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Studying Abroad

From my experience studying abroad, exchange students group with the exchange students, local HK students with local HK students, and mainland Chinese with the mainland Chinese. I was curious as to why, and my theory is because of language. Few exchange students know Cantonese or Mandarin, so they choose only to hang out with people who speak English. I've noticed that local HK people speak English, but aren't confident in their abilities to speak with exchange students, so they would rather be with local students. The same goes for Mainland students.

My roommate has a different theory that culture is the main influence for this linguistic segregation. Asian cultures are more conservative so they wouldn't normally start a conversation with someone who is from an exchange school. European cultures are conservative as well and they don't speak the language, which explains why they group with mostly Europeans. The American culture is more accepting and willing to mingle, but they don't speak the language, have different values, or give up trying to understand the other culture because it is much easier just to party with people who speak American.

Maybe language is just one factor to this problem. Lan Kwai Fong is the main place to mingle and meet people, but Hong Kong locals were taught since middle school that it was not a good place to go. American and European cultures love having a good time so it's where they regularly spend their weekends and every other weekday. Mainland students mostly spend their time studying, it's what they were taught to do.

In high school, students in mainland China study for something similar to the American SAT, only this test is regulated by the Chinese government and basically dictates what you will be able to do with the rest of your life. So it is pretty important to do well, because there is only a certain quota to the majors in universities in China. The top will get first pick of school and university. So if Bob really wanted to go into Biology, but the quota was filled up, too bad, Bob is going to be a salt miner for the rest of his life. Maybe not that intense, but the Chinese study in a way that if they fail, salt mining is all they are good for.

These are of course only based on my observations and there are of course exceptions to the norm. But I've observed that mainland students usually get top marks on their exams, as a result of their studying, as a result of their incredibly regulated state-wide examination process.

I feel because English is such a widely spoken language in Hong Kong. Exchange students have a crutch in which they can rely on, where there would usually not be if they went to a country like Japan or South Korea. They can speak to locals in English or learn their language, be it Mandarin or Cantonese. But it's much easier riding a bike with training wheels, than taking them off.

It is debatable whether the general knowledge of the English language would actually allow for more sharing/mixing of cultures. But again, this is just from my observations of the trends in the different groups among campus.

#observation #studyingabroad #culture

My Roommate Kelvin

My roommate now is an international student studying at CUHK. The difference between international and exchange student is that all exchange students are international, but not all international students are exchange. Interestingly enough, Kelvin went to American International School in China, so we are able to talk about a lot of things relating to American culture. And his English accent is much like mine only he can speak/read/write Cantonese, and Mandarin as well.

An interesting observation is that we are similar yet our cultural upbringing have made subtle differences to our personality. Kelvin was raised in China/Hong Kong with American influences through school, while I was raised in America with Chinese influences through family. We have similar values in success/work, ideas on education, family, humor. Kelvin is literally like "the brother from another mother."

However, our differences mainly stem from how we were raised as children. For example, Kelvin's parents raised him in a way to become very independent. His dad was mostly away half his life, while his mom took care of him. I remember a story where Kelvin was sent to Europe for education when he was 8. His parents gave him money, told him who to follow when he got to Europe, and sent him off. Which explains his ability to take care of himself, accomplishing his own goals, and always having snacks to eat,.

My parents were very protective over me. My mom was absent most of my childhood because she was always working late at the hospital. My dad gave up being an artist because he didn't want me to be under the care of a nanny or helper. I remember growing up, I would often mistakenly call my dad, "mommy" because really I wanted my mom instead but she was working. I feel as a result of this upbringing, I'm more able to empathize with people or work better in groups.

Also our country culture is very different. Chinese culture tends to be more conservative/introverted, while American culture tends to be more liberal/extroverted, explaining why Kelvin is more conservative in certain situations than I am. I feel Kelvin also has a higher sense of maturity and realism than I do because of his independence. I feel I have a higher sense of emotional intelligence, caring for others than myself.

