CRAZYEXCITINGCOLORFULWONDERFUL

Only a month until my birthday… this is very random, but 2 other girls on my floor have their birthdays on the same day as me! A major party expected! :)

Have seen a bit more of Hong Kong now, and I have to say I’m liking it! It’s sort of what I expected it to be, and on the other hand it’s not. It’s hard to explain, because a city this big is not easy to describe in few words. On the other hand, there are fancy, polished business areas with brand new buildings and men in suits talking to their mobile phones. But, just around the corner there is a local food market with sellers shouting prices in Cantonese. There is crazy traffic and crowded streets, but also tranquil, green parks with exotic plants and people practising Tai Chi. Armani and Gucci shops in fancy airconditioned shopping malls, but also narrow streets filled with discount stores and street vendors. Starbucks and McDonalds right next to a Chinese tea room. It's crazy and crowded and hot and colourful and exciting and confusing and interesting and suprising (add any adjective here) ;)

It has been said East and West meets in Hong Kong, and I really agree; it’s Western enough so that I can see myself living here comfortably, but Eastern enough to be different and exciting.

Anyhow, there seems to be lots to do and lots to see so at least I’m not going to get bored! I’m also really happy about the location of my accommodation; it’s very close to city centre and accessible to lots of places over Hong Kong, but far enough from the crazyness and crowds.

My hall is still pretty much empty, partly because there’s still a week until uni starts, but also due to Orientation Camp (O-camp) which is pretty much a 24/7 activity for the freshmen (1st yr students). It is somehow a combination of Fresher’s week, army boot camp and the Scouts. It involves a lot of running around, dressing to matching T-shirts, team building games, group hugs, night hikes, practising the Hall song… It aims to get the new students to bond with each other and current flatmates, and to adjust quicker to the Hall life in HKU. I didn’t take part, because there was apparently no space anymore after I arrived and no-one had told me I should have signed up before coming here… however, having seen that it takes literally the whole day and most of the night (they get to sleep about 4-5 hrs a night) and lasts for 9 days, I’m sort of glad I’m not taking part because there’s so much other stuff for me to do. It does seem quite fun though, despite being a bit insane :)

So pretty much all the new students in Starr Hall are taking part (except the exchange students), and the current ones are arranging it so no-one is rarely in. Last night they had some sort of a break and I got to talk to my flatmates a bit more. They are all very sweet and said that they like me because I want to spend time with them as well, and not just with other exchange students. Awww! Oh and we watched Austin Powers together, glad to see that some jokes are funny on every continend! :)