Post Trip Term Paper

Lauren Fenimore
Hong Kong Trip
Drs. Eric Hung and Shunzhu Wang
Post Trip Paper


The underlying theme of our trip to Hong Kong was the paradox of the Hong Kong identity. In one of the articles that I read for my pre-trip paper, it stated that Hong Kong’s history was the history of colonialism. It described Hong Kong as a sort of “cultural desert” because before the British colonized it there wasn’t much in the way of civilization. When I first read this it seemed to make sense. How can culture develop in a place where there is no society present to develop it? If there are no people inhabiting the land then there can be no civilization, and therefore no culture.

It wasn’t until I was actually in Hong Kong and visited the Museum of History that I realized how short sighted this view of Hong Kong’s cultural history was. In the museum there is a permanent exhibit called “The Hong Kong Story”. The exhibit spans 2 floors and is made up of 8 galleries, with 4,000 smaller exhibits utilizing graphic panels, dioramas, multi-media programs and special audio-visual and lighting effects. It tells the story of Hong Kong, outlining the details of its natural environment, prehistoric era, and folk culture. It also traces the development of Hong Kong from a series of early fishing settlements to its return to China from British rule and its rise as a thriving, vibrant metropolis in the modern day.

I found everything in this exhibit to be fascinating and could have spent a whole day wandering slowly in and out of all the different display areas and auditoriums. Some of the most interesting displays were the ones that illustrated the history of the early people that inhabited Hong Kong. The information that was presented in this part of the exhibit seemed to contradict the statement that I read in the article, that labeled the pre-colonialism Hong Kong as a “cultural desert”. This paper will therefore be a summary of what was displayed in the galleries that presented a detailed look at the history of the early settlements of Hong Kong, up until the time that the British took possession.

The Dynasties: From the Han to the Qing

The first people to bring an advanced sense of culture and technology to Hong Kong were immigrants who had traveled down from North and Central China, after the mainland regions were unified under the Qin Empire. In the South the emperor Qinshihuang established the Nanhai, Xiang and Guilin Prefectures in the regions of Guangdong and Guangxi. As a result, Hong Kong fell under the control of the Panyu county of Nanhai. When the Qin Dynasty fell, Nanhai became an independent territory, renaming itself the Nanyue Kingdom, with Panyu becoming its capital. Relics from the Nayue Kingdom have been found scattered across the island of Lantau, providing evidence that Hong Kong was under the jurisdiction of Panyu from 222-330. Other relics found from the Western Han Dynasty have included decorative bronze wine casks, bronze bells and string, stone and pottery-made musical instruments used in rituals and ceremonies that the Yue had no doubt adopted from Han customs. Small clay houses were also excavated from tombs. These miniatures were modeled after actual houses of the period and in some cases had clay figures inside them, depicting scenes of people engaged in everyday activities such as pounding rice or carrying a baby. The artifacts provide an important glimpse into the life of the people of early Hong Kong, as well as their relationship to China as observed through the similarities in architectural style and cultural characteristics of the houses.

In 331 Hong Kong was reclassified into Bao’an County in Dongguan Prefecture. At this time North China was in the throes of heavy warfare, which persuaded people to travel south to escape the violence. This new group of immigrants brought knowledge of crafts and mechanics with them, evidence of which has been excavated from Jin Dynasty tombs in present-day Shenzhen and Guangzhou, as well as from Pak Mong on Lantau Island. It is also interesting to note that many Southern dynasty emperors of the time were devout Buddhists, suggesting that Buddhism was already the prominent religion of Hong Kong during this period.

The following dynasties of Sui and Tang saw Guangzhou become a prosperous port for international trade. Lime kilns found along the coast also attest to a significant salt industry in the region. In the Five Dynasties period, pearls were also harvested off the coast of Tai Po and troops were placed in the area to protect this valuable natural resource. During the Song Dynasty, the production and trading of salt was taken over and regulated by the government. Warfare continued to be a major problem in Central and North China and numerous clans continued moving south where things were relatively peaceful. Towards the end of the Song Dynasty, Mongolia invaded North China and two boy emperors had to seek refuge in Hong Kong.

When the Song Dynasty fell, the Ming Dynasty brought even more growth to Hong Kong. A large number of clans with diverse origins continued to make their way to Hong Kong, while those who had settled there previously began to expand their families. The county of Xin’an was created in 1573 and Hong Kong fell under its jurisdiction. 74 villages were on record as having existed in the county and in addition to salt production and pearl diving, settlers also made a living by fishing, farming and planting trees used to make incense. The craft of pottery making was becoming a big industry and the kiln at Wun Yiu in Tai Po made numerous wares for both the domestic and international markets. Late in the period military posts were even set up to guard against pirates who hoped to rob ships along the Maritime Silk Route.

In the Qing Dynasty settlers in Hong Kong were uprooted when the courts ordered all those living along the coast to move inland. This abandonment, although it left Hong Kong a barren landscape, only lasted for 8 years and when the ban was lifted several of the clans eventually returned to continue expanding their settlements.

Ethnic Groups of Hong Kong

Before the British annexed Hong Kong there were four main Chinese ethnic groups living in the area. The Punti (“local people”) arrived in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). They settled on the fertile plans and took to farming, landlording and running small businesses. The main element of every Punti walled village is the ancestral hall. This hall is used in ceremonies where the Punti worship their ancestors and celebrate major festivals. During these festivals Cantonese operas are performed and sumptuous banquets are prepared. In modern times many descendents of the Punti clan still live in the walled villages that once protected their ancestors from bandits.

The Hakka (“guest people”) came from north of the Yellow River and arrived much later than the Punti, settling in Hong Kong from 1648 onwards. Unfortunately for the Hakka, the Punti had already occupied the most fertile land in the region, so they would have to make do with the more remote and infertile hillsides. The Hakka had long been a farming people, but when they could not farm they made mud bricks, tailored and dyed clothing and worked on handicrafts. Hakka people were often identified by their shanfu, or a pajama-like work shirt and trouser outfit, which was dyed in black and blue. These simple garments must have been valued for their ingenious practicality and indeed some styles are still being worn today. One example of this is the liangmao, or “cool hat”. While touring around Hong Kong I saw several instances of women garden workers wearing a type of liangmao. The most striking was a pair of women who were pulling weeds in the Wetland Park. Perched on their heads were what looked like large round disks with material draped over the brim to form a hood all the way around their heads. Traditionally, these were flat circles of woven bamboo, surrounded by a blue or black cotton fringe with a hole in the center. Tassles and hand woven bands were also a part of the traditional custom, though I’m not sure if they were worn by the women that I saw in the park. The hat is designed to keep the sun off your face and neck and as protection against insects as well. The Hakko were also known to cook simple, earthy food, but the pastries they made for festivals were sweet and very rich in flavor.

The Boat Dwellers were a sea-faring people who settled on the coast where they could fish in the Pearl River Delta and along the coast of Guangdong and Guangxi. Legend tells that their ancestors belonged to important clans in Central China, who had fled to the sea to escape war and persecution. They spent almost their entire lives on the water, not only fishing but pearl diving, oyster farming, and ferrying passengers and goods. By choice it seems they isolated themselves from the land-based people. When they did go ashore it was only to tend to boat repairs, shop for supplies, sell their catches or grab a meal in a restaurant. As a rule they tried not to get involved with dealings that would get them into trouble with people on land.

The Hoklo too were a fishing people, having come from other coastal regions such as Huizhou, Haifeng and Lufeng in the province of Guangdong. They are distinct from the other ethnic groups in their language, customs and dress. The women are very fastidious about their hair accessories and the way they wear their hair, pinned up in buns. The traditional dress is comprised of a brightly colored blouse, loosely fit with a side fastening, long narrow sleeves and no pockets. The distinctiveness of their clothing style can also be seen in children’s clothing and baby carriers, which are often embellished with shiny trinkets, colorful beads and floral trim. When the Hoklo were primarily a fishing people and lived on boats, wedding ceremonies would include the bride being ferried over to the groom’s home on a dragon boat, rowed by the married female relatives of the groom’s family. Aspects of this tradition remain intact today, but because the Hoklo have now settled on land, the women perform a dragon boat dance where they pretend to row the boat.


Conclusions

After visiting the Hong Kong Museum of History and studying the history and ethnography of Hong Kong in pre-colonial times, I would disagree with the notion that Hong Kong was a “cultural desert”. Not only were there different ethnic groups constantly moving into and across the landscape of Hong Kong; but I’ve learned that fashion, food, music and art: the stables of modern day culture were very much a part of life for the early peoples of Hong Kong.

