I just spent three wonderful days in Hong Kong, filled with time spent with family (my dad) and friends (high school friend Amish)! My first impression on Hong Kong is that it is very distinct from mainland China and Shanghai. I observed friendlier people, less commotion, less pollution, and a more cosmopolitan way of life. Hong Kong is also extremely materialistic- emphasis is always on money and shopping; one of the maps I picked up had all of the Chanel stores marked. Thus, until I reached the more quaint and natural aspects of Hong Kong, I didn’t really enjoy it: a society that is driven by material possessions and status is not for me. Nonetheless, Hong Kong is easy on the eyes. Large skyscrapers are draped by green hills and mountains, and surrounded by blue waters.
The first day I arrived in Hong Kong, January 21st, I met up with my high school friend Amish, who is studying at Hong Kong University this semester. We enjoyed many parts of the city, including the escalator system. The escalators are a mode of transportation between different parts of Hong Kong Island. Individuals take the escalators down the hills to reach work in the morning, and then at 10 am, the escalators go up the hills. We stopped off in Soho to look around the shops and also take pictures of a fish stall (graphic!). We also came across a shrine which was beautiful and filled with incense. Later on, we took a tram (a short and narrow double-decker bus) to Causeway Bay, which was filled with people shopping and vibrant lights.
An interesting aspect of this day was the fact that it was Sunday, or the day that many domestic workers have off. Hong Kong has one of the largest populations of foreign domestic workers (mainly from the Philippines), mainly due to the nature of the cut-throat work schedule and the status symbol of having a nanny/maid. On Sundays, Hong Kong subway stations, parks, and streets become filled with domestic workers eating on blankets, playing cards, and laughing (and dancing) with friends. This is different from anything I’ve seen before, and I found it very interesting. Amish and I enjoyed going around the city together, and then we returned to Kowloon Island (still part of Hong Kong, where the ship was docked) for some dinner with friends. Every night at 8 pm, Hong Kong island has a light show. Office buildings display lights that flash in different patterns and colors, lighting up the night sky. Some buildings also have lasers which reach far distances. We met up with a few of my friends for some drinks and snacks as we waited for and watched the light show. Unfortunately, my environmentally- conscious side of me was wondering what impact these light shows have on energy use in Hong Kong, and what it means for environmental degradation, due to the fact most energy in Hong Kong is powered by coal. However, I had to remember that it was a beautiful night after a great day.
The following day I had the opportunity to see my dad! This was such a treat after not seeing him since I left the U.S. He was in Hong Kong visiting St. Paul’s College, which is a private school that he is trying to set up an exchange program with. Part of my dad’s job is setting up and keeping exchange programs with different schools around the world. Luckily, he needed to visit Hong Kong this year, so he was able to visit when I was there! I gave him a brief tour of the ship and then we headed on the Ferry for Hong Kong Island. It was recommended that we visit Stanley, which is on the opposite side of the Island. We took a 40 minute bus ride there, which was gorgeous. We went around hills and had great views of Repulse Bay, one of the beaches in Hong Kong. Stanley has a market as well as small streets and little restaurants and shops. This area of Hong Kong was quiet and quaint, which my dad and I really enjoyed. We took some pictures of small fishing boats and enjoyed a snack overlooking the bay. While we were there, we saw three couples taking wedding photos! Apparently, Stanley is a popular area for wedding photos. That evening, we headed back to Kowloon to meet up with two families of two teachers who stayed with my parents for a week last year: Bobby Poon and Allen Nguyen. Bobby and Allen are both teachers at St. Paul’s, and they and their families hosted us for a nice sushi dinner at a restaurant near the ship. I enjoyed meeting their wives and daughters (one is 5 and one is 10 months), and it was wonderful to get to know them. After dinner, we enjoyed walking along the water and taking some photos together. I feel so blessed to have been able to see my dad, and it was great to be able to talk to him about Japan and China, two countries to which he has been!
