A tea tale...

As I'm sure everyone is well-aware, tea is a very popular beverage in Hong Kong. If you go to any Chinese restaurant here, it's pretty much a staple. You'll receive two pots, one with tea and the other with hot water. When a table runs out of hot water, in order to get more they prop the teapot lid off to the side a little. Just recently I found out why. Like I said in my last post, everything that happens in Hong Kong (and Chinese culture in general) stems from some sort of legend or story.

Apparently, there was once a very poor man who did not have enough money to pay for his meal, so he devised a plan to get around it. He placed a small bird inside one of the teapots. When his waitress came by to refill his tea, the bird flew out. He claimed that it was a very rare and special bird, and the restaurant ended up paying for his meal. From that point onward, Chinese restaurants will not refill pots that still have their lids on because they don't want to risk a similar situation. (This story was told to me by the president of the Rotary Club of New Territories).

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!!

Zhong Chau Tsit Fai Lok!! (That means Happy Mid-Autumn Festival in Cantonese).

The celebration lasts for three days starting around the 15th day of the 8th lunar month on the Chinese calendar. The first day is to welcome the moon, the second day is to celebrate the full moon, and the third day is to chase after the moon. Here's a little background info courtesy of Wikipedia (it's legit... I checked it out):

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the two most important holidays in the Chinese calendar (the other being the Chinese Lunar New Year), and is a legal holiday in several countries. For thousands of years, the Chinese people have related the vicissitudes of life to changes of the moon as it waxes and wanes; joy and sorrow, parting and reunion. Because the full moon is round and symbolizes reunion, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the festival of reunion. All family members try to get together on this special day.

Today, festivities centered about the Mid-Autumn Festival are more varied. After a family reunion dinner, many people like to go out to attend special performances in parks or on public squares. Chinese family members and friends [*and Rotary scholars* - my addition to Wikipedia] will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes together. There are many variations of moon cakes. They are typically made with sweet fillings of nuts, mashed red beans, lotus-seed paste or Chinese dates, wrapped in a pastry. They are very rich and sometimes contain cooked egg yolks in the middle). Accompanying the celebration, there are additional cultural or regional customs, such as:

• Carrying brightly lit lanterns, lighting lanterns on towers, floating sky lanterns
• Burning incense in reverence to deities
• Planting Mid-Autumn trees
• Collecting dandelion leaves and distributing them evenly among family members
• Fire Dragon Dances

There are many legends associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival. Here are a couple from Hong Kong Fast Facts and another from Culture Quest. Check them out... Chinese legends are so interesting. I swear there's a story connected with everything!

So, that brings me to my participation in all of this. After a lovely dim sum lunch with the Rotary Club of New Territories yesterday afternoon, we set out for Yan Chai Hospital (also in the New Territories - not that close to HK Island. If you're curious, here's a map). Our service activity was to throw a little Mid-Autumn party for the senior citizens living there. A hospital staffer said they care for 51 seniors, but only 20 were able to go home to their families. Some of the patients didn't have any family left at all. It was really sad to learn that. The best way to equate it is not having anyone to spend Thanksgiving with back in the States (or some other really big family-centered holiday). Our job at the nursing home was to act as surrogate family members for a few hours. I found this to be especially awkward because I couldn't actually communicate verbally with any of them. I smiled a lot and even gave a few "thumbs up," but other than that I was at a loss. It was still a great experience though. Lily served as my interpreter for most of the afternoon. Mrs. Leung was one of my favorites. She's 96 years-old, but just as spunky and independent as if she were 60. (Side note- There were actually quite a few seniors either approaching 100 or older, but they all looked AMAZING for their age. I'd never guess they were that old). Anyway, Mrs. Leung went on and on about how nice it is that she doesn't have to depend on anyone to feed her or take care of her. She was such a tiny woman that when she spoke passionately, her legs would sway back and forth because she couldn't touch the floor. So cute! Below is a photo of us together.