Bibliography

The Hong Kong Museum of History
Permanent Exhibits: The Hong Kong Story
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/History/download/the_hk_story_exhibition_materials_e.pdf

Hong Kong Final Paper

Charlie Zielinski

Hong Kong, a subtropical island, off the coast of China, has invited a group of students a chance of a life time to speculate its grand beauty, and we have all returned hoping to relive the experiences or to stay one day. For most of us, this has been our first trip to Asia and one of the first things I noticed was the environment of Hong Kong. The environment of Hong Kong is a broad subject, but it entails the biology, topography, geology, air quality and hydrology. My expertise is in environmental science and geosciences and that is perhaps a reason I noticed these studies in the field, Hong Kong. The beauty of Hong Kong is that it is unique compared to China in many different ways, including: the people and other organisms that inhabit the island. Hong Kong, for some people, is a business “get-a-way” and it truly is that, but underneath all of the money, stores, and apartment complexes, there lays a history that is about 400 million years old in which we cannot forget.
Hong Kong has a very diverse biological environment with about 450 species of birds, 50 species of mammals, 80 species of reptiles, 23 species of amphibians, 230 species of butterflies and 110 species of dragonflies that is supported by a wide range of habitats and varied fauna through out the island. Around Kowloon, an area we grew familiar with, there are wild groups of long-tailed macaques and rhesus macaques, and their hybrids (Hong Kong 2003).
During out stay in Hong Kong I noticed that some of the trees grew in unique ways, such as climbing up walls, for example:

Hong Kong has a rich flora because it is in tropical South-East Asia and that explains the variety of life that we are not familiar with. There are about 3,100 vascular plants on Hong Kong, and some areas have survived the human influence and hill fires, for example: the remnants of original forest cover or “old growth” forests and developed woodlands, but only found in steep ravines. Although, it felt like we were surrounded by buildings on the small island there was still glimpses of nature seen throughout the day (Hong Kong 2003), for example:

Topography, which is a graphic representation or a map of a selected region, will be grouped together with the geology of Hong Kong. Since, Hong Kong is an island and its terrain is covered with steep mountains and hills, one may be able to guess that Hong Kong was once filled with lava flowing tubes. Though, volcanic activity on the island has ceased by 60 million years ago, there is still visibly history of what happened in the past. During out stay on the island, we stopped at a beach and I was able to collect some specimens of a granite rock which looked like this:

Granite is typically formed by a type of rock called Basalt that is deep within the Earth which entails the melting of the Basalt and changing the original composition when it cools, or reaches the surface of the planet, and that is why I found my specimen on the beach. Also, the Hong Kong people have taken the advantage of having a grand supply of granite. I can recall almost every building and structure in Hong Kong being made from granite which is obviously a good and reliable resource for the people.
Hong Kong, as a typical large city, has some air pollution though most of it is from mainland China and the breeze moves the pollution over the city. Like the United States, the most major source of the air pollution are the emissions released from the transportation vehicles. Hong Kong has been working on a solution for the transportation problem, for example: Hong Kong became the first city in Asia to introduce ultra low sulphur diesel, which has a sulphur content of less than 0.005 percent, for use in motor vehicles (Hong Kong 2003). Hong Kong has a much larger population of buses, trolleys, and taxis than the United States does, and the government tries to promote the usage of those public transportations by making them easily accessible for anyone. The group and I were only there for a little longer than a week, and by the second or third day we were confident in using public utilities. Hong Kong’s subtropical environment has made the island a warm, inviting place for visitors, but the air pollution from mainland China has altered the visual affects of the sky compared to other places, for example:

This picture is a graphic representation of what air pollution can do. As you can see, the haze that has been produced lies over the city like a blanket, but it begins to dissipate as you increase the height of your vision.
Hydrology is the study of water, or how a city uses purifies or contaminates its water supply from usage. Hong Kong’s water supply is a mix of oceanic salty water and estuarine water masses. With increased urban development and population Hong Kong’s water pollution and sewage has increased. Around Victoria Harbor, water pollution has increased due to the lack of treatment, but it is slowly improving with increasing treatment plants in the area. “The percentage of rivers in the 'good' and 'excellent' categories increased from 34 per cent in 1986 to 76 per cent in 2003, and the percentage in the 'bad' and 'very bad' categories fell from 45 per cent in 1986 to 15 per cent in 2003,” (Hong Kong 2003). Also, some of the pollution in the New Territories comes from the livestock industry which could lead to a disease outbreak such as salmonella or other bacterial diseases. In 2003, an average of about 5178 tons of livestock waste was collected by the government. The Hong Kong government has made strict rules on pollution for bathing beaches because they are an important recreational resource. Here is a table on how beaches were classified with pollution in 2002 and 2003:
Beach
water quality
ranking Bathing season geometric
means of E.coli count
per 100ml of beach water Minor health risk cases per 1 000 swimmers Number of beaches
2002 2003


Good Up to 24 Undetectable 23 23

Fair 25 to 180 10 or less 10 11

Poor 181 to 610 11 or 15 2 1

Very Poor More than 610 More than 15 6 6


Since 1998, beach water quality grading for open beaches have been made available weekly through the mass media and the EPD's home page.
(Hong Kong 2003).
As the table shows, the number of poor beach water quality ranking has decreased by one which is very good for Hong Kong and the people.
Although, Hong Kong has its pollution problems like other cities. It is still very unique in its biology, topography and geological history. Hong Kong was a great “get-a-way” trip for me because it showed me a new part of the world in which I wanted to stay forever. One day, I will go back for whatever reason, and I will use what I have learned to help me in my journey. Hong Kong has a wonderful history that is as old as the rest of the world, and though we cannot see it underneath the beautiful city it will still be there in a million years even without its people and tall buildings.
Works Cited
Hong Kong 2003. 27 Feb. 2009 .

Hong Kong’s “Go Green” Efforts

Amanda Pinto
IND-210-02-09SP
Hong Kong Research Paper
January 21, 2009

The citizens of Hong Kong have realized that they have two major reasons to adopt a greener lifestyle. First, the people living in Hong Kong are among the heaviest polluters, per head, on the planet. Secondly, all of the citizens directly suffer from the various pollutants that the city generates (1). In 2007, Hong Kong produced over 13,900 tons of solid waste each day. It is predicted that the three existing landfills will be fully occupied in the next few years, which makes waste reduction an increasingly important issue to their society.

Table 1. Quantities of Solid Waste Disposed of at Landfills in 1991-2007

Table 2. Types of Solid Waste Disposed of at Landfills in 2007
Recently, Hong Kong has been making an effort to reduce the city’s waste and “Go Green”. One of the groups created to inform people about how to go green is Green Power. Green Power encourages people to practice waste reduction in their daily lives and make it a sustainable habit. They have also launched a campaign to urge the public to celebrate festivals in a less wasteful way.
The International Finance Center is one of the most well known buildings in Hong Kong has dual flush toilets (fig.1). These dual flush toilets have two different buttons, one that uses 0.8 and the other that uses 1.6 gallons of water, depending on the flush. This innovation can reduce water usage by up to 67% compared with the traditional toilet, which uses 2.9 gallons in a single flush (3).



Figure 1. Example of the dual flush toilet, which depicts the button that allows you to select how much water the toilet uses when flushed.

Many of the restaurants and other public bathrooms have use hand driers instead of paper towels, which significantly reduces waste and reduces the amount of trees used to make the paper towels. Millions of trees are cut down a year in the production of paper towels. The Earth Threat dot org blog states that 544,000 trees would be saved by replacing a 70-sheet roll of virgin fiber paper towels with electric hand driers.
The busses, trams, and taxis in Hong Kong are making an effort to go green as well. On the side of the taxis and busses, signs are posted informing patrons of the company’s efforts towards being “Green” and being more environmentally friendly. The sign that was seen on one of the busses states “Please excuse us for not letting you board the bus yet as we would like to keep the engine off until the next departure (fig.2).” Efforts like this will help to lower the CO2 admissions into the air due to car exhaust.



Figure 2. The sign seen on the side of the taxi’s and the ones that were seen on the side of some of the busses.

There has been a great effort in Hong Kong’s subway system, the MTR, to go green. There are signs informing travelers that certain escalators will be shut off during the non-peak hours of the day (fig. 3). This would save a considerable amount of energy by not using about one fourth of the escalators during non-peak hours.


Figure 3. The sign found in the subway telling patrons that during peak hours certain escalators would be turned off to conserve energy. Also, the sign that denoted the escalators that were not in use during these hours.

More recycling bins have been placed thorough out the MTR. Giving people the opportunity and proper receptacles to recycle their trash increases the chances that people will recycle, especially in such a public place where people are constantly on the move between work, home, school etc., most of them have a Coke can, water bottle, or the daily newspaper in hand. So when cans are empty, instead of being tempted to ditch it in the trash, they will have the proper bins to dispose the can in.


Figure 4. One of the recycle signs seen in the MTR. A multi-recycling bin for paper, plastic, and aluminum. A recycling bin in the MTR that encourages recycling paper.

Organic and “green” stores have been added to the array of convenience stores, clothing shops, and fast food chains in the MTR station. Eating organic foods has become a new trend and part of the go green effort. The benefit of eating organic food is that it is not treated with pesticides, which eliminates the chemicals that can be found on food that is treated with them. Two of the “green” stores that were seen in the MTR Station were Organic Land and Green Life (fig.5). These stores offer foods that are made from all-organic ingredients and do not use some of the unhealthy preservatives and fats that many of our foods are made with today.


Figure 5. Two of the organic food stores found in the MTR station.

