I politely declined and hurried away. Aside from that it's a nice place - it's much more China than the other areas to which I have been up until now. I did manage to find a nice tailor there, where I can get a tailored suit for pretty cheap (less than US$150). So that was good.

After walking around for a bit, we went to a bar on the 30th floor of some hotel. The view was spectacular - you were able to see the entire harbor and surrounding buildings. I guess they priced that view into the drinks: there were eight of us there, we each had one drink, and our final bill was over US$100. But it was nice I guess.

When we got back I was very tired. I'm not sure if I have mentioned this, but my roommate Gunter has been kinda sick lately. Last night he couldn't stop coughing, which made falling asleep particularly difficult. I got into bed around 2:30, didn't get to sleep until after 7:30 (and the sunrise) and woke up at 12. I was not a very happy camper this morning. I did however manage to drag myself to lunch with a friend (another German, Johannes). For lunch, I had a club sandwich, and it was one of the best things I've had here yet. That really brightened the outlook on the day. Then it was off to the library. I was able to read the weekend FT, get all my work done, and print out all the handouts I need for the week in a pretty short amount of time. I was pleased. I then came back to my room. That's where I am now. It just started raining pretty well, so I'm not sure what the dinner plans are yet. Hope everyone has a nice, relaxing Sunday. Go Bears. And how about that BC football team?

I Survived my First Typhoon Warning

So yesterday (Thurday) we had our first Typhoon warning of the semester. It was a level 3. I guess at level 8 the school shuts down and it recommends you stock up on food. The level 3 warning, however, just included high winds and a little rain. It was the equivalent of any old windy day in Chicago. Needless to say I wasn't too worried.

I wanted to start with that. Now, for an update on the week:

Monday: Gunter is sick, with a cold, which means that he would prefer if we didn't use the A/C. This made for a pretty sleepless week; 85 degrees with 95% humidity is not a combination which makes for good sleep. This was a little annoying, but I guess I would do the same.

Tuesday: I had my two classes, Intro to Financial Markets and Organizational Behavior, neither of which deem a story. Except in my OB class I am the only white person, and one of only two international students, so I kinda stand out. The professor sometimes makes a joke and everyone will laugh, except for me. The professor is nice enough to explain it to me, as the entire class turns to gawk at me. In that class I now appreciate Caitlyn's experience in Beijing. After class I went on a run and an outdoor workout. The running seems to be getting better with each successive run. Dinner that night was curry chicken fried rice, which was pretty good.

Wednesday: Breakfast was lovely: two eggs over medium, two pieces of bacon, and a slice of toast. I found a place that will serve that everyday, so when I get sick of weetabix, I will be going there quite often. I then made my first journey into the library for some reading and studying. The library is quite nice, and it looks out onto the water. So I sat with my back to that so as not to get distracted. I was in the library until my film class began, at 3. We talked about "The Killers" which is a short story by Ernest Hemingway. I enjoy this class because it is not too demanding and we read and watch good stories and movies. We also began watching the 1946 version, which was a departure from the story but altogether very enjoyable, at least for me. I don't think the rest of my class was quite as keen as I was on a movie from the 40s. I went back to the library after class, just to finish up all my reading for the week. Wednesday night's dinner was seafood fried rice Thai style, which wasn't too appetizing. I regret to inform everyone that I had to get a burger at McDonald's afterwards, but I actually walked to the counter and didn't have it delivered. I went to bed early that night, only after reading some more of my new book.

Thursday: My big day: I am in class from 12-6:30. But I stayed awake in all my classes, as they were all able to keep my interest. The last hour of classes, however, my film class finished up the movie, so that was a nice little break. I was disappointed, though, as Thursday was my first day since getting here that I was not able to get the Financial Times. I don't think they deliver when the area is under a Typhoon warning. After class, I had shrimp dumplings with noodles in broth for dinner, which was pretty tasty. When I got back to my room, I didn't really feel like doing much. I answered some emails, read my book, and just went around on the internet. At 10:30, however, I got a call from my friend, so naturally I went out. And I am very glad I did, because I had a lot of fun. It was another first for me: my first "club." I wasn't expecting too much, but I knew a lot of people there, and everyone had a good time I think. I took a cab back with some girls I know, and they complained about being hungry. Nothing was open, so they were mad, until I jokingly mentioned that McDonald's delivered. Sure enough, that was just what they wanted. So now I know a few people who have had McDonald's delivery.