My third day in Hong Kong was equally wonderful. I went on a field program called Sustainable Development, which is based on Hong Kong’s effort to preserve some of the un-commercial areas of the city. We were lead by an expat from Switzerland. We hiked 8 miles along a trail in the Kowloon Mountains. This hike was definitely not just a stroll. About a third of it was uphill, with a combination of steps, terrain, and rocks! In the middle of the hike, there was an optional ascent to Lion Rock Peak. The sign in front said: “Warning-- this section of trail is very difficult and suitable only for experienced and well equipped hikers. Do not attempt in bad weather. Take care.” Despite the warning, 10 of us decided to hike up. This definitely was a challenge; I have not been challenged physically for a long time-- including the Turkey Trot in November! Once we reached a view, we thought we were done. But we weren’t! We continued along rocks (some jagged, some smooth and slick) for about 15 minutes to reach the peak. Despite the difficulties and some of us cursing the terrain, there was such a feeling of accomplishment and an absolutely gorgeous view at the end! We all finished most of the water we had, even though we had another 2 ½ hours ahead of us for the day, but it was totally worth it! After that, we met up with the rest of the group, had lunch, and then started our descent. On our way down, we were able to see wild monkeys! There were two in a tree, grooming and eating, and then three came very close to us, including a baby! We were able to take pictures so close to them, though we were nervous they would come up to us, as they usually bother humans for food. Luckily that didn’t happen, and we got to enjoy them from a safe distance! Overall, this day was fantastic. It was so nice to get away from the hustle and bustle and consumerism of the commercial areas and enjoy the natural and serene part of Hong Kong.
I am sore and tired today and only have two days until Vietnam! We all will have a quick recharge with classes until we have our 5 days there. I am getting very excited, and I’m sure I will have more adventures to share with you. Until then, I hope you all are happy, healthy, and loving life!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
A city of 18 Million: Shanghai, China!
I have just spent three very interesting, tiring, and exciting days in Shanghai, China: a city of 18 million people! My time here was spent navigating through crowds of people, learning about the culture (and some language!), and seeing how a country with 1.3 billion people operates. We were lucky enough to visit during Chinese New Year, which gave our visit a different type of flair; we were able to see families celebrating and on vacation, and also see families light their own fireworks!
The first day I went with a group of friends and explored Shanghai, including the Bund (the old historic part of Shanghai), and took The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel across to Pudong, the new part of the city. The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel was a crazy experience in itself. We went into a clear pod, and went through a narrated light show..it was interesting, to say the least! I captured a video on my camera that I can hopefully share once I get back to the states. In Pudong we saw the Oriental Pearl Tower, which is 378 meters tall! The rest of the day was spent searching around Pudong, looking at street vendors grilling different types of meat), and realizing that it is much harder to breathe in China due to air pollution and a number of smokers! We had dinner at a local restaurant, and despite some language confusions, we had a good time. Though it was clear we were some of the first non-Chinese to eat there; all of the other diners were staring at us most of the time!
Throughout the three days in Shanghai, I kept an eye out for family structure dynamics. Last semester in Global Environmental Politics, I wrote my major research paper on the One Child Policy, and am very passionate about it, so I thought it would be really interesting to see the policy in context. I’ve noticed that “the little emperor/empress” syndrome is alive and well. This phrase describes the attitude some only children in China have, as they are doted upon by their parents and grandparents. Many children I saw were yelling at their parents or controlling the situation. Also, many stores in the malls were dedicated to entertaining children, feeding children, or dressing children. This was even more exaggerated than in the United States. Although I do not wish to make a political statement, my main issue with the policy is the fact that it is a Human Rights Violation under Reproductive Rights. It was interesting, during a day trip, our Chinese tour guide was talking about the Policy. Some of her wording made it seem like some couples are very lucky to pay for a birth of a second child, and that country families are even more lucky because if they have a girl first, they are entitled to another child automatically. I am saddened by the lack of freedom families have; although the policy has aided in lowering population growth, it has come with severe consequences, including a very skewed ratio between male and female births. But enough about that, and on to less serious topics!