The activities included singing traditional Chinese songs, a birthday celebration, playing a "Hot Potato" Mid-Autumn Festival trivia game (along with prizes for winners), and moon cake for all. Right as things were winding down, a Rotarian called my name and said I was being requested. One of the gentlemen I had interacted with earlier spoke a small amount of English and wanted to tell me something. (He also spoke a little bit of French and Japanese, so we had fun just yelling out phrases to each other). When I approached him he reached for my hand and said, "Thank you very much," in perfect English. He then started to cry and said he was very touched by us being there. I was so overwhelmed I started to cry too... in the middle of everything. We must have looked like quite a pair. I had to excuse myself because I couldn't stop crying. It just really struck me that he was so appreciative of me being there that he made the extra effort to speak my language just to tell me so. I was so moved. It was one of those experiences when you realize that we're all the same, regardless of where we're from, what language we speak, our religious beliefs, and so on. We all have the same basic needs, to be loved and to spend time with the ones we love. I'll never get the image of him crying out of my head and I get teary just thinking about it. I don't know his name, but here is a photo of us (pre-meltdown).



Below is a complete slideshow from the hospital visit.


Mid-Autumn Festival service project

The rest of the day was tear-free. Lily, Sandy and I had dinner together (our own little Rotary scholar family) in Causeway Bay and then headed to Victoria Park for the lantern festival. It was so cute to see all the little children with their tiny lanterns and I was most impressed by the giant lantern displays depicting various scenes from the moon goddess legends. We also saw some Asian dances, which were pretty cool. Those Indian boys can definitely bust a move. Check out the video clip. :)



Tonight was the final evening of festivities. After dinner with Suk Yee and CK (fitting since they are my Chinese aunt and uncle and this is a family holiday), I headed to Tai Hang to catch the Fire Dragon Dance with Sandy and Brendon (more Rotary scholars). It actually sounds cooler than it really is. The dragon is constructed with lots of tiny, smokey sparkler things, and the smoke burned my eyes a little. It was also EXTREMELY crowded. Below is a slideshow of pictures from the lantern festival and the fire dragon dance. Please feel free to leave comments. My experience in Hong Kong so far has been one of a lifetime!



Victoria Park Lantern Festival and Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Rooftop BBQ

Yesterday afternoon I met a "long-time" friend of mine, Stan, for a mid-afternoon drink in Soho. (Many of you are probably familiar with that name). Anyhow, I really enjoyed talking to him because he is from Paris and my French speaking skills have become very rusty over the years. I mentioned that I would like an opportunity to practice more, and the result was an invitation to his friend's BBQ. Stan only hangs out with French people, so I wasn't shocked to learn that the BBQ was at his French friend's apartment and we would be joined by his French girlfriend, as well as her two French friends. Apparently there is a very large French population in Hong Kong. I agreed to go on a whim. I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be coming to Asia to speak French! I was genuinely excited about it though.

Like I suspected, I understood about 90% of the conversation, but my speaking skills were a little slower. Consequently, I didn't contribute much. On the rare occasion that I did have something thoughtful to share, I am pleased to say they were most impressed (or at least they feigned like they were). The pressure was off a little later though when three German guys (all from Munich - so awesome!), two Chinese girls, and one Spaniard showed up. Everything switched to English at that point and I was in my element. English really is the international language. A lot of them could speak 3-4 languages though, and I felt pretty guilty at my 1.5 (I can't really say two since my French is a little rough right now).

They all had such interesting stories to share too. The three Germans (Christophe, Stephan, and Teddy) had just returned from a trip to North Korea. They described how everything they saw and did was pure propaganda, which obviously comes as no surprise. From the moment they stepped off the plane into N. Korea they were required to handover their passports, cell phones and return tickets to their tour guide. There were no guarantees that things would be returned at the end of the trip either. The guides only took them to the most beautiful parts of town and each place included images of Kim Jong-Il and the N. Korean flag. They were only allowed to see a small portion of the country and they described everything (and everyone they came in contact with) as having an eerie pleasantness. They also said that government officials checked their digital photos at the end of each day to make sure they didn't capture anything that would reflect negatively on N. Korea. Such a fascinating experience!

