Hong Kong, I suppose

So yeah. I kind of forgot about this thing. Actually, I just didn't feel motivated to write. To be honest, Hong Kong has been rather challenging; in part because I just didn't expect it to be. For the past month, we've been living in really nice apartments that overlook one of the many HK harbors. It's really quite beautiful and grandiose, nestled in between the mountains and the sea (which I love!). But Hong Kong also feels like the consumer capital of the world, which has been rough, especially coming here after India. It feels odd to buy things, take the train, fix my own meals, walk down the street unnoticed, basically do the things that used to (and should ?) feel perfectly normal. .

Another thing that's been challenging, which as I look back has been challenging all the way through is sitting in class. I just can't take it! I don't like lectures or listening to people ramble on about topics I find completely dull, and then having to memorize facts I don't even want to remember, all for a stupid little quiz. I realize I'm ranting and perhaps being completely insensitive to the language barriers and non-American teaching styles (which is rather hypocritical of me), but I dunno, I just find the whole thing so injurious to the spirit. I would much rather do a series of independent studies. That would be a whole lot better. That way I could research what I want, write what I want, and talk to who I want. Oh gosh...seriously, tiff. hmph. I hope Olaf and my happy, little English major treats me better. We'll see...

On a different note. Sort of. More like, I just don't know how to transition to what I'm about to say, especially after ranting for so long, and can't help but feeling highly inclined to stall....to draw out the space between such feelings....okay that's good.

I feel much closer with everyone in the global group. And it's more than just knowing Ben is a good person to have around (which I knew before we even left) or to be thankful for Kina and Christine (which I also discovered early one), but for the genuine liking/respecting/accepting feelings to spread to everyone...to Annie, Marissa, Paul, Sue, Kirsten, Eric... It's not just about each of us as individuals anymore. But who we are to each other. It's true what they say about global and about traveling with the same group of people for five months. We really do become a family.

Other things:
- I really like the party district in Central because everyone is doing the exact same thing - having FUN, and thus, everyone is in!
- We saw the Nutcracker last night. It was aaaamazing! The Arabian sequence was the best I've ever seen.
- We leave tomorrow and it's raining. It's the first time since we've been here. Figures that would happen only a few hours after I've packed up my umbrella.
- My favorite place in HK is the the walkway along the bank in Kowloon: where the city looks like a painting and the rhythmic motion of the waves and people pulls me in and out of time. The British were smart to put a clock tower just a few blocks away. If they hadn't, I probably never would have remembered to buy my secret Santa those candy canes.