hong kong round two.

Hong Kong. Round 2.

Which mostly consists of 5 happy girls running around Disneyland. But more on that later.

We left Friday afternoon, taking a bus to catch the ferry. The ferry ride was 2 hours and uneventful. Arriving in Hong Kong, we took the metro to our apartment. In the underground, especially in China, I am reminded of just how many people there are on this planet. Riding the metro, pressed up against strangers, and then walking the long passageways in between stops, I watched hundreds of faces go by. 

Our apartment was in downtown Hong Kong, near the Yau Ma Tei metro stop. We rented it through airbnb, and it turned out to be a big success. Granted there were 8 girls living in a very small space, but it kinda just became a big, 2-night sleep over and that was pretty great. 

Friday night we wandered the streets. Bright, colorful signs are everywhere, and cars and double decker buses zip by constantly. The city seems to always be under construction somewhere, and bamboo scaffolding line the buildings. Walking along the sidewalk, you occasionally get dripped on--a big splat of liquid on your head. I try not to think where it comes from. 

We ended up at McDonalds. 

How often I eat at McDonalds in America: Never.

How often I eat at McDonalds outside of America: Surprisingly often. 

Maybe it's the familiarity of the place, the fact that I love oreo McFlurries, how cheap it is, or just because the food is the closest you get to the food back home. 

The next day, we headed to Disneyland. Even the ride there was magical. Check out the Mickey Mouse windows! --------->

Walking up main street, I was reminded of so many happy memories I have of going with my family to Disneyland. It is one of my happy places.

Disneyland Hong Kong is smaller than the Disneyland in California. Which was actually pretty great because we got to go on rides multiple times and even go to the shows. Also, there was a Toy Story Land. I was pretty stoked about it.

The first ride we went on was Grizzly Gulch. It was really similar to Thunder Mountain, only we had no idea that half-way through the ride we would be going backwards! We were all screaming for the rest of the ride. Then we went again, because the line was only 5 minutes long. 

My favorite ride in Disneyland is Space Mountain. We got to ride it 3 times that day. Each time we got progressively more silly/crazy when it came time to take the picture. Below, you can see the progression. 

A somewhat normal picture--some of us are smiling, some look scared. The normal stuff. 

Now we're basically all doing the whole Asian peace thing. We were ready for the camera. 

The last time we went on Space Mountain was right before the park closed. We were all a little slap happy by then. I don't know what Bekstrand was doing during the ride, but the picture makes me wonder. :) When we walked out after the ride and saw it we couldn't stop laughing.

So there you have it. Disneyland. The happiest place on earth. 

Our last day in Hong Kong was Sunday. We spent the morning at church.

























Then we took a bus ride over to Stanley's Market, a fun little market place along the beach. Below are some pictures from the ride and the market.

The weekend was wonderful. There is so much to see and do in Hong Kong! I hope I'll make it back there someday.

ok, i'm over the cockroaches.

The first time, it was an adventure. Not exactly the best or happiest kind, but thrilling and heart-pounding nonetheless. I was in my bedroom getting ready for church when Hattie's voice came down the hall. "Um, guys. There's a cockroach in the kitchen."

There were actually two. One was upside down next to the fridge. We thought this meant it was dead, but we were wrong. Apparently cockroaches are not only nasty creatures with too many legs and long antennas that make strange clicky noises and that move alarmingly fast. They are also smart. While someone was whacking at the second cockroach as it scurried across the kitchen countertop, the "dead" cockroach started to move. Someone screamed (although this wasn't the first scream of the morning) and it was whacked immediately as well. Did you know that cockroaches are also surprisingly resilient bugs? Like, you've really got to hit it a bunch of times to kill it. And even then, we take it to the outside garbage because, precautions people.

Anyway, it took quite a few exhilarating moments to get rid of the two cockroaches. Then came the moment when we reviewed some basic sanitation guidelines to prevent future cockroaches from visiting our apartment. No dirty dishes in the sink. Ever. Take the trash out every night. Keep all doors and windows shut.

As roommates, we agreed to the rules. We felt confident they would solve our problem.

We were wrong.

A few days later, the cockroaches struck back. Amber was doing laundry one evening and surprise! She found one hanging out near the washing machine. It was disposed of. After much screaming.

