More of My Life as a HongKy

So I have continued to explore Hong Kong in between my weekend trips. One of the best dinners I have had recently is at a place called Sushi One. After 10pm all the sushi is 50% off, and its really good sushi. You have to spend a minimum of US$8, but you get like 6 rolls of very quality sushi...an unbelievable deal (in the US, sushi like this would be at least US$30). I had some shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, soft shell crab...it was BOMB (as one of my friends, Alyssa, from Wisconsin would say)!
Also, I went to Korean BBQ (picture on right), which is where there is a whole bunch of raw meat sitting out, and you grab what you want and cook it on a hot plate in front of you. I tried Ox tongue for the first time...it basically tasted like really tough beef. There were a bunch of other exotic meats, but I didn't try anything else too insane.

But I have realized that both of these experiences are why Hong Kong is known for having great food. People say that Hong Kong doesn't really have its own "food" but it is great at imitating other cultures' foods. In fact Anthony Bourdain (famous chef on the Food Network) said Hong Kong has some of the best food he has ever had, and I'm here!...tight, huh?

Also, I went on an open-top bus party for a girl's birthday. We took the bus all around downtown and saw all the sights. After the bus party we all went dancing in the town...a little mix of techno for the Europeans and a mix of Rap/R&B for the Americans. Classic. Hong Kong is really a beautiful city. I have gotten to travel to a bunch of sweet Asian cities, but as of now, none compare to Hong Kong. It has so many cultures, landscapes, and varieties of experiences...not to mention the skyline is unbelievable. In fact, I am starting to feel like Hong Kong is home...at least for now. By the end of all my trips I always say, "I am ready to get home to Hong Kong!" I feel comfortable and like I know what I am doing here, and that is a great feeling when you are traveling constantly around Asia. But the coolest thing is that I get to go through the Hong Kong residents line (not the foriegners one) when I go through customs...people look at me like I am in the wrong line, but I get up there and show them wrong! I am definitely now a HongKy (the term people in Asia use to refer to Hong Kong residents) and it feels GREAT!

Also, I have been meeting lots of local students, especially people from my hall. I talked about (in a previous blog) the group of students from my hall that call themselves Fourster (I have a video of them doing their stomp dance in the atrium in a previous blog). Well they are constantly putting on activities and they are all really nice too (the other students here say that they are the CRAZY ones, but I think that is just because they are outgoing and don't study constantly). So I have been going to all the activities they put on and I have made friends with a bunch of them including Darren, Evan, Kenneth, Desiree, So John, and many more whose names escape me at the moment. Last night they had a cook out and I ate some delicious food and got to know more people. They offered me chicken bone to eat (there isn't any meat on it. They just eat the bone....I guess it is kind of soft), but I decided I would have to take a little while to gain the courage to eat that one. I also went to a soccer game to support Hall IV. We were playing our rivals (Hall III...apparently the rivalry is so fierce that when students from Hall IV count to 4 they say "1, 2, 4." ha.) The soccer game was great. They LOVE chanting (and if you know me, you know how I also love chanting and cheering), but they always chant in Cantonees. So I got pretty good at saying "Ja MU! Ja MU! Ja MU!", which I guess is just the name of our hall in Cantonese. They loved that I was there cheering on.
Anyways, those are some of my most recent interesting Hong Kong experiences. I haven't actually been around Hong Kong all that much recently. In fact, on this upcoming Monday (the 9th) I will have only been in Hong Kong for 3 of the previous 11 days. Right now is just perfect for traveling since the workload is light. After my trip to Guilin, China this weekend, I will be staying in Hong Kong for 4 weeks before my next trip. The life of an exchange student is great, isn't it?!