再见 香港中国大学.

I have finally finished exams and although I'm quite certain I was one of the last exchange students to finish I'm glad because it's been nice to just relax at CUHK. This semester has been unbeleivable, a time each and everyone of us will remember forever and definitely not because of the "study" part of study abroad. Thank you to everyone who was on exchange with me, thank you to everyone I travelled with and a huge thank you to the local students, especially Summer, for helping me out whenever I needed it!

Now to pack, drink and explore Asia for the next two months. So exciting!

The Land of the Red Tape

Looking back at Beijing a week later with a stuffy nose it seems like a bit of a blur. So much was forced into four days that it is impossible to remember every detail, but the one thing that stands out the most is the bureaucracy and tradition that dominates the way one of the biggest global powers runs itself.

Our journey to Beijing started at a horrible time of day, getting up at 5am so we could catch the first train across the border, only to find that immigration doesn't even open until 630am. It's safe to say that once we finally made it through immigration it was a mad dash to the Shenzhen airport. It all worked out in the end though, getting us to Beijing a little after 12. Our frustrations with China started the very first day as we were told previously we had to confirm our flights home and then when we got to Beijing no one could help us and everyone sent us to different desks. We gave up eventually and headed for the bus into the centre of the city, which conveniently enough dropped us at the airport offices and we finally confirmed our return flight. After jumping in an overpriced cab, we headed to Leo's hostel, which although we were only heading there to book the secret wall tour, we ended up just booking a room there as the location was phenomenal and in the end the room was perfect, other than getting locked inside one morning.... The rest of the day was spent exploring the city. Starting at Tiannemen Square, which takes a lot of effort to get into as it's a labyrinth of underground tunnels and security networks, we walked through the huge open space, contemplating the history that one place can have. We then headed across to the Forbidden City which had already shut up shop for the day, and so wandered around the high walls and moat imaging what it must have been like to live in that sort of extravagance, it was incredible! At the Northern end of the forbidden city is Beihai Park, which was a retreat built for the emperors of China when life inside the city got too hard. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been living in such extravagance. Anyway, the park is really beautiful, surrounded by high walls and a man made river, and the building in the centre has such intricate artwork on all the wooden panels and the lanterns are beautiful! By the time we were finished exploring the park it was dark and cold and so we headed back to around our dorm for dinner, where we found a great place that was clearly popular with the locals. The food was great but the best part was our waiter exchanging language tips with us.

Day two was equally jam packed. It once again started early with us catching a bus to an area of the Great Wall of China. We were on the secret wall tour, which is more of a hike than a tourist wonderland as the wall is falling/or has fallen apart and there is not another tourist for miles in every direction. It was amazing to experience the wall by ourselves and see it as it should be today, not the manufactured tourist version which comes complete with cable cars. Having said that though, when I return to Beijing it will be cool to visit a different part of the wall and see it in all its former glory. Our guide was by far the highlight for me. A seventy something superstar woman who spoke no English and was fitter than each of us 20year olds combined. She was amazing and such a sweet little lady. The feast we ate in her village was also incredible with at least fifteen dishes filling us after our exhausting trek. Once we got back to the city, Kristal and I went to a Chinese acrobatics show. It was incredible, vaguely reminiscent of cirque du solei but on a budget and with very little safety regulations. Like Cirque it's impressive the things the human body can do if it's been trained properly. My favourite segment was probably the delicacy conveyed with one piece of silk and two Chinese performers swinging from the rafters. A few shots of rice wine (40% petrol tasting hard liquor) later and another early night saw us curled up before 10pm.

