The View from the Peak...

I have done a lot since I arrived in Hong Kong about a week ago. Today was no exception. We had "Exchange Buddy Day," a day planned and paid for by HKUST so that the Exchange Students and their local "buddies" can get to know each other. We went to Stanley Park, a tourist-y area with lots of places to eat and a market, and then we went to Victoria's Peak, one of the highest mountains in Hong Kong.

The view from the top is spectacular.

Want to see?

And here is the view from the other side, as the sun was setting. It doesn't look as beautiful as some of the sunsets I have seen in North America, and this is because of the pollution that is carried to Hong Kong from China, the neighbour to the North.

Still, it is pretty cool. Check it out...

And here is one more photo that I took today. Hong Kong is full of beautiful decorations that are enjoyed by tourists and locals tonight. This is one of my favourite displays...

Tomorrow, I am going to the "Ladies Market" in Mong Kok (just a short subway ride away). It isn't what you would think...haha. It is a place where you can buy various types of clothing, shoes and accessories from different stalls along the street. Bargaining is an important part of the process, so I will have a chance to practice my negotiation skills!

My Address...

A few people have been asking what my address is, here in Hong Kong.

Here it is:

Heather Payne
Room 535
Undergraduate Hall IV
The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
Clear Water Bay, Kowloon
Hong Kong

If you send me something with your address on it, I will send you back a postcard!

Come With Me for a Campus Tour!

The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology is like no place I have ever seen. It is situated in Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, and is practically vertical. In fact, over 30 "lifts" (elevators) are required to move its 6000 students to and from classes. And that doesn't include the escalators. There are at least 15 of those, too.

Want to see where I will be spending my time over the next four months?

Here is the campus, as seen from the water. I think this is an official HKUST photo...they display it everywhere. I mean, no kidding.

I live in Hall IV (yes, the residence names are highly creative) which is the building located just above the track.

You can't tell in the photograph, but my residence building is actually shaped like an "S". So, from my dorm room (which is on the fifth floor) this is what I see if I look down the hallway:

Other than that, though, my dorm room looks...well, pretty much like a dorm room.

Actually, it looks worse than your average dorm room - I brought hardly anything with me and I sleep in a sleeping bag, because I need to bring it to Europe after my exchange is over.

But, in an effort to really give you a glimpse into my life in Hong Kong, I will show it to you anyways.

Here it is...

What else can I show you? Oh, here is a photo of my residence, shot from the ground...

And here are some other photos I took around campus. It is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. For example, this pond is right outside my residence building, and the forest you see in the background is what my rooms backs onto.

This is the view from the first floor of the library. And there are four floors. AND this was on a cloudy day. So you can imagine the kind of paradise we live in over here.





This is the view from my floor's common room - a space for students with couches, a kitchen and...oh, yes, plasma TVs. We also have a patio on our floor that overlooks the water.

In order to get to anything on campus, I have to take two or three elevators, and two bridges. This is the view from one of the bridges. Inside that building, there are classrooms, study rooms, the library and one of the six or seven places to eat. I love the palm trees!

I have one more photo to show you, and it is specifically for my friends from Ivey. We all spent a lot of time in Ivey's study rooms over the past couple years. We practically lived in them for 48 Hour Reports. They came in so handy, with those chairs, tables and white boards.


Well, HKUST has study rooms, too. Except they are outside, and they look like this:





On a sunny day, you can study AND get a tan!


That's it for now. Tomorrow, I am going to post some photos of my first time venturing into the city (it is about a 40 minute subway ride into the heart of Hong Kong). I will also be writing about my first sightseeing experience...

All it Takes is 16 Hours...

Finally. I have been planning this trip of a lifetime for over a year, and on January 22nd, I arrived at the Pearson International Airport for my 16 hour flight to Hong Kong. It was also the first time I have ever been on a plane alone. My parents and I found the check-in line for the Hong Kong flight, and while waiting, I was asked three times where I was going...I guess I don't fit the profile of the typical Hong Kong-traveller.

After saying good bye to my parents, and, of course, waiting a few hours, I boarded the 777. This is the best part. I was bumped up to first class!

Just joking. But I got the next best thing. I was moved to a seat near one of the emergency exits, and I had six feet of empty space in front of me! I would have had enough space to do yoga or something, if I felt like it. I put my feet up on top of my carry on luggage in front of me, and settled in for the flight.

It was pretty uneventful. Chopsticks were served with every meal. I wasn't in the mood to be embarrassed, so I asked for a fork.

When I arrived, it was 3 pm, Hong Kong time (there is a 13 hour time difference, something that has been messing with me since I arrived). The airport is immaculate, and it took no time at all to get my luggage or go through customs. My Exchange Buddy, Bonita, met me at the exit...thank goodness. I don't know what I would have done. We took a taxi to my school (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) and I got my first look at Hong Kong.

It is like nothing else I have ever seen in my life. More on that later.

Bonita helped me find my dorm room (it looks exactly like you would expect it to) and gave me a quick tour of campus. More on that later, too. By 7 pm, I was completely exhausted and wanted to go to bed. I said goodnight to Bonita, and settled into my dorm room for the night.

The next day, I woke up at 6 am, completely refreshed. I have never been able to manage that in Canada...but here, no problem!

And that is when the adventure began.