Category: Hong Kong

They say that time flies when you are having fun, but that is an understatement. Unbeknownst to me, somehow the halfway point of my time in Hong Kong crept up on me. I cannot express how disappointed I am knowing my time here is so scarce (for my econ colleagues). I have met such amazing people here that it makes the thought of leaving excruciating. We have done so much in the first half of our exchange, but there is still so much left to explore in this area!

I wanted to touch on some key areas that have been requested (mostly by my parents concerned as to whether I am actually attending my lectures). One may be surprised by the fact that I am in contention for best attendance in most of my classes! Despite my stellar commitment, lectures are far from where I have learned the most. In fact, in comparison to my educational development outside of the classroom, it is almost nonexistent. Talking with people and learning from them has been the best avenue for me to acquire knowledge.

I am an avid proponent of Bill Nye’s famous quote “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t”. A simple “Hello” to a stranger can lead to such a valuable conversation and experience. I have met some of the most amazing people by simply smiling and asking a few questions about them (e.g. “What’s your name?” “Where are you from?”). So simple, yet it has the potential to blossom into something beautiful. Never did I think I would meet such a variety of people from all over the world. Usually, I don’t have to say where I am from, people can tell from how I dress and talk that I am most definitely from America.

Many who know me, are well aware that I am willing to talk to just about anyone I cross paths with, sometimes to the point that I have to leave holes in my schedule to accommodate the possibility of bumping into people. That is not meant to sound arrogant at all by the way. I just understand what it feels like to not know many people, and have one person single me out for a quick conversation. It means the world. I wasn’t always like this however. My freshman year of college, I was extremely timid and intimidated by most of my peers. I was convinced that people were not interested in talking to some kid from a small town who was no longer an athlete or well-known at all (even though Linfield is in a small town as well). It took quite some time for me to come to the realization that everyone I was around has similar struggles as me. We are all trying to figure out who we are, what we want to do with the rest of our lives, etc. Once I realized how simple it was to start up a conversation with people, I began learning so much more than I did before. As I have said many times before, reading books only take you so far. If you are unwilling to engage with people, you are limiting your education beyond measure.

It’s heartwarming to witness people coming from all over the world, from so many different cultures, studying abroad in one environment. We are so different, but similar at the same time. Everyone has similar needs as human beings and I tend to capitalize on two of them: relationships and food. This has led to many adventures traveling across the city, hopping to a nearby island, or even jumping on a plane to get some good grub (though food wasn’t the only reason for the holidays). In fact, many of the connections I have made with people start by asking about what food they miss from home (in addition to the previously stated questions). I absolutely love hearing about what their favorite thing that mom makes at home is. Recently, I was chatting with a girl from Central Asia and she was showing me pictures of the intricate family meals that her mom makes for celebrations. I kid you not, this girl’s mom and aunt could compete on Cake Wars. I was blown away! Made me want to hop on a plane over to her home country!

Little subject change for you. (Referencing the “exploring” part of this post’s title)

My friends and I had the opportunity to island hop over to Cheung Chau Island this weekend. In the past when we hopped over to a neighboring island, it was very rural in comparison to the city. It almost felt like a different country. I was hoping that Cheung Chau would be similar to that. However, immediately after stepping off the dock, I saw that famous yellow “M” that is known by just about everyone in the world. I was then well aware of the climate we were walking into.

There were countless people crowded in the streets and shops, so we decided to just point in any direction and walk. Some of the most memorable experiences I’ve had here, have not been planned. Growing up in my family, I am so used to plans and structure. It has definitely taken some time for me to adjust to just exploring without having structure. Coincidentally, the way in which we walked led us to a cave after about 3,000 meters. I know this because the sidewalk had distance measurements!

There was quite a que (“line” for my American friends) on the path that led to the cave, which surprised us. It made me think that perhaps this was one of those caves where you enter and exit through the same spot. However, we hadn’t noticed anyone coming back. I was too curious to wait in the line that seemed to not move for 5 minutes at a time. Thus, I hopped over the railing onto the rocks that oversaw the water probably 30 meters (more or less) below. That was not as reckless as it sounds, for my mother’s sake. As I rounded the corner to the area of the que that we could not see from where we were, I kept seeing people disappearing into the rocks below. At that point, I was taken back to summer camp in Oregon where my friends and I would explore places we probably shouldn’t have, but had a blast nonetheless. Jumping over rocks, trees, and small streams as a kid gave me a feeling of joy that was unmeasurable.

