just china settle in...

since i got no response to my pretty painful play on words in my first post, i thought i'd make another one just for zachary because i know it drives him crazy, especially since everyone knows we're related. anyway, i've been in hong kong now since the 3rd and only today can i say that i've regained some semblance of sanity. there's really nothing like an 11-hour time change to bring out a side of your personality you never knew existed.

i think i'll start by showing you some boring room photos with the promise that more interesting ones will come soon. perhaps they will even have people in them.

this is a view of the left side of my room. the right side looks the same (remember this room is supposed to be for two), except there's more of a mess, and no cutesy ikea lamp. sorry the photo is a little dark, but with the overhead lights on i feel like i'm in a hospital (side note, RAs here are called wardens).

this is the view from the balcony i share with another fulbrighter. the top photo looks to the left, where you might be able to pick out a little sliver of ocean. the bottom photo looks right, where you can see the bus stop where i catch buses into tai po.

so, it really hasn't sunk in yet that i live in china, because all told, hong kong is a really easy place to live. i’m writing this from my laptop in my dorm room, a luxury i’ve definitely not experienced when abroad before. i’ve gone into nearby tai po a few times to buy various dorm room necessities which has been very easy. public transportation is excellent, and most everything you'd expect to find in the US can be found here, although i must say they combine stores in a strange way: yesterday i walked into a pharmacy that sold your usual pharmacy items (shampoo, toothpaste etc) in one half, while the other half had big open crates of dried pig skins, fish and other dried meat delectables. the language barrier has probably been the most difficult to deal with. people speak little english, and since we’re very far from downtown hong kong (90 minutes, ugh) pretty much all signs are in cantonese (closer in to the city there's more english help). while in tai po yesterday i ordered lunch by pointing at the prettiest characters on the menu. as you can imagine, i feel pretty useless in those situations, and am desperately hoping that i’ll be able to pick up a few things over the next year.

i'd like to introduce a new section of the blog, called 'more action, less words' (for the us weekly enthusiast in all of us):
- because my dorm is built on a steep hill, I have to take three elevators to get to my eighth floor room.
- dorm security here is out of this world – there are security cameras everywhere, with security guards at the front of each dorm watching a wall of TVs.
- the campus is sub free, but the 7-11 on campus sells alcohol…
- there’s a climbing wall on campus!
- people in hong kong love paperwork, and have little time for those who don't.

anyway, i think i'll leave it at that. i'm definitely still getting settled in, and many of us are coping with our fair share of frustrations with the program. i, as well as others, are definitely hoping that since we're the 'pioneer group,' as they call us, that we'll be able to push back against some of fulbright's less popular restrictions. i hope everyone is doing well. if anyone is not getting their questions answered let me know, and i'd be glad to address them. i'm still getting a feel for this whole blogging thing - i seem to have settled on a pretty rambly blog personality - i suppose we'll have to see if it changes. until next time, take care, and if you feel so inclined, write me an email. id love to hear from you.