Long time, no see. No see, long time.

Dear loved ones,

Lately I did not feel the urge of writing this blog since my life here has just become more and more fabulous.

Now that the time here in Hong Kong comes close to an end I am getting more and more sentimental and experience the city in a new, unknown way. In the beginning I had to focus my senses for not being completely overwhelmed by the colorful and hectic way of living. Now, after having lived here for a couple of months my mind is capable of distinguishing between necessary and unnecessary, relevant and irrelevant information, which guarantees a re-experiencing of this wonderful city. The smallest things suddenly become important, the smells and noises become familiar and a part of myself that I do not want to miss anymore. It should be possible to catch smells in jars. The best souvenir one could possibly imagine.

Wednesday I had my last class and finished with Uni here. Tuesday is the deadline for my last essay, the 15th the last exam. If I should tell someone, what my feelings of this exchange have been, I'd say the best experience of my life. It was rather hard leaving all my friends in The Hague but at the same time leaving meant a new beginning for me and the thought that everyone was going to be gone anyway in my mind made me more than prepared to experience a new part of my life that is not HEBO.

Yesterday, Chloé, Ted and I had dinner with our country tutor Joe Morrin at a very nice Indian restaurant, called "Bombay Dreams". Recapitulating our experiences here, we all came to the same conclusion that these months passed by too fast and we are by no means ready yet to go back. If this blog is read by any students I might not know in person, let me say that Mr. Morrin by no means exaggerated when presenting the Asian countries. Studying in a European environment is clearly one of the advantages of HEBO. Going abroad (and thereby leaving Europe) sheds a completely new light on what Europe means, what its role in the world is and how privileged especially our students are when choosing from a vast diversity of non-European Universities. As my friend Lars in his double-negation always says: "This should never not be happening." And I fully agree. This is special, wonderful and mind broadening. I hope that our University will always be as open in the future and enforce more non-European contacts to enable all students of HEBO to experience the world in such an open, tolerant and fantastic way as I did.

Soccer

Our wednesday's soccer group who meets up at Flora Ho Sports Center is growing and growing. It is so much fun to just kick the ball around with other amateurs. I am clearly one of the weakest links in this assembly but I guess that's why I don't play soccer primarily. Let's put it like this: from out of 10 shots only 2 go into the direction of the goal, the other ones are going anywhere else. Into the wilderness downhill for instance. After 15 minutes of search in this odd place behind the barbed wire I was about to give up and buy the Sports Center a new ball as I heard the releasing voice of Jojo from about half a kilometer downhill, frolicking he found the ball. Owe that man a beer for that. This is why I'm off to drink one now. Sports and beer. There are people who love it and people who can't understand it: "But...You have to rehydrate your body...not dehydrate...alcohol dehydrates!!!" So what? Been doing it for years and still think it tastes like the nectar of gods. The ambrosia will probably be a burger from Shake 'em Buns.

With this in mind, I leave you the reader and me the wallower.

Cheers!

thoughts.

So here I am in Hong Kong. So there I will be in another country in about 1 month time. The exchange was/is truly the most wonderful experience I have made so far in my life. 6 months seems to be nothing, considering this city and this wonderful community I am spending my time with here. I think that most of the people feel the same way as I do but I don't feel that they do. Everyone is so enthusiastic about traveling and seeing the world whereas I find myself in a sniveling mood. Living for the moment: Yes. It seems to be the only medicine there is. Get as much distraction as you can, Christoph. If one asks me if I was missing my friends at home I say "Of course!" This is not a lie. I just wished they could be here with me and experience what I am experiencing here. It seems as if everyone is happy about their exchanges but at the same time is also happy to come back to The Hague to continue their studies in the house of Mayhem called....I will not say it...they might sue me. I am sure they got their spies everywhere to sneak around and look out for people like me complaining to put my arse to court. Anyway. Sarah Brightman is clearly not one of my highly appreciated choices in every day's music selection but the song "Time to say goodbye" might actually become more and more present on my mind. I am having such a good time being here, I actually could imagine staying here for much longer. Hmm- now: shall I publish this or not? I often write stuff to get it out of my system but then don't publish it but I think at least some of my friends can identify themselves with the thoughts I am having here.

First match for the Varsity Tournament

Yesterday, my team won the first match of the Varsity 15's Tournament. 61-0. Quite clear but god, I was pissed off in the end. The other team was terrible...so were we. In the six years that I have been playing rugby now, I have never experienced so many knock-ons in one match. As terrible as the opposite played: They did not commit any knock-ons. At least that's what I felt. Well, Tuesdays training gives us the opportunity to improve a lot of mistakes. After all, it was the first match as a whole team so I cannot be too unfair.