Day three was our day to cram thousands of years of culture into some eight hours. We started early, catching a 730am bus to the Summer Palace. Catching the local bus was definitely the cheapest option but also not the quickest. Almost two hours later we finally arrived, and it was phenomenal. the palace itself is built on the bank of a river with the idea being it was a cooler retreat for the aristocracy during Beijing's long hot summers. The property is huge, with i'm sure thousands of rooms, each one holding a specific purpose. There is a room dedicated just to where Empress Dowager Cixi kept her birthday gifts from foreign diplomats, unbelievable. My favourite part of the palace however sits upon the top of the hill. It is a Buddhist shrine that I have no doubt Cixi never ventured to at all because the woman was large and the stair are immense. It's the though that counts I guess. Next on the list was Olympic Park. It took such effort to get there but once we finally did the birds nest was impressive, while the water cube looked tiny in comparison. We payed to get inside both, which is intirely unnecessary but fun none the less. I also became a tourism attraction myself getting asked to take photos with a few Chinese tourists along the way. Olympic Park is another example of Chinese bureaucracy though, with everything being roped off and tourists having to walk around in circles to find ticket boxes, entries and exits. Finally, we ventured to the Temple of Heaven. It was such a beautifully intricate temple that really stands out from other temples in Asia, so of course jumping photos were had. A good hour of walking in circles attempting to find the underground city later, we gave up and settled for dinner and a movie.

There were originally big aspirations for day four, but after 4 nights lacking sleep it all seemed like a lot of effort, so we just did the "must sees". We headed back to the forbidden city, actually going inside it and walking around the maze of buildings. The place is huge and if you were a real Chinese history fanatic you could spend hours searching the place, we didn't do this however and just did an hour walk through. To someone who knows very little about the palace, it all looked the same, despite this, it's a beautiful place, kind of stale and I can see why the royal family disappeared in summer, but really cool. We then went searching (kind of) for the underground city again and gave up when we came across starbucks. A cup of hot coffee later and we were on the airport express and before we knew it Hong Kong.

Beijing is an amazing place, enriched with such history and culture. Four days there is not enough and it is easy to see why it is such a must see location within China and the world. I really enjoyed it, although it is easy to see why it frustrates so many people.

Pictures:

Kristal and myself in Ti'annemen Square

Me in a watchtower on the Secret Wall Tour

The tourist attraction and the Bird's Nest

Photo taken at the Chinese Acrobatic Show, Beijing.

Northern Vietnam

Day one in Hanoi is somewhat of a blur, mainly because of the speed at which everything had to be done to get to avoid missing the train to Sapa. Nothing of any real substance occured other than the laying down of millions of dollars in train tickets and halong bay tours...

The train to Sapa was horrible, ten times worse than the trains in China, with chewing gum stuck to light fixtures, coat hooks and every part of the roof. Being on the top bunk I got to experience all this first hand and with someones old stale saliva an inch from my nose. Glad to say however the train back from Sapa was a lot nicer, so it definitely comes down to luck of the draw and short of having cash to spare it's really your only legitimate option. Sapa is a beautiful little town though, an after the mini bus to get there was free of extortion which is so typical of Vietnam. Our hostel, or hotel more like, was one of the highlights, two beds, private bathroom, centre square location and really nice owners cost us $8US, and split between three, I think I can handle that... After checking in and eating breakfast we started our day, finishing the trek some seven hours later but seeing an amazing countryside. We did what I believe is the typical tourist hike and had a group of three local girls follow us down out of the city in the hopes we'd go to their village, or alternatively buy crappy souveniers from them. The latter didn't occur but we did go to the village of Lao Chai and eat lunch there. Although the village is nice and the locals are helpful the hike back up the Sapa was by far the most rewarding part of the entire journey, even if it was ridiculously hard work. The trek back takes you through the rice terraces allowing you to immerse yourself amongst the livestock, village kids and impressive scenery, and set high above a huge stream, it's hugely impressive. It would have been nice to have more time in Sapa and do a trek in the other direction to see the other side of the North, but we didn't so spent the second day exploring the tiny town of Sapa, hanging out in the markets, buying tiny Asian sized trackies that have officially become my favourite pants in the whole wide Asia... that I own. The trip back to Hanoi was nice, other than the honey gang spilling honey all over my bed.