Juan (from Spain) and Aurelie (from France) were also fun to talk with. Juan spent a year in Texas as part of an exchange program when he was sixteen. He said his host family lived on a farm and taught him how to drive a John Deere tractor. The father always had chewing tobacco in his mouth and the son always wore a cowboy hat and boots to school. We laughed at how stereotypical it was.

Aurelie is from the French alps on the border of Switzerland. She's been living in Hong Kong for three years working as a lingerie designer, and is in charge of the sketches and fabric selection for each design. I think that is SO cool! I forgot the company name, but they deal mostly with European shops. She said their stuff has ended up in Target once or twice before though.

It turned out to be a really great evening! Stan's friend, Nicholas (the host), rents the apartment on the 32nd floor of his building (a.k.a. penthouse... they're all bankers in HK), which includes a private rooftop patio. Let me paint a picture for you: giant table for entertaining dinner parties, candles, a warm grill, delicious food, beautiful palm trees and a view to die for. The night was so clear that you could see straight to the water and from every angle you were surrounded by the glow of neon lights from nearby skyscrapers. It was a very memorable scene!

Aurelie invited me to go to the beach with her on Monday since it's a public holiday, so we'll see how that goes. Should be fun. I love making new friends. :)

HK keeps me busy!

Wow! The past nine days since my last post have been extremely busy! Not only am I settling in to my new class routine, I've also begun my complete immersion into the world of Hong Kong Rotary. I absolutely LOVE it!

Here's a glimpse of what I've been up to and what's to come:

Sept. 4- Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar meet-and-greet at Fong Underground in Lan Kwai Fong.

Sept. 6- JMSC student trip to the island of Cheung Chau for a delicious seafood dinner.

Sept. 7- Yacht outing sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lan Kwai Fong. We spent all day at an area of Sai Kung playing in the water and relaxing on the beach. It was GORGEOUS!! It was also a lot of fun hanging out with the Rotarians. Presidents from many of the clubs were there, as well as District Governor Dr. Albert Wong (District 3450), so I used the occasion for networking too.

Sept. 8- Attended a meeting of the Rotary Club of New Territories. Rotary is really starting to feel like a family here. Everyone seemed genuinely excited to see me again and we had fun comparing sunburns. Afterward, I went out for drinks in Soho for Xi's birthday, a friend in the MJ program.

Sept. 10- Attended a dinner meeting with the Rotary Club of Lan Kwai Fong.

Sept. 11- Picked up my HKID card... finally.

*FUTURE EVENTS*

Sept. 12- Beginning of the Mid-Autumn Festival activities. New Territories Lantern Carnival in Teun Mun Park @ 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14- Service project with the Rotary Club of New Territories & Victoria Park Lantern Festival in the evening.

Sept. 15- (No class because of the holiday). Fire Dragon Dance in Causeway Bay from 7:30-10:30 p.m.

Sept. 20- Peace Day Dinner with Rotary

Sept 21- More Peace Day activities


Some 08-09 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars to Hong Kong and local Rotarians


With Rotary Club of New Territories president, Dr. Peter Pang


Rotary Club of New Territories meeting (9-8-08)


With 07-08 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, Lily Wu, at the Rotary Club of Lan Kwai Fong meeting


With District Governor, Dr. Albert Wong (center). (photo by Kenneth Lui)

View from our yacht during the boat trip with Rotary Club of Lan Kwai Fong

Classmate chats

Today was my first official day of class, but it definitely didn't feel like it. As I mentioned previously, the journalism graduate students began class a week ago and have been spending long days together. Over that time I've had the opportunity to get to know a lot of my classmates better and the more I chat with them, the more I realize how little I know about the world. My life seems like a cake walk compared to things they deal with on a daily basis.

I spoke with one young man from Myanmar who had to sneak out of his country illegally just to come to school in HK. It is the first time he's ever been out of Myanmar and it took him 10 days by foot and bus until he reached a safe location to catch a flight to HK. All he brought with him was a backpack with a couple of outfits. He also told me about the 7 years he served (of a 21-year sentence) in prison. His crime was peacefully speaking out against the government. The cruel conditions he was forced to endure while in prison are mind-boggling. And if his story isn't inspiring enough, he also organized a relief group to help those hurt by the recent cyclone in Myanmar, delivering supplies himself. I'm in awe.