Also, on the subway there was an advertisement for The Green Walkers (fig.6), which is supported by the Green Power organization. This organization was founded in 1988 by a group of dedicated volunteers who were concerned about local environmental problems. Environmental education is their foremost priority and they “believe that education is the ultimate means of transforming our thinking and behavior.” (2)


Figure 6. The poster for Green Walkers in the MTR.

Some of their biggest works in the past year have been an Overseas Butterfly Watching Tour, Tree Workshops to educate people on conservation of trees, River Workshops to teach teachers and students about the quality monitoring methods and deepened their understanding of Kam Tin River, and waste reduction and recycling seminars to inform people about how much waste Hong Kong produces a year and how they can help to reduce it.
Even the local colleges support going green efforts. One of the local colleges had recycling receptacles that were equipt to recycle paper, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, laser printer cartridges, and inkjet cartridges. These recycle receptacles were shaped like large flowers and each of the petals served as the recycling bin for each of the different recyclable materials and it had the logo “Better Environment Endeavor” on the front of it. Having the recycling areas for ink cartridges is a great idea because colleges and office buildings are among the highest users of printers and printer ink, so having a proper place to properly dispose of them is great. These bins were distributed throughout the main areas of the campus, which is pictured below:

Figure 7. The multi-compartment recycling bin at a local college.

In Hong Kong, bamboo scaffolding is used for all of their building projects (fig.8). Although it is slightly dangerous to construct, bamboo is very environmentally friendly. By using bamboo as scaffolding material to fix and build buildings people may start to consider using it a building material as well. Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world, therefore making it the perfect building material because it is such a renewable source. Unlike trees, which take nearly a decade before they can be cut down and used as wood, bamboo grows up to 2 inches an hour. The one stipulation for this growing material is that it depends greatly on local soil and climate conditions to grow the actual bamboo (4).


Figure 8. Pictures of the bamboo being used to make scaffolding.

The Going Green In Hong Kong website offers a 72-page guidebook with green solutions on how to lighten Hong Kong’s carbon footprint and how to decrease the toxicity around in the city. The booklet consists of information on how to easily access a sustainable lifestyle and a greener and healthier life in Hong Kong, and it is printed on 100% recyclable paper (1)!
In 1998, the Government unveiled the Waste Reduction Framework Plan (WRFP), which sets out the various initiatives for waste reduction (fig. 9). The progress of the plan was reviewed in 2001, and they saw that although they had made some progress in the overall waste recovery rate, but there was still room for improvement in different aspects of waste reduction and domestic waste recovery. The review recommended a series of measures to facilitate domestic waste separation and recovery in Hong Kong. The review set the following targets: (I) to raise the overall MSW waste recovery rate from 34% to 36% in 2004 and 40% in 2007; and (II) to raise the domestic waste recovery rate from 8% to 14% in 2004 and 20% in 2007. The construction industry is also a major target and the aim is to reduce construction and demolition waste going to landfills by 25 per cent between 1999 and 2004 (5). In May 2007, the EPD announced a proposal on an environmental levy on plastic shopping bags to reduce their indiscriminate use.

Figure 9. Advertisements from the Environmental Protection Department.

Individuals can reduce their waste by buying items with less packaging, using reusable bags for shopping, and separating waste paper, metals and plastics from our daily waste for recycling. Businesses can refer to the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence, which encourages the private sector to organize their own waste reduction activities. The EPD also offers industry-specific information on waste reduction and outlets for recyclable materials. Factories, trades, farmers and others can refer to the EPD website for information on the legal requirements for disposing of waste.
Additionally, the EPD launched a territory-wide Program on Source Separation of Domestic Waste in January 2005 which encourages housing estates/buildings to set up waste separation facilities on building floors and broaden the types of recyclables to be recovered, to increase domestic waste recovery and reduce waste requiring disposal (5).



References
(1) www.goinggreenhk.com/
(2) www.greenpower.org.hk
(3) Dual flush toilets www.treehugger.com/files/2005/03/dual_flush_toil_1.php
(4) Bamboo scaffolding – American Bamboo Society www.americanbamboo.org/GeneralInfo.html
(5) Environmental Protection Department

FINAL Hong Kong Paper (Without pictures? I dont know what to do)

Hong Kong Consumerism Through Fashion, Clothing, and Shopping








Emma Basilone
Hong Kong Final Paper
Dr. Eric Hung and Shunzhu Wang
March 1, 2009
Hong Kong is known for its big city, small town atmosphere, its amazing structures, large population, and for its economic status of being a hub for trade on the world market. By being in Hong Kong for only 12 short days, all of these aspects became apparent. Hong Kong has everything one could look for in a city, the people are friendly, the food is amazing, and the shopping options are endless. Culture is a combination of the efforts of an entire city and the individual people. With a blend of traditional and modern fashion, clothing and shopping is an undeniable part of the Hong Kong experience.
Previous to the journey to Hong Kong we viewed a promotional video influencing people to visit Hong Kong. This video shows Hong Kong as a diverse place full of exciting shopping experiences infused with Chinese culture (Hong Kong Tourism). In one frame the video shows monks and other seemingly religious people dressed in traditional garbs (Hong Kong Tourism). Another frame shows the modern shopping with advertisements for high-end brands in the background. The video shows Hong Kong as a cosmopolitan area with its culture combination of east meets west in a very appealing light. For example the brand Louis Vuitton is shown in the background of one shot of the video and a few seconds later the women are show trying on traditional Chinese vests at what looks like a local store (Hong Kong Tourism). The women also shop in a huge mall that almost looks like a skyscraper with amazing circular architecture complete with windows on the ceiling creating a bright inviting lighting. Many other customs are displayed in the promotional video including a dragon performance and performers dressed in bright colors wearing a large amount of the color deep red (Hong Kong Tourism). Traditional face paint and other customs are also displayed in this exciting and very attracting video. Some thought that this video was too fake and showed Hong Kong in a false light- personally I thought Hong Kong turned out to be everything it was made out to be in the video and that the shopping, fashion and clothing was as expected through this promotional video.
An interesting part and seemingly major part of the Hong Kong culture are the vast markets that spread from street to street. The options for goods at these markets are seemingly endless and you can find pretty much whatever you want within reason. The hustle and bustle of the markets workers adds to the energy and the excitement. The main markets in Hong Kong include: The Night Market, The Stanley Market, The Jade Market, and The Ladies Market. At the Night Market you can find traditional street vender food, scarves, baseball caps, children’s toys, clothing, statues, jewelry and various other items. At the Stanley Market you can find similar items but more house wares. The Jade Market is more indoors and features amazing amounts of jade and pearls at prices that are so low it seemed crazy! All markets had a similar energy that mounted throughout the night and were filled with many more foreigners than Hong Kong people.
The Ladies Market is very large (seemed to be a huge favorite among the tourists) and features knockoff bags, clothing, suit cases and jewelry. Anything that one would want to buy in a high-end store in one of Hong Kong’s many malls could be found as a very good knockoff for a decent price. This part of Hong Kong was similar to New York’s China Town and Canal Street district- just on a much larger scale. The fashion consumerism is almost a façade in this aspect due to the vast black market for knock off items.
A different aspect to consumerism and shopping are the more Western malls that engage many shoppers on a daily basis. The main malls encountered on this trip include: Plaza Hollywood, Times Square, International Finance Center (IFC) mall, and “Shopping 360” at the cable car station on Lantau Island. These malls were similar to what one would find in the United States but still had a little Hong Kong flavor included within them. For example the Plaza Hollywood mall featured a grocery store that was about the size of one floor of a department store. The convenience of such a set up seemed to be another awesome idea that the Hong Kong people have instated. The mall and overall set up of Times Square was so interesting. Times Square looked similar to Times Square in New York City but it was on a closed road without any cars. This mall included many high-end stores and internationally raved restaurants. The mall at IFC was the one most frequently visited during this trip. The IFC buildings themselves are very pivotal to the convenience of the Hong Kong subway system and are a hub for industry. This mall also contains high-end stores like Burberry, Dior and many others. The people who work at the IFC buildings dress like all international businessmen in suits and nice dress clothes. “Shopping 360” at the cable cars station was very interesting and different from the other malls. This mall was more of a discount outlet style mall with various stores that seemed to be more of a European style.
The early expectations regarding traditional clothing in Hong Kong society was different than previously thought. Traditional clothing for retail was mainly found in a market setting and the main customers were tourists. This was surprising because I expected to see more Hong Kong people, especially older people, dressed in a more traditional way. It seemed that the traditional clothing was kept mainly in museums and worn during some of the traditional performances. For example, the brief performance of Cantonese Opera that we sat in on featured traditional garbs that one would expect to see in Asian culture and society. Many robes and Chinese style clothing was displayed at the Hong Kong History Museum. The pride in the presentation of these outfits and accessories could be felt simply by walking into the room. It was apparent that the Hong Kong people wanted their traditions to be on display in this pride filled manner and that is how they wanted these garbs to be perceived by people visiting the exhibit.
On the other hand, the markets had “traditional clothing” and accessories for sale almost mocking the preconceived notions that many westerners may have had when they arrived in an Asian country. For example there were many straw hats and other typical Chinese dresses for sale and the women selling these items were nothing short of pushy when selling these items. Many venders were also selling wine bottle covers that were little Chinese dresses. This was interesting because it was almost like their pride for their tradition was turned into marketing and advertising though these souvenirs.
In literature that was found previously to the trip, it was shown that The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra usually performs in concert dress, which included traditional Chinese robes (Witzleben [123]). When an open practice was held the members of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra were surprisingly dressed in civilian street cloths. During an actual performance, these seemingly regular people on the streets living everyday life came together, now dressed in traditional robes and played seemingly flawlessly.
The general attire of the Hong Kong people on the streets was much more “Western” than previously expected. There also was not a large movement of popular culture that seemed to make a large impact on everyday teenagers walking on the streets. Some areas of Hong Kong seemed to have people with more of a “grunge” or “underground” style. For example, the area around Victoria Park in Causeway Bay seemed to have a lot of “punk” teenagers with short spiky hair dos, chains, bright colors and biker boots. I expected to see more of that style around the city especially in shopping centers where younger crowds usually hang out in typical American cities.
Hong Kong is a very diverse country with its infusion of Eastern and Western cultures. In addition to Hong Kong being an intense blend of consumerism and tradition its people are another prime example to consumerism on a public daily scale. Hong Kong’s consumerism through fashion, clothing and shopping is similar to many large cities found in the United States but the inversion of being under British control and now under the control to Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China had an interesting effect on Hong Kong. Hong Kong has everything one needs and more in the aspect of shopping and fashion and is an amazing experience no matter what you are looking for.