Yesterday I took a Semester at Sea guided trip to Suzhou, which was known as the passageway into China during the start of trading between China and other countries. Suzhou is somewhat like a Venice of China, with canals meandering throughout the city. During the tour, we went to three gardens, one of which is a Unesco World Heritage Site and it absolutely beautiful. I took many pictures capturing the architecture and landscape of the garden. What is interesting to me is the contrast between the organized, serene gardens and the chaotic, pushy environment outside of the garden walls. It was nice to see a more peaceful side of China during my visit. We also were lucky enough to visit a silk weaving factory, where we were able to see the process of spinning silk from cocoons and also see the process of making a silk quilt (it takes 6,400 cocoons to make one)! It is an amazing process, and one that I am glad to have seen! Finally, we took a canal ride through the historic part of Suzhou. We saw many people out celebrating the New Year with family and friends and we were able to take many pictures. Many people we saw were incredibly friendly, waving and smiling at us as we passed. The day allowed for a different view on Chinese culture and Chinese society, one that is less hurried and crowded than Shanghai.
My final day in Shanghai was spent with a small group of friends exploring the Bund side of the city rather than Pudong. We walked on a street to People’s Square, and literally passed THOUSANDS of Chinese out shopping on the 5th day of the New Year, the most important day. Families, friends, and loved ones were out celebrating the day by eating, walking, and shopping. While we were walking, many men came up to us, trying to sell us products. It was clear that we stuck out like sore thumbs! Even amongst thousands!! While the men came up, I got to practice the word for “no” in Chinese: “bu”; luckily saying this firmly got the point across! While we were walking, a young man came up to us and was talking in English, asking if we needed a guide, where we were from, etc. We finally got him to leave us alone, and then we went and found a place to eat, had lunch, and walked some more. About an hour and a half later, we were walking on the same road to a metro station. All of a sudden, I hear “Remember me?” It was the same man who had found us earlier!!! My roommate Ashley and I started saying “Oh my gosh…” and he interrupted us and said “Oh my God!!” and laughed. We all were cracking up at the situation. Either we really stuck out like sore thumbs, this guy was kind of creepy, or a combination of the two. He did luckily leave us, but we found it funny that in a city of 18 million, the same guy found us twice! The rest of the day was spent bargaining with vendors (the key is showing that you respect them and their products), and enjoying the city. It was nice to have a positive final experience in Shanghai.
After we left Shanghai, we had a formal sit down dinner on the ship while were traveling to Hong Kong, so there are a few pictures from there, including one with our favorite waiter, Perry! It will be interesting to see what the future for China, and the next generation of only children, holds. Without a doubt, U.S.-Sino relations will be some of the most important in my generation’s future. I once again apologize for the lack of blog updates; it all depends on internet availability and affordability! I hope you all are doing well and I will update my blog after my stay in Hong Kong!!
The first day I went with a group of friends and explored Shanghai, including the Bund (the old historic part of Shanghai), and took The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel across to Pudong, the new part of the city. The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel was a crazy experience in itself. We went into a clear pod, and went through a narrated light show..it was interesting, to say the least! I captured a video on my camera that I can hopefully share once I get back to the states. In Pudong we saw the Oriental Pearl Tower, which is 378 meters tall! The rest of the day was spent searching around Pudong, looking at street vendors grilling different types of meat), and realizing that it is much harder to breathe in China due to air pollution and a number of smokers! We had dinner at a local restaurant, and despite some language confusions, we had a good time. Though it was clear we were some of the first non-Chinese to eat there; all of the other diners were staring at us most of the time!
Throughout the three days in Shanghai, I kept an eye out for family structure dynamics. Last semester in Global Environmental Politics, I wrote my major research paper on the One Child Policy, and am very passionate about it, so I thought it would be really interesting to see the policy in context. I’ve noticed that “the little emperor/empress” syndrome is alive and well. This phrase describes the attitude some only children in China have, as they are doted upon by their parents and grandparents. Many children I saw were yelling at their parents or controlling the situation. Also, many stores in the malls were dedicated to entertaining children, feeding children, or dressing children. This was even more exaggerated than in the United States. Although I do not wish to make a political statement, my main issue with the policy is the fact that it is a Human Rights Violation under Reproductive Rights. It was interesting, during a day trip, our Chinese tour guide was talking about the Policy. Some of her wording made it seem like some couples are very lucky to pay for a birth of a second child, and that country families are even more lucky because if they have a girl first, they are entitled to another child automatically. I am saddened by the lack of freedom families have; although the policy has aided in lowering population growth, it has come with severe consequences, including a very skewed ratio between male and female births. But enough about that, and on to less serious topics!
