First, I have an amazing "buddy" from Hong Kong. Her name is Christine. The University that I
am going to assigns every exchange student with a local student ... to help us get around and to provide us with a friend right off the bat. Well, my buddy is the best. First of all, she is a Christian, so she helped me find an English speaking church here. She also went all the way out to the airport when I arrived in to help me find my way back (it is about an hour ride out there). She has also taken me to get 'dim sum' (their morning/afternoon tea meal), and it was SO good. Everything on the 'dim sum' menus is in Cantonese, so it is hard to go unless you have a local with you. It was her birthday a few days ago, so we are going out to celebrate this week.Right now is "promotion period" for all the clubs and organizations at HKUST. Honestly, it is the CRAZIEST thing I have ever seen. All the organizations have a 'nominated cabinet' (or their new executive board), but these nominated students aren't running against anyone for their positions. But they have spent the last 2 weeks (they have one more to go) promoting themselves to get votes. Now, I was wondering why they would need to promote themselves if no one is running against them, but I guess this promotion period is also like a form of 'hazing' from the old exec board to the new one. The nominated cabinet members don't really get to sleep; they don't go to class; and they have to spend all day in our atrium screaming and promoting their club. They even make up these stomp dances, a plethora of free stuff, and make huge booths/banners to grab people's attention. Students will sit in the atrium all night staking out a spot for their club for the next day. Then every day at 1:30pm, all the clubs start yelling (as loudly as they can) and doing their stomp dances. The nominated cabinet that has done the best job of promoting is Fourster (or the executive board of my dorm..Hall IV! They are the ones in the green pants in the video) They wear green (our hall color) costumes every day, do the residents of Hall IV's laundry, and throw us 'Pub Nights' with free drinks.
I also go to the horse races every Wednesday with a bunch of the exchange students(see picture on left). I have only bet on one horse in the first race I
attended (See picture to right: horse 6 for only US$1.25), and he lost so I have given up betting. I guess the strategy of betting on my favorite number or on the horse jockey with the nicest outfit does cut it. But the people in Hong Kong love the races...everyone is so intense about them. When the horses run by the area you are standing, insanity ensues. (For my UVa. peeps...this is unlike Foxfields: people actually see horses). Because I have retired from my betting career, I cheer for the horses that my friends bet on (maybe they will pay for my dinner later on?). From what I gather, the HK Jockey Club pretty much runs the city. From all the bets they get every week, they make a ridiculous amount of money.
Also, I am getting in to the swing of things with school. I have my first paper, test, and presentation this week. Although Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is knows as "The University of Stress and Tension" or "The University of Suicide and Terror" by the local students here, many of the exchange students like to call it "The University of Sightseeing and Tourism." I am hoping my view of the school is right in the middle (I'm not trying to commit suicide because I am so overworked, but I also want to learn something for the tuition I am paying!). The curve on the classes is supposed to be terrible. We hear rumors about an exchange student last semester who got an 89 in a class, but ended up getting a C from the curve. Well, I have to get a C or above to 'pass,' so I'll have to figure out how to end up on the high end of the curve...we'll see!
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