Matcha, Mustangs, and Mountains

I think that as I post more and more, I begin to better identify why I am writing at all. For one thing, it's helpful for me, to spend the time to make my journal entries readable for an audience, and not just myself. Alternatively, I think that by posting my experiences as they happen I can provide a more honest opinion of the summer (for those who are interested), as opinions always get so distorted over time. I also think that I can use this blog to express my own opinions on various aspects of my experience here. My posts will likely fall into two categories (or I guess somewhere in the middle): posts about experiences, and thoughts about experiences.

This post itself (as I think most of the ones so far have been), is largely a post about my experiences (plus pictures) of the past week.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The 8 of us took 4 lessons in survival cantonese - this entailed learning basic grammar, tones, numbers, and simple verbs. But really, now I know how to make Hong Kongers laugh by attempting counting to ten (it really gets them every time).

We got Cantonese Class Attendance Certificates (Picture Credits: Prof. Ming Lee)

I don't know if this occurs every Wednesday, but on Wednesdays there is horse racing in the Happy Valley race track. I went with 2 friends to the race track, thinking that at the very least it would be something new.

Well, you know the scene in My Fair Lady where Audrey Hepburn gets too excited at the horse racing and starts shouting at the horses (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r86BJkLZp9w , for those who don't keep up with the classics) - that's essentially what the horse races in Hong Kong are like, except there are a thousand or so Hong Kongers milling around you and shouting. I really thought that the horse races weren't going to be that exciting but I realized my folly as soon as the first horses started coming round the bend of the first race. The first thing that happens in the race is you feel everyone start to get alert and ready, then you start to hear the thunderous pounding from the horses and the lightning-like cracking of whips from the jockey. The horses come up to the straight-away where you're standing and the crowd around you explodes shouting numbers in languages you don't understand. And then it's over.
You wait 25 minutes, and it starts all over again.
It was pretty exciting, and I would post a video of the race, but I am pretty embarrassed about the quality of my own commentary, and also my phone ran out of memory just as the horses got to where we were (I know... ridiculous.)

Also, I know those aren't mustangs, it was just the only horse-related word I could come up with that began with M).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

On Friday June 24th, we explored Sai Kung region. It was pretty interesting, but nothing out of the ordinary for Hong Kong. Although, we did go to a Michelin Restaurant:

It just said Michelin.

Honestly, the big thing about Sai Kung is the various sea animals they had.

Arrrrrg

<\Insert phrase that could apply to both fish or Roy\>; and on the right we have a big fish

Additionally, I now have a Chinese name: Ngoh Haih Dia Hung (I am Big Bear).


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, June 25th, at 9 am I rolled out of bed and went to a place called Mira Mall with 2 friends from my program. At the mall we passed one 2-Michelin star restaurant and one 1-Michelin star restaurant, so I guess it is interesting that in Hong Kong such restaurants have a place in a relatively regular Mall.

At ~11:30, we went to this famous Matcha-themed restaurant that opened at noon to find that there was already a line of around 20 people ahead of us (Matcha is a kind of green tea powder). After we finally got into the restaurant, we ordered a bunch of Matcha things.
I only add this part in because when the menu came, the server asked us if we want Matcha Mochi (glutinous rice), telling us that they only make 16 orders of them a day.

Parfait

"No thank you" - us-
"we only make 16 of these a day." - server-
"Okay, we will have one" -us-

(RIPS Official Matcha Photography Photo Credits: Nancy Ho)

Kowloon Peak

I don't know how much was planned, and how much was really ad-libbed, but for one reason or another a group of 4 people (including myself) converged at a very peaceful garden by a nunnery: Picture.

You can't really hear the traditional Chinese music, but let me tell you - it was playing. That being established, I think this was essentially the implementation of any stereotypes of Asia that I had. Meticulous care of a zen-ful garden, while traditional music is played, and gardeners wear asian conical hats.

After meeting at the garden, we in essence looked around, pointed to the highest thing we could see, and proceeded to walk towards it until we reached the peak. When I left home in the morning, I had no expectations to climb/hike anything, I even debated wearing flip flops. There isn't too much to say here; except maybe to say, "look at these crazy views", or "look at this crazy bug", or "We should have packed more water".

Crazy bug battle going on over here

Panoramaaaaaaaa

One of the first clearings - the views only got better

I don't know how this guy got in the shot

This is probably the most characteristic difference between Hong Kong and any other city I've been in, specifically NYC - that regardless of the city life, roads, and general civilization, Hong Kong is on an island. There are peaks everywhere, and you can find wildlife everywhere. We really did just start walking out of the city, and we got to a mountain top; I was at a mall less than 2 hours before these shots.

Closer to the Peak 

Hong Kong is this hot, humid place that has unapologetically thrown itself at both Eastern and Western cultures. There are many parts of Hong Kong that feel just as hectic and city-like as European/American cities that I have visited, but I think the big difference is that there are frequent places in Hong Kong that you feel completely unstressed, and calm (at least I do). I think that in its integration with the West, Hong Kong has remained without a doubt an eastern city- perhaps because it was under British control for so long, and not under Chinese control, the city's inhabitants were allowed to keep many parts of their culture in their own kind of bubble. On the other hand, I've done no real research on the intricate balance of British and Chinese influences on Hong Kong.




I actually didn't take that many photos, cause I only brought my Iphone, but I will post the photos that other people took as I get them, so this post will be updated with more photos.