Robyn’s Wandering in Hong Kong!

Hong Kong

It’s Monday and Robyn’s Wanderings is broadcasting from Hong Kong. That’s right the blog is expanding.

First it started with Bermudian Nicola Arnold (who will soon be transplanting herself to Canada) and now we’ve added Emily Ross.

Another Bermudian, Emily Ross will be reporting from Hong Kong every Monday. What’s it like there? What’s it like to live in another culture? Tune in every Monday for her latest.

And to start: Who is Emily? Here she tells us:

Everybody said, ‘Oh, Hong Kong, you’ll be tall there.’

LIES.

I am five feet tall. I blend into the crowd round these parts. I’ve been here three weeks and my fellow exchange students have already lost me in the crowd at least a dozen times. Tall! Hmph. I’m not tall, I’m just not short anymore.

The stubbornly politically correct part of me wrestles with penning my observations about my relative height

Skyscrapers in Hong Kong

round these parts. But then again, I had a massive internal battle after watching Mulan on the plane on the way over here. Is that racist? So far everything I know about China I learned from Eddie Murphy.

As I’m trying to catch you up for three weeks worth of roaming, here’s a quick rundown:

-It is cold here. They told me it would be warm. I did not pack for this.

-Everything is out of context in Hong Kong. Start with a skyscraper. Turn the corner and there’s a beach. Turn the corner and there’s a mountain, turn the corner and there’s a village, turn the corner and there’s an island. Everything is extreme and everything is here.

Random scene in Hong Kong

-I’m on an exchange between the University of Bristol in the UK and City University of Hong Kong for one semester (January to May). Before you get too excited, the lectures are in English – so far the only Cantonese that I know is ‘Tsing mat kau gaun tsae mun’ which according to the recorded English translation means ‘Please stand back from the doors.’ The underground or ‘MTR’ is familiar ground to me now.

-I have to say, I expected the lecture environment to be somewhat…well, different. People are talking, they leave early, they answer their phones, they go on Facebook…and the lecturers merely raise their voices to be heard over the din rather than tell them to kindly please SHUT UP. At first I was concerned about the two or three hour lectures I had scheduled (I’m used to 50 minute lectures at Bristol) but then I realised there wasn’t necessarily more content; the lecturers simply speak more slowly. I don’t mind of course, you’ve got to give these kids credit – they’re studying in a second language! Maybe the chatter is them translating what the lecturer is saying. Not sure I can justify the Facebooking though. Sorry, guys.

-They LOVE Hello Kitty here. Seriously.

-They’re preparing for Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year at the moment. Are you ready for the year of the rabbit? Everything’s decked out in red and gold. Gorgeous!

-Old people take their birds for walks – they sit in the park and bring their bird in its cage with them. Adorable.

-In order to get a space in student housing, you have to show that you actively participate in student life at CityU. So everyone is super enthusiastic – floor gatherings, hall meetings, societies, inspirational posters. My first hall gathering is at the end of the month. Something tells me this will be different from the ‘British experience.’ The words ‘Happy and Free’ are written in giant letters on the side of the hall building. I don’t think that would be taken too seriously in Brizzle.

So there’s a quick summary! Until next week!

Happy New Years from…..a plane!

 

Fireworks over the Charles' Bridge in Prague!

Where did you welcome in 2011? Well me? Me? Well in Vermont of course! That was an experience that consisted of two Americans, a Brit, a Canadian and a Bermudian walking into a pub……

No it’s not a joke, but it turned into one! It turned into one sick sea bass and three destroyed Kobe steaks……my story will all become clearer in my post another day.

For today it’s all about Robyn’s second Wanderer, Nicola Arnold. Where did this world ranger spend her New Year’s Eve? On a plane of course! Here is Nicola’s New Year’s post:

 

Nicola on her camel in India! (a previous trip of course!)

Greetings from Heathrow Airport in England, and a Happy 2011 to one & all!

My New Year’s Eve was spent on a jumbo jet, flying from Johannesburg to London, and to tell the truth – I quite enjoyed it! The last few years, New Year’s Eve parties have been a bit hit-or-miss, and I don’t mind spending NYE with friends and toasting with a glass of bubbly… hold the orange juice!

