From 10mph to 100mph

This past week was crazy overwhelming! I cannot believe it is honestly Friday! I am still home sick but the amount of work I have to do helps keep my mind off of it a little. On Wednesday, I had my orientation meeting with World Green Organisation (WGO). This is where I will be doing most of my service work. The people there were really friendly and open to allowing us get the most out of the experience. I learned a lot about Hong Kong's waste issue and how urgent it is. There are 7.18 million people in Hong Kong and only THREE landfills! I did the math and that is about 2 million people per landfill. Out of curiosity, I looked up what the landfill situation is in the U.S. and we have about 10,000 landfills. Obviously we have more people but the math showed that about 100,000 people share one landfill in the U.S. DEFINITELY not 2 million. It was shocking to me what I learned and very inspiring to see how much of an initiative groups like WGO are taking in order to address the issue before it gets even worse. I know we talk about it in the U.S. and how we need to be more sustainable, but I personally don't think people are very conscious or don't see the urgency in the issue. I am really excited to continue working with WGO and learn more about how they make an impression on the general public. When I heard their presentation on the types of work they do, I thought to myself, "Why don't we do that in America? It would make such a difference."

Then things really sped up. We had a group presentation on our service work due the day after our orientation. Then we had a long project proposal due the day after that (today). We finished!! I feel like I can relax for just a minute but then I have to continue with something. A major part of our service work includes creating an exchange corner in certain parts of Hong Kong and spreading the message about the waste production issue to the locals. We will have a booth set up with donated items anyone may choose to take for free and they may donate any items of their choice to us. This spreads the message of "one man's garbage is another man's treasure." There is only a week before that event kicks off and we have a lot to do in that short time frame!

I also visited the Salvation Army's nursing home today. It was a 2 hour commute. The residents in the nursing home were diagnosed with moderate to severe dementia. I have the opportunity to volunteer there as many times a week as I can. It was really interesting to learn more about the nursing homes and how they work here compared to the U.S. Anyone that is not a resident must wear a mask while walking through the unit. They live in rooms of 6 and have a public bathroom to share. There are opportunities for exercising and entertainment. The elderly were all so welcoming and happy to see us. One woman kept wandering and looking for her family members. It was sad to see. The volunteer work I would be performing is helping them in activities that are planned for them. It was explained to us in the orientation that the reason behind creating a "dementia corner" is because they believe some of the elderly act out, scream, or wander because they are bored or do not have their needs fulfilled. The dementia corner is a new program they have implemented in which there are scheduled weekly activities for the elderly to do. Their hopes are that the elderly will not act out as much. I am not sure how accurate this theory is but in my opinion, the people of Hong Kong seem to have a very different understanding of dementia than we do in the U.S. In America, we believe the reason for the actions of dementia patients results from the physical changes in the brain. It appears there is a different understanding of the disease here and it would be interesting to learn more about how they perceive the illness.

I am learning so much about the culture and relating it back to healthcare, even if I am not necessarily performing direct nursing care. As home sick as I am, I'm grateful for this opportunity.
The Singapore girls also have been amazing to me. I am glad to know that I have some great people to spend my meals with. They brought back some halal fried beef dumplings for me for dinner! I cannot wait to try it!

A Day Worth Blogging

Actually, it is more like a couple days worth blogging... but that title would just reiterate the definition of a blog.

Anyways... Sorry I haven't been updating this as much! I initially stopped because nothing new or interesting happened; but of course when something that was worth mentioning happened, I was too busy or exhausted to even think about forming words and sentences.

About four days ago, I met a really great group of students who are here from Singapore, doing service work. I participated with them on Friday and learned more about what service learning means and what it entails. I spotted two hijabis in the group and naturally had the urge to get to know them. I am REALLY glad I decided not to go on a day trip with the exchange students from America and instead decided to attend the lecture with the Singapore group. That day started off really crummy because I felt more and more like I did not belong anywhere. Once I socialized with the Singapore group, I felt like I had a community not only to fit in with, but also to learn from.

The next day, the IWU group went to the history museum and Avenue of Stars with the Singapore group. It felt great to be able to just walk in and know they are accepting of me. For the first time in a very long time, I was able to let down my guard and talk to strangers without feeling self-conscious. I am the type of person who needs to feel welcomed before I let myself walk into a vulnerable situation. I am the type of person who needs to be invited in order to know this is a safe place. I am the type of person who needs to see a person's body language matches their words of kindness. I am very intuitive. I haven't felt this much kindness in some time and I am genuinely happy.

