Blog 2

Dryer #8—I hope no one is standing there right now, cursing the person who still has their stuff in there (and that person would indeed be me). Give me a break guys! Let me introduce you to my place of residence in Hong Kong Baptist University—Soong Hall, Room N1422R. Translation: North Tower, 14th floor, room #22, on the bed to the right! Emphasis added on the floor number because after all, the laundry room is on the 1st floor. ~Sigh~ It sure is Sunday already, September 23! Is time flying or what? I have done laundry three times now, finally my sheets today. I feel a little relaxed, although a wave of overwhelming thoughts fill my jammed brain.

Hong Kong has changed so much in me, thought-wise, career-wise, feelings-wise, and I don’t know-what-wise… It is very reasonable to understand the more one sees of the world, especially a whole new environment, one grows wiser and more appreciative, but does one change? After a long freshmanyear in Pepperdine, alone overseas for the first time in my life, I grew to become more me than I ever was. What???? In other words, I didn’t change one tiny bit, or so I feel; I was more that Schutz (my high-school) happy-secretary-Calculus Sarah girl everyone knew more than ever. I didn’t do anything different in a world so seemingly peculiar and far away from home. But am I that same ol’ Sarah here in Hong Kong? Mind you, this is not about what I do, but what I think. I’m not sure if I’m wanting those same things I wanted before—suddenly I want international business politics, a missionary sort of living, a reaching out sort of life, a communal community sort of environment. But come to think of it, I think I just never knew what I wanted to begin with; I only had the “I wanna go back home to mommy and daddy” sort of mentality, on a constant-continuous-winning level.

Enough about my confusion-crisis! Let’s get down to some solid Hong Kong business. So I finally went to the Night Market. Brian hooked us up with that video place and I can’t say I went crazy, but I did get all the F.R.I.E.N.D.S episodes! I didn’t watch any yet- no time, no place. It’s a whole new world out there in the market—simple, cultural, lights-camera-action style! Not to mention, live prawns twitching their feet about ready to die overcrowded the mini-restaurants. Just incredible! We ended up eating in a nasty place as usual, but that’s ok. I don’t know why I am gaining weight here though, must be my chocolate cravings.

Speaking of food, Todai was just to dai for :-). Convo this week was definitely a treat and I ate like a pig! Oh, maybe that’s why I’m gaining weight. That same night got even better as I explored, talked, danced, and played cards at this new area I don’t remember its name. For some reason Evy, I think we tend to gravitate to Spanish-music scenes in Hong Kong (and drag others with us), and we have the times of our life for it!

As for the hiking tour with dr. s, Kowloon Walled City Park proved to be inspiring, informing, and relaxing! The gorgeous Chinese architecture amidst the mini-ponds sprinkled with water lilies, the rich-green vegetation backdrop, and the cultural significance of the area, was purely delightful. I could meditate there if I would. Although, I still can’t believe that Micheal climbed all the way up the cemetery—he was but a speck of water in a rainy sky, as I strained to spot him from where I was hoping he’d come back down (beside that annoying dog sniffing my feet). Kowloon Park definitely got me all revved up; areas that remind of death probably made me over-analytical, tiring my weary head!

Ok so that same Saturday, we were looking for Kris who had POOF…disappeared. He had to close his phone, walk up flights of stairs, stink in his white clothes, to finally find him in Lan Kwai Fong that night! Talk about fasting? No, he really did it! And he ate Middle-Eastern food in the Temple and didn’t save me any. Talk about friendship too!

It was a good week. I can’t wait for Vietnam already as I ponder in my roommate-less room. YESSS! I hate to be so cynical, but is it fair that she not accept my friends being in my room when she sleeps over in her friends’ rooms at least three times a week? DOUBLESTANDARD! But I still love her, and she does too. (She just thinks Americans are loud—thanks Michael and Kris and Brian :-) It’s good though to have an empty room, especially a room so big like ours!

I still love it here, I love you Hong Kong, I really do! Bahebaaaaaakk!

Can you believe it??? It's HONG KONG!!!