Yesterday I took a Semester at Sea guided trip to Suzhou, which was known as the passageway into China during the start of trading between China and other countries. Suzhou is somewhat like a Venice of China, with canals meandering throughout the city. During the tour, we went to three gardens, one of which is a Unesco World Heritage Site and it absolutely beautiful. I took many pictures capturing the architecture and landscape of the garden. What is interesting to me is the contrast between the organized, serene gardens and the chaotic, pushy environment outside of the garden walls. It was nice to see a more peaceful side of China during my visit. We also were lucky enough to visit a silk weaving factory, where we were able to see the process of spinning silk from cocoons and also see the process of making a silk quilt (it takes 6,400 cocoons to make one)! It is an amazing process, and one that I am glad to have seen! Finally, we took a canal ride through the historic part of Suzhou. We saw many people out celebrating the New Year with family and friends and we were able to take many pictures. Many people we saw were incredibly friendly, waving and smiling at us as we passed. The day allowed for a different view on Chinese culture and Chinese society, one that is less hurried and crowded than Shanghai.
My final day in Shanghai was spent with a small group of friends exploring the Bund side of the city rather than Pudong. We walked on a street to People’s Square, and literally passed THOUSANDS of Chinese out shopping on the 5th day of the New Year, the most important day. Families, friends, and loved ones were out celebrating the day by eating, walking, and shopping. While we were walking, many men came up to us, trying to sell us products. It was clear that we stuck out like sore thumbs! Even amongst thousands!! While the men came up, I got to practice the word for “no” in Chinese: “bu”; luckily saying this firmly got the point across! While we were walking, a young man came up to us and was talking in English, asking if we needed a guide, where we were from, etc. We finally got him to leave us alone, and then we went and found a place to eat, had lunch, and walked some more. About an hour and a half later, we were walking on the same road to a metro station. All of a sudden, I hear “Remember me?” It was the same man who had found us earlier!!! My roommate Ashley and I started saying “Oh my gosh…” and he interrupted us and said “Oh my God!!” and laughed. We all were cracking up at the situation. Either we really stuck out like sore thumbs, this guy was kind of creepy, or a combination of the two. He did luckily leave us, but we found it funny that in a city of 18 million, the same guy found us twice! The rest of the day was spent bargaining with vendors (the key is showing that you respect them and their products), and enjoying the city. It was nice to have a positive final experience in Shanghai.
After we left Shanghai, we had a formal sit down dinner on the ship while were traveling to Hong Kong, so there are a few pictures from there, including one with our favorite waiter, Perry! It will be interesting to see what the future for China, and the next generation of only children, holds. Without a doubt, U.S.-Sino relations will be some of the most important in my generation’s future. I once again apologize for the lack of blog updates; it all depends on internet availability and affordability! I hope you all are doing well and I will update my blog after my stay in Hong Kong!!
Kobe, Japan!
I am writing this blog with a bit of sadness- I am not ready to leave Japan tonight! I have so enjoyed my time here and am so grateful for the opportunity to visit this amazing country.
