Week 2...of classes

Yesterday I finally decided to go to the library and get some work done. It's hard to tell whether or not I actually have work because there are no assigned readings in most of my classes. But I figured I should at least see the library :-)

There are a few libraries on campus. The one on my campus (New Asia library) is quite small and the selection is only catered towards Philosophy and Putonghua books. The University Library on the Central campus is bigger and has everything from Hong Kong studies to Overseas Chinese literature. I ended up checking out 7 books (which is the most that I've checked out in college...ever):

China and the ASEAN States
Ethnic Chinese in Singapore and Malaysia
South-East Asia from Colonialism to Independence
China: Global Studies
Changing Identities of the Southeast Asian Chinese since World War II
Chinese of Southeast Asia: The Ethnic Dimension
Southeast Asian Chinese and China: The Politico-Economic Dimension

OF course, they're all catered towards my Southeast Asian history class and my Asian Comparative Politics class. I actually bought my Genetics textbook today and it was only USD 35! How cheap. AND it was new.

MY history class today was completely lecture-driven. She talked for 1.5 hours...straight. It was interesting learning about colonial SEA and how it became independent. I actually like this class because 1. I'm learning about something I don't know and 2. it's practically independent study. All I have to do is find a topic to write a 12 page paper on - kind of like Eng 200 without all that mess of easy quizzes and research proposals.

My first real Cantonese class was today - 3 hours of straight Canto. I haven't FORMALLY learned Cantonese before (What I know is from speaking with family), so it's quite interesting to know WHY the things I say in Cantonese are the things I say. Does that make sense? I hope so.

Even though it's completely conversational, our teacher (sihnsaang) writes some of the Canto words with the Chinese characters, so I copy them down. I'm trying to teach myself how to write Chinese. This Canto class teaches some of the stuff I know, but I've really forgotten some of my vocabulary so it keeps me entertained. Plus, I've never learned the rudimentary system of writing Cantonese before or the 9 tones in Cantonese, so it's new stuff to me. I should've been enrolled in Chinese school! haha... or not. I hear horror stories from my new friends from California who have actually been to Chinese school (apparently, it's not fun).

The sihnsaang is really funny. Of course, she taught us the foul language first (ie: pimp, prostitute, among others...) and then the basic stuff like My name is _____. Stuff I already know, but it's still fun to watch others learn. She told me that she will teach colloquial Canto to those who already know the basics, so I'm excited about that.

I got bored last night while I was reading for my comparative politics class...so I found this to entertain myself:

http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=A7eVJN8S1AU

South Park in Canto. teehee


I've decided that I want to see more of Hong Kong than just the bars, strip clubs, malls, and markets. That is what pretty much defines HK, but I want to see the sights too. I've compiled a list of sights to see while in HK for the next 5 months; I might add later:

Kowloon walled city
Tung Ping Chau
Tapman (another island)
nearby islands like Lamma Island and Ping Chau and Cheung Chau
Lantau island (it's just an airport I think...but whatever)
Shenzhen (at the edge of HK, off Lo Wu)
Hung Hom to Apleichau
...let's see where that takes me :-)

And some places outside of HK:
Guangzhou
Zhuhai (newly developed town in Southern China)
Taipei, Taiwan
Beijing (I've heard it's changed a lot since I've been in 2000)

There is a Teaching in China and a Teaching Hong Kong program that the OAL/IASP office is holding for exchange students. Basically you go to rural parts of either HK or Guangzhou to teach English or Mandarin to little kiddies. It will give me a chance to interact with real HK/Mainland kids; sounds like fun, eh?

OF course, somewhere in between will be studying and writing papers. I'm hoping to get my final paper ideas done by the end of this week in both my SEA history and comparative politics classes. I want to finish my papers early.

Just so you know, I DO study. Don't get the wrong idea that it's just fun and games!!! haha
No one wants to hear about my studying! That's so boring to read about :-p