When I left to go on exchange, UBC gave me an Exchange Handbook in which one of the chapters talked about the possibility of experiencing cultural shock and/or anxieties upon encountering new cultures and surroundings (duh.) What really surprised me was when the chapter also mentioned the chance of having another set of culture shock and anxieties upon returning home.
I think I have that right now. Anxiety at least. A part of me really wants to go home because I love Vancouver and I miss all my friends and my bed and my shower and the things that I do in my Vancouver-life (things like singing, gourmet, Joshua, etc.) But at the same time, I am worried about the various changes (big and small) that have taken place while I was away for the past 6 months (i.e. big change: Dude leaving us; small change: mom shifted all the furniture in our house) and other possible (maybe even bigger) changes that I am currently not aware of (i.e. the changes in people).
The handbook also mentioned the fact that "going-home anxiety" might also be a result from the changes that occurred in me as a person, as a result of my experiences during exchange; many people coming home from a foreign country might come back seeing things differently and having experienced things that many people at home have not experienced, or will not understand. I don't see it quite as dramatic as I was only in China (and most of my friends are Asian anyways) but I suppose it would be possible if I went to Uganda instead of the past 6 months.
No matter how anxious I am right now though, I have this sneaky feeling that this will all go away when I head back to Vancouver in exactly 1 week and life will go back to the normal of 6 months prior.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
身後事
Last night, Dude was buried in our backyard to lay with Chippy, Hammy, Sony, BB Bird, 龜龜1 and 龜龜2. The stump that he always slept in is placed over his burial spot and decorated with flowers and his favourite fruit, apples. It is very difficult to say goodbye to a family member of 2.5 years, especially when I couldn't be there physically to say goodbye or to bury him (thanks for doing the work Andrew). Imagining him wrapped in a pink towel and laying in a shoebox doesn't seem to fit the Dude that I know. I can't even imagine him all stiff and cold because he was always so warm and soft.
After two days, I can finally look at photos and videos that I have of Dude in my computer but I know that when I have to go back home, it would be a lot of work getting used to not seeing him in his playpen beside the kitchen and not saying "bye Dude!" and "hey Dude!" everytime I head out or come home. Or to tell the people at Gourmet that I no longer have a use for their extra veggies because no one at our house is going to eat those now.
I can tell that mom and dad are kinda upset too. Last night, mom suggested over dinner that we print out a photograph of Dude, frame it, and place it over the place where his cage usually is. For a person that rarely shows sadness, this comment from my mom told me how sad she is too. Dad said that when we go back to Vancouver, we will have a proper funeral for him and Karen can paint a tombstone over his grave.
We miss you Dude. Hope you're having a good time in Guinea Pig Heaven. I am sure they have tons of apples, watermelon, hay, bok choy and carrots there.
After two days, I can finally look at photos and videos that I have of Dude in my computer but I know that when I have to go back home, it would be a lot of work getting used to not seeing him in his playpen beside the kitchen and not saying "bye Dude!" and "hey Dude!" everytime I head out or come home. Or to tell the people at Gourmet that I no longer have a use for their extra veggies because no one at our house is going to eat those now.
I can tell that mom and dad are kinda upset too. Last night, mom suggested over dinner that we print out a photograph of Dude, frame it, and place it over the place where his cage usually is. For a person that rarely shows sadness, this comment from my mom told me how sad she is too. Dad said that when we go back to Vancouver, we will have a proper funeral for him and Karen can paint a tombstone over his grave.
We miss you Dude. Hope you're having a good time in Guinea Pig Heaven. I am sure they have tons of apples, watermelon, hay, bok choy and carrots there.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Goodbye, Dude
It is likened to losing a family member - the most reliable, trustworthy, quiet, vulnerable and loyal member in a family; the one that is always where he is supposed to be, always happy to see us, always waiting for us, always ready to make us smile, always easily satisfied by carrots and celeries, always scampering over to welcome us home.
You don't deserve to be in a shoebox. You don't deserve to leave us so soon.
But God has a place for everything.