I then maneuvered my way to where the disappearances were occurring to find an opening about the size of a man hole cover. As if I couldn’t be more excited, there were people selling flashlights near the entrance. This made my adrenaline pump even harder than it already was! My imagination was going wild at this point. I was also witness to many of the classic “hand-offs” of kids as they were lowered down by one parent, and received by the other. All this hype made the wait seem much longer than it actually was. The heat and humidity also played a key part of the wait feeling longer.

Finally, we made it to the entrance. I was volunteered to go first by the other members of my party, which I was more than fine with. As I lowered myself down, I understood why flashlight salesmen had made this area their choice of business. I used a small ladder to drop into almost complete darkness before I turned the flashlight on my phone on. I was pretty surprised to see what was illuminated when the light came on. Pretty small quarters that a lot of people were trying to venture through.

I ran into traffic a few times, but it gave me time to look at my surrounding environment. There was graffiti on the walls of the cave along with a few variations of what looked like vines hanging from the ceiling and walls. It also had the stereotypical characteristics of caves: musty and damp. After a few minutes of spelunking, I stood with wide eyes at the very small opening that I was going to have to fold myself through to get to the exit. The hardest part about the maneuver was not ruining the clothes I cared about (I did not dress myself with the idea of caving that day).

Daylight was spotted not long after, but we had to climb up another ladder to get there. The view of the ocean and surrounding rock faces was breathtaking! Worth every second of squeezing through the cave. Of course, as I climbed out, I paid tribute to Bear Grylls by doing his famous scream while filming on my phone camera. So grateful for stumbling upon this little adventure.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the urban areas of the island. Food was at the top of my list as you might expect. We were in the hunt for some sustaining grub after exerting ourselves a decent deal. If there is one piece of advice that I can give someone who is hungry in a new and unknown place, “go where the locals are”. I tend to avoid going to places where there are a lot of foreigners. Not only is the food likely overpriced, but it is nowhere near as authentic. Thankfully, we found a place that really knew how to do curry the right way. It was the perfect recovery food from our earlier activities. Overall, this was such an amazing day of new experiences and adventures!

Until next time,

Cheers!

Jake

I cannot stress enough how emotional I am thinking of leaving Hong Kong. What seemed so foreign to me when I got here, has become my reality. The flashing lights, skyscrapers, wealth, poverty, smells, etc. that used to blow me away, now make me think of home. My love for my actual home hasn’t changed in the slightest, despite what the previous sentence may make one think. I love the Northwest and all it has to offer. Before leaving for Hong Kong, I never imagined myself loving something more. I also didn’t think I would ever consider living outside of Oregon. That has all changed.

The experiences that I have had the opportunity to partake in, have given me a new look at life. I always dreamed of living a life of luxury. Traveling in first-class, drinking fine wines, dining at 5-star restaurants, etc. I can tell you with absolute confidence, that lifestyle could not disgust me more. The people I have seen in third world countries who are living in some of the worst poverty I’ve ever seen can give you something that no classroom can: perspective. If I asked you to compare two people side by side, one person who probably makes less than a dollar a day living on the streets in Vietnam, Cambodia, or Thailand, vs. the person that owns city blocks on Wall Street, you may notice something. Why is the person with hardly any money to his/her name smiling brighter than the burned-out Wall Street executive? It’s a question I’ve been asking myself a lot recently. It proves the theory that money does not buy happiness. However, if someone wants to make a case that money does buy food, which does make me happy… I’ll listen.

With less than 3 weeks left in this paradise, the title of this post, “It’s never too late…” has been my motto as of late. This is mainly in relation to the people I have met and begun cultivating relationships within the past 3 weeks. Considering how minimal our time is, few people go out of their way to venture outside of their well-established friend groups. The people I have spent the last 4 months with have become, and will forever be, my family. My very dysfunctional family that is. I could easily rattle off the names and descriptions of each member of my friend group and classify them as members of a crazy family.

As I was saying, I have met and become friends with such amazing people recently. It saddens me knowing that I had 3 months to get to know them, that I wasted. The main people I am thinking of sit right behind me in my Mandarin class! Feels like wasted time, but “it’s never too late”! For such a long time, I had this mentality that once groups had been established, venturing outside of those groups was frowned upon. That is one of my biggest regrets this term. I can only imagine how close I may be with these people had I not had such assumptions. You know what they say about assuming… It makes an @$$ out of “u” and “me” (ass u me).

My advice to anyone, not limited to those studying abroad, is never for a second think that there are limitations on who you can meet and when. A simple conversation can blossom into an amazing friendship, which I can attest to with numerous examples! I can’t express enough how much I’ve learned from the people I’ve met. It’s like a never ending book that I just can’t put down. The thought of leaving these people indefinitely is crippling, though the plans for reunions have already begun.

