Details - HK Exchange

So I’m going to Malaysia tomorrow! And I know that I will probably have a lot to say about that when I get back, so I figured I should write more about what’s been going on here since my last two posts haven’t covered the half of it.

So I started classes, and it’s been an interesting time. I kind of feel like in high school because this university is almost three times smaller than Ottawa U, and the classes are very small compared to what I’m used to. It also feels like high school because I can’t go anywhere without seeing people I know. It’s actually quite fun. I see almost all my friends everyday on purpose as well as accidentally. It really brings me back to the high school days.

It’s also hilarious because, in a couple of my classes, I’m the only exchange student, so I’m really the odd one out. Although I’m a redhead and I should know what it feels like to be the odd one out, I’ve never felt this kind of thing. Making groups was difficult. In all of my courses (except for mandarin) I have a group presentation. When it came to the time to create a group, I was expecting to just look at the people next to me and say “Hey, wanna be in a group?” and they would be like “Yeah!”

Nope… didn’t work that way hahaha. So I look at the people next to me, looking like a fregen lama in a field of sheep. They are just looking around the class, completly avoiding eye contact with me. So when I ask them if they already have a group they say “uuhh I think so, I think so” even though they definitely do NOT have a group…and continue to avoid eye contact with me trying to form groups with others. LOL #fail

But if you think that’s bad, my spanish friend Gemma told me that when she asked people if she could be in their group they actually told her “No, no, no.” Hahaha I found that hilarious.

So anyways people eventually came up to me asking me if I wanted to be with them, but I’m pretty sure the teacher asked them to do that lol. awkward. This was after she straight up pointed at me and said “You don’t speak cantonese. Where are you from? What do you think of this?” And obviously this had to be in the only class that has over 100 people. Til this day she continues to ask my opinion on everything we talk about in class. And another weird thing she does is randomly start speaking to the class in cantonese. So I may be missing half of the lecture due to language barrier. I’m not sure.

Talking to local Hong Kong students is great though. I remember one of the first conversations I had with a local, me and 3 other exchangers were asking him about going out to bars. He said he didn’t know much about the bars in Hong Kong because he doesn’t go out very often! So we asked him “oh how many times do you go out?? Twice a month?” and he just says “Hmmm twice a year.”

TWICE A YEAR??? Seriously??? Jeez, no wonder locals don’t wanna be in projects with us, they think were alcoholics!! Exchange students here go out maybe 3 times a week!! We thought this was hilarious so we asked okay well what about birthdays? You have to do something fun for your friends birthdays right? And he said “Yeah, we make a cake, and we put whip cream on eachothers faces.” And he goes on to say that going out and drinking is a “bad habit”. We couldn’t stop laughing. That guy is awesome, his name is Andy.

So I’ve somehow become friends with a lot of people from France and I hang out with them a lot, and we speak french to each other!! I love it because I am learning so many french expressions and almost starting to speak like them, but they LAUGH at me SO MUCH because of my Canadian accent. I can’t say a sentence in french without Emilie looking at me with a smirk… They say “Non c'est mignon, c'est mignon!!!” But really, I know they are just laughing at me! Haha

There’s almost too much more to say and I don’t know where to start…

I’ve met extended family of mine that live in Hong Kong. SUCH a nice Irish family, so lucky to have met them! I visited Victoria peak and it was AMAZING…. the view of the city from the mountain during the day was stunning but once night fell it was beyond words! Such a great time going up there with the tram and I’m just so happy to be surrounded with such cool, funny people. My last post about hikes didn’t mention the first hike I did; Dragon’s back. Which was beautiful!!! I didn’t mention that one because it was just a perfect beautiful hike, nothing crazy! But I mean we did end at a beach and there were tones of people surfing which was cool. I went to the beach and jokingly told my friends we should build a sand castle and they went on to build the most epic sandle castle I’ve ever seen. I’ve practiced ping pong and badminton almost every Friday, I visited the 1000 Buddha’s Monastery and saw monkeys for the first time here, I’ve eaten plenty of delicious food, despite what Daryo thinks. I’ve tried a wasabi shot (wasabi, tequila, tomate juice), I’ve been to all kinds of markets in Hong Kong, I got a selfie stick (no shame), I’ve had countless Monday Billy Boozer nights (bar walking distance from campus), I’ve learnt my chinese name, I’ve been to the 63rd floor of the IFC Tower, I’ve been to the carnival on Hong Kong island that had really fun rides right in the city center. And this may or may not have made me the most excited/happy person in the world. (My friends thought I was crazy.) Also I convinced Justin to go on a ride with me and the entire time he yelled “I hate you Dani!! I hate you!! Fuck you Dani!!!” while I was just laughing hysterically. It wasn’t even that much of a crazy ride! Anyways, that’s all I can think of right now.

I’m really enjoying my time here, it’s going WAAAAY too fast, I don’t want it to be over so soon! Have to wake up early for flight to Malaysia! Good night world!

#HongKong #Exchange #Studyabroad