Hazy Days

I (Natasha) am going to re-post what I put in my own blog so there'll be some personal commentary on what's going on with me in addition to the group at large. Here's the bulk of my first post from yesterday:

So this is the end of my fifth day in Hong Kong, and it was my first day at work for Associated Press Television News, or APTN. More on the job later. It feels like I just got here, but also as if I've been here for five years already. No significant issues with jet lag, but I still wake up at night occasionally with some really bizarre dreams (most of which the content is influenced by TV shows' season finales I'd just been watching).

I'd been in Hong Kong before, once in 2000 for about a week. And it was with my family, and we stayed in Kowloon. This time, I'm with 6 other fellow students (there'll be 7 soon - we're waiting for you, Laura!). We're staying on the Hong Kong Island, although in a rather remote area. We're at one of the Hong Kong University dorms. Let's just say we think it's officially a hostel (by looking at the sign out front), and uh...no one really said anything about that before we got here. I'm in a cheaper, more "modest" student room, as opposed to a "simple" guest room that's a little bit nicer. For some people this isn't an issue at all - traveling is just like that, right? - but I am my mother's daughter and my brother's sister...I don't have OCD like they practically do, but I do care about cleanliness and would rather not see paint chipping away on my furniture or mold in my shower.

The goal then, is to spend most of my time outside of my room, which can be problematic when it's 90 degrees and raining outside. The weather is gross, like Florida times five, which is enough to make any sane person a cranky old witch. But I only have to look at a few things to get my spirits back up. First, there's an amazing view of the harbour from almost anywhere. Second, there's so much to do and so much food to eat. Well - the food is starting to become a negative when I realize I'm going to be the size of a house when I get back to the states.


Most of the time a haze crawls across the skyscrapers around the edge of the water, sometimes clearing so you can see parts of the mountains in the background. Central is the area with the most shopping and exploring thus far, but I know there's a lot more out there. I work in Wan Chai, which is a couple of subway stations east of Central. I work on the 48th floor of the Central Plaza in Wan Chai which is a really amazing building with gold reflective plates on the outside. The lobby even has a piano that plays itself.

So that's a brief overview of a whirlwind few days. Of course there will be details to follow! For now, I need to prop my feet...I made the mistake of wearing heels today. I had to do a lot of walking and standing at the press conference for the British foriegn secretary at the Ritz Carlton where the elevator guy was extremely attractive. Totally irrelevant. But it was a highlight anyway, and highlights need to be mentioned.