The next day, we went to Tai O, which is an island in Hong Kong. Oh my God, it was HOT! I seriously did not know how we kept walking. I guess being surrounded by amazing people helps a lot. We took a lot of pictures there. Hanna was our rockstar photographer but I swear, we need to get her into the pictures, too!

Lunch and dinner has become a lot easier. The girls knew that halal food would be almost impossible to find here so they stocked up and brought a ton of food from Singapore. They have been very generous and invited me to eat meals with them. Thank God no more McDonalds! We have laughed and shared so many stories and exchanged cultural knowledge from each other. I found myself questioning why I don't live in Singapore. My values match closely with their values. But then I realized it isn't the country I live in that has shaped who I am (completely), it is the culture I was raised in. Although I am always going to be an American, I also will always consider myself to be Indian. I have never been to India but hearing stories from my family and embracing the culture that has been passed down to me is beautiful. I will listen to Bollywood over American music any day and until this day, I still cannot tell you what Brad Pitt looks like but I can tell you all of the famous and popular Indian actors and actresses.
I questioned why I fit in with ease within the Singapore group but yet have always had a hard time mixing in with Americans. I used to think it was just me and my personality, but I discovered that is not at all true. It is in my Asian blood to be someone who lives in a high-context culture. Words, word choice, and body language are all very important to me. American culture is a low-context culture, which creates a challenge. I am very willing to continue my journey in learning how to combine two very different cultures into one because I do identify with two cultures that clash.

Day 4: A moment of relaxation.

I went to brunch with Jason this morning. He is one of the Malaysian students studying here in Hong Kong. It was a nice change in pace. He and I ate at Ebeneezer's Kebab and Pizzeria in the Gold Coast part of Hong Kong. We ended up having to wait an hour and a half before the restaurant opened for lunch. The food was decent but at least it was halal! Portion sizes are about half the size of what they are in America. He showed me the Gold Coast area. It was very fancy and apparently where the rich people live. Hong Kong has a very high cost of living. I was left in awe at the site of the sea and Gold Coast beach. I love how accessible the beaches are. Dipping my feet in the ocean water with sand between my toes was a refreshing feeling in the heat. There was this sense of peace and relaxation at Gold Coast. Jason and I stood outside by the rocks and sea just looking out into the view. I could not believe how beautiful it is. It has been 4 days and I am still shocked to see mountains everywhere. I don't know if and when I will be able to become immune to the nature surrounding me.

Jason and I finished our trip by getting some fruits from the street markets. I am having a hard time adjusting to the smell of raw meat and sea food on the streets. The prices are very reasonable. I got about 2.5 pounds of lychee fruit and grapes. People in Hong Kong do things very fast. Time is very valuable to them. I asked Jason if there is any day of the week the shops close early. For Americans, it is Sunday. Jason says every day is money day; therefore, no, the shops remain open. This concept is very similar to the Indian culture. I really enjoyed talking to Jason about the similarities and differences between American culture, Indian culture, and Chinese culture.

I spent most of the day just blogging and relaxing. I am not sure what the rest of this night will bring. I am ready and excited for my summer class to start.

Day 3: So. Many. Observations.

Today, we went to Cheung Chau island in Hong Kong. It was absolutely beautiful. The ferry ride over to the island made me a little motion sick, but that seems to be the norm. I started the morning a little bummed that I couldn't see Lily Singh (aka iiSuperwomanii) at her world tour in Hong Kong that night. It worked out for the best though. I was able to peacefully enjoy my time in Cheung Chau and mesmerize it for it's beauty. The day was a lot slower than the day before. They say people who want to relax and escape the busy life of Hong Kong take a trip over to Cheung Chau. I mean who doesn't want to be on an island with the ocean at their feet!?

Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach

Along with the beautiful nature, I observed a lot of cultural things today. For one, the Chinese are not a fan of eating vegetarian. There is a ton of seafood, which is great for me because I can eat sea food, but I did not feel comfortable eating a lot of it. I worried that there was meat related flavoring of some kind mixed within the food. It is hard to ask at the restaurants whether or not the food has anything meat related mixed within because of the language barrier. The popularity of meat makes the concept of halal food a litter harder to explain to the Chinese people. I chose not to eat food that has any trace of meat, including something like gelatin, which may not be viewed as a meat product to some because it does not have pieces of meat visible. Not eating very much for a couple days made me feel a little sick. There must be food that I can eat and it will take some exploring to find. I am very fortunate to have two Malaysian students studying here in Hong Kong who understand what my concerns are with food. They are helping me find some halal places and also some vegetarian options. I did try mango mochi. It had a dough-like outer layer with a slice of mango in the inside. It was delicious!