Work Cited
Hong Kong Tourism Promotional Video . YouTube.com. 3 Jan. 2009 .
Witzleben, Lawrence J. Cantopop and Mandapop in Pre-Postcolonial Hong Kong: Identity Negotiation in the Performances of Anita Mui Yim-Fong. N.p.: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Thoughts on Hong Kong 6

Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra/Sinfonietta

For the most part I can echo everyone else's sentiments on these two ensembles and their performances. I enjoyed both, but musically I thought the Chinese Orchestra played with more passion and energy. The Mendelson concert I felt was technically good, but was lacking in depth or emotion. Not knowing much about Mendelson beforehand, I did like finding out about his history and his influences, though some of the presentation (such as the actress who recited the excerpt from "A Midsummer's Night Dream") didn't mesh well with the orchestra's performance. It all came out a bit jumbled and detracted from the music itself.

The only thing I would have changed about attending the Chinese Orchestra rehearsal was getting a more comprehensive lecture on the instruments themselves. All the instruments in the orchestra were foreign to me and I would have liked to know more about them. The erhu was discussed briefly, but there were many other instruments like the ones in the back that I couldn't get a clear view of, that looked very interesting. I'm thinking of what looked like a cluster of miniature organ pipes all banded together and played through a French Horn-type mouth piece. (I bought a dvd of the orchestra, so it shows some close ups of the musicians playing these intruments, but you can't always tell how the instrument is played.) We did get literature that had an introduction to all the instuments, but unfortunately it was in Cantonese so I wasn't able to read it.

Journal

Emma Basilone
Hong Kong Post Trip Journal
Dr. Eric Hung and Shunzhu Wang
January 31, 2009

Day 1
Sat. Jan 10, 2009
Arrive at Hong Kong

Well, we are finally here! A 16 hour plane ride, some motion sickness and a few movies later and we are in Hong Kong. My first impressions of Hong Kong as we drove in the bus to the hotel from the airport is that Hong Kong is a lot more industrialized and urban than I thought. There are so many huge apartment buildings that are practically built one on top of the other. You could probably spit from one apartment in one building and get it in the window of another apartment in the other building! Every building has varied architecture that makes the city look so modern and creative. The buildings are complete with huge neon signs and it feels like an Asian version of New York City.
The indications of British influence almost engulf you as soon as you land in the city. It is practically bilingual with everything written in both Chinese and English. They also drive on the other side of the road, which will take some getting used to.
Our hotel is very nice and our room is cute. The bed is very hard and the sheets are plasticy but we are so tired it doesn’t really matter. Overall I feel better than I did on plane and I am so excited to be here I am practically bursting at the seams!


Day 2
Sun. Jan 11, 2009
1st full day in Hong Kong

The 1st thing I noticed this morning was the thick smog that covered everything and we could barley see out of our hotel window. After breakfast at the hotel, our first stop was Man Mo Temple, which is a temple dedicated to the gods of literature and martial arts. The smell of incense was so incredibly strong and Dr. Hung told us that they believe the spirits can only smell in the after life- not eat, so they burn incense to “feed” the spirits. I really was taken aback by the amount of incense in the temple itself. The air was almost hard to breath because it was so thick. The temple was squished between huge skyscrapers it almost looked like building it was an afterthought and that was the only room they had left! I was talking to Dr. Wang and he also said that the location of them temple surprised him and he said the squishing of the temple in between the skyscrapers was a “very Hong Kong thing to do”.
After the temple we went to a beautiful park and the same could be said for the location of this place. It was right in the middle of a bustling city! It was breathtakingly beautiful and it made me think twice about what our American cities could look like if we put some effort into them. The park also had an aviary and it was also very beautiful. Inside was almost like a tropical jungle but when you looked outside the netted you could see the huge buildings in the background still indicating you were in a city. I really enjoyed the balance of nature and city life that Hong Kong seems to be trying to convey.
On our tours I have also noticed a pattern in the way our tour guide (Auntie Winny) talks about her identity as a Hong Kong citizen and not a Chinese citizen. She has said, “I am not Chinese I am Hong Kong” when she was showing us the large bridges and tunnels that the Hong Kong people are proud of. A recurrent theme is the pride of the Hong Kong people in everything they are a part of and it shows in the way they cater to visitors and the way they take care of their city. It must have been very difficult here to deal with the turn-over of their homes to be under Chinese control when they were used to the way things were with the British. I can’t imagine many other countries dealing with this the way the Hong Kong people have. What if one day we saw on the news, “Hey we will no longer be Americans, we are now a colony of….” It really makes one think of what would actually happen in that situation. Would people leave and go to other countries? Would they cope and deal or fight back? I can’t imagine a situation like that in the United States, it is mind blowing.
Tonight we had the traditional Chinese 12 course meal. It was amazing, besides the fact that I was falling asleep in my plate! I was surprised by how many people criticized and refused to eat anything through out the night. My opinion is: “when in Rome”, I came to Hong Kong with an open mind and an appetite =). I was almost embarrassed by the lack of interest in this different culture from the others on the trip. I understand people haven’t had the upbringing to try different things like I have from my family but there has to be a breaking point from the judgment and just let go. Seeing all that amazing food would have done me in even if I wasn’t up for it in the first place. I wouldn’t get rid of that experience in the itinerary for future trips even if people complained.


Day 3
Mon. Jan 12, 2009

Today we went to the Chi Lin Nunnery and toured the locus gardens. The Nunnery itself was surrounded by huge buildings, the lack of space for things other than apartments and business buildings is very apparent now. The garden itself is under an overpass (go figure) it was still on of the most beautiful places I have seen. It was the perfect mix of modern, tradition and nature. The buildings that were build with no nails in a lock and key fashion were so awesome. The Nunnery itself had around 8 huge gold statues, they had to be the most beautiful renditions of Buddha we saw on the whole trip, too bad we couldn’t take pictures, but they are saved in my mind forever. The colors and sense of flowers made me never want to leave this incredible place.


Day 4
Tues. Jan 13, 2009

It is becoming more and more noticeable that the Chinese New Year is approaching. Posters are hung up in our hotel as well as lanterns on the ceilings. I thought it was really interesting when Dr. Wang said that they post the decorations with writing upside down to indicate that the luck is rising to the location where it is posted.
We went to Hong Kong University and saw some art and artifacts, the building reminded me a little bit of the Princeton University Art Museum. The best part of this trip was the tea that we had in the bottom floor. We got to pick from white tea, green tea, or black tea. The men who worked there were very nice and helpful and we were taught the right way to have tea. We needed to wash the cups in hot water and then pour it into the center pot and after the tea was done soaking we poured little cups and finally drank some. It was some of the best tea I have ever had. We then broke into little groups and were let loose for lunch. After some wondering around we decided on a little dinner style Chinese restaurant. Once again we were the only ones who spoke English in the store- now this is the food I came for! Charlie had Ox tongue and I tried some, it was interesting but had the consistency and texture of what you would think a tongue would taste like. I had pork ribs soup and it was also really good. We also got to sit in on an open practice of the Hong Kong orchestra, and it was very eye opening for me because I have never really been interested in that kind of music but something about it was attractive and it was almost like I wanted to listen to the song over and over again. I looked forward to seeing their full performance later in the week.
Tonight we were to Victoria Peak, which is the highest point in Hong Kong. After a long and windy trip up the peak we paid 20 HK dollars to take the trip up to see the skyline. I was really surprised to feel how cold it was to be this far up at night. There were a lot of people taking pictures and we did too. The lights on all the buildings accented the different shapes and it was really awesome to see the creativity come together in the skyline.