Yesterday I spent the majority of the day visiting Momoyama (or St. Andrew’s) school in Osaka, Japan. My father knew our host, Machiko Goda, from his visit to Japan a few years ago, and set up a connection for us. I visited Momoyama with my faculty advisor and professor from Kenyon- Professor Lopez, who is on the Semester at Sea program as well! We took a tour of the school with Machiko, who tailored our visit after she learned that I am interested in self-identity. PE classes (and lots others, such as “standard,” or honors classes) are divided by sex. We also saw the counseling room- apparently they use sand therapy. Sand therapy is literally a sandbox, where students can choose different figurines to place in it and the counselor interprets the archetypes represented by the figurines. What is odd to me is only ten students of the 1,700 at the school use the free counseling. We also talked to some exchange students from the United States. One interesting thing I learned is how Koreans in Japan have a rough time with their identity. Apparently, Japan doesn’t let citizens have dual-citizenship. Individuals have to choose one nationality at the age of 20! So, if one’s mother is Korean and one’s father is Japanese, one could only choose one nationality to declare and choose one citizenship. There aren’t many mixed couples for this reason; as a daughter of a mixed-race couple, I found this particularly interesting. Many Korean students also change their names to Japanese so they don’t get made fun of in school. Later, Professor Lopez and I met with the headmaster, who was a very humble and funny man! He said, “I am proud of two things in this school, the facilities and the teachers. I am not proud of one thing: myself.” We then went to his office, and he showed us his special coffee maker, one that very few people in Japan can have, so he is proud of his ownership. Professor Lopez and I found this also very interesting, that a headmaster would show us a coffee maker. Machiko then took Professor Lopez and I to a classic Japanese restaurant where I had a cabbage pancake filled with veggies, shrimp, and cheese and then I decided I would try the octopus in a dough ball! It was actually good, and apparently a specialty to Osaka. On the way back to Kobe, we took a women’s only train car. Apparently, due to reported sexual harassment, Japan has made women only train cars; what I found ironic, however, is the fact that these train cars reinforce gender stereotypes. They are pink and have advertisements attracting female passengers. We also did notice that there was a couple of men on the train.
I have been overwhelmed by Japanese hospitality and am very grateful for Machiko’s kindness and willingness to share Momoyama with us. Last night my friend Caitlin and I explored downtown Kobe on our own and were searching for some Japanese items we had not been able to buy. I was on the search for a Totoro item; My Neighbor Totoro is Japanese anime film directed by Miyazaki and has been one of my favorite films since the age of five. We were lucky enough to find a Totoro book in Japanese in a bookstore, which I am very excited about!
Today I went on a field program for my Sociology of Race class to downtown Kobe to explore what a young person would do on a day off. Because it is near Valentine’s day, we learned that Valentine’s day historically was when a woman would give chocolate to a man who she admired. Nowadays, women could either do that, or buy chocolate for herself! Downtown Kobe was very busy today with chocolate stores filled with customers! We also went to department stores, a Japanese 100 yen store (similar to our dollar stores), and a hat shop. My friends Dana and David and I had a wonderful time together.
I have enjoyed so many aspects of Japan (including the delicious food- who knew they’d have amazing pastries?) and am eager to return one day. I cannot believe that we only have two days on the ship until we reach Shanghai, China!
I hope all of you are doing well, keeping warm (I heard about the snow!), and have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
Yesterday I spent the majority of the day visiting Momoyama (or St. Andrew’s) school in Osaka, Japan. My father knew our host, Machiko Goda, from his visit to Japan a few years ago, and set up a connection for us. I visited Momoyama with my faculty advisor and professor from Kenyon- Professor Lopez, who is on the Semester at Sea program as well! We took a tour of the school with Machiko, who tailored our visit after she learned that I am interested in self-identity. PE classes (and lots others, such as “standard,” or honors classes) are divided by sex. We also saw the counseling room- apparently they use sand therapy. Sand therapy is literally a sandbox, where students can choose different figurines to place in it and the counselor interprets the archetypes represented by the figurines. What is odd to me is only ten students of the 1,700 at the school use the free counseling. We also talked to some exchange students from the United States. One interesting thing I learned is how Koreans in Japan have a rough time with their identity. Apparently, Japan doesn’t let citizens have dual-citizenship. Individuals have to choose one nationality at the age of 20! So, if one’s mother is Korean and one’s father is Japanese, one could only choose one nationality to declare and choose one citizenship. There aren’t many mixed couples for this reason; as a daughter of a mixed-race couple, I found this particularly interesting. Many Korean students also change their names to Japanese so they don’t get made fun of in school. Later, Professor Lopez and I met with the headmaster, who was a very humble and funny man! He said, “I am proud of two things in this school, the facilities and the teachers. I am not proud of one thing: myself.” We then went to his office, and he showed us his special coffee maker, one that very few people in Japan can have, so he is proud of his ownership. Professor Lopez and I found this also very interesting, that a headmaster would show us a coffee maker. Machiko then took Professor Lopez and I to a classic Japanese restaurant where I had a cabbage pancake filled with veggies, shrimp, and cheese and then I decided I would try the octopus in a dough ball! It was actually good, and apparently a specialty to Osaka. On the way back to Kobe, we took a women’s only train car. Apparently, due to reported sexual harassment, Japan has made women only train cars; what I found ironic, however, is the fact that these train cars reinforce gender stereotypes. They are pink and have advertisements attracting female passengers. We also did notice that there was a couple of men on the train.
