Halfway Done with Study Abroad Program T.T

I am halfway done with my internship, and I’m already starting to miss this city and lifestyle. Here are some reasons why:

One, I probably won’t be able to see the friends I’ve made here and my relatives again, or for a while at least.  They’ve made me come out of my comfort zone, more than the actual city to be honest. Hong Kong, to me, is like a mini city, so I feel like I could live here for a while (if the rent wasn’t expensive, that is). Back home, I would always hang out with my group, which mostly consists of Asians, so we generally have the same mindset. However, meeting my classmates and the other students from other programs have given me different perspectives on life that I never would’ve thought if I didn’t come here.

Two, I’m going to miss living by myself. Technically, I should be dorming with one of my classmates, but she got her own room, and so I have the whole room (double-bed one) to myself. This is pretty Gucci compared to everyone else living here. The space I occupy would probably cost at least one, or two, or even five hundred thousand US dollars if I weren’t in this study abroad program. Rent here is just ridiculously expensive. Everything else like tax is not paid, free market economy makes it easier for people to sell (fake) things without a license. Even 7-eleven can sell alcohol at a cheap price ($10 USD for a bottle) becuz they don’t need an alcohol license. (why I even know this, it’s a long story. Let’s just say I’m always surrounded by alcohol and smoke.)

Three, I’ll also miss my coworkers (and their sarcasm xD). The whole atmosphere feels just like home, well sorta. I’m the youngest and an intern, so the professionalism has to be there. Other than that though, I’ll miss hearing their funny comments every weekday. It makes time goes by faster, which I don’t want it to.

Four, this whole trip has been like a vacay to me. Once I go back to Houston, I’ll have to deal with reality again. That includes, college, planning out post-career life, club officer activities (for two clubs, actually), and home chores. Sigh, why didn’t I do this sooner? I wish I was going into junior year. I would have more time to explore myself and do other things, like research, volunteering, traveling, etc. internally, I feel like a kid just learning about life. I feel old, too. Bros, I’ve done a lot of first time stuff during this trip than the 20 years I’ve been in Houston. Like, WHAT WAS I DOING BACK THEN??? It’s going to suck going back and facing those responsibilities, but what can I do but face them? I can’t really complain at this point. I just need to take action and stop being lazy and shy with my feelings.

One thing I’m definitely going to be taking back home with me is newfound confidence. After talking with so many different people during this trip and experiencing a study abroad program, including an internship, I feel like I can do anything (well, not really). I’ve always wanted to travel and try working in a different city, and I DID! ^_^ That’s one, or well, a lot, of checks off my bucket list.

If there’s anything I won’t miss, though, it’s the pricing here. It’s at least a dollar and a half more than the pricing in Houston (for a Tall Starbucks frap…I know.)

Alright, I’m going to go resume watching my Chinese drama. I have at least 30 episodes to catch up, so got lots of time during this trip to finish it. I'll be watching Game of Thrones soon, too. K, Ciao.

P.S. I'll probably post some pics here, but honestly, you can just check them out on my Facebook page or Instagram (Suki Tu and suki_winnie, respectively). 

Finally in Hong Kong!

It has been a long week. I'm still a little bit jet lag from Houston time, but I think it should be gone by Sunday.

I am excited coming back to HK (Hong Kong) after 3 years ago. I am actually glad that I have relatives here because I get pretty homesick really easily, and I'm going to meet my grandma's sister and her nephew whom I love a lot later today. Coming into this program, my expectations were a little bit dif than what i thought. There's actually only 4 people in my specific program (altho one is in a Master's program, so i dont think it's the same as the 3 of us). Also, class is nowhere near the HKU or affiliated with it, so our class is from 6-9pm on fridays after work... Not sure that was in the syllabus i read, but ok...still not comfortable going home that late tho. Plus, i think they're changing up the assignment. A.g.a.i.n. Oh well, i have a pretty big tolerance, but once i realize something's not going to work, i gotta say something. 

Anyway, here goes my other first impressions:

1. Hotel room is small. I swear, they took a queen size bed, split it in half and separate it by only a foot, as described by my roommate. But, as you can c in the pics below, there are a lot of tall buildings and apartments here. HK is like 70% full of green stuff, you name it: mountains, grass, parks, etc. So everything is cramped and there's always somebody around the corner. It's actually pretty safe cuz of this type of living environment. You can't get away from committing a crime. 