Day 5
Wed. Jan 14, 2009

Today we went to Mancau! Mancau is a lot like Hong Kong but it was under Portugal control not British control and it was a colony for a much greater period of time. We took a jet boat that was like an airplane on water. It was really interesting, the whole time I was wondering what this place would look like and how much different it would be from Hong Kong. My first impressions of Mancau kind of worried me, I felt it was a much poorer section and I felt it showed on the people walking around. I didn’t feel the overwhelming pride like I have been feeling in Hong Kong. Mancau’s cities are set up very Eurpoean with town squares and wide walkways that cars cannot drive on. We went to a market and ate at a VERY small restaurant with like 5 seats! We pointed to what we wanted to eat and it was they were some of the best noodles I have ever eaten. We also tried sticky rice with red beans, which had a dessert flavoring almost. We met a Canadian when she surprised us with English where there appeared to be no one around that spoke English. She told us about her travels to Thailand and Vietnam where she ate a dog! Much in the same style we ate a pig the first night, so it was complete with its head and paws! It was very interesting, she was very nice and we shared stories and pictures.
We also went up to see the ruins they were interesting. I thought it was funny it was only a frame of the building. There was a little temple on the side of the ruins and Charlie and I went exploring. The caretaker women definitely lived attached to the small temple. It was humbling and she was very nice as she practiced her English on us.
I really liked Mancau and I was very happy I decided to go on this side trip. It reminded me of my dad’s home town in Italy and I instantly felt like I was at home. I also noticed that I didn’t feel as safe as I did in Hong Kong and that not as many people spoke English.


Day 6
Th. Jan 15, 2009

Today we ventured to the Big Buddha and Lantau Island. This has to be one of the best days on the trip! We took cable cars over the mountain and it was beautiful. The Buddha it self was HUGE and very impressive. It was awesome that something like that could be constructed so high up like that. We went to the monastery that is responsible for the overly large Buddha and the other buildings were almost humble compared to the huge statue. I really enjoyed the main building that we explored with the huge orange doors and tan molding, the colors were bright, inviting and unforgettable. We also ate a vegetarian meal and it was very good and interesting. I am not a vegetarian but it was good to experience food like that.
After the Big Buddha we went to a small fishing village. This was I think my favorite part of the trip. It was breathtaking and beautiful. I really liked to get out of the large commerce areas and see a much more humble side of life. We walked around trying to take it all in. The small cobblestone streets and the houses over the water on stilts were so awesome. We met this very friendly man with a gift store and he invited us to have tea and he promised us a good view. I am so happy we accepted because it really made everything come together and it made the trip unforgettable. Talk about not wanting to leave! I could happily move there and make the best of out life! This village seemed so real and unedited I really enjoyed the time we spent there.


Day 7
Fri. Jan 16, 2009

Today we went to a lecture in the morning and went to the Wetland Park in the afternoon. It seemed to take forever to get there, using various modes of transportation. Overall, I was disappointed by the wetland park. Everything was fake and it still wasn’t beautiful! The rocks were hallow and the “signs of life” showed us fake indications of what the animals would have left behind- if there was any. There were a couple of birds sitting far away from view unless you had a scope and that was the extent of the “wild life” at the wetland park. I almost felt like Hong Kong can do better than that after seeing the park on the first day, I know they can do nature and not make it look as fake as it was.
Tonight we went to the Hong Kong Sinfonietta at City Hall. It was interesting to be there because we were discussing criticisms of the lack of venue in our morning lecture, which is the reason why the City Hall was build. I thought the show played to a much younger crowd but I also enjoyed it. It was funny, entertaining and interactive. I almost wished I was exposed to this education style show was I was younger so I would have more of an understanding and appreciation later in life.


Day 8
Sat. Jan 17, 2009

Today we took a ferry to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. I enjoyed the modern aspects of the art in this museum because even though they were modern they still had an Asian feel to them. I especially enjoyed the “Hong Kong Art: Open Dialogue" Exhibition Series III Looking for Antonio Mak. The sculptures in this section were memorizing. I loved how he manipulated the human body to be connected and broken all in the same miniature bronze piece. I enjoyed how be blended man and animal and how he seemed to view the human body as so bendable. I enjoyed how be played with colors and the lighting in various rooms. It added to the confusion but also allowed you to look at his point of view more clearly. I thought it was very interesting and I am happy we went to see it.
We also went to see the 100 thousand Buddha monastery today. I have determined that it is important to have something that your monastery is famous for so that it attracts locals and tourists alike. The walk was long but the Buddhas a long the way offered something to look at and once we got to the top it was well worth it. The main temple had hundreds of little Buddhas that lined the walls. It was very interesting and I really enjoyed this part of the trip.
We also went to the Chinese Orchestra we watched practice. Intensity is the only word that could closely explain their performance. I liked how the music was soothing yet building to a stronger section. I found myself forcing my mouth shut because it was hanging open. I really enjoyed the performance and the practice session we watched only made me more excited for this performance.

Charlie Zielinski- Journal entries

As usual, the flight to Hong Kong left me thoughtless and I did not feel I was on my way across the world. I feel that that is something I take for granted. The world is so big and some people in the past have taken years to travel the distance we did under a days time. Maybe thats why it feels like I'm not really in Hong Kong, its just a vision, but my experiences would testify against that.
The next day, we went city sightseeing and all I could think of was how Hong Kong was 100X's better than New York City in every way. All the tropical plants was a surprise and very intriguing to venture off. I felt that the people really had pride in their city and took care of it well, i.e. the huge, old trees everywhere with branches and long roots were all took into consideration when building the city.

Every chance Emma, Amanda, and I had we would try to eat some real asian, Hong Kong cuisine. I felt that one of the most important things to understand a totally different culture is to put yourself in a environment that would be completely new to me. Which would result in new experiences and relationships with all kinds of people, which is important. For example food brings people together through communication. One of the first places we ate was during lunch time in the mid-levels of the city. We were the only Americans or not asian looking people in the restaurant. I was proud and excited to have found a place like this. I ordered toungue with curry and white rice and it was delicious. Another "restaurant" we went to was in Macau and it was outside in the market. It only had a few things to pick from in which we had to point at because of the language barriers. There we met a canadian who spoke english which was weird at first but than exciting to speak to someone other than my classmates. Who could forget the first dinner which had so many courses. I was excited the whole time and ready to eat whatever came on the plates. I was surprised to see how many people who did enjoy this experience, I did not pay three grand to shelter myself from experiences-I wanted to do and talk to everyone I could. My favorite food was by far the vegatarian meal at the monastary which was very good and filled with many different flavors.

My favorite parts of the trip were visiting the Buddhist temples and monastarys. I really got a chance to experience my beliefs which was a relief. A couple of times I lit incense and prayed which made me feel really good inside. I started to believe in Buddhism in high school and this proved to myself of why I started to, it was great.
Every temple, monastary, and park was beautiful. The bonzai trees in the monastary were really a wonderful form of art and hopefully one day I will grow, create one but I don't have the time now.
The huge Buddha on Lantau islandd and the 10,000 Buddha monastary were reminders that in every part of the world people take their beliefs very seriously and take long lengths to satisfy their god no matter what they believe in. If people didnt care much about their beliefs than there wouldn't be beautiful temples, mosques, churches, etc. Seeing the huge Buddha and 10,000 Buddha monastary really influenced me to move forward and learn much more about Buddhism.

The most beautiful thing about the city was that it was more beautiful at night. All of the night markets were exciting filled with clothes, gadgets, and cultural items. I was mostly interested in the food outside near the markets.
One of the free nights Amanda, Emma, and I searched throughout the city for a bar called Gecko. Eventually, we found it down a sketchy ally. The bar was the size of two dorm rooms with a band playing. This seemed like a perfect place to hang out and it was. We met a couple about the same age, the male was from Korea, and the female was from Thailand. They wanted us to come back the next night but we didnt. I wish we did, they said they were planning a trip tp NYC, I wont forget them.

Macau was a very nice place and I was happy I went there. Walking through it, it seemed to me that there is a fine line between the upper class and lower class. Whats different from Hong Kong is that I felt that this place was more of a "melting pot" with people from all over. In Hong Kong its mostly people who spoke Cantonese. I also noticed in Macau the buildings were very spanish and european looking. I know that Macau is owned by Portugal but I was surprised to see how different things looked than in Hong Kong.
The fishing village of Tai O which was also a place I was happy to go to. Reminded me of a place I could see myself living in. When walking through the town I felt a very peaceful vibe which was reassuring that I was safe. To top it off, a merchant asked me, Emma, and Amanda to come to the back of his house in which we sat on a dock and drank tea. Right than, I had wished we could speak to eachother so I could tell him that his place was great. Another vision that stays in my mind is an old woman cutting up a fish which was still flopping its tail and it looked so tastey.

I never been to a orchestra before so all the ones I went to sounded great. I really enjoyed the solo violin because when he played, it sounded dark and gothic to me. I enjoy classical music and I had hoped that the bands we saw would of had vinyl records to buy.
My impressions about the museums and the plays were different. I thought that the plays were interesting, but the museums were lacking. I think thats just me though, museums put to me asleep. Though, at the Hong Kong museum of art one of the artists who passed away that painted on Chinese scrolls. His paintings reminded of the pop culture but of his time.