Friday: Up until now, I have done some laundry and sent out an administrative email for a group project. I'm kinda having a lazy day. And Happy Birthday, Mom.

Sunday and Monday

Nothing too important or interesting from either of these days. Yesterday (Monday) I had two classes. I read the newspaper. I read a chapter from one of my textbooks. The only exciting news would be that I finished my book, Barbarians at the Gate. I really enjoyed it. Now I'm gonna start The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. I have two classes today, after which I think I will go for a run.

I've never mentioned this, and I think everyone would find it amusing: There is a McDonald's on campus. Also, McDonald's delivers here. I think that's when you know you've hit bottom when you call to have McDonald's delivered.

Very Cool

This is a picture, taken from space, of the world's light usage. I just thought it was a very cool picture. http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#29rDNr/www.redrat.net/blackhole/earthlights.htm/

Friday and Saturday

As promised, the unabridged version of my weekend (Sunday seems to be a pretty uneventful day, save doing laundry).

Friday Gunter and I went to IKEA to finish furnishing the room. I picked up a mattress pad (absolutely essential as the mattresses are very thin here), a bowl (for the morning weetabix), a blanket (which turned out to just be another sheet), and a laundry rack. We came back and ate dinner, which turned out to be my favorite dinner I've had here yet. I got tuna from the mart and just ordered broccoli and rice, mixing the three. Very enjoyable. We then went into town again, as it was the weekend. We just walked around for most of the night, finally settling at a small bar on the main drag. I drank what is now one of my favorite beers: Erdinger (from Germany). After one beer we went back and went to sleep for what promised to be a big day on Saturday.

As you can see from the pictures, Saturday was indeed a big day. HKUST organized a trip for all international students to visit Stanley Market and Victoria Peak. Stanley Market involved a lot of walking around and just looking at all the stuff being sold. We had some fruit to start out the trip, both of which I had never seen before: lychee and mangostine. Very odd-looking but very delicious (mangostine here:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPAJPlZrEszDuAP2ZK7B5AvbeoNkc4I7o6W_PiBmqJzWk7Ug88YCrdQguZIIe9R08bIpvjli_oY4HBwJ_nau4OKmntCl7dDjgsNQiTLPUtTZbT3inCxR0TS-tdXC61_UwvDifv2WdfQ/s400/mangostine.jpg and lychee here: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Lychee_600.jpg). We then walked around and did some shopping. I bought a couple things, including a very nice silk tie, for the equivalent of $1.30. I love the prices here. We also had a great lunch here: a real steak with broccoli, cauliflower, and good french fries. It was much better than my last "steak" adventure.

Victoria Peak was also very nice. The view is really amazing; you can see the entire city. It's incredible just how many buildings can fit in such a small place. Aside from the view, there is also a mall there (of course) and some restaurants. I didn't care about either of those, so we didn't stay too long.

Saturday night found us once again in Lan Kwai Fung. We did some drinking, some walking, and some clubbing. It was all very fun - we even found a bar that only played music from the 80s, which had been something I wanted to find. All in all a great night. We took a cab back to campus (as the MTR stops at 12:30) and went to bed shortly thereafter.

Which brings us to today, Sunday, which holds some reading, some laundry, and some homework. Bye for now.

Post Script: I failed to mention that I purchased my textbooks on Friday. This expense is typically one of my biggest, as the bill has never failed to dip below $500. This time, however, I purchased three textbooks for $90. I was very pleased.

I also ran on Friday, and it went quite well. I did about 3.5 miles, which Gunter convinced me would be about 10 miles in a milder climate. So at least I can keep up the training...

More pictures are now up

We traveled around today seeing some sites. Yesterday (as in Friday) was a day full of house-keeping things. I'll update tomorrow.

