Saturday, January 13, 2007  2:29 AM
The Hong Kong Dream
From this, 
I've thought about this entire experience for the longest time. Probably since the day I got the acceptance email saying that I was to go to Hong Kong for the first 5 months in 2007. Then came the cycle of being excited, not so excited, dreading it because I was leaving everyone behind, trying to forget about it, and then the day arrived in a flash of the lasting memories I had crafted out for myself in the last 1 and a half months in Singapore.
Rewind back to the previous month - a month where I truly enjoyed every single day of my holidays - the Bench 1B sleepover, Christmas carolling, the festive Christmas dinner, Christmas service and the hanging out after, The Princesses From Exotic Lands Tea Party, Metamorphosis, New Year's Eve watchnight service, Margaritas, The Innies Asian Chic Party and The Goodbye Amelia surprise farewell. I never wanted it to end, that perfect dream called the holidays where I occupied myself incesssantly with the people I loved.
Then the night before I was to leave to Hong Kong. I did last minute packing as usual, I was online, and then I was crying in the dark of my room, shuddering at the awful thought of leaving all this behind.
But now as I sit somewhere in the hills of Kowloon Tong, gazing up into the night sky with the cold air settling in nicely in my room, in warm sweatpants with limegreen socks, I smile.
The experience has been absolutely amazing so far, extremely fast-paced as all Hong Kong things go, yet God has seen me through a rather smooth transition, providing me friends that I need to get me through this, and has kept me in His loving hands all the way. Undoubtedly, it's only been five days, but I look forward to the next five months with excited anticipation and love for the country that I've always felt comfortable in, like a second home. The place where I had my first mission trip, whose drama serials I adore, whose language I have been trying to pick up for the last three years through television, and whose food I think is superior to anywhere else in the world.
I live on a mountain of a hill. Yes, I have to make that torturous climb at least twice a day from the MTR station or school to the student residences. It's approximately about 200 steps through a park, or a steep slope climb - you do have two options. But what I return to are lovely condo-looking blocks, with the mountains in the distance, and the colourful skyscrapers on the other side. My room is compact, as the Student Residence officer put it, but extremely homey, cosy and clean. I have a wonderful roommate, a close friend from secondary school whom I've grown closer to over the last year, and whom I can now link arms and walk down Mongkok with or have silly girl talks at night. And with our personal touches to the room we call our own, the room is pretty much a dream.
I have friendly toilet mates (two rooms share a connecting toilet), two Hong Kong girls who immediately opened the door once they heard me brushing my teeth inside, and exclaimed hello with megawatt smiles. Then we stared at each other smiling because they couldn't tell whether I was local or not. I sheepishly informed them in English that I was an exchange student from Singapore who speaks bad Cantonese. Then my roomie came along and we had a nice little toilet mate conversation with them, in a mix of English and Cantonese.
Without a doubt, I'm thankful for my fellow inny and 1874 co-star bestfriend, and the only other CS person here in City University of Hong Kong. From the start, Hong Kong and Cantonese has been one of our connecting factors and favourite conversational topics and I can't think of anyone more apt to share this Hong Kong dream with me. I could not have handled the massive 30kg luggage and about ten million other bags I was carrying on the first day without him, and photo-taking would not be as professional (and retarded). Discovering the little treasure of a restaurant in the flats behind the university and going through the headache of matching CS subjects and registration - at least I have someone else to share the joys and pains with. The random tram ride and photoshoot in the middle of the road outside Pacific Place at Admiralty still makes me laugh aloud, what an unforgettable experience.
And the little happy group of friends we've settled into over the last five days makes me feel like we're on a long extended holiday - Jings, Qi, Cemin, Temmy, Henri and I - with our ever so helpful and amazing friend and fantastic tour guide Billy, I could not thank God enough. I might have been somewhere in the USA right now alone and eating lousy Chinese food, but here I am in bustling Hong Kong shopping, eating, buying matching pillows and having late night talking sessions with this wacky bunch. I'm looking forward to us conquering the Basic Cantonese module, as we make up 6 out of the 14 people so far in the class.
The places visited so far have not been many, as I've had to settle much admin stuff, subject registration, opening bank accounts, buying cutlery, toiletries and groceries, but the days have been fast and fruitful. Today was a shopping fest at Mongkok, with a new bag and boots in tow and bargaining in Cantonese. I feel myself improving already in the language, slowly but surely, as I learn new words every single day as I'm forced to speak with the security guard at the block, the waiters at the restaurant or the cashier at the supermarket. Indeed, they have laughed at me - I accidentally ordered iced lemon tea instead of iced milk tea, I happily said "lik lik" instead of "lak lak" mango dessert at Hui Lau Shan and I fumble trying to think of the correct words to say. I've gotten lost in Mongkok thrice already, eaten my favourite wanton mien at Tsim Sha Tsui, eaten two gai dan zais, had the delicious fruit juice they have everywhere here, been to Avenue of Stars, mastered the MTR announcements, taken the tram from Causeway Bay to Admiralty, hung around Times Square and walked about a zillion times up the stupid slope to my room.
And the Cantonese line I find myself saying most these days - no, not 'dor jeh' or 'mm goi' (thank you) - but "Mm goi Siew jeh/sin sang, hor mm hor yi bong ngor dei ying seung?" (Excuse me Sir/Miss, could you please help us take a picture?)
Expect many photos in the next five months, I'm trying my best to get them up on Flickr so hopefully they will be up soon. We've enrolled in a City Tour tomorrow, and everyone is asleep but me.
to that.
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