Until next time,

Jake

(To better understand my emotions while writing this entry, listen to Donny Hathaway’s “A Song for You” while you read this)

And so the time has come for the final entry during my study abroad semester. I write this from Seat 28H on Air Canada Flight AC008. I knew this day would come, but I could never have prepared for it. Just fair warning, if this post turns into a love letter to all the people I just said “good-bye” to, don’t be alarmed.

This has been a week full of reflection, “last times”, and heart break with the periodic departure of dear friends. Originally, my flight was scheduled to depart on the 17^th, but I requested an extension until the 20^th, knowing most my friends were leaving on the 19^th. This flight change happened in February and as I mentioned in my previous post, so many life changing friendships have been made since then. There is a quote I came across recently that goes something along the lines of “Friendship is not how long you know someone. It’s about who came, and never left your side”. I would manipulate that quote to make it fit my experience more. Instead, I prefer, “Friendship is not how long you know someone. It’s when people come into your life, make an effort, make themselves vulnerable, and truly care”. If this study abroad experience has taught me anything, it’s that when people take down their walls, that is when true bonds form.

As I mentioned in Entry 8, the recent connections I made with people mean the absolute world to me. That is because these people have shown me their true selves beyond what I could have ever asked for. It did not come easy though. Many barriers had to be broken. One of those barriers has been referred to as “The French Barrier”. A large majority of students studying at Hong Kong Baptist University are from France and they are known for spending most, if not all of their time with other people from France. Few people have had the luxury of being included in one of the most exclusive “clubs” in Hong Kong. The French exchange student club. From an outsider’s perspective, one can misinterpret why they spend so much time with one another. It wasn’t until I began to try to connect with some of them, that they told me why they rarely venture outside of their group. They feel insecure that their English language skills are less than stellar, so they prefer to use their native tongue. To be honest, if I spoke French, I would definitely prefer to use it as well. However, I have picked up a few phrases from them that I will be using for the rest of my life. If you’re reading this, and you are one of my French friends, the word starts with the letter “P” ;). As if I don’t miss them enough already, I decided it was a good idea to turn on Ratatouille on the plane as I write this. Not the best decision when considering my emotional stability right now.

That is beside the point. As I was saying… I thought I had a general understanding of what caring for and loving people looked/felt like. No. I did not. Never in my life did I think that in less than 2 months’ time (and in many cases for me, less than 1 months’ time), I could go from being complete strangers with someone, to not being able to imagine my life without them. Saying “good-bye” to people ripped my heart out of my chest and it will never be fully replaced. It sounds sad, but I know it was worth it. As the great philosopher Winnie, the Pooh once said, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard”. Typically, I think it’s cheesy when people use this quote, but hey, I can’t argue with it. This really means that we had the time of our lives. I will never be the same because of the people I met while in Hong Kong. I cannot put into words the emotions I feel when I think of them. They have taught me a whole new meaning of love.

I think it’s necessary for me to mention some of the things I learned from my friends. I will not mention names, but those who I am writing about will know who they are.

The first lesson I want to touch on is in relation to happiness. This person changed my life. She has an unparalleled ability to light up a room with her smile. Look up the lyrics to “Lemonade” by Jeremy Passion. Probably one of the best ways to describe her! I’m convinced that her laugh and smile could change anyone’s mood or end world wars. Without fail, whether I was having a good or bad day, I could always count on seeing her to propel my mood to a state of almost irrational happiness. She taught me that life is far too short to allow little things to get the better of me. I can’t think of a better example of pure joy than this girl. Her love for life and people (especially her friends) is one of the many reasons why she is so happy. I try daily to emulate her passion for those things. If I am half as happy as she is in my life, I’ll count myself the luckiest guy in the world. The world is a better place because of her. If there were more people like her in this world, I can only imagine how much more amazing life would be! To her I say, “HIP HIP HIP BUBBLE”. (If you don’t understand what that means, I am talking about someone else lol)

Let me now talk about someone else who really changed my life. The lesson is about friendship and creating a connection that cannot be broken. This person truly loves people unconditionally. Watching her with those she is close to (me being one of them), made me feel like maybe this world isn’t as crazy as I thought. She also happens to be best friends with the person I wrote the previous paragraph about. If I learned to love like her, I would be such a better son, brother, and friend. Thank you for being who you are. The impact you had on me is immeasurable. I look forward to our future culinary endeavors together!

