My Hong Kong Adventure 2012: Week 12: Personal Blog (14/4/12)

“There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all”- Anonymous

It is such a refreshing and satisfying feeling when showing someone around Hong Kong for their first time. Both Heather and I have become so accustomed to certain aspects of our lives out here, that we have almost forgotten what our first impressions of the place where we’ve spent the last twelve weeks were. This week Heather’s boyfriend, Mark, came to visit, and we used this opportunity to see some of our most loved sights again, such as Victoria Harbour, Ladies Market and The Peak. We also were able to explore new ‘places of interest’ with him, including the Big Buddha, Tsing Ma Bridge, and Stanley Village.

Me enjoying the Tsing Ma Bridge, the longest road-rail suspension bridge in the world!

Heather, Mark and I at the Big Buddha.

Fortunately, Mark’s visit coincided with the repair of the cable car system, which brings visitors up Ngong Ping, to the site of the Tian Tan Buddha, or the Big Buddha as it is more affectionately known by locals and tourists alike. Not letting the recent malfunction deter us, or compromise our visit in any way whatsoever, we opted to travel up in the crystal cabin, complete with a glass floor, which allowed us to gain a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. Hong Kong is such a beautiful place, and the contrast between the populous, concrete jungle of the city, the ranging mountains and the open sea is unbelievable- the views are spectacular! Personally, it also amazes me just how much the local people here value culture in their society, and even though the Buddha is a very touristy spot, the area is still sacred and meaningful to those who go there to pray.

Our cable car had a glass bottom!

The views as we made our way to the Big Buddha- stunning!

Mark, Heather and I enjoying the cable car ride.

Also this week, it was my groups turn to present in our educational development class. Our chosen topic was quite relevant to me personally, as it was based on the growing popularity of studying abroad in mainland China. I was able to give a personal reflection on why I came to study abroad, and also to share with the class what I thought I had gained through this experience. I shared with them, very honestly, that although Hong Kong was not initially my first choice of places to study this semester, I am actually so thankful that I got placed here. If I think back to this time last year, Asia would not have featured heavily on my places to visit list, however, now that I have experienced it for the past three months (with two more to go) I have developed a hunger to learn more, to visit different countries within this continent and have even considered moving out here for a prolonged period of time to teach.

Developing close friendships has definitely been something which I have been so thankful for. In addition to growing closer with Heather, I also feel that my relationships with the other Stranmillis students studying in China, Dan, Keith, Sophie and Dani, have grown substantially, as we’ve spent some time with one another, and keep in regular contact through email. Heather and I are both really looking forward to spending next weekend with them in Hong Kong and Macau and to celebrate Sophie’s 21^st birthday with her also.

Heather and I went to Tei Mei Tuk this weekend. There we rented some bicycles and spent the afternoon cycling around and enjoying the views which the reservoir provided. The day also allowed us some time to reflect on our trip so far. It is so hard to believe, that we will start our teaching practice this week for three weeks, which also marks our last three weeks that we will spend in Hong Kong before embarking on our travels. This opportunity has been amazing, and with the end of our stay here in sight, it’s saddening to think of all the people who we will miss, and that this incredibly journey is going to end- we remain focused on optimising our time left and just making the most of every opportunity that arises!