I find this difference interesting. It explains a lot about how much country culture, and parental culture influences the growth of a child. A child also has a say in their own development in rejecting or accepting the various cultures he/she is exposed to in life, resulting in our similar personalities. Maybe we accepted or rejected things in our culture that made us so similar yet different. Do I make sense? It's like, if I met myself from another dimension, we would be similar in that it is myself from another dimension, but different in that myself from another dimension is from another dimension.

Maybe as a conclusion, cultural and parental influences have a power over the development of a child. But ultimately it depends on the child to decide whether to accept or reject the influences. And ultimately when the child is an adult decide how to change those influences to strengths in order to succeed in the "real world".

#thoughts #hongkong #culture #idea #education #america #influences

"I believe I can fly !!!!" -Hong Kong Bboy Bigki at Mong Kok Station

#hongkong #mtr #hong kong #photography #bboy #dancer #breakdance

East Coast Compared to Hawaii

I can't say much about the east coast because I'm not as aware of the culture there as in the west coast. I was born in that part the the United States, but left when I was eight years old to Hawaii. Looking back on my kindergarten yearbook, I realized that I was the only child with Asian ethnicity. I was pretty different and I probably spoke mostly Cantonese than English. What I have observed however is that the culture in the East coast is very straight forward. Very distant. Not like in Hawaii where it is common to call the store owner at a convenience store whom you've never met in your life "Aunty". I remember I had a huge struggle calling someone I didn't know "Aunty" or "Uncle" when I first moved to Hawaii from New York. I mean, I'm eight. I don't know you. "I just learned in kindergarten never to talk to strangers, let alone call you Aunty, Mrs. Lee." This is just an observation I'm making. May or may not be true.

#Thoughts

West Coast Compared to Hawaii

Hawaii is a special place. It is a part of the United States, but far enough that they have developed their own sense of culture found nowhere else in the continental country. From what I've observed from meeting people from the west coast, people there are very open just like Hawaii. However, the Asian community/heritage is not as strong as it is in Hawaii. For example, many of the people from the west coast who are Chinese, come to Hong Kong to "get back to their roots" same as my reason to come to Hong Kong. What is different is that I don't feel different being in Hong Kong. The people from California, Oregon, the west coast states find Hong Kong to be a completely different place. Actually foreign to them, yet they were raised by immigrant parents. I had a friend who have never had a Mooncake before, a traditional Chinese cake eaten during the fullmoon festival, but his parents are both immigrant Chinese. Some people who are 4th or 5th generation American don't even speak Chinese, which is understandable. This brings me back to my point that Hawaii is so different from the rest of the US because we managed to incorporate our culture heritage, our background into our daily life, People who are 4th generation American still celebrate their culture. The Japanese make mochi during new years, Chinese still celebrate Chinese New Year. Whereas in the westcoast, many only celebrate American holidays.

Not saying that there is no Asian heritage in the westcoast, I'm saying that it is not as heavily present as it were in Hawaii.

#thoughts

Hong Kong & Hawaii

In Hong Kong, the locals refer to the big country up north as the "Mainland." Which is pretty interesting in its own right because Hong Kong is sort of a rebel country. It is still party of China, but they have their own rules, own government (technically), and different currency. Which is a lot like Hawaii. Meeting people from all over Europe, Americas, and Asia has made me realize how special of a place Hawaii actually is. I mean we are still a part of the United States, but we don't conform to the norm of the United States. Most of us has ultimately retained our Asian heritage, whether Japanes,Chinese, Filipino, etc. We are more relaxed than the upright people from the east coast, and retain more of our heritage than the people from the west coast. (I'll explain more of what I mean in another post.) And we refer to the rest of the United States as the "Mainland" just as the Hong Kong people would refer to China.

#thoughts #china #hong kong #hawaii

fruitvendor-blog

jk-hk-blog

So the typhoon is upon us. It’s pretty cool actually. Even though huge natural disaster is approaching us, Hong Kong doesn’t seem affected at all. Instead of ridiculous warning sirens, everyone has a cellphone app called “My Observatory”, which can just track the storm on his/her smart phone....