Hong Kong "came into its own" in the 70's and 90's. I think this is a process we see in the US because ten years ago people thought we would never have a president who is black. Being prejudice and racist is not what it means to be human, and the people before us sheltered themselves from really "coming into their own" by hating because of differences. Right now, the young people, which are the future of this country are helping the US "come into its own" by accepting people from different backgrounds. So like Hong Kong, I think we too are finding ways to become our own.
From my point of view, I felt that the Hong Kong people were happy we were there touring their beautiful city. I know most european people do not like America for our ignorance, but I felt the opposite durring my stay in South Easy Asia. But it was just Hong Kong, I wouldnt be surprised if other countries felt different.
Compared to NYC, the people in Hong Kong were very nice. I felt very safe and comfortable when asking a stranger for information. I also noticed that there were alot of senior citizens walking and that to me means families are taking care of their elderly members which is something I dont see in the US.

Overrall, I think this has been one of the best trips Ive been on and I travel alot. I thought that Dr. Hung and Dr. Wang did very well in preparing our schedule and controlling over twenty people. I loved the food and tried everything, the people and the culture is something I cannot forget. I hope one day I will return. I have always wanted to work in another country and Hong Kong has been a place I would want to live in some day. Thank you Dr. Hung, Dr. Wang, and Mandi for showing this piece of the world to me.

HK Journal 2

January 15, 2009 (Day 5)
Today was the whole reason I came on this trip. LANTAU ISLAND! I have always wanted to see the Tian Tau Buddha. I think this was the one morning I did not have a problem waking up and getting ready. I didn’t know we were going to be taking a cable car to the island so it was a nice surprise. The cable card ride was absolutely amazing. I think I may have taken one too many pictures, if that’s possible. The views were stunning. I also noticed the steps….and I’m very glad we didn’t walk. When we first got to the island I was not expecting all the shops right when you got off the cable car. They literally want you to buy things before you even see what you went there for. Before we even started walking towards the Buddha I had gelato and it was so good!! After that I bought a tea set. It was an impulse buy. They took the Octopus Card in the store so I figured why not, but then I had to carry it around with me all day. I finally reached the Buddha and it even better than I thought, the stairs…not so much.
Lunch was great. Once again tofu was on the menu, only this time, it was not shaped like a pig, fish, or any other kind of animal, and it tasted much better. We ate at the vegetarian restaurant at the monastery. I really liked how they put everything out on the table and just let you eat. Very informal, but very good. This day was definitely the best day so far. I would make the trip again just to go back to Lantau Island.

January 16, 2009 (Day 6)
This morning was one of our later and more relaxed mornings. It was a nice change from all the running around we have been doing. The morning lecture did not really interest me. I’m not really into all the music stuff, but I did find the comedian he showed us hilarious. Jim Chim. I will definitely have to find that on you tube. His interpretation of Romeo and Juliet was hysterical. Its something I can appreciate as an English major.

After the lecture a lot of people went to the Wet Land Park. My friends and I decided to see the Kowloon Walled in City, a city build with no nails, and I’m glad we did. It was in what was considered one of the more “rural” areas of Hong Kong. It was very peaceful there and there was even a man playing the flute that just made it even more relaxing. Aside from Lantau Island, it was one of the few places I felt like I could breathe. There was not much left from the city, but they did have the South Gate preserved. It’s amazing that they were able to do all this without nails or screws.

At night we saw the Sinfonietta. My friends and I were running late, but luckily we made it just on time. This wasn’t really my cup of tea. I don’t like classical music and I had a bit of a hard time sitting through it all. Oh well I glad I had the chance to experience it, but if I return to Hong Kong its not something I would do again.

January 17, 2007 (Day 7)
Today was the 10,000 Buddha Monastery. I was planning on going here on our free day, but I’m glad it was worked into the itinerary. To get to the 10,000 Buddhas you have to walk up 415 stairs and past the 500 disciples. Those stairs were not fun…at all! I was happy that the weather had finally warmed up though. I would rather be walking those stairs in warm weather than trying to walk up all those stairs and freezing at the same time. The 415 stairs were well worth it once you go to the top. The views were gorgeous and the colors on all the buildings were unbelievable. I have seen pictures of this and it was even better in person. I did notice one thing that had 4 heads 2 bodies and I think 6 or 8 arms. Not too sure what it was, but I took a picture of it any way. The room with all the buddhas literally has 10.000 buddhas from floor to ceiling and corner to corner, all in different hand positions too. I couldn’t believe my eyes. For some reason my pictures didn’t come out too well. I guess that means I’ll just have to go back some day!

January 18, 2009 (Day 8)
Dolphin Cruise! This was the morning I had to wake up the earliest, and it was towards the end of the trip so I was exhausted. This cruise was incredible! It was only about US$30 and it was worth every penny. We met our tour guide at the Kowloon Hotel and from there we took a bus back to Lantau Island to get on the boat. On the bus our guide explained to us that the dolphins we would be seeing are pink, even though they are called Chinese White Dolphins. They can only be found in The Pearl River Delta or off the coast of South Africa. The story goes that they are pink because the water they live in is so heavily polluted that the sun does not reach the dolphins and they begin to lose the melanin in their skin and turn pink. What ever the reason may be for them being pink, they are gorgeous. We were able to see quite a few dolphins. It so much fun and they are actually quite a bright color of pink. Unfortunately it was too hard to take pictures, but it is something I will never forget. The boat ride itself was fantastic too. I could have spent all day on that boat. This is definitely something I wish we could have done as one large group. I really think everyone would have enjoyed and it is something I would recommend to anyone who visits Hong Kong. It is a must!

HK Journal

January 11, 2009 (Day 1)

When I first arrived at Man Mo Temple I was surprised to see it was right in the middle of high rises and a regular neighborhood. I guess I had this notion that temples were always separate from congested neighborhoods, probably because I have only seen pictures of temples. Churches and synagogues are found every where so I guess temples are no exception. One thing that exceeded my expectation was the color. You always see how colorful temples are in pictures, but it is a million times better in person. The vivid reds and golds were just amazing! The amount of incense took me by surprise and I was certainly not expecting to see large incense coils hanging from the ceiling.

Repulse Bay was gorgeous! I had no idea there was any place like that in Hong Kong. I will definitely go back there one day.

The traditional dinner was quite an experience. I’m not a huge tofu fan to begin with, and this dinner was all tofu! I understand sitting at the vegetarian table meant there was bound to be tofu, but for every single course? I think that was a bit much. The fried tofu was not bad at all, but the shrimp flavor really turned me off. It was the one time I wished the tofu had no flavor. There seemed to be endless amounts of tofu, but where were the vegetables? I was expecting more vegetables and less sauce on everything. I think everyone was very confused and had no appetite by the end.

January 12, 2009 (Day 2)

Chi Lin Nunnery was beautiful! It is such a shame that the free way runs right next to and around it, but amazingly it is quite peaceful. I could have spent all day there. Everything was so perfect it is almost as if was a painting. Not one thing is out of place. Even the workers seamlessly blend in with the gardens. The lotus ponds near the temple were gorgeous. The colors were so vibrant. The lotus is my favorite flower and this is the first time I actually got to see one up close. It was a shame we couldn’t take pictures inside the temple. It was all so ornate I wanted to take pictures of everything. In the end I bought the book with all the information and pictures of all the things we couldn’t take pictures of. It was about US$2. Well worth it.

Lunch at Hollywood Plaza was …well….it was edible. I found it very difficult to find something to eat that did not have meat in it or wasn’t heavily drenched in sauce. I knew there was a Pizza Hut, but I really wanted to try some “authentic” food. (Not too sure how authentic food in the mall is) With such a large Buddhist population I’m surprised there are not more vegetarian options.

The lecture at the Hong Kong Baptist University did not really interest me. It wasn’t boring, it is just not an area of interest to me. I was more interested in the university itself. It was very open and for those who went to the ladies room, it was quite interesting to see all the colors and mirrors. The food we had at the dining hall after the lecture, the French toast specifically, was amazing! At that point it was the best food I had since I had been there. I’m definitely making it at home.

January 13, 2009 (Day 3)

First thing of the day…the Hong Kong University Museum. Well, the first thing was actually the walk, rather hike, up the huge hill to the museum. One thing I was not expecting to find in Hong Kong was hills. Steep hills are usually not something you find in many other cities. The museum itself was nothing spectacular. I felt like it contained everything I could see at a museum back in the states. The one thing I really liked was the special exhibit. The paintings were huge and full of color. I enjoyed walking around the university itself more than the museum. I am always interested to see what other universities are like in other countries.

After lunch was the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. Now I don’t usually like orchestras or symphonies or anything along those lines, but this was AMAZING! Totally different than anything I have ever heard. My favorite instrument was the Erhu. There was just something about the sound that I really liked.

