Hong Kong Musings

This is my third day in HK, it has been quiet a ride so far. Some fantastic and some not so fantastic experiences.
The flight journey went without any hassles. HK Airport is quiet a sight. There is sea on both sides and the plane lands on a thin strip of land right in between the sea. An Aerial view might make you feel that the pilot takes a close call to land. The Airport is one of the finest I have seen. The Metro picks you up right from the airport and drops you to the city. The University is in an Island called Hong Kong Islands and that is different from HK City. Checked in to the hostel. Comfortable one but a lil small for 3 Indians!!
My first moment of truth happened when I went to have food in the Univ. restaurant. The lady couldn't speak english and I couldn't convey the fact that I want a Veg fried rice without the egg (Egg is present in almost every food). That left me a little depressed. I didn't Imagine that language can be an issue in a country ruled by brits for over 100 years. So a lot of hand movements wil help. After some time it gets funny when you have to ask for road directions to the localites. All said and done, The local people are very helpful and some go out of the way to help you. The staff at the MBA office especially are very helpful. it makes the transition a little easier.
My MBA class is more diverse than I had expected. Not just in terms of nationalities but also in terms of profession. There is a Speech writer for a US politician. A Chinese who worked for UNESCO in Cambodia, A Ship Captain, A film director from Taiwan, A practicing lawyer from Canada, 3 Europeans, Some bankers from Shanghai and a Quality Manager from India (U know who that is !!) The Chinese are the Majority though, but the Indians are a boisterous lot. One Chinese even told me he considers Indians as aggressive people, he wanted to know if I Agree!! The Nationality divide is still prominent, After the Initial Introduction and "what is your back Ground" questions we still tend to hang out with Indian Junta. We are always in search for Indian food or Indianness in Hong Kong. The language is getting to be a problem when you go to stores or when you have to converse with locals. That's a frustrating experience !
The City is very scenic, more than some European or American cities. The transportation is one of the finest. There is ferry, Metro, Buses, Trams and Taxis to commute from one Island to another. The Metro goes right under the sea to connect to another Island. The Main streets are lavishly decorated with fountains, designer plants and other cool gadgets. The women are ok ! Some are good and others not so good but neverthless they are all skimpily dressed. The entire city is digitized to an un imaginable extent. There is a Smart card that can be used in buses,Trains, restaurants & stores. There is a pin code to get into your hostels and rooms. There are escalators and lifts to cross the roads. In many other small ways you will see digitization.
My Orientation starts tommorow in HK Disneyland. I am looking forward to that.
I miss you all and the lovely feeling of being at home. At the moment I am gong thru a lesson in abeyance !

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