First Week Impressions

Well, I've now been living in Hong Kong for a full week - look out!  Here are just a few observations from Week One.

The Yale-China Program

I am so thankful to be a part of this program - they take very good care of us!  First off, the apartment they have provided for us here at CUHK is so much more than I thought I would have my first year out of college!  I have a huge common area, an unreal view, a fully stocked kitchen, a nicely-sized bedroom - even a walk-in closet!  On top of that, my teaching job is going to be sweet once we start in the fall.  We just met with the head professors for the classes we'll be teaching today to discuss the classes' syllabi and structure.  It will be a nice combination of a set regimen for students with plenty of leeway for creativity in teaching.  I should have about 15-20 students in each of my classes, which, with each student handing in 3-4 drafts of each paper, will mean a lot of grading throughout the semester, but I really am looking forward to this aspect of the job.   The English department here has entrusted us with a great deal of responsibility, so I certainly hope I can live up to it.  It's also been funny to see little signs of Yale here and there - for instance, the language program where I'm taking Cantonese classes is called the New Asia Yale-in-China Language Center.  It's funny that I can be an entire world away from New Haven but Yale still seems to be a big part of my life.  I just can't escape it!

Hong Kong

Getting to know Hong Kong will not be a quick process, especially since I do not feel a huge rush to go out and learn everything right away since I have two years.  But I already feel like I've picked up on some traits of the city:

1)  Germophobes - Because of SARS in 2003, the city is understandably leery of swine flu, so everywhere you go, there are signs to wash your hands well, personal disinfectant stations, and people wearing surgical masks.  We even have to get our temperature taken everyday before we can go into class.  

2)  One country, two systems - Hong Kong, while technically a part of China, still has a unique system, something that the people of Hong Kong do not want you to forget.  Though I haven't seen it played out much yet, I keep hearing that there is a prejudice among Hong Kong citizens towards Mainlanders, as though Hong Kong does not have a whole lot of respect for the rest of China.  The protest on July 1st was criticizing Donald Tsang, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, for being too close to Beijing - though, it was explained to me, that Tsang is caught between a rock and a hard place; he can actually do more for Hong Kong by being close to Beijing and trying to work for Hong Kong's good within that system rather than trying to separate Hong Kong from the Mainland, whereupon he would be unceremoniously removed from his position.  So it's an interesting situation.  Also interesting: Hong Kong has a fascination with Japan, from Japanese food to fashion to retail, an admiration which Mainland China is said not to share, due to the long history of bad blood between the two countries.  

3)  Bureaucracy - The bureaucracy system here is pretty twisty.  For example, for me to be able to get a phone here in Hong Kong, I need a Hong Kong credit card.  To get that, I need a Hong Kong Identification card.  To get that, I need my CUHK staff card.  To get that, I need my CUHK staff number, which can only be generated once I have submitted documentation of my passport and work visa.  All of these steps take time and go through a different office, so needless to say, it will still be some time before I get a phone here.

4) Small/Big world - As busy and dense as Hong Kong is, it can also seem remarkably small.  Walking around downtown, we'll run into random Yalies or other acquaintances, which again, makes it hard to believe that I'm on the other side of the world.  On the other hand, it can also seem like everything is far away when we're up on the mountain in our apartment.  It's pretty tedious to get down the mountain, and then we often have to change MTR lines several times to get into downtown.  It's also strange to look out the window and see all of the sprawling mountains and busy communities below but to have no idea how to get to them.  I'm hoping that as I get to know the city better, it won't seem so insurmountable.  

5)  Hot, hot, hot - The Hong Kong weather, while certainly preferable to that of the Northeast US, is causing havoc on certain parts of me.  The hot, hot mugginess has declared any hairstyle attempts moot - I've just had to embrace the huge, uncontrollable curls - and the sweat caused by the heat has led to four blemishes in the shape of a perfect rhombus on my face - quite attractive.  One dilemma I have not had to deal with, thankfully, has been the mosquitoes - knock on wood.  They are pretty ferocious, as evidenced by the array of bites on my flatmates' legs, but I have been spared so far - apparently orange peel is a natural repellant, so my orange body butter from Body Shop is keeping the monster creatures away!  Hooray!

Well, that's about all I can manage for now - I need to get some sleep so I can be awake and alert for Cantonese tomorrow!  

Joi Gin!  (That's Cantonese for "goodbye" - that's right, I know one word!!)

xoxo

Jenny