Once back to Hanoi it was virtually straight onto a bus to Halong Bay. We booked the "delux" tour and it was amazing, well worth the 60US, especially when you factor in the torturous stories that are affiliated with the "on a budget" Halong tours. Two lunchs, one dinner, one breakfast, a really nice bed and bathroom, kayaking and a cave tour, not to mention the picturesque views and I was in heaven. The kayaking was definitely a highlight of this entire semester and other than the usual, "you need to pay, even though you already have" bullshit it was remarkable. We even saw monkeys and got to paddle through a cave. Basically Halong Bay is beautiful and even though it is completely over run with junks and tourists the natural beauty is insumountable. It probably could have been better however if the Frenchies on our boat weren't stuck up and would actually talk to us...

Hanoi city is a huge place, but for a tourist it is cut into a quarter of the size and hence the "old quarter" is where we spent all our time. For the tourist on the go, two full days is plenty, but it is certainly a city where you could spend months exploring it, eating, drinking, buying dodgy books/dvds, hanging with the locals and being harassed by local merchants. I really like Hanoi even if I did spend one day in a really shit mood.

The first day we saw a lot, practically cramming the entire middle and west of the Old Quarter into about eight hours of sighseeing. Honestly though we spent enough time in each place. First of course was Ho Chi Minhs Museouleum Complex. Ho Chi Minh himself takes a vacation from October to December but the park and builings where he is usually housed are impressive, even if the guards do restrict you from going even slightly off the marked path. The flag tower, Lenin Square and The Fine Arts Museum were next on the list and I was lucky enough to have a local woman with her baskets let me put it on my shoulder and wear her hat. Obviously she did this so I would buy her fruit, which I did, but it was a great photo opportunity regardless. The fine arts museum was really impressive and worth the 7,000 dong to get in for sure, but then again, what isn't...? After this we headed to the temple of literature, which although cool, due to the hundreds of turtle statues is just another temple which isn't nearly as impressive as most of the places you can go in Asia. The museum of ethnology however is really cool, as they have constructed minority village buildings to display how the people live. The trek back to the Old Quarter though was interesting to say the least, with attempted robbings and gropings all round. The bus ride is really intimidating and not something I would've done alone, or without the help of the local girls.

The second day was not nearly as full on, with the only real tourist stops being the Hoa Lo prison, where President reject McCain spent time hauled up during the Vietnam War, and Quan Su Temple. The Prison was really cool, and maybe even my favourite place we saw in Hanoi, it is really a surreal place and really makes you think about the brutalities of war, especially when the French are concerned. Did you know they used the guillotine on the Vietnamese into the 1930's????????? I also bought a whole lot of dvd's which I really hope work and a few dodgy lonely planet guides. I was impressed by the quality.... The food in Hanoi is also really good, Western and Eastern food is everywhere, with everything from Pizza to Indian to obviously Vietnamese, the best part though is the pricetag! Love it!

All in all, Northern Vietnam, or the week I had in it was really impressive. I personally think Sapa was my favourite place as a tourist, but I could definitely spend an extended period of time in Hanoi as it's so easy to get around and has so many options for cheap prices. I'm even more excited for Ho Chi Minh and December now!

Guilin, Yangshou and Leshan.

From the moment you cross the border into China, you enter a different world. A world where few understand English, where McDonalds takes your order at a table, where shopping is cheaper than cheap and the food is ridiculously good.

Kristal, Zarina, Cinja and I decided to travel to Guilin and Yangshou, China, in the spur of the moment. It was so unplanned in fact that I had to rush my visa. I'm so glad we went though because it was possibly my favourite trip to date, for many many reasons. The journey started on the Thursday afternoon with an overnight sleeper train from Shenzhen (border of HK and China) to Guilin. I honestly thought I'd be extremely bored on the train but surprisingly wasn't. I slept through most of the journey and it didn't feel to long. I think the hardest part was arriving at 7am and dealing with still being half asleep and lost. After checking in and getting our bearings we decided to explore what we expected to be a quaint town.