Next on the list, someone who I have a bond with that will last a lifetime. The lesson is about going above and beyond for those you care about. I witnessed this girl be one of the best examples of a friend that I have ever seen. She wasn’t asked or required to do what she did in this situation, but she saw the need and helped immediately. That is the definition of what it means to be a good friend. Thank you for showing me the art of serving others better than anyone expects! She also has a ridiculous sense of rhythm. Her dance moves are stellar haha.

The next person I want to mention taught me so much about making an effort with others. This is where the vulnerability concept comes into account again. She had recently gone through a separation with a significant other right before she met me. Despite not knowing me very well, she was so willing to share how she felt. I didn’t expect her to talk about her feelings, but I am so thankful that she did. It catapulted our friendship to a place I didn’t think was possible in such a short time. It is rare to connect on such an emotional level with someone and to know exactly where you stand with that person at all times. It was the easiest thing in the world getting to know this French “work of art”. We also have a running bet as to whether Oregon wine can put up a fight against French wine. She will soon know what a true Oregon Pinot Noir is!

My next lesson is about compassion brought to you by one of the most caring guys I’ve ever met. He was the glue (one of them) that kept my group together. The epitome of a great friend. If I listed all the times he put other people above himself, I would need hand surgery from typing so much. Seriously, I have never seen such an example of compassion in a person before. I can only hope to care for people the way he does. He turns “like a bridge over troubled water” to “like a bridge over peaceful waters”. Cheers to you buddy!

I have so many more examples I could include, but this is the final one I will talk about to save you some time. The last lesson is about being less concerned with the opinions others have of you and how it can drastically improve your quality of life. This girl never worries about what people think about her. She has gone through so many hardships in her short life that have molded her into the woman she is today. There was a time on a holiday trip where we shared some of our thoughts on life and I was completely blown away by her insight. She told me that once she stopped worrying about what others thought of her, she became exponentially happier! I can only hope to be more like this!

As I sign off, I want to thank everyone who made me feel so welcome in this foreign land and experience. Hong Kong was never my home. The people, my friends, my new family members, where what made it a home. Now, my home is all over the world returning to their normal lives. However, it will never feel “normal” again. I know that will be true for me as well. What we went through together is an experience of a lifetime. It was a gift that I honestly will never be able to put a value on or describe in words. I know exactly how each and every one of you made me feel and I only hope that I made you feel the same. I am a much better person because of you all.

I’ll leave you guys with one final quote. Again, from the cartoon character mentioned above. He said, “If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever”. No matter the distance or time, you guys will always be with me.

I love you and miss you already.

Until we meet again.

Avec Amour,

Jake

In Hong Kong, Spring Break is the equivalent to Easter Break. While all my friends at home were enjoying time off a number of weeks ago, I was still in the thick of a week of classes. However, when my Easter Break came around last week, I’m sure that my activities may have made a few of my friends a little jealous. In late January-early February, knowing that we had a week off the first week of April, my friends and I booked tickets to Vietnam. As I have mentioned in my posts many times before, I gravitate towards countries that have amazing food. Vietnam is in my top 5 favorite countries for food, if not top 3.

Let’s get into the meat of it!

The trip definitely had its bumps. Many of which came at the beginning. Once we arrived at the airport in Hong Kong, one of my friends who thought she didn’t need a visa to get into Vietnam, discovered that she did in fact need one. After everyone but her had made it through security, we started making bets as to how close she was going to cut it before the flight. She made it with about a 25-minute window left. A close call for sure! Once we arrived in Vietnam, the stressed intensified.

Of course, with purchasing an expedited visa, there was an assistant waiting for my friend at the airport in Hanoi. He assisted her in the application process and sped up the time of getting her visa. Now, let me include some more details. We landed around 2:45pm in Hanoi. We had a private bus scheduled to depart at 4:00pm. Having completed my visa application weeks before, I was under the impression that I just needed the visa stamped in my passport and I would be on my way. Essentially, that is what happened. However, what it took to have that happen was far more time consuming than I had predicted.

(At this point, all my friends had made it through immigration and customs. This included the girl who got the expedited visa.)

I waited as only one name was called to retrieve their passport from the immigration desk about every twenty minutes. There was a great sum of people that were in line ahead of me, making my stress levels go off the charts. I noticed something with about twenty minutes to go before the bus left the airport without me. The same guy who helped my friend with her application, was now assisting other people in front of me. Observing the transaction process, it became clear to me that his services were not cheap. I decided to give it ten more minutes before I made a rash decision. Of course, those ten minutes felt like ten seconds.

(At this moment, I had ten minutes before the bus left.)