Mango Mochi

Smoking seems to be very popular in Hong Kong. In America, people tend to stand in corners and smoke in a more private manner. Here in China, people smoke while walking down the street. I can only imagine the amount of illnesses caused by second hand smoking. There are a good number of people who choose not to smoke, but with the country being so populated, the people who do smoke are very close by. 

The Chinese people are very smart in their multifunctional use of an umbrella. Not only is it useful in the rain, it is protective against the very hot sun. The sun is strong here and the weather is very humid making it very sticky. Any protection from the sun is necessary. A lot of us from America are not used to such hot weather. I have been asked numerous times about how hot I feel wearing the hijab and long sleeves and long pants. Although it is hot, I try my best not to complain about it. I look at the woman wearing a full burqa (long black dress and headscarf) and remind myself that she must feel even hotter than I do.

I also learned a little bit about the Buddhist religion and traditions. The bun festival took place in Cheung Chau. This is the festival celebrating the birth of Buddha. From what I was told, people climb a tall statue to reach the buns on the top.

The buns that people eat in celebration

Location of festival

This is a group of people who were spotted on the island. I was told the significance of their performance included releasing evil spirits



Along with walking, biking is a very popular method of transportation on this island. You have to be very alert not to get run over by a biker!

Day 2: Exhausted.

The craziness that appears in this video is basically a summary of what my day felt like. It started with a simple trip for lunch to get sushi (my picky eating habit got the best of me and I backed out) and turned into a day trip into the islands of Hong Kong. The city was breath taking. On one side, you see the skyline of the extremely urban and commercial part of Hong Kong and on the other side, you see the action. We took the ferry boat to the other side (it happened to be free today!). Walking into the ifc mall was like walking into a pile of gold. It felt like you had to be rich in order to even walk on that ground. Designer stores were EVERYWHERE. It was a gigantic and gorgeous mall.

Beautiful skyline in the city

We then decided to just walk and see where it took us. It was amazing to just roam so freely and just absorb everything in site. Definitely was hot, sticky, and sweaty though. We ended the day in Mong Kok where we walked through VERY busy streets filled with pedestrians, shoppers, and a lot of traffic. It reminded me a lot of Chicago except there were a lot more people and I did not see any homeless people on the streets. We ended the day at Women's Street, which is filled with street markets and a lot of cool knick knacks.

Women's Street in Mong Kok

A booth full of T-Shirts in Women's Street

It felt great to just go with the flow and let things happen. Today was definitely a day to just soak everything in and figure out where I want to go back. It feels like there is never enough time in one place here. I could spend hours and hours doing one thing. I would never be able to finish seeing everything Hong Kong has to offer. It is HUGE! I did not know how I would like the fast pace, crowded and busy environment but it turns out I love it here.

Wait.. I'm in China..?!

I Am Finally in Hong Kong!

It did not hit me that I was leaving the country until I landed in this new country for the first time. I have never traveled outside of North America before so this is a completely new experience for me. The flight was direct and a little long but overall it went well for the second time being in a plane. There was awful turbulence when flying over the mountains in Beijing and the landing also felt like a roller coaster ride (alert: motion sickness). We were exhausted after landing in the airport. At least I avoided jet lag!! 

Yesterday was my first day living in Hong Kong. It made me realize how much I really do love culture. Before coming here, I knew little to nothing about the Asian culture and I am still learning. Although I see a lot of Chinese people on the streets, I also see a great amount of diversity here. There are so many Muslims who wear traditional Islamic or Indian/Pakistani clothing, walking on the streets as well and there feels like a sense of belonging. I was nervous about being a hijabi in a country like China. I thought I was going to stick out and people would look at me funny. Ironically, I feel like I belong here more than I do back in Bloomington where I am one of the few people who identifies as Muslim and it is VERY rare to see people who wear the headscarf. I find it beautiful that there are Muslims from many different countries and cultures in a place I would not have thought there would be so much diversity. Not only is the diversity beautiful; the scenery is breath taking. I cannot get over how there is so much nature and big mountains integrated in-between this urban city. Tomorrow, I am going hiking. Let the adventures begin!