You don't deserve to be in a shoebox. You don't deserve to leave us so soon.
But God has a place for everything.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Five Things
Five things to note (in order of importance):
1. Dude is sick again. He's been peeing blood again and refusing to eat and drink. Naturally we're all very concerned about him and wanting to go home to see him. The vet didn't seem especially helpful by suggesting that we run all possible tests on him and claiming that she has no clue what's going on. She's a vet for crying out loud. She should tell us the higher possibilities and narrow the action down, not tell us to run every test possible and see which one is jackpot. Just hoping now he will get better in the next 2 weeks, enough so that when we come back we can take him to his usual vet.
2. Last night, we came to find a lizard on the ceiling of our room. Pretty freaked out. Still don't know where it is right now.
3. Need to start thinking about new volunteer opportunities when I come back to Vancouver.
4. Total solar eclipse and I missed it.
5. I donated money to a cause that I have no clue about today. That's the thing about charities in Hong Kong. They ask you to donate money on the streets without actually telling you what their organization is/what they do. They usually just follow you, saying something really generic like "help the elderly!" and trade your twenty dollar bill for a sticker. I think social services organizations are just as much about education as they are about the money. But that's just my opinion.
1. Dude is sick again. He's been peeing blood again and refusing to eat and drink. Naturally we're all very concerned about him and wanting to go home to see him. The vet didn't seem especially helpful by suggesting that we run all possible tests on him and claiming that she has no clue what's going on. She's a vet for crying out loud. She should tell us the higher possibilities and narrow the action down, not tell us to run every test possible and see which one is jackpot. Just hoping now he will get better in the next 2 weeks, enough so that when we come back we can take him to his usual vet.
2. Last night, we came to find a lizard on the ceiling of our room. Pretty freaked out. Still don't know where it is right now.
3. Need to start thinking about new volunteer opportunities when I come back to Vancouver.
4. Total solar eclipse and I missed it.
5. I donated money to a cause that I have no clue about today. That's the thing about charities in Hong Kong. They ask you to donate money on the streets without actually telling you what their organization is/what they do. They usually just follow you, saying something really generic like "help the elderly!" and trade your twenty dollar bill for a sticker. I think social services organizations are just as much about education as they are about the money. But that's just my opinion.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
離譜！
每一天早上 8:45 當我趕頭趕命，雞手鴨腳趕著去彩虹地鐵站返工的時候，總會經過一大班人，男男女女，準備好泳衣，零時，太陽眼鏡，沙灘椅，人字拖，etc., 排隊等小巴去西貢，享受陽光與海。
losers.
losers.
有精神玩無精神返工
其實基本上返工都是一件超悶的事情。看看一些永遠都看不懂的文件，上網，翻譯，edit, 開眼睡覺, 發呆，等放lunch, 等吃自備的茶點...etc. so far 最緊張刺激就是星期二的時候樓上火燭 (但是恐怖的就是完全聼不到警鐘...)。 最後在樓下hea了差不多兩個小時才可以回到辦公室...老細請飲茶. haha
雖然星期一至五都要返九至五, 但是還可以拿一點點的時間來吃喝玩樂 （第一日認識我麽？)
上星期六三號風毬我和鄭少就去了海洋公園 to take a look at the pandas who i swear consume more than they can work off, some pretty fat goldfish, plastic hippos, dolphins and Chinese guys dressed up as cavemen from the Ice Age. 三號風毬 guaranteed that we didn't have to deal with the immense crowds that are a signature of Hong Kong. On the other hand, it also meant that all the amusement park rides and the cablecars were closed down. 在海洋公園最喜歡的就是熊貓舘...大大話話去了五次。原因就是熊貓舘的溫度永遠保持在17度左右而外面就三十三度. pretty self explanatory why Benny and I loved to see the pandas so much.
星期天去了“香港老字號" 太平館 (first "Western" restaurant to be established in Guangzhou, since 1860s) and had the original 瑞士雞翼, a souffle the size of a massive air-filled muffin and other items. 因爲這家茶餐廳比較高級，you can see Karen and my dad trying to eat their 瑞士雞翼 with their forks and knives here.