On the flight, we enjoyed a flute of champagne on our 10 hour flight (we meaning my parents and myself). The stewardess brought some at midnight (South African time), for those brave souls who resisted sleep and pulled all-nighters watching movies. I pride myself on being one of those movie-watchers on flights, even if I pay for it the next day. I indulged in a few children’s movies, such as Despicable Me (but I have to admit I fell asleep halfway through and had to re-watch the ending) … plus one of my old favourites, Monsters. Inc.

[On the subject of movies, I watched my first 3D movie in South Africa on a night at the movies with my cousins… TRON: Legacy. I know, I know, a guy’s movie, and I was with 4 male family members… but hey, I enjoyed the graphics and animation! Plus we watched the original 1982 version beforehand so we saw the leaps & bounds that technology has made in the movie-making world.]

So onward the journeys go! Right now, we’re ready to hop on another flight to Amsterdam to wander the canals, check out Anne Frank’s old digs and perhaps take photos in a mammoth-sized-Dutch-clog (I know one exists in the city, I just do not remember where). Then the last leg of the journey brings us back to England for a few days.

Next time I write, it will be from Bermuda – home sweet home!

There’s a new Wanderer in town!

Nicola Arnold with her host sister Yogita

Yes. Robyn’s Wanderings is growing by one! Nicola Arnold has now been roped into writing every week about her adventures and basically anything travel related!

So you’re sick of me?! Cool. Meet Bermudian and enthusiastic traveler Nicola who will be sharing with you every Saturday. Here’s her first post:

Season’s Greetings! This is Nicola Arnold and it has been 65 days since my last travel adventure… that is, if you don’t count excursions to the local beaches and parks as being an adventure-worthy.

Living in Bermuda has its perks – as a recent graduate from the University of Guelph, Ontario, I have thoroughly enjoyed returning to Bermuda to spend my summer playing beach volleyball, walking past Johnny Barnes at Crow Lane Roundabout as he declares his love for me, and even pretending to be a tourist in Dockyard in order to sample some of the delicious rum cakes over at the Rum Cake Factory!

So who is Nicola?

My story so far is a ‘mixture’ of my family background intertwined with my travel experiences. Therefore it seems like a good idea to share these ‘ingredients’ of my life with you:

¼ cup Croatian grandparents

¼ cup British grandparents

½ cup parents from Zimbabwe

2 T. cousins in South Africa

3 T. cousins in Australia

1 pkg. of Rotary exchange in France

Whisk in some studies in Canada

4 T. summer student in Bermuda

5 oz. semester abroad in Paris

9 oz. study abroad in the French Alps

1 tsp. volunteer trip in India

Dash of travels in Japan, Greece, USA

These ingredients have led me to my path of study, encouraging my development in international education and will be the basis of my career… (yes dad, a JOB!!):

From high school at Mt. St. Agnes Academy in Bermuda to university in Canada, my ever-growing love for

France ultimately pointed me in the direction of completing a B.A. in European Studies, complete with a

Nicola in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan for our overnight camel safari... a thrilling adventure for sure

“highly recommended” study abroad for a year in the foreign language being studied (le français, bien sur).

At university, I became a Peer Helper at the Center for International Programs (CIP), so I had the joy of informing and preparing other students for studying, working & volunteering abroad.

Needless to say, I’ve been able to hone my packing skills for last-minute weekend trips, backpacking in the Indian desert on a camel safari – and learnt to be ready at a moment’s notice to dash for trains in the process.

What’s the plan now?! As I’m enjoying the mild Bermuda weather, I’m actively searching for jobs in Canada in the international education field – working with international and/or exchange students. It has been great networking with contacts both in Bermuda and Canada, while keeping my skills sharp through volunteering and getting involved in different organizations and events.

And surprise, surprise… my family and I will be travelling over the Christmas holidays to visit family and wander around Europe a bit. So far, our plans include stops in London, Rome, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Amsterdam and Paris – all in the space in 3 weeks. Sound interesting? Stay tuned for more!