Approaching the guy with as much of a charm as I could muster while under some of the most intense stress I’ve experienced, I politely asked him how much it would cost me to acquire his assistance in expediting my visa process. He asked what my name was and where I was from. With those details, he said “Yeah I can help”. Within five minutes, he had retrieved my passport with the visa stamped inside, helped me get my picture taken, and got me through immigration/customs. When he handed me my documents, I was anxious to hear how much he was going to ask for his services. With a very kind look on his face, he said “All set! No charge for you”. It’s people like that who make me think this world isn’t so crazy after all. Really makes you want to pay it forward!

(Some clarification: the bus driver did not speak English. Therefore, he did not understand when my friends asked him to wait for me. He was getting antsy to leave as close to 4:00pm as possible.)

Sprinting through an airport is definitely not high on this list of things you should do, but with three minutes to go before the bus left, I thought “desperate times called for desperate measures”. I made it to the bus with one minute to spare! My friends were telling me how stressed they were that I may not make it. They could tell by the look on my face that their stress was pretty insignificant compared to mine though. Now, let me tell you a little bit about this bus.

I had been the one who really pushed to book this bus prior to arriving at the airport, because none of us had experience with public transportation in Vietnam and the drive was two and a half hours to Ha Long Bay (our first destination). That made me possibly missing it a little more ironic. That’s beside the point. This bus was the perfect cure for my stress. We didn’t realize that it was a luxury bus service that we had booked. We are talking reclining leather seats, LED ceiling lights, a gorgeous clock built into the wall, blankets, waters, the whole nine yards. In addition, the service was door to door. Dropped us off right in front of our Airbnb! Such a blessing.

Our days in Vietnam varied. We spent a few days in Ha Long Bay and then returned for a few in Hanoi. A cruise in Ha Long Bay took us to some of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. We even had an opportunity to get out on the water and kayak as well. For me, that was one of the highlights from the trip besides the food.

I’ll get into the tour a little bit here. We were picked up around 08:30 by bus to head to the marina about twenty minutes away, if my memory serves me correctly. Once there, our guide ran us through safety protocols for the day and got into logistics a little bit. After a short while, we were out on the boat. It was another pleasant surprise! The boat had tables with intricately designed table cloths, nice bench seats lined with pillows on them, a clean bathroom (which I rarely have found on many boats), a little gift shop (that was actually a basket of souvenirs for sale), it even had a deck with tanning chairs to catch some sun!

The tour took us to see several famous Islets such as Stone Dog, Incense Burner, and Fighting Cocks. See my Facebook and Instagram for more pictures. In addition, we were taken to Sung Sot Cave (one of the largest caves in Ha Long Bay). Which I also believe is the second largest cave in Vietnam! It was absolutely MENTAL. I was blown away by the intricate patterns inside the cave. Very beautiful!

We were also taken to an island where we were able to swim for a little bit and hike. The view from the top of the hike was breathtaking and very worth the intense staircase up, haha. It was then time for our return. Luckily, we had met some travelers from Australia on the tour who made the long ride seem very short! I loved sharing stories about traveling and comparing our cultures. Look forward to meeting them sometime again!

Once we got to Hanoi, the fun continued! Our first meal was actually at the restaurant where Anthony Bourdain took President Obama in 2016. Boy did they capitalize on that… The “Combo Obama” consisted of their classic Bun Cha (grilled pork with vermicelli noodles in broth=absolutely amazing), a seafood fried roll, and a Hanoi Beer. We even saw the table they sat at, that is boxed in a glass case. As an avid watcher of Anthony Bourdain (I’ve seen the episode where he takes Obama to this restaurant), I enjoyed it so much more!

My friend and I also had an opportunity to take a cooking class in Hanoi! I cannot stress enough how much I loved this! We were taken to a local market to buy all the fresh ingredients, which always gets me excited. Love to see the differences in markets at home and abroad. The FDA would have had a heart attack if they saw what was going on there. We then prepared 5 dishes: beef pho, bun cha, spring rolls, papaya salad, and egg coffee (sounds odd I know… however, it’s very light and sweet. I ended up liking it surprisingly). It was funny to see some adults much older than me lack basic knife skills. You wouldn’t survive in my house if you aren’t willing to lend a hand with meal preparations.

We also did some other touristy things. Explored Train Street (train tracks that go straight through neighborhoods), the prison where John McCain was held after his capture (a very moving experience), and a number of places around the city. Adventuring with friends continues to be such a valuable time for me and I can’t wait for what’s to come! I left a few stories and details out for a reason. Some need to be told in person and I look forward to the opportunity to tell them soon! Only about a month left. Little confession… I don’t want to leave 😉

Jake