2. WiFi is slow af. I can't even Google search something without waiting for like 5 mins or so. >_> I try to stay connected as much as i can on my free time, esp when i ride on the subway train to go to work and going back home. Plus, it seems like everybody is on their phone doing something. They do that or stare into you like you did something wrong. >.<'

3. Lots of skyscrapers. My neck hurts every time i try to sight-see the city from the ground. But, it's still pretty eye-boggling with all the designs.

4. Humid and rainy. Right now, it's typhoon season, so it has been raining often since i came here. As a matter of fact, it's sprinkling right now.
5. Everyone is doing something. No time is wasted. Literally HK island oozes productiveness everywhere. Plus, the people are very observant. Like, a seat would get snatched away quickly on the subway and people can tell when they leave. And the elevators here, omg, they're so sensitive that you can just touch it lightly to light it up. If touch it longer it will undo the action, meaning, if u pressed the wrong floor, u can undo it. *.* man, if only things here were like this back home in Texas. 

Ok, so maybe there are more complaints than compliments right now, BUT i'm sure i'll get use to this lifestyle quickly. I haven't really explored the city at all honestly, so what i just said before are mostly technical things which i pay more attention to. I'll post something with more interesting stories next time. Until then, here are some pics i took:

Alright. Ciao. 

A month before I leave for Hong Kong

I'm anxious and excited at the same time.

I'm not sure what i'm feeling anymore honestly. it seems like a dream come true but the thought is also making me uncomfortable knowing that i will be away from home for two months. Even though it may not seem as long as some people might think, it would be my 2nd time away from family and friends that long.

The first time was with my club members to Kansas City, Missouri, and it was awesome experience. I really liked the feeling of doing something out of Houston. I didn't know what to expect, and for my first trip it was cool. Altho it wasn't exactly the same becuz it was for club work, so most of my conversations were about club work. When I think about how my internship in Hong Kong will be like, it's a lonely feeling. I've felt a little bit homesick, but more so of missing my grandma. Whenever i see her, it feels like home more than anything else. Of course, i want to travel, but seeing her as much as i can before she goes to a better place is what i want more for now. Before i graduated high school, i was anxious whether or not she would make it to my graduation. I am a first-generation student in my immediate family, so it's a first time for my parents and Grams to see someone go to college who will mostly away from home. That's mostly why i wanted to stay in the city for my undergrad while i travel here and there for short periods of time.

Not eating homemade food really made me think how grateful i am for my Grams. She cooks everyday (with occasional eating out sessions) and, boy, she cooks EVERYTHING, including tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, etc. Stuff that I would like to eat somewhat more raw? lol, but yeah after eating out for the whole 4 days without her being by my side to lecture me about eating raw food, i realized how much i missed her voice and face. Welp, I'm coming back to houston in about 3 hours anyway, so i'll see her soon ^_^

Until then, ciao!

Productive Winter Break

As the title suggests, it really does seem like i'm working during winter break. 

So, finals ended last friday, but it didn't really bother me that I faltered a bit on my grades. Meaning, I finally got my first B in college. I knowwww, it sounds petty, and it really is. From this point on, i don't really care much about my GPA as i do about getting work experience. That was last year's goal, although, it shouldn't have been my only goal. I should've seriously applied for other things, like research, internships, volunteer work, etc. I did not bother to really try them out because i was so focus on homework and working part-time that i did not notice the bigger picture. Now that i'm a junior and have a full-ride scholarship (hallelujah), i realized this late how important it is to be more well-rounded than focusing on one aspect. Whatever, i can't really change the past, so i need to move on >_>

Anywayyy, this thinking resulted in me deciding to intern abroad in Hong Kong next summer. I'm currently working on the app, so i really hope it would be worth it. My main goal was to intern anyway, but when i thought about studying abroad, i was like "Why not?" I always wanted to travel and my parents wanted me to go back to China to work on my Chinese (I speak Cantonese rather than Mandarin so yeah). So, including the program app, i'm applying for more scholarships to help cover the cost (all due in Jan-Feb). SO YEAHHHH lots to write. 

And you know what sucks even more? I realized how i should've talked and connected with my teachers = more recommendations. Literally, i'm asking my faculty advisors instead becuz i'm more close with them from being involved with my club and classes (not with the teachers). I never even though about asking my volunteer supervisors or employers either. I was very shy and did what i was supposed to do, but i didn't had the courage to actually ask them, and they were all nice too. UGH where was this advice in high school when i needed it?? TT.TT alright enough of me ranting and time to start writing. Ciao!