Victoria Peak was a disappointment. I have heard such great things about it, but didn’t know you have to pay to actually see the view. It’s only about a few dollars, but I didn’t learn that until after I was already back at the hotel for the night. I did get some good souvenirs though.

January 14, 2009 (Day 4)

A large number of us went to Macau today. It was a former Portuguese colony that was returned back to China in 1999. The ferry rider there and back made me a bit sick. I could never do that every for work. The island itself was a lot like Vegas, casinos everywhere! I was expecting to see more colonial influences but the buildings were much like any other city. We had lunch at a Portuguese restaurant. It was not exactly the best food like everyone had been saying, but it beats everything else we have eaten so far.

At night we saw Caligula. I was really looking forward to this because I love theater, but by the end of the day I was so tired I just wanted to go to sleep. I knew there were going to be subtitles, but because they were above the stage it was difficult to read and try to pay attention to what was happening on stage.

Side Note

One side note that I have. All of the museums were beautiful. Each display and each room had a story to tell. But I cannot use words to describe my experience in the art museum, the history museum or the cultural museum. I can go back and read my notes; I can also go back and look at my pictures however this was a personal experience that is difficult to share in words.

January 18

The panel with Eric Motson, Sampson Young, and Stacey Lowe was a great way to wind this trip down. It was in this panel that I learned about the International School Circuit. I was already looking to teach abroad but just gave me one more option to apply and hopefully work abroad in the next year. We learned about the great support that these schools provide, and benefits to name a few. We also learned that a few times throughout the year there are jobs fairs to enable prospective teachers a job. This is exactly what I want to do! I am excited because I was not really sure what to expect from this trip. I didn't know what I was going to gain from this experience, all I knew was that I had to go, I didn't realize that it might have shaped the beginning of my career and the start to my future.

January 15

Big Buddha, Big Buddha, Big Buddha, Oh yeah! Big Buddha!

Today we visited Lantau Island. First stop, Big Buddha! We were going to finally see the Giant Tuan Tan Buddha! In 1993 he got a world record for largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha in the world!!!! Quite an accomplishment. (One day I would like to see the tallest standing Buddha!) Do Buddha's actually stand or are they always seated on a throne? Hmmm. This was a pretty neat sight we walked a few hundred stairs to the top where we could see the view and see other statues. Another peaceful area. Once we were finished with our visit we went to lunch! Lunch was great! Real authentic Chinese Food! And it was edible! Once we were finished with lunch we decided before we traveled to our next destination to see the Po Lin Monastery. This was another beautiful worship space. The only way I can describe this experience was enlightening. There are no other words.

Caligula

Later in the evening we saw Caligula. I thought that it was interesting that a play that takes place in Rome can be set in Cantonese. I guess I never really thought about it however we do this all the time. We take something that is worth hearing or seeing and change the language to meet the needs of our language. The most interesting part of this play was that it began in the lobby of the theater. And the play was so vividly portrayed in the five-minute introduction interpretation. It wasn't until the end of the play that you were able to parallel the interpretive dance with the play itself. When I get some time I would like to read more about this story and maybe see it in another language?

January 14

Today was a free day. It was a day for us to relax and explore the city on our own.

A few days ago I received this quote it reads “I believe that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.” This is exactly the way I describe the woman in the teashop. As Gillian and I were walking down Hollywood Dr. we looked into this teashop window. We were running a little late to where we wanted to be, but there was a force that pulled us into this little shop. We met a very nice woman and her husband. They welcomed us into their home. They showed us around the small shop and offered us tea, but we were in a hurry. We both fell in love with these tea sets and decided we would buy them when we came back later to pick them up. Once we finished all of our errands we went back to the teashop. We went inside and her husband was there. He was a very quiet man but his wife told us later he is afraid to speak English because he doesn't know it very well. Anyway we were taught how to brew our own tea, the meaning behind each of the flavors. She explained that ginseng is for digestion, memory, energy, and Chinese medicine. Jasmine is a type of green tea, with antioxidants. It is a nice fragrance and is very relaxing. We were shown pictures of her children and grandchildren. We were welcomed back into her home on the weekends for tea and to meet her grandchildren. The most memorable line that she said to us is this: “The first time I see you I will say, nice to meet you. If I meet you a second time, I will say nice to meet you again”. This visit was very touching.

January 13

Someone once said that “Music is the Universal Language” and it was this exact quote that carried me through the musical aspect of our trip. It was so interesting to hear and learn about the Chinese Orchestra. There are two important aspects of Chinese music and these are religion and folk. This is interesting because it seems to be a common trait throughout HK and I am sure China's entirety. The instruments in the orchestra are very similar to that of Western instruments. The orchestra consists of four sections: bowed-strings, plucked-strings, woodwind and percussion. During the rehearsal I asked if I could see a score. It was amazing how I was able to follow along. It was through the conductor's gesture and expression that I was able to follow him and the orchestra. Music is universal, even though I didn't speak the language or play the instrument, the markings whether they be dynamics or tempo were written in the same Italian musical markings that musicians from all over the world can distinguish. That is pretty incredible. Where can we as human beings find any other language that everyone knows and understands?

Because we were not allowed to take pictures in the Nunnery I found a picture of her online. Notice that she is holding a lotus flower in her left hand and a piece of jewelry in the symbol of the number 8. This number 8 is a lucky number. When I was walking with Dr. Wang I asked him about the number and he told me that the word for 8 is “ba” which sounds similar to “fa” which carries the meaning of prosper or wealth. Which is interesting because I noticed these 8's even more after I learned the meaning.

January 12

Today was one of the most inspiring days of our trip. It was the day that we traveled to the Nan Lian Garden and the Chi Lin Nunnery. In this garden there were lotus flowers, and tea grass, and giant Buddha trees. I observed a woman practicing her morning yoga, not letting anything distract her from her relaxation exercises. I noticed how quiet it was. Even with a large group of people it was still one of the quietest moments on the trip. Once again I noticed the skyscrapers and the mountains but the incredible thing about this image is, there is a meld of the old and new Hong Kong. The beauty in the garden, the buildings, the nunnery and in the distance the tall buildings that overwhelm the city is just incredible. It took us about 30 minutes to go through the garden when we arrived to the lotus garden which was another garden right outside of the Nunnery. Inside the nunnery there were different rooms that hosted a different Buddha. This is where people may come and pray for wealth and fortune. One hall that really stood out for me was the Hall of the Avalokitesvara, The Goddess of Mercy meaning the “Lord who looks down”. She sits in a royal posture atop a lotus throne. The Bodhisatta form of cintamanicakra, means goddess with wish-fulfilling pearl and turning the world of teaching. With her, one is known to pray for health and wealth, and peace and wisdom. I hope to continue to do research about her. In fact studying Buddha's and their origin is something that I have grown interested in over the past few weeks.

January 11

Something silly but I would like to share... I hope that Gillian will be okay with me sharing. Gillian woke before our alarm went off. She showered got dressed, not too long after I woke up and began to get ready. We thought we were running late for breakfast and most certainly did not want to be late to our first full day in HK. So we decided to go downstairs eat something really fast then come back up to finish getting ready. We took the elevator down to what we thought the first floor (the café) however the elevator did not stop there, so we decided to go to the second floor and walk down the stairs. Well we took some round about way and ended up on the main floor. Not to forget that we were running late… we didn't have any time to spare. We got up to breakfast and no one was there. We thought oh no! We missed breakfast and everyone left. We thought that for sure. Well we decided to check the main desk to see what time it was. The concierge told us it was 5:30am! Our call time was 7:30am! That's what jet lag does to you! ☺

7:30 came around and we finally began our day. We started with a trip to the Man Mo Temple. It was actually very different than I envisioned it. There were lots of colors, a few different rooms, and the coils were much bigger than the size I thought they would be. This was a really great way to become introduced to the culture. The temple was directly off of the street right next to houses and little shops. In fact there was a clothesline attached to the temple. The smell of the incense was stronger than incense I have ever taken in before. The amount of Buddha's in the temple was extrordinary. Visiting different temples was something I was really looking forward to when I arrived in HK. What I didn't realize how many of them there were. I guess it is compared to that of our churches and synagogues in the States.


Today we also traveled to the Hong Kong Park and the Bird Aviary. Don't worry no one caught the bird flu… not even for a day to get out of rehearsal. These beautiful places with man made lakes and waterfalls, with beautiful trees and birds of all kinds were all right in the middle of the city. It was absolutely incredible, if you looked in almost every direction you could see the skyscrapers and then the mountains behind it. Seeing these mountains was by far one of my favorite images. While I was sitting for a little bit in the bird aviary (trying not to get pooped on) my mind began to wonder. I couldn't believe that a city this large could be so busy yet so peaceful. I have noticed that people are constantly trying to find happiness, rest and relaxation in the midst of their busy lifestyles. But the amazing part about living in HK is that there are trees! There is LIFE in Hong Kong!

January 10

In order for me to begin these blogs I must begin by sharing that I have been raised in a family that does not accept cultural differences. Therefore when I decided to go on this trip it was something I choose to do for myself. The moment I heard about this experience I knew it was going to be an experience that I couldn't let go of.