Not even a week later, it was revenge of the cockroach, only this time in Hattie's room. Hattie's room, guys. That was slightly terrifying. The kitchen is one thing, but our bedrooms were too close for comfort.

I told my teacher the next day at school. She just laughed and said, "Oh, you got your 'Welcome to China Cockroach.'" Like it was no big deal. Welcome to China indeed.

Tonight, I walked into the kitchen to grab a granola bar. I pulled down my bag of snacks which I carefully looked through to make sure there was nothing in it. Ever since the first incident of the cockroach, I've been extra cautious with checking food, clothes, and kitchen stuff. It was all clear. I walked back to my room to grab something and when I came back, not 30 seconds later, there was a cockroach crawling up my bag of food. The last of my American snacks. The cockroaches had taken it too far. We whacked it really good this time.

It's been quite the adventure. But China, I think I'm over the cockroaches.

thoughts on china.

We'll be walking around the park, or on the bus, and a student from my group will say, "Guys, we're in China." And sometimes I'll think, "Woah, you're right. I AM in China. That's pretty crazy." Because anywhere you go in this world you can still get into a routine. The newness wears off and you find yourself tracing the same paths to work, school, the store, etc. Even half way around the world, in an oh-so-incredibly-hot-and-humid place, where coach roaches are your house buddies and women do tai chi on the streets early in the morning, you become accustomed to it. But I like when someone or something points out the fact that, "Hey! You're living somewhere in the world. You're doing cool stuff. You're alive!" Because it makes me appreciate life so much more. 

I never thought I'd go to China. But being here, it's like I was always going to come. I try to take it all in. The noises of honking scooters, nighttime frogs, and drizzling rain. The sight of a lone man meditating near the lake's edge. The bombardment of a hundred different smells at the wet market: fresh watermelon, green vegetables I've never seen before, and dangling chicken feet.

Here, I see the very old and the very young together. A grandfather holding the hands of a toddler. A sharp juxtaposition of age. Children here are raised by an average of three adults: their parents and a grandparent. And families are small, often with just one or two siblings. But they are close. They care for each other. 

Teaching has been an incredible experience so far. I teach 2 classes of 6th graders. Their English is very good. The little relationships we form make me smile. There's an innocence about these kids that is so refreshing. They always say hello when they enter the classroom and goodbye when they leave. They stand up when giving an answer. They are excited to learn. They are hilarious. They have the best names: Middle, Jaguar, KK, Yoyo, Cherry, Happy, Kitty, Yuki, and Electra, to name a few. Happy is obsessed with the game rock, paper, scissors. I didn't even know that was a thing. Every day she comes up to me and says, "Hi, Searle." And then she motions for a game of rock, paper, scissors. I always say, "Best out of 3." She usually wins. 

Being a teacher is both terrifying and amazing. I love it. You're constantly learning. Sometimes you feel very confident and the next minute the kids are bouncing off the walls or a lesson flops and you wonder what the heck you're doing. But you learn the most from the challenging moments. And all it takes is one smile or thank you from a student that day and it's all worth it all over again.

On Friday I took a picture with both my classes. Pictures are my favorite souvenirs from a place. I didn't realize taking a picture could cause such chaos. The teacher, Ms. Dean, was trying to get the students to line up tallest to shortest, which immediately led to all the girls laughing because they were taller than the boys. And then we had to move the tables back so they wouldn't be in the picture. Which meant three children who were too slow to get up were suddenly pinned between the table and the wall. And all the students were laughing and Ms. Dean was yelling at them to "Knock it off!" and I was trying not to let her see me laugh. Kid humor. It's the greatest.

Almost half way through my time here in China, I can already see the impact it's having on me. China reminds me to be myself, to be ok with sweating, to not worry so much about what others think. It reminds me to bike more, and enjoy getting caught in the rain more. It reminds me to eat what I'm given with a smile, even if it's a pile of pig tails. (Ok, actually I didn't eat that.) China reminds me of a lot of the important lessons I've learned in life, but that I've forgotten or taken for granted. 

I am grateful for the opportunities I have had in my life to visit different parts of the world and interact with so many good people. I am reminded of a thought by Gordon B. Hinckley.

"People are the same everywhere really. There isn't a place I've been across this broad world that I have not met people whom I love. It doesn't matter the slant of their eyes, the color of their skin, or anything of that kind; what matters is the kindness of their hearts."