Recent Highlights

Ok so I know it's been a while since my last blog and ALOT has gone on since, so I figured that I'll discuss some recent highlights instead of trying to backtrack three-four weeks. If you have any questions about my adventures in Shanghai and Beijing, then post a comment.

I started classes last week. After checking several classes out and subsequently dropping three of them, I decided to stick with three courses: Mandarin, Southeast Asia & the World Political Economy, and History of Modern China. Mandarin is my favorite class of the three because, of course, one of my main goals is to familiarize myself with Putonghua. My class on Southeast Asia is also cool because the professor just rambles on and on about random facts about the region. I'm not sure if there's a particular topic that he wants to cover in each class; he just talks about whatever. And my History of Modern China class is seriously like watching the History Channel. I LOVE it! You know how those old researchers on the History Channel tell random stories about ancient emperors and etc., as if they were there when it happened? That's how my professor is. And he has a British accent, which makes the class even more engaging.



Now for a few recent highlights:

I'm interning with Horwath for five weeks beginning in April! For those of you that don't know, Horwath is a major hospitality consulting firm, and has offices throughout Asia. This internship is actually part of my study abroad program; during the last five weeks, you either pursue an internship or independent study project. I could work for them during at least half of the summer if I wanted to, but they only give a stipend of HK$4000/month (around $500 US). And NO housing! I really would like to stay in Asia, but I have to find a company that's giving out that $$$$$!

I'm going to Macau on Sunday! Macau is a small city about an hour ferry ride away from Hong Kong, known for Portuguese colonial buildings as well as a casino strip now larger than that of Las Vegas! I really wanna check out the scene there, even though gambling is really not my thing. I never quite found it fun to lose money, but maybe that's just me. I'll be sure to take pics!

All Right It's On!

All right now it's time to start keeping my promise to all of you guys. I'm finally settled in Hong Kong and I have full Internet access so I can now get to work. Since three weeks have passed already, I'll give ya'll a brief synopsis on what I've been doing.

I finished my two-week seminar in mainland China on Saturday. We went to Xi'an (a city in northwest China), Beijing, and Shanghai. The trip was actually a 3-credit class; we had lectures most mornings as well as several field trips. We also had two quizzes (which I found mad easy) and four journal entries where we reflect on our experience. I wish this class counted on my transcript because I'd have it in the bag, but unfortunately it doesn't. Anyway, our program had the great luck of going to mainland China during its worst, snowiest winter in years! One thing I learned about China is that the weather can get a little gully in the winter. I mean, it was pretty damn brick! I'm talking long-johns, double-socks, the whole nine yards. And my dumb-ass decided NOT to bring my Timberland boots, the high ones that go all the way up past my ankles! I had them PACKED in my suitcase, but then I thought, "I'm only gonna be in cold weather for two weeks. No sense lugging these around". And I left them! Trust, I paid for that mistake!

Anyway, Xi'an is not exactly my kind of town. It's considered a pretty average, run-of-the-mill city, yet what's crazy is that it has 7 million people! China has so many cities and people that a city with a population almost as big as NYC is average! But the worst thing about Xi'an is its pollution! The whole city stinks like coal, which is the main source of energy in most Chinese cities. That smell really permeates the air everywhere you go; it's pretty bad. But we went to Xi'an for its historical significance. Xi'an is the ancient capital of China, and has been around since 200BC when the emperor Qin Shi Huangdi unified China and started the Qin Dynasty. Isn't it crazy that what we know as China has been a nation for the past 2,200 years?? Do you know how many monarchies, empires, and civilizations have begun and ended over the span of 2,200 years? Europe alone went from the Ancient Greeks and the Phoenicians to the Roman Empire and barbaric tribes to Charlemagne and feudal monarchies to the Renaissance and Vatican rule to the Napoleon era to the World Wars, which finally established most of the nations that we know of today. And yet while all this chaos and change were going on, China has been the same country with the same people and the same written language and the same religions and philosophies. China has gone through several different dynasties, but even when China was ruled by the Mongols during the Mongol empire, they adopted the Chinese government system and customs to rule over them--basically China set the tone even for their conquerers! So if you REALLY dig history, look no further...

Blog to be continued...

In Hong Kong

Guys, I'm really sorry that I haven't updated my blog since I arrived to HK, but my computer access right now is kind of limited, because I had to go through orientation and I'm leaving for a two-week seminar in mainland China today. But this blog will be updated with pictures and everything once I finally get myself completely situated. Or, I'll write brief posts while I'm in mainland if Internet access is somehow available. But what I can tell you guys in the limited time that I have is that Hong Kong is amazing and completely unlike ANYTHING I've ever experienced before! The city is absolutely beautiful and completely spotless!! What other city has huge buildings right next to mountains and trees?? I'm already getting a good feel for the city and am comfortable with traveling around! Again, sorry for the really general post, but I have to get my stuff in order first! Peace!

TWO more days left!!