Guilin is an unimaginably beautiful place. Set amongst huge Karst mountains and with the Li river running through it, it makes for a pristine setting and perfect photo opportunity. It wasn't however a quaint town, but a bustling city, where from the top of Elephant Hill Guilin looks to sprawl never ending in all directions. While in Guilin we saw many of the tourist sights, walking to each and everyone of them... Elephant Hill, or as Zarina put it, a hole in a rock, was set on the bank of the Li River. It was really pretty, but the Chinese have decided to milk the elephant concept for all that it's worth, building elephant statues and charging admission. It was overrated, but still a nice place. Next on the list was the Twin Pagodas which sit in the middle of the river. Again the tourism board has capitalised on their beauty and so charges admission here too. We didn't pay though as the view was possibly better from the bank of the river where you could see both structures. Twin Bridges, Solid Beauty Peak and Seven Stars Park were to follow. All naturally beautiful areas and all offering something slightly different I'm glad we squeezed as much in as possible. My least favourite sight was the sad animals in the zoo at Seven Stars Park. The animals are relegated to tiny little cages with no natural habitat, in this zoo, even the Pandas looked depressed! Guilin also has many markets which were a lot of fun to experience. Every night, the city blocks off half its main street and opens up hundreds of tents and trinkets and goods. I enjoyed it, even if I was being taken for a ride in regards to pricing...

The next day we hoped on a river cruise down the Li River to Yangshou. After acting like ignorant, angry tourists the four of us were finally seated together. I still think it's ridiculous the way they wanted to seat us, but hey story for another day... The scenery was magnificent, although I was somewhat disappointed because the views didn't hold a candle to Doubtful Sound in New Zealand and after all the hype I was expecting perfection. Once we got to Yangshou the rain set in an totally dampened the entire holiday, but then again it wouldn't be travel to Kristal, Cinja and myself if it didn't pour with rain all weekend. Trying to find our hostel for the night was a task, with every local pointing us in a different direction. We did find it eventually however and were definitely relieved to see the sweet hostel sign. After checking into the hostel we explored Yangshou on a budget, a time budget that is. Hiring a taxi for an hour we got taken around the outskirts of town, seeing rice Fields, spectacular views, moon hill (another hole in a rock) and the locals working along the river. The town of Yangshou it self is beautiful, reminding me of a storybook town, or something out of a fairytale, but the countryside surrounding it was spectacular, not lacking in anything. We also went to the Yangshou Lights Show. This show was choreographed, at no expense spared, by the same man who did the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Set on the Banks of the Li River, the audience sits outside and watches the amazing display of ordinary town folk dancing, singing and telling a Chinese love story. It was amazing, and definitely recommended if you ever go to Yangshou. They even give you free ponchos for when the rain sets in.

Our last day in China was very up in the air until the last minute, but I think the decision we made was the right one. At 7am the four of us hoped on a tour from Yangshou to the Yao Village, to the Longji Rice Terraces in Leshan and back to Guilin. It was my favourite part of the weekend, with spectacular scenery and the nicest of people, minus the ignorant Greek woman who was on our bus. The Yao Village is famous for its long haired customs and beliefs. The women in this village style and grow their hair in relation to their marital status. For example, a woman who wears her hair in a front bun has children and is married, whereas a woman who covers her hair in childless and not married. The women in this village also have, apparently, the longest hair in the world, and if you're willing to pay them, they'll let it down and show you. After the Yao Village a mini bus took us to the top of the Longji Rice Terraces. It was a really foggy day and when we got there we thought we might not even get to see the terraces because we were surrounded in white mist. Luckily for us however the fog cleared enough for us to take some photos and see what we payed to see, the rice terraces. We also ate amazing Bamboo rice and bamboo curry in the village, it was amazing, and something I wish was easier to come by in Hong Kong or even in Adelaide at all.