The gravitational force that encouraged me to finally sit on my hard desk chair and write this blog, which I meant to do a very long time ago (and of course didn’t), are many memories: none of which are here in Chinarrr. Side note: I say China “Chinarrr” while it’s freshly stamped in the back of my brain like gum pressed to the floor, after a three-hour international business lecture with Professor Wai Sum Siu. Why is it that in Hong Kong they don’t pronounce ChinAA the correct way in English, drive on the “right” left side of the road, and why do I have to run to cross every intersection, every time, because the cars are driving up (fast) from the side I’m not expecting? I guess everything is relative, ha? (Ok mom!) God, may You protect my life-long English education, pronunciation, accent, and grammar, as well as my life—that I have a feeling will be shattered here in my overseas experience!

Before I get too carried away, what are the non-Chinarrr memories that prompted me to be writing this blog (finally)? Well, it was one of these ridiculously insignificant and frequent moments in my life when nineteen-year-old, Pepperdine junior me was arguing and wining to her mother: “Mooommmmyyy I can’t believe I did this to myself, why am I going to Hong Kong?! What in the world was I thinking? A different place, a weird room of course, a God-knows who roommate, and oh (my personal favorite), Pepperdine sophomores?!!! AHHHHH!”

Here I am today, finally in Hong Kong, after a long time of wondering exactly how much I was going to regret my decision. Looking out my 14th floor window in an effort to remember a time in my life when I was even a little tiny bit happier, I receive an F for the meaningless attempt! I fail terribly in a struggle to remember a better place I’ve been, kinder people I’ve met, incredible friends I’ve known, and any more fulfilling, breath-taking adventures I’ve experienced. Although, that doesn’t account for the food because I am sick to my stomach here— cafeteria-wise and elsewhere!

Tempted to bullet point every street corner, MTR stop, Chinese hotpots, 7-elevens, and hot club destinations in Lang Kwai Fong—simply everywhere I’ve been—I can’t hide from the fact that all the encounters, episodes, and incidents to occur would not have been as memorable to me had I not been with my foursome-favorite Pepperdiners. Even amongst the one-hundred something something exchange students here in HKBU—from all over France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and more—I have found a very personal international experience in my four-favs from little old Pepperdine: EL Salvador, Columbia, Israel, and of course my Egyptos!

So Evyyyy! The sister I never knew about, Evy and I finally meet up in Chinarrr. Not only do most people think we look alike, but Evy is as good (and crazy and vibrant and fun and incredible) as a friend gets. Not only does Evy make my days here race by, she always understands me, even when she is constantly sick fighting alongside her immune system Chinese hotpots and HKBU cafeteria. And Krisyyy! Now Zack is a whole other story because he has a picture with Sharon in his room—yes, and they are shaking hands. Even though we always bicker like an old-married couple over more than simply demographical identifications, Kris has it all—looks like a European, thinks like a Jew, lives like an American, and has this I don’t know from where vibrancy in him! But of course, since I’m from Egypt (and he loves it so much), he imposes on me his very dear and frequent physical exercise: that being¸ farting. And now Mikyyy! Well, without Michael any place is simply bland and tasteless. Anything he says or does tickles me inside and ends with a laugh. He is an expert with everyone and anything, except he calls me an aneuploid—or, bad ploidy! Enough about you guys, I just love you.

What about Hong Kong? It’s one of two things: I have either been here for a day or my whole life, for I have found comfort here that hasn’t hit me anywhere but home. Chinese people are the best—polite, reserved, and insightful, they are somehow full of constant energy. Indeed, their city tells the same story. Streaming lights that seem to last for eternity, buildings that soar to pinch the clouds, and bundles of markets and businesses that outnumber the eight million Hong Kong people themselves, is the essence of their culture. This city is not a world, but a million in one. Victoria Peak was a rare gift packaged in gold with Hong Kong’s technological prominence screaming in the midst of lovely surrounding islands, waters, and this pure sense of nature. So diverse and spectacular, Hong Kong grapples with my mind when I step into Festival Walk’s (mall) Chanel and Polo boutiques to then go eat dinner in a simple Kowloon City Thai restaurant, a district hovered with traditional Chinese cultural extravaganza. Oh dear God, am I really here already… in HONG KONG?