Wow...I can't believe I'm actually leaving for HK in two days! On one hand I'm excited to put an end to Winter Break and leave home. I love my family dearly, but I've spent the past month stuck in the house without interaction from anyone close to my age. This is because as you know, my family decided to move out of the Big Apple once I entered college, like everybody else it seems. And where do we move? A country-ass town outside of ATL, where I have no friends nor any hope of making friends. This place is so bad that a stroll around the neighborhood will put you to sleep (not exaggerating), as ALL the houses look alike and there's nothing else to look at. You've seen Will Smith bug out in I Am Legend, where he thought he was the last man on earth for three years? Well, I've gotten a little taste of that feeling.

You get the point; I gotta bounce--quickly! But on the other hand, I feel a little anxious/overwhelmed/nervous that I'm actually doing this. I've been talking the talk for years about studying abroad and wanting to travel abroad, and I kept hoping that everything would go as planned and I wouldn't just ultimately prove that talk is cheap. Well, I guess I don't have to worry about that!

So I've spent the past few days preparing for my journey. That includes buying mad toiletries ($$$!) so my mom can rest assured that I'll never ever ever even think about running out of deodorant, mouthwash, face wash, and other necessities. Aaannnddd, I decided to make a very worthwhile investment: a new, high-quality digital camera. I already have one, but it sucks like the rest of my electronic products, so I figured that such a huge trip deserves extra crisp, fresh pictures. I'm excited to use it in China; from my research it seems like an excellent camera for its price. It's a little big (can't fit comfortably into my pocket), but the bad boy takes AA batteries so I'll always have access to juice! Check it out here!

So don't worry, I'll be taking plenty of pictures during these next few months. To see them click on the "A.Scholar's Pics" link on the right. I doubt I'm gonna do the whole Facebook album thing, because with Picasa I have my own pic webpag and it's easier to upload photos. More of a convenience for me than for you guys, sorry!

Anthony Bourdain = The Man

Have you guys ever heard of Anthony Bourdain? He's a NYC chef who hosts a show on Travel Channel called "No Reservations". Every episode involves him traveling to a different city or country and exploring the local cuisine and culture. Basically, he eats his ass off and gets paid to do it, going to mad local dives and food stands. Yesterday, they showed multiple episodes of him in Asia, so naturally I had to watch his episode in HK. My mouth watered as he went about eating claypot rice (a winter dish consisting of rice and various meats in a small pot), suckling pig, goose, fresh crab, and dim sum. I was intrigued as well as frightened by the squid ink pasta, maybe because the entire dish was jet black. And I gained respect for him when he began eating pig intestines on a stick that he got off the street. That didn't really gross me out, as I love hog maws, a soul food delicacy and euphemism for "pig stomach lining". Whatever, don't judge.

Anyway, from this show I learned about the old-fashioned HK way of making noodles. They said that there's about three old dudes left in the whole city who bother making them this way. This one dude wakes up early every morning in his grimy apartment; mixes up flour, duck eggs, and water; then flattens this mixture by rocking on a bamboo pole (real talk) to give the noodles their distinct texture (?). Whatever floats his boat, but his noodles are supposedly the best in Hong Kong, so I have to check them out.

Just so you readers know, I've never been one to turn down the chance to try new foods. I'm definitely the most experimental eater in my family, but that's really not saying much. I come from a family where sushi is unthinkable and meat is ALWAYS well-done, without question. And don't even think about funky European cheeses; that's some uppity Hotelie s**t. But that's probably why I like to experiment with new foods, in order to deliberately contradict my family's close-mindedness. In reality, a normal sandwich with a lot of mayonnaise and Kraft's American cheese would gross me out more than most things I've seen on this show, seriously.

I left the link for the show on the right-hand side of this blog. If you're a Hotelie who doesn't know about Anthony Bourdain, get on your foodie game real quick. Don't say I never put ya'll on to anything.

Welcome to Real Talk Hong Kong!!

So, I changed the name of my blog...

I thought the name "LIVE from HK" had a nice ring to it, but the name "Real Talk Hong Kong" refers to a colloquial term that I actually use frequently:

real talk (adj??): the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
-Courtesy of UrbanDictionary.com

And that's exactly what I hope to provide on this blog: real talk about life in Hong Kong, from an American perspective, an Ivy Leaguer's perspective, a college student's perspective, a black man's perspective, whatever. Because not that many black males are in the Ivy League to begin with, and very few spend a semester in Hong Kong, or anywhere else in Asia, for that matter (shoutout to MT!). So that's that and that's all.

7 more days ya'll!

Welcome 2 LIVE from Hong Kong...

Thank you ladies and gentlemen for showing support for the movement. I promise you won't be disappointed!

In 9 days I leave good ol' America and embark on the most exciting journey of my life!! I'm spending the next few months in Hong Kong, a former British colony and major city in the south of China. From what I've heard about HK, I can infer that this trip will be the time of my life. In these next few months I will attempt to document my unique experience and exciting adventures in this foreign land. My goal is to have a fresh post every week, maybe even more. After all, journalism was my second-choice major for college, so let's see how I would've done in the field. Expect a few more posts this week, because I'm really bored.

In the meantime, peep this Wikipedia article!