Blair Warner
Staff Writer
It started with McDonald’s. I stood with the 12 other Pepperdine students and a professor at a crowded, tourist-laden fast food restaurant at Victoria Peak in Hong Kong and simply smiled while scanning the menu.
Let me explain myself better. The left side of the menu consisted of typical McDonald’s items — Big Macs and french fries. The right side, however, was dedicated to a promotion of their special, the chicken or beef “Fantastic.”
It consisted of a typical patty and the usual lettuce and mayonnaise, but in place of hamburger buns were circular rice patties. This was nothing other than a perfect example of the joining of East and West.
It is not that I stood there staring at the McDonald’s menu with my cultural revelations, but this was an ideal example of what I have experienced in Hong Kong so far. Everywhere I go, the fashion, food, people, buildings, technology, all of it seems to be a blend of two very different cultures.
As I sit here writing in a crowded coffee shop, a friend and I quietly laugh as we hear Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” playing between other Asian pop songs.
The Pepperdine group and I have been in Hong Kong for a week, and we have only just begun.
Everyday things have become adventures as we enter a world that, at times, we do not understand.
In markets and malls we combat language barriers, learn how to effectively barter, and adjust to the constant crowds. Even in places such as our dorm rooms, we struggled a little and then quickly learned how to purchase air conditioning, as the weather is extremely humid. It is truly not just an adjustment to a new culture, but also a new climate and very urban lifestyle.
So what are my first impressions of Hong Kong? The city itself is massive — its magnitude is difficult for me to wrap my mind around. It is exceptionally crowded, but also remarkably efficient. The subway system alone is one of the cleanest and most effective in the world.
In Hong Kong, the general thought is that the most efficient way of doing something is the only way to do it. As I observe people walking by from my corner of a coffee shop, everyone seems very purposeful in their actions — there is always a destination in mind.
Hong Kong is also wonderfully clean. There is virtually no litter or graffiti to be seen, even in the less affluent parts of the city. Additionally, it is a friendly metropolis — when eye contact is made there is almost always a vibrant smile and greeting.
The city itself is not only efficient, but it is also beautiful. Although it is a substitution of cement, iron and glass in place of trees and wildlife, Hong Kong’s urban beauty is unique. It is apparent right away that a great deal of thought and creativity is put into the city’s many buildings and skyscrapers. Because of this, the city’s architecture and its skyline become art.
A unique experience for our Pepperdine group living in Hong Kong, besides city life, is becoming international students. We do not have our own Pepperdine house like many of the other international programs, and this has created a unique opportunity.
In addition to becoming friends with my Pepperdine peers, I am getting the chance to be a part of Hong Kong Baptist University. As international students, we are meeting others from all over the world. Learning from and sharing similarities and differences with students from more than 15 countries has been incredible.
I love Hong Kong. I love the challenges of adapting to this strange area of the world that seems to be an odd mix of east and west at first glance. After beginning the process of becoming a part of the city’s more than 6 million inhabitants, you realize the beauty of it all.
Every experience, good or bad, is an opportunity to learn and grow. Even as I tried marinated chicken feet for the first time for lunch, I was and am trying everything. How many of us actually get to experience a world outside of our own
The number of us who get to look at the United States from the outside in is unbelievably small, and I feel like one of the lucky ones
I am enjoying the process of embracing every day and every experience, and living in Hong Kong is adding vivid color to my life. This incredible mix of eastern and western worlds is simply beautiful, and as for the chicken feet? They were good, and really just tasted like chicken.
09-07-2006