I have been overwhelmed by Japanese hospitality and am very grateful for Machiko’s kindness and willingness to share Momoyama with us. Last night my friend Caitlin and I explored downtown Kobe on our own and were searching for some Japanese items we had not been able to buy. I was on the search for a Totoro item; My Neighbor Totoro is Japanese anime film directed by Miyazaki and has been one of my favorite films since the age of five. We were lucky enough to find a Totoro book in Japanese in a bookstore, which I am very excited about!
Today I went on a field program for my Sociology of Race class to downtown Kobe to explore what a young person would do on a day off. Because it is near Valentine’s day, we learned that Valentine’s day historically was when a woman would give chocolate to a man who she admired. Nowadays, women could either do that, or buy chocolate for herself! Downtown Kobe was very busy today with chocolate stores filled with customers! We also went to department stores, a Japanese 100 yen store (similar to our dollar stores), and a hat shop. My friends Dana and David and I had a wonderful time together.
I have enjoyed so many aspects of Japan (including the delicious food- who knew they’d have amazing pastries?) and am eager to return one day. I cannot believe that we only have two days on the ship until we reach Shanghai, China!
I hope all of you are doing well, keeping warm (I heard about the snow!), and have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Yokohama, Japan!
Hello Family and Friends! I apologize in advance for the lack of pictures. I will try to upload some once I get a chance to get internet off of my ship!
I am separating my Japan posts according to ports: Yokohama, Japan, and Kobe, Japan. I realized I documented too much from Yokohama to include it in one post with Kobe! I arrived in Yokohama, Japan two days ago and I already have realized that this country is as beautiful as it is fascinating. It runs like clockwork; trains depart before the scheduled time. Individuals who I have encountered are some of the kindest and most generous I have ever met. The artistic and technological design are the most innovative I have ever seen. I am amazed by this place and the experiences I have had.
My two days in Yokohama was filled with a range of activities. On the first day I went to the Yokohama Gender Equality Center with my Gender and International Development class. An interesting aspect of Japan is the subordination of women in society. Although Japan has one of the highest, if not the highest, literacy rates of 99%, women still have a strict traditional role in society. The Gender Equality Center works to empower women in the workplace and also work with men, such as giving them cooking classes. While we visited, we were able to speak with some women who were making jewelry satchels.
Throughout my other observations during my two days in Yokohama, it was clear that Japan is a country of dichotomies. Although Yokohama is a very modern port city, there were very few people of other nationalities. Every time my roommate Ashley and I rode the train, we were the only non-Japanese, which was one of the oddest experiences of my life. The restaurant we went to for dinner was a tiny hole-in-the-wall place with wooden seats and booths. The waitress and chef did not speak a word of English, but we ended up ordering a simple but delicious meal of edamame, soup, and rice. Although these experiences showed one side of Japan, the technological and artistic aspects of Japan were extremely modern. Almost every part of Japan we saw was pristine and organized artistically. Public restrooms have heated toilets! Shopping centers have stores filled with high-end clothing and work of artisans. Landmark Tower, which was once the tallest lighthouse in the world, has gorgeous mosaics honoring both the past and the present. Everywhere we went, individuals tried to accommodate us. My poor attempts to speak Japanese were greeted with smiles and individuals striving to help make my experience as pleasant as possible. My travel experience in Japan has been one of the most positive out of all countries I have been to, and I look forward to future adventures in Kobe!
While I am in Kobe, I will be visiting Momoyama school with my faculty advisor from Kenyon, Psychology Professor Irene Lopez. I also will try to experience everyday life in Kobe with a field program with some other students on a field program with my Sociology Professor.
I look forward to sharing those moments with you and invite you to share any questions or comments with me at angonzalez@semesteratsea.net. I’d be happy to engage in further conversation about my time in Japan thus far!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
