April Fools Day Reflections

Well that didn't take long.

Just over three months since I first arrived in Hong Kong on Dec 22nd, I am now talking Chinese all over the place. I remember when I was leaving Beijing January 12th morning, Sara's mom advised me to "open your mouth" and speak, because in Beijing I had been like a lost lamb, hardly able to string three words together, and never able to understand anyone, even though apparently northers speak more slowly than people in the south (like Shanghai).

I'm certainly not fluent. I still have major problems understanding, but I can get around easily, and people understand what I am saying. It simply struck me one day while I was ordering 麻辣牛肉粉 on the phone, and giving my address, that I was speaking Chinese without even needing to think. That's pretty crazy I think. Not to mention all the bad words I've learned to say for when Chow, Johnny, or Andy is around. Oh the goods times that lie ahead...

Things have started moving really quickly. I remember when I came here every day was long and winding, with excitement and disappointment both intermixed, and every day stood out. Now the weeks flow by, and I hardly notice. Is this semester almost over? What happened?

Today is Thursday, April Fools Day. I came to class today and Shuai bu lei had turned around all our desks, and was laughing uproariously about it. Ria told me she was leaving Brandeis for a semester (but not entirely because apparently she doesn't think I'm that gullible), and I told her good riddance. Sadly she was joking.

Lets see...Oh yes, this Saturday we begin the trip I've been waiting forever for--HONG KONG BABY! I love this city. Why? Probably in part because its the first part of China I ever visited, and marks the beginning of this long adventure I've been on for the past quarter of a year--and which may go on for another quarter or more. Also, I'll be able to access facebook and other websites that China censors, which means FREEEEEEEEEDOM!

Of course, prices in Hong Kong are (I'm sorry Johnny) significantly higher than in Shanghai. According to my excel sheet kept for this purpose, I have spent about $650 in total expenses since Feb 5th--almost two months. That includes eating prepared food three meals a day, buying odd expenses (like new glasses because I lost my old pair, or a plunger for my stupid toilet), going out to clubs and bars, aaaaand my trips out to Guiyang, Zhejiang, and Suzhou (this past weekend). Even including all the outlier expenses, thats about $11/day. Since I think the cheapest meals in Hong Kong were roughly equivalent to cheap meals in America, that is one major drawback, but the shopping will be better, the people more civilized and cleaner. And oh yes, and Gary and Chris will be there, as promised when I last spoke to them in Hong Kong. Kick Ass.

We are actually flying out to Shenzhen first, on Saturday. I remember when I was first planning to go to Hong Kong Chow recommended I fly in to Shenzhen, and I had NO IDEA what that was. Shenzhen is one of the top cities in China (although that is mostly, if not entirely, because it connects Hong Kong to the mainland), ranked beside Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou in production. And from all I've heard it's skyline is more modern and magnificent than Shanghai's. We will spend two nights there, and then cross the border to Hong Kong. Our hotel in on the island itself, probably somewhere way out east away from the city center, and apparently next to a cemetery. But it won't be hard for me to visit Kowloon and that old bar me and those English folk would frequent. Maybe I'll be able to climb the mountain behind Hong Kong and get that view I missed out on because of all the mist last time.

After that we go to Macao for one night. Our program director insisted we not have too much free time in Macao, lest some of us accidentally gamble all our money away. After this we visit some other place, which has a name that I've forgotten, but which is north of Macao and has some hot springs. I need a bathing suit...

Sweet. What else. I still don't know what I'm doing after this semester ends. I hope to know soon, but if I don't hear anything my plan is to bum around for a while--watch lots of Chinese tv and movies, like 爱情公寓, to make my improved Chinese even better, hit some clubs, and perhaps do some shopping. Tomorrow I'm going to have a tailor-made suit done for me. The standard price I'm told is anywhere between 400-800 kuai, which means I'll probably be forking out not much more than $100--a good deal if a Jew ever saw one. I'll explore China some more. I really want to go to Chengdu, and Yunan. But also perhaps Chow, Johnny, and Sharon will be back in Hong Kong and I can visit them there on my MULTIPLE ENTRY VISA! Kick Ass.

-顾尼克