When we arrived in Hong Kong we began our trip with a 45-minute bus ride to our hotel. After 16 hours on the plane we were all pretty exhausted but the moment we got on the bus we were ready to see the city! We were given a small tour in which we drove over a small bridge this was a bridge that HK inhabitants are very proud of because it was built by native HK architects. We saw the beautiful skyscrapers and learned about some more culture and history.

January 18. day 8.

Today was a day to chill out and do what I wanted. Kristine and I walked around and found a cute little sushi bar and had the BEST sushi I've ever had in my life. (We went back the next day because it was so good)

I have to tell a really hilarious story that makes me wonder some things about Chinese society. So, Kristine and I were walking around and decided to get a massage. We went into this place and said we wanted to get a traditional Chinese massage, so they took us into a room and gave Kristine something ridiculous to wear. I started unpacking the same thing that was sitting next to my bed, but the lady came over, shook her head, and handed me a pair of swimming trunks. At this point Kristine and I were looking at each other horrified. I was trying to explain to the woman (through various pointing and gestures since she didn't speak English) that Kristine and I were getting the same massage, but she still insisted that I put on the swimming trunks. Now, I have to speculations as to why this happened. My first thought is that she thought I was a guy. :-P My second, and more serious thought, is that they may have something against larger people. This is my thought on this...

I'm not going to deny that I'm not small, and compared to most of the locals I'm pretty large. So did she automatically assume that I wouldn't fit into what she was giving Kristine? I only say this because I had another experience at Night Market. I was at a booth that sold mandarin dresses and knew that they might be too small on me, but asked the vendor anyway if there was a size that would fit me. He took one look at me and said "no, you can't get one." OK, that kind of stung but whatever. What got me thought was that he proceeded to talk to the other vendor in Cantonese and they kept looking and pointing to me as though I could even THINK that I could fit into one of their dresses. So I have to wonder. Maybe it was just a really awkward misunderstanding with the swimming trunks and is certainly an experience to laugh at, but I still don't know why she was trying to get me to put them on! We ended up not getting the body massage, but rather a foot massage and a head and neck massage. AMAZING!!!

January 17, day 7

Hong Kong Museum of Art was GORGEOUS! I wish I had an entire day to spend there. This was basically my sentiment on a lot of things we did on this trip, but now I know what I need to do when I get back. I'm not much of an artist and I don't really understand art, but there was something so strikingly beautiful about the simplicity of Chinese art. I bought myself some rice paper and brushes early in the week and plan on giving a shot at some Chinese painting. We'll see what happens. :-)

The heritage museum was, well, another flop. I went to the Cantonese Opera and really tried so hard to enjoy it but I just couldn't. It probably would have been much easier to if I knew what was being said, but I could not get accustomed to the music! Although the history behind it is really interesting. It's funny that it was a street art, and usually when you think of street art you imagine the poor starving artist, but these performers were rich! So why was it a street art? Why not get a nice revenue to perform in? Why bother setting up on the street and carrying around all of those elaborate (AND GORGEOUS!!!) costumes??? Hmmm....more research I need to do. :-P

Lastly was the Chinese Orchestra. THIS IS THE BEST THING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE PLANET!!! As I mentioned in my last post, even being a music student I get so bored in Western performances and don't really listen to Western classical music that often, but this was so REFRESHING! It was like a breath of fresh air after all the orchestra performances I've been to and all the classical music I've had to listen to in my classes. Not to say that all of that isn't important, but there's other important stuff out there that we don't even acknowledge (or, in my case, know of its existence!!!). That appalling!!! Needless to say, I stocked up on CDs and DVDs and am planning to do an entire unit on this stuff with my kids some day. We need more of this in our schools and the orchestra needs to come to the States.

January 16, day 6

The lecture this morning on music and Hong Kong was insightful. I was stuck by how much he kept talking about Western music and when Western music was mad available to the public. When I asked if before the Western orchestras it was common to see smaller Chinese ensembles performing, I felt like he dodged that answer and brought it right back to Western music. This kept reminding me of that lecture on Music Education and how even China is struggling with too much Western music. This seems so bizarre seeing as how we're in the East, but at the same time it doesn't since, first of all, Hong Kong was a British Colony and, second of all, Westerners like to inflict their culture upon others. But I have to wonder if this is a problem only in Hong Kong as a result of its colonization, or if it is a problem all throughout China and Asia. My guess would be that knowing the amount of Asians who are masters of western instruments it may be a big issue, but definitely something I still need to check out.

Wetland park was a bit of a flop. Maybe it's pretty in the summer, but it was almost depressing and nothing impressive. Oh well, you don't know unless you go. :-P

The Sinfonietta was a really cool thing. Definitely something that I would take my students to see. We need more performances like this in the U.S. that are geared towards those who may not know much about music or don't really care about classical music. I'm a music student and I often get bored seeing Western orchestras! It was refreshing to have some humor and education added to the experience.

January 15, day 5

Today was the visit to Lantau Island (and in retrospect I have to say one of my favorite parts of the trip!). The cable car ride was a wonderful experience, and it was nice to finally see some of the Chinese countryside. While Hong Kong is beautiful, seeing the mountains and a taste of what the landscape is supposed to look like gave me a little insight into Chinese paintings. All I could think of on the cable car ride (and the trip in general) was "Gosh! I wish I could see this all in the summer!" Wow, I can only imagine what it must look like with everything blooming more than it already was.

Seeing the Big Buddha was awesome, although I do have to agree with Lauren that it was sad to see everything so commercialized. It's also hard to truly take in the magnificence of it all when there are a thousand people walking around. If I were a monk I'd be really irritated by it, but I guess you can't keep something so beautiful all to yourself. :-) And, being a vegetarian, of course I have to comment on the meal we had at the monestary. IT WAS THE BEST MEAL I HAD IN CHINA. Where were they hiding all that stuff in Hong Kong?!? If I could, I'd take a monk home to cook for me. Mmmm...

It was really neat to go to Tai O and see how the colloquial people live. I can't believe how tiny the houses are! I know they must work their butts off in that little village, but there was something so quaint about it. The best part of it was seeing Hong Kong as close to it's original state as we could have - as a tiny fishing village. The city is great, but a city is a city is a city. The way to really get to know a country is by it's towns and villages. It's really inspired me to come back or go somplace new and rather than visiting a main city, go to some random villages and see what it's REALLY like to live there.

Thoughts on Hong Kong 5

Caligula

I was excited to see this play, especially a Cantonese rendition of it. Knowing the story of Caligula beforehand was a definite benefit. I know that several people in our group were in the dark about who Caligula was, so they were probably taken back by some of the things that took place on stage. Personally, I thought it was a very good adaptation and that the actors, especially the actor playing Caligula, did an excellent job! I followed the subtitles, but towards the end I really didn't need them because I felt he did such a good job of reaching out to the audience. He was able to act insane without overacting, monstrous while still having a childlike innocence about him. Even though Caligula was demented, cruel and one sick little puppy, you kind of felt sorry for him in his impossible quest to bring down the moon and become a god. The only part of the play that I felt could be improved was the ending. I didn't feel that his death was dramatic or tragic enough. His ending line, I think it was "Caligula will never die!" seemed a little flat, compared to the way in which he died (multiple stabbings...quite dramatic!), and all that happened up to that point. I thought there would have been an ending soliloquy that at least made one final mention of the elusive moon, since that theme was so strong through the rest of the play. I thought he would have at least reached out as if to grab it from the sky as he died on stage. That gesture alone would have been enough to tie the theme back into the ending.

Thoughts on Hong Kong 4

Lantau Island

I was disappointed when I got to the Big Buddha on Lantau Island. In all the guide books you only see the serene image of the Buddha rising up between the trees on the mountain top. It looks like an isolated site, one that would suggest that you could trek up there and maybe sit and meditate and feel at peace. That's what I was hoping for anyway. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. For a spiritual landmark there were WAY too many souvenir stands, at least four of them all selling nearly the exact same things! Funny, but no where in my guide book did it mention that on the path to visiting this spiritual site that you'd be bombarded with so much rampant consumerism along the way. And I'm not just saying that because I was bitter at not having discovered the tea shop that everyone else did! I think I would feel differently if there was one stand or one shop and the proceeds went to benefit the monastery, as they did at the nunnery. But I don't think that's how things worked here. By the time I did weave in and out of the shops and make my way up to the Buddha, I only had time to climb the stairs, take a few pictures, then walk back down. So much for meditating and feeling at peace. There were too many other tourists around to really do that anyway. The only thing I can think to compare this to in the states is going to visit the Statue of Liberty. I guess to most people visiting the Buddha is just about seeing a famous monument and there isn't any spiritual purpose behind it.

Ironically, the fishing village of Tai O, which was actually busy and crowded, had more of a peaceful vibe to it than the Buddha did. Maybe it was the tranquil effect of being near the water or the more rural setting of the village. Either way I really enjoyed being able to walk around at my own pace and observe the village in greater detail. Some of my best photos from the whole trip were taken here and it seemed that this was one of the only places were the environment was natural and genuine, instead of being engineered to simply "look" natural.