Once we got back to Guilin we had a quick dinner and headed back to the train station, bound for Shenzhen. China is a country you'll either love or hate. It's not the easiest place to get around and the local merchants are more than happy to charge you a mint for something worth nothing. Having said this however, it's a place with such cultural and historical significance, the food is incredible and the scenery devine. It was my favourite trip to date because it's something I will always remember and be sharing for years. It wasn't a party trip, but a chance to see a completely different world.

Pictures:

Li River Cruise Karst structures

The group infront of Elephant Hill

The amazing Yangshou Light Show

Longji Rice Terraces

Clear Water, White Sand, Man Ladies, must be Boracay!

Boracay, The Philippines, home of the coldest airport, manladies, jamjars, scuba diving, cheap novelty souveniers, amazing food and $1.20AUD cocktails! I'd say The Philippines was about culture, history and rediscovering my inner chi, but that would be a complete lie......

Our journey to Boracay was a long one, Hong Kong to Manila, then the layover in a freezing cold airport before a red eye flight to Caticlan and a ferry to Boracay, oh and did I mention the two Tuk Tuk rides in amongst all this. It was well worth it though the second we saw the beach. Pristine water, soft sand and people offering full body massages for about five Australian, SCANDALOUS i know! Basically we spent all day every day lying on the beach, with sessions in the water to cool down. I of course got a massage on one of the days and felt so relaxed, lying on the beach, being pampered. I also went Scuba Diving for the first time ever, yes I know, I'm a horrible Australian that should be deported... Anyway, it was so much fun! It's definitely something I want to do again, even if Nemo did collide with my inner ear and cause me enough pain to let my air supply come out of my mouth. Now that could've been dangerous! It wasn't the nicest reef ever and it didn't have a huge amount of wildlife, but it was a perfect intoduction to diving and I got to see things you definitely can't see from the surface. Only thing, next time I maybe will try not to be ridiculously hungover in the process. I also did a huge amount of shopping in Boracay, souveniers and trinkets mostly, but I did buy two dresses for prices so cheap that I'm 100% certain the first time I wear them they'll split down the side. Then again, maybe that could just be my forever widening frame from the cocktails and food I ate...?

The night life in Boracay was insane, the place that pillaged most of our money was Cocomangas, or the home of the fifteen shot challenge. Basically, the idea is, if you are capable of still standing after drinking fifteen shots, you get a t-shirt and a point for your country. Australia was ranked 6th, which surprised me a little, I thought Australians went to Bali, apparently we go to The Philippines too. None of our group did the challenge, mainly because we'd been pre-drinking at places which charge 1.20AUDS for cocktails that definitely aren't lacking in alcohol. Cocomangas is also famous for its JamJars which are literally cocktail in an old Jam Jar. Really tasty and potent stuff. The club was extemely hot, but, the walk through high tide to get to and from it is amazingly refreshing and much needed. Also possibly a dangerous concept as swimming was done both nights we went there. Arguably the biggest night of the trip was the last one. Zarina, Kristal and I had a 630am flight from Caticlan and so planned ot have a few drinks and be tucked in bed by 1am. PROBLEM... 2 free shots, 3 Bars, 4 Happy Hour Cocktails, 5 friendly Indonesians, 6 Free Drinks and 7 drunk exchange students later it was 4am... we had to be up at 5, whoops!

Manila, sorry to say didn't do much for me, but Boracay was an amazing place, and home to the worst hangover of my life, for this reason it'll always hold a special place in my heart, and stomach...

Pictures:

Boracay White Sands Beach

The largest smoothie of Kristal and Mines lives

The huge, worst idea in the world night at Cocomangas!

Taiwan, stranded in a typhoon!

So not the holiday and relaxing retreat that was idealised in its conception, but it was a place that held much more than rain, and thousands of NT in shots...