I put another picture up

There is another picture on the link I put up a couple days ago. It's a picture of the view from my room. (Here's the direct link: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30864234&id=1155931343)

Ten Things I've Learned About Hong Kong (pt. 1)

1. Not everyone speaks English

I was fully under the impression that everyone here was fluent in English and more than willing to speak it. That is not the case. I would say less than 25% of people here can speak passing English. Even the students cannot speak English very well, even though all their classes are in English. It's very odd.

2. Never order a "sirloin steak"

I don't know what kind of meat it was, but it wasn't anything I've ever seen, or tasted, before. The food on whole is pretty lacking, that is unless you want a bowl of meat, noodles, and fried eggs for every meal. (sidenote: the eggs are also always served sunny side up, and they are not cooked all the way through. Not very appetizing) I bought some breakfast food and some peanut butter and jelly. They even have milk. Thank God for that.

3. You never need hot water

It is so hot here that I have yet to take a hot, or even warm, shower. Cold showers are a must.

4. Asian people are loud

It's really surprising how loud the locals talk to one another. They basically shout. I thought I was going to go insane in the elevator the other day because every person in there, aside from myself, was talking, actually yelling, at the person standing next to them.

5. Asians are not into physical activity

I don't know how Americans got the reputation for being lazy, but Asians are terrible. No one works out. No one would ever dream of taking the stairs. It's really surprising, coming from the hyperactive campus of BC, to see students take the elevator up, or even worse, down one level.

6. Time is relative

I am very anal about getting places, especially class, on time. The local students, however, see no problem strolling into class 40, 50 or even 60 minutes late in a class that only 80 minutes. The professors don't even say anything to them. I would have a fit if I were in their shoes.

7. But academics are still #1

It's kinda disconcerting to see a student walking out of the library at 11pm on the first day of class.

8. People are extremely friendly, except the people living in my dorm

Most people have been very nice to this little lost foreigner, but the locals living in my hall are not. They don't smile back when I walk past in the hall. I might just stop trying altogether.

9. Running is extremely difficult

The air here, no matter what time you go running, is extremely thick and moist. It is very hard to run in conditions like that. I went running on Tuesday night and had to stop after twenty minutes because I thought I was gonna pass out. I think I have to slowly acclimate myself to the air.

10. International students are great

I've met a lot of great people since my arrival, and I am very glad for that.

Updates from the rest of the week...

Wednesday: First day of Operations Management at 9am. Nothing too spectacular. The professor seems to be pretty good - he did graduate from Wharton. After class I had lunch with Gunter (my roommate) and then I had class again at 2pm. This class is called "Literary Classics in Visual Culture" and it's basically a film class. I think it will be a good class, but I think we overwhelmed the professor a little. There are six international students in a fourteen-person class, and we all have a liberal arts background (read: we all know a little about literature). He is used to working with science and engineering students. He said at the end that the course might be tweaked a little to coincide with the higher quality of students. I'm thinking it's gonna be a good class.

Thursday: A big day. Four classes. I've already reported on my first two classes (OB and Financial Markets) and the last one (Film), but the my third class of the day might turn out to be my favorite. It is called Anthropology of Food - basically, "we are using food as a lens into different cultures and societies." Also, the professor for this course is excellent: he is a visiting professor from Harvard. And he seems to be a really nice guy.

So after these classes I went back to my room to read a little. After, Gunter and I went to an orientation dinner for our hall. The food was pretty good, but there really wasn't enough of it. After this, we met up with some of our other friends and went into the city (mind, I don't have any class on Fridays, so Thursday night is now a weekend-night.) We went into Central and proceeded to Lan Kwai Fung. I had never been there before, but I was told it was the place to be at night. And it lived up to its reputation. There were lots of lights and LOTS of people (mostly ex-pats and non-locals) milling around in the streets and in the bars. We did not go into any bars because they are kinda expensive. We did, however, go into what seemed to be its own bar: 7-Eleven. Here, they sell beer by the bottle, open it for you at the counter, and you are allowed to drink it while walking around the streets. It was very enjoyable walking around with a beer just seeing everything (that was the point of our excursion). We met some more students and continued walking around until about midnight. Then we took the MTR (train) back to campus and went to bed. All around a great evening.

And here I am on Friday, with a full list of things to do and a full day to do them.