Oriented

I have safely made it to Hong Kong! For a 15hr. flight the journey really was not too bad considering I had a direct flight, my luggage was not lost, and my STA representative got me a great seat on the plane that happened to be right behind the bathroom meaning extended leg room. I flew Cathay Pacific and would definitely recommend it to future study abroad students. The crew was kind, the food was good, the movie selection was great, and overall they provided a very pleasant experience.

When I arrived Monday night I met up with three student buddies Lingnan had arranged to meet new arrivals and escort us to our hostels. Here is a picture of the three student buddies, three other exchange students, and myself eating dinner in the airport before our bus arrived:

At the restaurant our student buddies helped us order. I got a simple noodle and meat dish that was very good. I did realize, however, that I should have learned to use chopsticks before coming over here. My attempt was abysmal and fortunately the buddies got us forks, but I feel like I had better learn quickly given that it is an important aspect of the culture.

After we got to our hostel everyone checked into their individual rooms. I am supposed to have a roommate, but he has yet to arrive so I still have a room to myself. The rooms are not particularly large, but there is plenty of desk space to do work and ample storage area for clothes. The hostels are community bath so that is a change too, but at least that means no cleaning!

Yesterday, Tuesday, was orientation and Lingnan's OMIP staff and student buddies did a great job of making getting us comfortable with our home for the next 5-6 weeks. There are only 12 exchange students this summer (6 Americans, 2 Koreans, and a girl from the UK that I have met so far) so it was a small affair but we learned Hong Kong and Lingnan's regulations, got a campus tour, learned some survival Cantonese, and then went on a city tour with our buddies who helped us do EVERYTHING. We got Octopus cards(which are like debit cards that you use for the MTR (train/subway), the buses, and can be used at convenience stores), I was able to get a cheap pay as you go phone (for ~US$40), and we were treated to both lunch and bubble tea/desert in the evening. My body still hasn't adjusted to the time change completely, obvious by the fact that I'm writing this at 7am CST, but I'm getting there. I am very thankful for all of the help we got yesterday, it was a long and exhausting day through the humid city, but I feel very prepared for the rest of my stay now. First class is this afternoon - introduction to Mandarin. I have a feeling it might be difficult after the Cantonese lesson, but here's to hoping for the best!