Another conversation that left me feeling slightly stunned was one I had today with Leani, a female student from South Africa. She was casually talking about something involving her hometown and mentioned not being able to drive alone. I thought that was really strange and asked why. Rather matter-of-factly she explained that women cannot walk alone or drive alone because of the risk of being attacked. She said the most vulnerable point is right when you pull into your driveway because, even though there are security systems and gates, men can get in and stop you at gunpoint. From there they have total control. They can steal your car, force you inside to steal more, and rape and/or murder you. Leani made it sound like this is a fairly common practice. As a result, girls are taught at an early age to be fearful and cautious. Again, listening to her I felt so sheltered, as well as humbled, by how little I know about the world and the conditions under which other people/societies are forced to live. I realize how blessed I am and almost feel guilty about it. It's a hard feeling to describe.


Changing course a bit, here are some additional things I've learned about Hong Kong...

• There are only a few permanent cemeteries in HK. All are at maximum capacity, so anyone buried now only stays temporarily and is exhumed after 7 years. (I have no idea what happens after that).
• All taxes from money won at the horse track go toward funding local charities (government never sees a dime).
• 1/3 of HK population lives in government-assisted public housing.

Classes and Rotary friends

I'd like to apologize for the recent lag in blog posts. My school schedule this week has been quite grueling. I'm currently in the middle of the Journalism Technical Skills Bootcamp. Although the bootcamp isn't intellectually demanding, the long hours certainly are. Since Monday I have been in class every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The long lunch break and short coffee breaks are my saving grace.

The week is split between a Web skills session and a video session. Wednesday was my final Web class and I am so thankful to not be staring at a computer full-time anymore. We did cover some interesting things though...like blogging, how to make web pages through Dreamweaver, uploading onto our private FTP server accounts, editing audio through Audacity and photos through Photoshop, etc. I actually learned a lot. Will I remember it? I hope so.

Today was the first video session. I am the only one in my section who is familiar with Final Cut Pro editing software. I'm also apparently the only one with experience turning out news packages on a daily deadline. After talking with my video production professor, Jim Laurie (very accomplished - you should Google him), he suggested that I might be able to get a waiver for the two video-related courses. He said I may also be able to help as a teaching assistant, but without compensation (bummer). I'm still weighing my options. I really love crafting broadcast pieces and I would like to the experience the challenges/differences of doing it here in Hong Kong. At the same time, if I skip the courses that would free me up to take other, more China-focused, classes. I think those would be fascinating, especially the ones which are geared toward China's influence over the media and how journalists deal with it.

So that pretty much catches us up on my school situation. I can also tell you that I've made many new, wonderful friends. The mix of MJ students is very international. There are quite a few from mainland China, some from HK, and the rest are from all over... UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, South Africa, and the US (California), for a total of around 50 students. I think it should be a good year.

In other news...

Sandy, my Rotary roommate, arrived Monday evening and is settling in. We move into our apartment this Saturday and took care of purchasing a wireless Internet plan while in Central this afternoon. It'll be installed and ready to go on Sunday, which is nice. I was also in Central to register for my Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID), a requirement for anyone staying in HK more than six months. I have a temporary one now and will return in two weeks to get my permanent card. (Photo of my temporary HKID below).

I've also been getting to know some of the other Rotary Scholars studying here. Brian Hoffman, (Kentucky) is here pursuing a Master's in International and Public Affairs, and Laura Wong (California) is here working towards a Master's in Public Health. We had dinner Wednesday in Lan Kwai Fong, a notoriously touristy spot. We ate Malaysian and it was delicious, totally worth being assaulted by the many "restaurant flyer boys" on the way up the street. (Below is a photo of us at dinner).

Brian and I have also done a bit of sightseeing together. Below are photos from our visits to Stanley Market, Repulse Bay, and Kowloon to watch the HK Island light show.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!

I could hardly sleep last night because I'm so excited! I can't wait to meet all of my new professors and classmates! Have to run along now to get ready for my day, but you will receive a full report later! :)