Typhoon Rabbit.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Flights-cancelled-as-Hong-Kong-braces-for-typhoon--30215427.html

I'm actually pretty excited about the typhoon that is about to hit Hong Kong. The other typhoons that have hit I've been in some other part of the world it seems. And I know it won't be like the hurricane warnings in Hawai'i where the sea level rises 2 inches and the whole island shuts down.

Lunch with some new friends from Hong Kong City University!

Adventure Zhongshan: start!

Traveling with fellow Freeman scholar, Jason Lai, to Zhongshan for the weekend. Adventure time!

紫禁城 Literal Translation: Purple Forbidden City aka. The Forbidden City

#Forbidden Palace #China #Chinese #Beijing

Aug 10: Choices.

Today was the last day of the volunteer program and I learned an important lesson in attachment. The backstory was that I was invited to go to a North Korean style restaurant by my cousin. Apparently the experience would be very much like being in North Korea; propaganda singing, military outfits, and North Koreans. I especially wanted to go since I had denied a tour to North Korea in fear US-North Korean relationships went south. Unfortunately, tonight was the end of the program at the Beijing relocation housing. All the kids had prepared performances, wrote skits, and choreographed dance numbers for their parents’ enjoyment. So I was at a crossroads. Do I go to a North Korean styled restaurant, or do I stay and be a responsible role model for my class? In the end I decided to stay, as I felt like the kids would need me and a part of me was attached to them. The performance was as expected to be by kids ages 7-11. Some kids were cute, some kids forgot their lines, and most parents thought their child was the best. At the end there were tears by some of the volunteers and pictures were taken. Goodbyes said. Numbers exchanged. Whatever. My aunt had gone to the North Korean restaurant. She said it was a weird experience. So you can get North Koreans to sing for you if you paid a certain amount per person at the restaurant. My aunt’s party decided against spending too much money and instead snuck peaks at the party next door. From my aunt’s retelling of the story about the room next door, imagine a huge room with a table in the center, big enough to fit 20-30 people. Next imagine in the center of the table was another table that rotated automatically. On the center spinning table were fresh white roses, and on the top of the table was a pretty Korean girl singing songs rotating around. The huge table sat 5 North Korean officials. That was peak number one. Peak number two: imagine a girl dressed in tight military costume, caked with heavy makeup, playing a saxophone. Peak number three: imagine three girls dressed in tight military costumes, caked with heavy makeup, playing the electric guitar. The weird thing was that the North Korean officials were expressionless during the whole performance. Poker face throughout. North Korean officials are rumored to love western culture and that their corruption was known to cause the famine plaguing the country. I believe this room is the burden of proof for such rumors. Anyways, I chose to stay and say goodbye to these kids I barely knew for a week and missed out on this crazy weird experience of North Korea. It’s strange how people need closure in their lives, to say goodbye, and to thank them for everything in their lives.

All the waitresses, cook, waiters were from North Korea. They can only be in Beijing for 2 years. There is a video

Aug 09: ling-ling revelation

One of the staff members, who’s name is Ling-Ling, at the community center invited some of us to their home for lunch. We entered the building cage building. There was no elevator and the staircase was lit by sunlight through the windows. When we reached Ling-Ling’s apartment complex on the top floor, it was a pretty nice condominium. It was a lot bigger than any normal apartment in Hong Kong. Two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a small patio to hang laundry. I mean considering these people had their homes in the village taken away, I would deduce their current living space is much better than before. Beijing is pretty civilized don’t get me wrong; other than people not following traffic laws, children deficating in public, and people hawking fake Nike’s in the street. It must be better than the boonies of China with no electricity or running clean water. It seems like the Chinese government really hooked these people up with a nice place to live and enough money to buy an Audi or Mercedes to drive around. But then I realized, with the help from my supervisor, that these people probably don’t know anything else but farming. I mean, the families were relocated three years ago from their villages to these apartments. Moms and Dads bring their kids along with the grandparents. The moms and dads find new work in Beijing. The kids go to school. The grandparents, who have only known farming all their lives, stay at home to watch the kids. There is no real drive, or motivation for their lives now. I learned in my International Global Management class about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, describing the motivation in humans. Physiology, safety, love, self-esteem, and self-actualization. The grandparents can’t really “self-actualize”, or bring about a sense of fulfillment from their lives because they only know farming. The only place they can farm now is the little front yards the government installed in the front of the apartments, which they need to divide with all the other resident farmers in the complex. Also the grandparents can’t interact properly with their grand kids because they have different education levels. The education the grandparents had in the village is different from the education the kids are receiving from the schools in Beijing. So there is this sense of disconnection between the kids ands their grandparents. I understand now that money is not everything. I mean these people have money, a nice apartment, a fancy car, but they don’t have any sense of self-fulfillment. They just sit around watching their grand kids, which they can’t even understand because of the educational difference. I was mistaken when I thought these people didn’t need help. They don’t need financial help, they just need a way to connect back to the land, to their grandkids, and to what they know best.

