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.