Kristal, Cinja, Iga, Logan, Mark and myself, flew into Taipei, Taiwan after booking tickets maybe a week in advance, despite this we never even considered the possibility of a typhoon and so didn't check the weather. A mistake which will NEVER be made again, by any of us! Obviously the typhoon changed everything about our holiday, directing it from lying on a beach in Kenting (south taiwan) to staying in Taipei, or at least most of us... We actually managed to see a lot in the first day, realising it was probably our only chance to see the city before it shut down for the torrents of rain. We saw on the first day, the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, Matyrs Shrine, The National Palace Museum and Taipei 101. Taipei 101 was pretty cool, the elevator up to the top is the fastest in the world, and let me tell you with a blocked nose, is actually a pretty painful experience. Taipei is huge, from the top of Taipei 101 you can see the entire city, sprawling in every direction, with nothing more than a river running through to divide up the city. We also went to the night markets, and while Logan got stuck into the street meat, I was somewhat apprehensive, he survived though so it can't have been too bad, Taipei is a really cool little city.

The second day we attempted to play tourist again, but failed MISERABLY. We got up early in an attempt to see a lot and maybe even beat the typhoon but to no avail, by the time we got to the Sun Yat Sen memorial (btw did he even set foot in Taiwan? Logan and I seem to think not...) it was closed, or probably never opened, but either way couldn't go there. Determined not to give up, the female contigent of the group went on the Taipei 101, hoping like Hong Kong, the shops would be open even under the worst of conditions, yet another epic FAIL. Soaked from head to foot we tucked our tails between our legs and headed for the nearest Maccas, conveniently located opposite Taipei 101. Of course, like everywhere in the world, Maccas can be counted on in rain, hail and typhoon, PERFECT. After watching Transformers with the others relegated to our hostel a group of us went out for, "some food and a few drinks". Of course this never happened, staying out until about 5am and downing almost 10,000NT worth of shots and gin and tonic, not a smart plan as we were meant to go to see Temples in the morning but definitely a fun plan. I learned a few things this night also, which makes it more justifiable...

1. Never play chess against a guy who can solve the Rubic Cube in seconds and studies Chinese. (I lost in 3 moves)
2. I am amazing at pool when Drunk
3. Don't make bets you can't win
4. Don't sample the entire shots menu
5. Don't give Guy money, he enjoys burning it.

The next day was spent recovering, and so basically involved sleep, movies, eating Maccas (again) and eventually getting up off our sorry butts to be taken to a great Yunnan restaurant. Shame I couldn't enjoy it more... Other than some hot springs, which were really awesome, on the way back to the airport, that was Taiwan. It wasn't really a tourist trip so much because we were stuck inside, but the people we met and the sights we did see, made it an unforgettable experience!

Pictures:The group minus the photographer at Maytrs Shrine.
Logan and the Epic Fail at Sun Yat Sen memorial
Guy burning 100NT

One Casio, Two Casinos, Three Casinos Four....

Macau, or the Vegas of the East, was our first trip to another country... or so my passport tells me. Macau, like Hong Kong is a self administered region in China, which believe me or not counts as a separate stamp in the passport, and hence a different country. We were there less than two days the first time, and not even eight hours the second, but both trips were amazing!

The first trip to Macau was relatively early in the CUHK experience, in fact I actually met new people on the way. The group that went was huge, having said this however it whittled down to a few separate groups, as a group of twenty is somewhat unmanigable. The group I went with, included, Kristal, Logan, Leanne, Zarina and Rachel. The day started inocently enough, with some sightseeing around the country. We saw St Pauls Ruins, some catholic statues, Koi ponds and of course, fishermans wharf... in Asia. After much antagonising whether or not to get a hotel, the six of us squeezed ourselves into a tiny room, 3 beds, one bathroom. Not the most comfortable of hostels, but it was cheap, and definitely a great idea in the end.

The night was huge, we went to a few casinos (the Venetian and Grand Lisboa), got free champagne (and some we were tricked into buying), some gambled, some enjoyed the moat in a building. After we were done with the casinos, we sat in a park amd drank. It was a great chance to get to know people who although I'd known for three weeks, they of course, were strangers.

