Packing was a mess.
How do I take my whole life abroad? Listening to the advice of others, I tried really hard to pack light. Especially clothing: I didn't want to bring too much clothing. Hong Kong is like a huge shopping mall. Not only are there shopping centers selling the latest brand name styles, but once you hit the streets, let the bartering begin! I know I'm probably going to come back with another suitcase, so I tried to bring the bare minimum.
But even covering all the basics is difficult. If I wanted to bring business attire, a party dress, winter clothes, beach clothes, and pajamas: that's five sets of clothing already! And I haven't even started on my day-to-day clothing!
Today was a trying day in my ways. But even besides that, I woke up with a sore throat. I can't be sick on adventure-day!!
My friend recommended that I make a ginger tea; I'd feel better instantly, she said. When I came home, I was ready to brew the concoction when my mother suggested an alternative.
Hot coke (yes, Coca Cola, and yes, hot) boiled with ginger and some lemon. My mother insisted it is a favorite drink of native Hong Kong people and it is supposed to soothe your throat. So I guess my food adventure starts here!
Let me tell you, that shit burned going down. Maybe I put too much ginger? I guess I'll order it sometime when I get there.
For those who are going on a similar adventure in the future, I'll leave a copy of my packing list here. Maybe you can look at it and get an idea of what you'd like to bring when you study abroad.
What to pack when studying abroad in Hong Kong HKU
Things to note:
TISSUES! Bring tissues, buy tissues. Pocket sized tissues are a way of LIFE. Restaurants don't give you napkins, so it's customary for locals to (if you're close friends) pull out their tissue packet and give tissues to everyone else. When it's hot and sticky, these tissues are also towels to wipe the sweat off your face. Also, girls, you may be in a situation where there is no toilet paper...this is a good time for tissues.
You'll probably need a plug adapter. Hong Kong uses UK's plug-type: it looks like a three-pronged plug except the prongs are square. Now a days, you mostly don't need a voltage converter as laptop chargers and phone chargers can take the 100v~ of America and the 210V~ of everywhere else.
You can mostly buy anything in Hong Kong. It's a foreign Eastern country, yes, but they are extremely civilized. Especially since they were pwned by Britain for about a hundred years, they're a great mix of West and East. (Just like me!) The only thing is that you might not find your brand name toiletries or medicine. So if you're really attached to a certain brand of shampoo, makeup, or pain relievers, maybe you'd better bring some just in case.
And if you're a study abroad student like me, bring copies of EVERYTHING! Not only stuff like your passport and identification, but also a copy of your abroad insurance policy and your university acceptance letter.
And don't forget pictures of your dearly beloved!
hehe I'm in your blog! how was the ginger and coke though? did it do the trick?
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