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.

Pictures

Here is a facebook link to a few pictures from my first few days.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024734&id=1155931343&ref=mf

The Adapter has been Found (A Roommate too...)

Well, the search for the adapter has ended. I just got two at the store and I am very happy here with my computer fully charged and my iPod dock playing music.

Anyways...

When I returned from the on-campus bar (yes, there's a bar on campus) last night I met my roommate for the first time. His name is Gunter and he is from Germany. He's also studying finance and accounting. When I finished class today we met in the atrium of the school and went to the mall in town. That is where the wonderful adapters came from.

Today was also a big day for another reason: the first day of classes. I had Intro to Financial Markets at noon today and Organizational Behavior at 1:30. I like both of my professors; they both seem to like their subjects and can convey that to the students. The classes themselves also seem interesting. So we'll see how the rest of the semester goes. Tomorrow I have a film class and Operations Management.

Per Caitlyn's wishes, the food. So far I really haven't had much of an appetite. I am able to get eggs and some toast for breakfast, which is a relief. The rest of the meals have not been too bad. Mostly just the same kind of stuff you could get from any Chinese restaurant: meat and/or vegetables with rice or noodles. Nothing spectacular and nothing too terrible. The drinks are kinda lacking, though. I haven't had a glass of milk here yet, and I'm having to drink more coffee. Maybe I'll get some milk after my run, which I am going to do now.