first weeks.

So here we go,

My first Blog on the internet and I'm about to keep you updated on my exchange in Hong Kong. As I did already send you an email about my experiences of the first days I will now give you an update about the life here after having settled.

Hong Kong is still a vast city but has become smaller for me, considering the fact that I have become part of it relatively quickly. It's pulsing, it's colorful and it sure is an amazing place to be as an exchange student.

Uni has started now and after days and weeks of pure anger I did finally sort out my schedule and do know now where I have to be by what time. Big hustle. The courses are fairly diverse because of having the opportunity to choose from different faculties that do not only teach about Politics. This is my last chance to do so and I am taking full advantage of it. I chose some Communication and Sociologist courses to broaden my horizon on my world view and general knowledge. The workload is quite a bit more than in The Hague but at the same time more interesting as I see it. MIght also be the fact because we studied so much European political issues that I just could not handle it anymore.

Ok, enough of schoolstuff, more about my private life, for those who are interested. First of all there is the money problem. New currency, new luck? I personally don't believe so. It is quite likely that you spend more because "everything's sooo cheap here!". We have a German saying "Kleinvieh macht auch Mist" which basically means "Even small cattle can cause huge piles of shite", which doesnt mean that I spent all my money on Blackjack and Hookers as some may have expected ;) But not only the cheap food, clothes and stuff that you actually don't need may easily result in holes on your bank account but also going out is fairly expensive. As we did not really have Uni for the first 2 weeks, we went out quite a bit. Especially the first night was crucial regarding expenses. I wanted to get 4 Tequilas and ended up paying 280$ which is about 25€. But well, first night needs to be celebrated.

We are a wide field of exchange students including mostly Americans from either Virginia or California and Europeans. It is quite hard to get to know a lot of locals due to the fact that they have been living here for quite a while and are not as keen on going out as the exchangees are. Now the temper has also settled and I've just returned from a really nice dinner with Jojo, a lad from New Zealand who will spend a whole year here in Hong Kong.

On the 1st of March our reading week starts, which is basically the equivalent to the self study week in Holland, so no studying. I will get into essay writing soon because I have to hand in a total of 10.000 words by the 2nd of May and for that reading week I am going to Thailand with Louise (Australia) and Jojo. We will fly to Bangkok and then take the train to the south of the country to Ko Samui to take part in one of the notorious full-, half- or non moon parties (whatever moon they have by then). Really looking forward to it because that's the time when working hard last summer pays off for me!

So far so good, folks. I will try to sort the thing with flickr out so I can not only keep you updated by words but also support this Blog visually.

I wish you all a good night, a good morning, day or whatever it may be for you when you read this.

Baaibaai (yes, really, it's Cantonese),

Christoph.