Aug 8: again.

The cafeteria lady scolded me again today. I was washing all the girl’s dishes, being more man. They are probably taking advantage of this now. Then another intern told me to do her dishes, and I replied “十塊” (shí kuài) or “ten dollars” as a joke. Then the cafeteria lady appeared out of nowhere, interrupted me, gave me another lecture, my face was confused, and I kept repeating in mandarin, “I don’t understand Chinese.” I quickly called my translator. The translation was about “市侩” (shì kuài), the way she used it meant more in the sense of “a person who takes advantage of others, will have unsettled regret later.” Or something along those lines. What I heard was “shí kuài, shì kuài, shí kuài, shì kuài, shí kuài, shì kuài.” She was interchanging those tones throughout the lecture, it confused me even further.

On another note, the Chinese language is so difficult to master. Mandarin has 4 different tones and is spoken in most parts of China. Cantonese has 9 tones, which is the dialect I speak, and is mainly spoken in the southern region of China and Hong Kong. The changing of a tone can change the meaning of the word completely. Very troublesome from experience, but I digress. The main point of her lecture was that if a person constantly asks for money, money will always be on his or her minds leading to unhappiness. She is like some Chinese master disguised as a cafeteria lady teaching me all about life. I can’t wait until she starts teaching my Kung fu.

Aug 07: cafeteria lady.

After lunch today, I was chided by the cafeteria lady. I don’t understand any mandarin but I can tell she was scolding me. She had the face my mom would give when I did something stupid. She was scolding me because I didn’t want to do the other girl’s dishes. (I’m working with four girls from another university in Hong Kong). But this was within reason, the girls had arms, they can wash their own dishes, and everyone else was doing their part by washing his or her own dishes after they ate. Why be so lazy? The cafeteria lady gave me a long, stern lecture. Problem was, it was in mandarin. I don’t speak/understand mandarin. So I just stared confused, repeating in mandarin “I don’t understand Chinese.” She then continued to grab my hand and taught me the character “纯” (chún), by dragging my finger on the soapy table she just wiped down. Her usage was short for “纯爷” (chún yé) or upright person. Something about how real men wash dishes. Apparently it’s more normal for the women in China to wash the dishes. But 纯爷 means a man needs to be skilled all around. She probably mentioned something else about serving others is another “man” quality, but I got lost through translation.

Aug 06: hot and cold

I learned a new Chinese word today. In the canteen I wrote about yesterday, there is a large metal sink, divided into three smaller section sinks. Each section had two faucets, left side hot and right side cold. After lunch or dinner, everyone had to wash the bowls and chopsticks they used. The only problem is that the cold faucet ran freezing cold water and the hot faucet was scalding hot. The Chinese word I learned was 貧富懸殊 pín fù xuán shū, which means “wealth gap between the rich and poor.” As it turns out, only people with money can afford faucets that run water with varying temperatures. It aptly describes the country of China as a whole. People are either incredibly rich in the cities, or incredibly poor in the villages. There seems to be no middle class, or very few. It’s either hot of cold. No in between.

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