Today 鄭少 and I went to see Harry Potter 6 (i LOVE emma watson) at Elements. Then went to 澳洲牛奶公司 to eat some yummy 燉奶.
Some things to look forward to...
1. 星期五去廣州...land of great food!
2. 再下星期五去澳門
3. Cheryl's coming to HK!!
Currently listening: 散 - 莫文蔚
雖然星期一至五都要返九至五, 但是還可以拿一點點的時間來吃喝玩樂 （第一日認識我麽？)
上星期六三號風毬我和鄭少就去了海洋公園 to take a look at the pandas who i swear consume more than they can work off, some pretty fat goldfish, plastic hippos, dolphins and Chinese guys dressed up as cavemen from the Ice Age. 三號風毬 guaranteed that we didn't have to deal with the immense crowds that are a signature of Hong Kong. On the other hand, it also meant that all the amusement park rides and the cablecars were closed down. 在海洋公園最喜歡的就是熊貓舘...大大話話去了五次。原因就是熊貓舘的溫度永遠保持在17度左右而外面就三十三度. pretty self explanatory why Benny and I loved to see the pandas so much.
星期天去了“香港老字號" 太平館 (first "Western" restaurant to be established in Guangzhou, since 1860s) and had the original 瑞士雞翼, a souffle the size of a massive air-filled muffin and other items. 因爲這家茶餐廳比較高級，you can see Karen and my dad trying to eat their 瑞士雞翼 with their forks and knives here.
Today 鄭少 and I went to see Harry Potter 6 (i LOVE emma watson) at Elements. Then went to 澳洲牛奶公司 to eat some yummy 燉奶.
Some things to look forward to...
1. 星期五去廣州...land of great food!
2. 再下星期五去澳門
3. Cheryl's coming to HK!!
Currently listening: 散 - 莫文蔚
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
LSAT
yayaya 又到了每一天的高潮位 - 5:30 放工！ (well haha, almost...)
今天還可以，做了filing, 打字 and had left over time to tackle my 1.5 inch thick LSAT prep book.
原來我比我想象中蠢。 So the LSAT has 4 different types of sections: logic reasoning, logic games, reading comprehension and a writing part. Today I tried the logic reasoning and the logic games and ended up with 16/25 and 9/24 respectively. I always thought I wouldn't do too horribly with LSAT...afterall, I never thought that I particularly lacked common sense. I knew that I wasn't good with logic games (I hate and suck at sequences, probability, and math in general) but didn't think I would suck THAT much. The worst thing is, I never actually believed in studying for these things. I am always under this idea that either you have it, or you don't. Hopefully I am wrong because I obviously do not have what it takes to get a good score on the LSAT without studying =\ Come to think of it, I haven't even decided when I want to take the LSAT. Maybe I'll just take it to see where I am at and then decide from there.
I have a new mosquito bite on my arm and its driving me crazy.
今天還可以，做了filing, 打字 and had left over time to tackle my 1.5 inch thick LSAT prep book.
原來我比我想象中蠢。 So the LSAT has 4 different types of sections: logic reasoning, logic games, reading comprehension and a writing part. Today I tried the logic reasoning and the logic games and ended up with 16/25 and 9/24 respectively. I always thought I wouldn't do too horribly with LSAT...afterall, I never thought that I particularly lacked common sense. I knew that I wasn't good with logic games (I hate and suck at sequences, probability, and math in general) but didn't think I would suck THAT much. The worst thing is, I never actually believed in studying for these things. I am always under this idea that either you have it, or you don't. Hopefully I am wrong because I obviously do not have what it takes to get a good score on the LSAT without studying =\ Come to think of it, I haven't even decided when I want to take the LSAT. Maybe I'll just take it to see where I am at and then decide from there.
I have a new mosquito bite on my arm and its driving me crazy.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Now we are tall and Christmas trees are small
Some thing that I always need time to get used to in Hong Kong is the living environment.
