Biking in Nam Sang Wai

Alright, it's been almost two weeks since I arrived, and I'm not completely adjusted yet (blame the food at the Lingnan canteen...). I have been able to do a bit of exploring while also getting to know some of the other exchange and local students here.
The above photo is from a biking tour I took a few days after arriving. We went to a suburb of Hong Kong called Yuen Long to rent bikes. We then rode to Nam Sang Wai, also called the Hong Kong Wetlands. The ride was a blast, and the scenery was beautiful. While stopping regularly to sample food prepared and sold by local farmers, we met a large turtle named Wai Wai. A few of us tried to get to know him a little better by picking him up. At this point his mood began to deteriorate rapidly...

 
At the end of the ride we took turns crossing the river in a small boat and headed back into town to eat a traditional Hong Kong meal called Pun Choi, a large bowl of assorted meats and vegetables placed in the middle of the table and shared by all.

The six of us at the table were only able to finish about half of the food.

...And here's a pic of me standing next to a sign that probably says something like "This guy is most definitely a tourist."

All in all, it was a great bike tour and a good first impression of the suburban area near HK. 

Journey To Asia - 12 January 2011

So, the South Korean INCHEON International Airport is completely ridiculous! There  are various internet cafes, a 24-hour Transit Hotel, individual television booths, and leather lounge chairs that face the dramatic mountain/ocean scenery of Seoul. In the terminal area there are floor to ceiling outward-pointing glass walls next to which I witnessed several groups of Chinese men playing cards. I'm not in Kansas any more...

On the plane from Seoul to Hong Kong, I sat next to a middle-aged piano teacher from Shenzhen, a large town located just across the border separating the Chinese mainland from Hong Kong. She was incredibly patient with me as I practiced my very broken Mandarin for nearly the whole flight.

Thankfully customs took very little time, and I was able to spend some time talking to April via Skype before meeting up with the welcome party from Lingnan University. Also arriving were two students from Denmark, one from Sweden, another from France, and one more from Mexico -- which means I'll be able to get some practice in Spanish as well while I'm here.

The welcome party dropped me off at my dorm so I could settle in. Y'all, this place is small. The pictures make it look way bigger than it really is, believe me...

These pictures show my half of the room, which I'm sharing with a student from Hong Kong whose English name is Peter.
Peter gave me a tour of the Lingnan campus as well as some important places where I can shop and eat just outside the campus. We're located in a suburb northwest of Hong Kong proper, but there are still skyscrapers everywhere. This place is pretty overwhelming! I took some pics but my camera doesn't do it justice.

The buildings you see are public housing for low-income families.

Everything feels very different here. Despite Hong Kong's capitalist reputation, the Chinese government's influence can be seen. It is obvious that most construction projects are government planned, and this makes for an interesting public dynamic. The pace of life in the part of town where I am is quite relaxed, and I'm feeling like that is something I could get used to for the next few months.


Looks like I'm going to have a good time here, and I can already tell I'm going to learn quite a bit!