Wish you all a nice sunday.

THE sport.

Friday at the 7s
Saturday at the beach
Sunday at the 7s
South Africa vs. Australia
Jojo "The Unsatisfied" Judd, Dave "The Cross"McKeown, Sam "The Bunny" Dreiman, Christoph "The Huula-Boy" Ritzke

Well, not exactly, considering the huge party that surrounds the Hong Kong 7s. This weekend was about to be one of the best ones I've had so far. Considering Rugby and Partying.

Starting on Friday, the tournament was about to last for the whole weekend. Extremely lucky students that we are, the first day was free for us, so we went to the stadium and could not believe our eyes as we approached the incredibly long line of scholars and students waiting to get in. well, we managed to overcome the time standing by chanting the old "Yogi Bear Song" and drinking Coke diluted with way too much whiskey. We eventually arrived inside and went up to the legendary "South Stand", the part of the stadium that gave home to all the funnily dressed and disguised people. I myself looked rather normal in my polo shirt beside people dressed up like playboy bunnies or country flags but still enjoyed every second of my first international, professional rugby tournament experience. The day went by and we got more and more indulged by the sec taste of cold beer. After the last game we mingled with the massive and incredibly drunk crowd towards the exit from where we went to the MTR to go to Lan Kwai Fong to celebrate the day. Really, there were at least 2000 people outside on the street celebrating more the atmosphere than the sport itself. It was fantastic.

The next day was rather hungover and we decided that this weekend was one weekend lost for work and I took the bus to Repulse Bay where I met up with my friends, enjoying the sun and the amazingly refreshing and soon the hangover was forgotten and replaced by fun as we jumped of the pontoons into the water. As I always say: "The human being is doomed to not be satisfied at any point of his life!" Accordingly, Jojo and I became melancholic, regarding the fact we had missed out on buying tickets for the whole weekend and made plans on how to still get into the stadium the next day. After having thrown all stupid plans over board there was only one real solution: Buying tickets for a horrendous price. Flag it! We went to Causeway Bay to go to the stadium and purchase some illegally sold tix in the street. After half an hour travel we arrived, jumped off the bus and ran into a completely destroyed guy from New Zealand. His name was James, Jack or anything similar. He told us that he had just come from the 7s and that he was incredibly tired. The leftovers of make-up, his dirty shirt, the pungent alcohol smell and the small eyes told us that he was not lying. Poor J. only had one problem: one credit card but no cash. "What are you guys doing 'round here anyway?"he asked. "Buying tickets for tomorrow's games!" He took a position that resembled the thinker pose of old Greek statues (even though he was not really an Adonis, even though a bodybuilder) and said: "Lemme think...If you guys get me home to Soho...I'll give you tickets." We looked at each other and J. stared back like a car. Why the heck not! 3 Minutes later us 3 sat in a cab, heading for Soho. So far you think the story will lead to an happy end? Agreed. But from now on we were about to experience J.'s true nature. He started contradicting himself (yes tickets, no tickets, tickets for free, tickets for $4000 a piece) and told me to shut up which got me in a kind of awkward position. Sitting beside him and abusing his power or just throw him out in the middle of nowhere, leaving him for the crows. Jojo was the better negotiator and managed to cool J. down. When we arrived in Soho we doubted that he was actually living here but in fact he did! "Victory shall yet be ours!", I thought and we went upstairs where we entered a really nice, one-room apartment, furnished with expensive couture but messy as if someone had broken in. Amazingly, he really had tickets that he gave to us. We went back outside and couldn't believe our luck. "Let's move before he changes opinions...", I said, we went around the corner to have food at "Shake 'em Buns" and celebrated.
After our delicious meal we went to the close by street of 1000 costumes and got ourselves a straw skirt and black and white face paint, before going home and being exhausted.

The next day, my alarm woke me up at 6 am, I put on my costume, went to the bathroom and painted myself and went to the stadium, where I met the others (Jojo, Sam & Dave). The entry opened at 7.15 am and we managed to smuggle some 3 small bottles and food in. Off to the south stand! (according to Jamie (mate from my team) THE place to be). We were some of the first ones, saved good seats and Sam amazingly managed to fall asleep in one of them. After 2 1/2 hours of waiting the ranks finally filled up and the sun got so penetrating that we bought the first Jug of beer of the day. The problem of this day was that it, of course, did not last with one but several pitchers and that I, for the first time felt like Liam after a rough night: I CANNOT REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED!!!! The happenings are distorted and not in order.

All in all I can say that this weekend was worth fighting for and we saw a lot of good Rugby and loads of odd creatures wandering through the stadium.

Oval greetings,

Christoph.