Typically, I live in the flat that my family and I used to live in when we were still in Hong Kong (when I was younger than the age of 5). It was an apartment that we shared with my paternal grandparents (the flat had 3 rooms and 2 washrooms) and now they live here by themselves. Everytime I come to Hong Kong now, I have readjust my memories of my old home to bring them in par with reality and get used to this place again. Everything seems really small, cramped up, and oppressive. I can cover all the "empty floor" in my room with less than 5 steps. I admit, it's probably because I've long grown accustomed to "Canadian" living - the size, the big empty spaces, the triumph of aesthetics over neccesity and practicality.
The interesting thing is, when I was small, I don't recall feeling this way about this old home of mine. I remember seeing it as a big place. My parents sometimes invited their friends or relatives over for dinner parties and the flat could fit more than 15 people. Now, it is hard for me to imagine how 15 people can possibly socialize in such a small place. I remember being able to run down the hallway at top speed. Now I can walk from one end to the other in more or less 5 steps. I remember taking baths in a huge bathtub. Now I don't think I can sit with my legs stretched out in the tub even if I wanted to. I remember not daring to stand beside the window of our 14th floor apartment because I would be scared by how small everything looked below and realizing that if the windows broke I'd probably die from the fall. Now I open up the windows and hang clothes outside to draw, 14 floors above the floor.
As the BeeGees sing: When I was small, and Christmas trees were tall. I don't think anything has changed here. The bathtub didn't shrink; the ends of the hallway didn't shift any closer. It is a matter of growing up.
Typically, I live in the flat that my family and I used to live in when we were still in Hong Kong (when I was younger than the age of 5). It was an apartment that we shared with my paternal grandparents (the flat had 3 rooms and 2 washrooms) and now they live here by themselves. Everytime I come to Hong Kong now, I have readjust my memories of my old home to bring them in par with reality and get used to this place again. Everything seems really small, cramped up, and oppressive. I can cover all the "empty floor" in my room with less than 5 steps. I admit, it's probably because I've long grown accustomed to "Canadian" living - the size, the big empty spaces, the triumph of aesthetics over neccesity and practicality.
The interesting thing is, when I was small, I don't recall feeling this way about this old home of mine. I remember seeing it as a big place. My parents sometimes invited their friends or relatives over for dinner parties and the flat could fit more than 15 people. Now, it is hard for me to imagine how 15 people can possibly socialize in such a small place. I remember being able to run down the hallway at top speed. Now I can walk from one end to the other in more or less 5 steps. I remember taking baths in a huge bathtub. Now I don't think I can sit with my legs stretched out in the tub even if I wanted to. I remember not daring to stand beside the window of our 14th floor apartment because I would be scared by how small everything looked below and realizing that if the windows broke I'd probably die from the fall. Now I open up the windows and hang clothes outside to draw, 14 floors above the floor.
As the BeeGees sing: When I was small, and Christmas trees were tall. I don't think anything has changed here. The bathtub didn't shrink; the ends of the hallway didn't shift any closer. It is a matter of growing up.
Monday, July 6, 2009
等放lunch
Lunch hour at the office is an exciting hour because...
1. LUNCHTIME!! food food food food...
2. I get one hour of absolutely nothing to do except eat, shop and explore Central.
3. I get to leave my teeny tiny cubicle and chair to take in some fresh air outside and stop my ass from getting flatter than it already is.
4. It signifies that I have already reached the halfway mark of my 8 hour workday.
5. There are PLENTY of sales going on around here!! H&M, Esprit, AX here i comeeeeeee!
6. 鄭少 comes to visit me for lunch =)
next to the weekend, lunchtime is my favourite time of the week =)
1. LUNCHTIME!! food food food food...
2. I get one hour of absolutely nothing to do except eat, shop and explore Central.
3. I get to leave my teeny tiny cubicle and chair to take in some fresh air outside and stop my ass from getting flatter than it already is.