The next day was pretty hectic, on our feet exploring the city, all day, hot and hungover. Not really my favourite scenario but it was a good day. Macau is a beatiful city, you can definitely see the European influence as well as the Chinese influence. When Asian lanterns are hung from traditional European architecture you definitely know you're in a place with an interesting history, even if I don't know much about it.

The second time I went to Macau, it was just myself and Kristal and we went with a purpose, to see Cirque Du Solei. It was incredible! For those who have seen a show, you understand what I say when it's unforgettable and totally ridiculous the things these hundred plus dancers and gymnasts can do. For those who haven't seen it, GO! Book a ticket now! I loved it, it was so worth the panic that it took to get there and the 70AUDS. The meal which followed was amazing also, complete with Sangria, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

All in all, Macau is a city of contradictions, not only of East vs West, but the discrepancy between the huge casinos and the average citizen is huge, as houses fall apart, while grand casinos come together. I really liked the atmosphere in Macau and could definitely get used to the quieter Asia that is out there if you look hard enough.

Pictures: The Ruins of St Pauls Cathedral

The girls ordering bellinis in the Venetian

China or Europe, you tell me?

It's about time...

So, I decided well before leaving that I would post a blog of all that was going on in Hong Kong, despite this fact, I'm lazy and so haven't done jack until today, some three months into my experience of studying abroad. Originally I thought this may be too late to even bother, then I realised I'm only technically half way there and I have to photos to remind me of what I've done this far. So.... here goes my attempt at reminiscence and what I hope is a blog some poor unfotunate soul will read.

I think it's possible I lived in a daze for the first month of being in Hong Kong. When I landed I wasn't scared or nervous, but I felt as if I was in a dream. Hong Kong is an amazing place, loud, busy, crowded and yet you can still find places where the crowd disperses and the beauty wins out. One thing that really surprised me was how unasian Hong Kong is.... As a place that is technically part of China, I expected a bigger language barrier and signs everywhere that were useless to the ignorant Aussie with no Chinese skills. Instead, I find a metro system that is easier than the one at home, signs in english pointing to everything, whether a tourist attraction or local restaurant, everyone has a basic grasp of English and people which more often than not will go out of their way to helo you, even if they cannot speak enough English to understand. I could spend forever discussing the immersion of the East and West, but most would get bored so I'll leave it there and just say that everyone should consider Hong Kong, not as a historically important destination, but a destination which emphasises the direction the world is heading, or even has headed, where the Chinese and Western Worlds collide!

I have done so much in Hong Kong both culturally and socially that I could spend forever writing and posting photographs so I will give a quick list before moving onto the more important, or fun, things like my travels throughout Asia.

The first month in Hong Kong was basically a party month, I spent and drank way more than my bank account and liver could handle. It was ridiculous fun though, and probably the best way for a group of 300 twenty-somethings to meet each other and break the ice.

Other things I've done in Hong Kong include...

• The Peak and Peak tram


• Lamma Island


• Lantau Island, complete with the big Buddha and Disneyland


• Lan Kwai Fong (x1000000)


• History Museum


• Ocean Park


• Central exploring


• Dinners in Soho


• Infinite amounts of shopping


• Markets


• Taipo (for drinking)


• Avenue of the Stars


• National Day @ Avenue of the Stars


• Ridiculously overpriced food at the Peninsula Hotel


• The longest escalator in the world, wooooooo


• Mongkok and its horrible crowds and heat


• and a iddy biddy little bit of study!

I'm sure I've done other stuff in Hong Kong but its gotten to a point where so much has happened that its totally impossible to remember every little detail....

So that's Hong Kong, well this far. I will post blogs later on the different trips I've done, and will do. Hong Kong is a great city to live in and totally recommended. There is always something to do (even if it is shopping), great food (from everywhere), intense nightlife and it's reasonably priced... when your dollar isn't in the toilet.

pictures: The peak view of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula
One of many nights out with Kristal, Matias and Zarina
Returning to my childhood with Kristal at Disneyland