4. It signifies that I have already reached the halfway mark of my 8 hour workday.
5. There are PLENTY of sales going on around here!! H&M, Esprit, AX here i comeeeeeee!
6. 鄭少 comes to visit me for lunch =)
next to the weekend, lunchtime is my favourite time of the week =)
Sunday, July 5, 2009
我愛計(婆仔)數
在香港買東西比在大陸買困難: 在大陸就把價錢除五， 但是在香港就要除七 （除五點都比除七容易）. so when i shop, I have to mentally divide the price by 5 or 7 to get a "Canadian equivalent". generally speaking, things in Hong Kong are pretty cheap right now mostly because the prices are divided by 7 (strictly speaking, should be 6.7 but if i have to be that concise, I will have to bring a calculator with me wherever I go). 基本上買東西都不會肉痛.
但是收人工就比較心痛. I am cheap labour in this Hong Kong market, making a meager $800HKD per a 5-days week which is honestly less than what I make at Gourmet. So let's do the math...
$800HKD per week / 5 days a week = $160HKD/day
$160HKD per day / 8 hours a day (1 hour break inclusive) = $20HKD an hour
$20HKD / ~$7HKD/$1CDN = < $3 CDN
wow. I am making less than BC minimum wage. in fact, I am making less than when I delivered the Tri-cities News 2 times a week during grade 10 (I made around $10 a week then and it takes me around 1 hour to deliver the papers once).
man remind me again why I am doing this.
Currently listening: 盧廣仲 - 好想要揮霍
但是收人工就比較心痛. I am cheap labour in this Hong Kong market, making a meager $800HKD per a 5-days week which is honestly less than what I make at Gourmet. So let's do the math...
$800HKD per week / 5 days a week = $160HKD/day
$160HKD per day / 8 hours a day (1 hour break inclusive) = $20HKD an hour
$20HKD / ~$7HKD/$1CDN = < $3 CDN
wow. I am making less than BC minimum wage. in fact, I am making less than when I delivered the Tri-cities News 2 times a week during grade 10 (I made around $10 a week then and it takes me around 1 hour to deliver the papers once).
man remind me again why I am doing this.
Currently listening: 盧廣仲 - 好想要揮霍
Thursday, July 2, 2009
我的 OL 生涯 Day 1
one word: bored. all I did was attempted to translate a letter from English to simplified Chinese and file a pile of paperwork that was 1/3 of my height. to be honest, the kind of law that they do at this law firm is corporate law (handling mergers, stocks, companies, etc.) which is something that I totally am not interested in. still experience is better than no experience and something to do is better than nothing to do. plus the people at the firm are really nice.
currently watching: ID 精英
P.S. 好緊張呀.....下禮拜一有烈火雄心3...with 黃宗澤
currently watching: ID 精英
P.S. 好緊張呀.....下禮拜一有烈火雄心3...with 黃宗澤
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
i got my blog back
After being deprived of my blog for almost two months (China decided that blogspot was not something that the Chinese public should be allowed to access), I finally got my blog back by arriving in Hong Kong (aka land of sweltering outdoor heat and full blast indoor a/c) two nights ago.
It was quite frustrating to have my blog blocked as I was traveling throughout China because that was when I had a lot of things to say and share. And it was a good way to remember the minor details of my three-week trip. But now, thanks to the Great Firewall, my Chinese experiences will be forgotten and I will not remember half of the things I saw, ate, heard and experienced by the time I return to Vancouver. So much for promoting the goodness of the Chinese and demolishing the prejudices that the outside world has against China. The only thing I will probably remember now is how I, firsthand, became the victim of the oppression of my right to free speech and blogging.
Whatever. At least I am back now.
It was quite frustrating to have my blog blocked as I was traveling throughout China because that was when I had a lot of things to say and share. And it was a good way to remember the minor details of my three-week trip. But now, thanks to the Great Firewall, my Chinese experiences will be forgotten and I will not remember half of the things I saw, ate, heard and experienced by the time I return to Vancouver. So much for promoting the goodness of the Chinese and demolishing the prejudices that the outside world has against China. The only thing I will probably remember now is how I, firsthand, became the victim of the oppression of my right to free speech and blogging.
Whatever. At least I am back now.
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