Who is the Ghost Girl? [Introduction]

Hello!

I guess I should start this off with a little introduction.

My name is Laura and I'm a twenty year-old student at the University of California, Irvine studying International Studies. I'm about to embark on the Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) to Hong Kong University.

Oh man, am I excited.

First of all, I love Hong Kong. I've been there round-about five times, so I guess I'm kinda cheating. I know my way around pretty easily and I've probably been to all the major tourist spots at least three times each.

So why would I pick Hong Kong, when it's something I already kinda know?

Like I said, I am in love with the place. But besides that, let me bring your attention to the distinction between visiting for a couple weeks and actually living there. I want that experience: I want to wake up in the morning, go out to have a bowl of rice congee (粥) with Chinese donut (油炸鬼) for breakfast, get on the subway and think to myself 'Yup, this is my daily life.'

Also, I want to learn Cantonese. I'm kind of at the survival-level: I can mostly understand people, but my speaking mostly covers what I want to eat and asking where the bathroom is.

Why did I choose "Ghost Girl" as the name for my blog? No, I am not interested in other-worldly pursuits, nor am I a spirit. Actually, this is a little joke between my mother and I.
I look pretty white, but actually I'm a happy hapa: my father is from Poland and my mother is originally from Canton China.
Chinese people often refer to white people as "鬼佬“ which basically translates to ghost. Growing up, I was really involved with my maternal-side of the family and therein I've always tried really hard to learn Chinese; maybe I'm just overcompensating for my other half and trying to fit in with my family. My mom would very occasionally speak to me in Cantonese, usually only when we were visiting my uncle and cousins in, what I call, New Chinatown. She'd see me trying to follow Chinese culture and would often call me "鬼妹子", or little ghost girl, basically teasing me for being white.

[Side note: For those of you who are wondering, we speak English in my house and we live in a really, really white non-diverse surburb. My younger brother and my dad both don't speak a lick of Cantonsee, and no one but my father can speak Polish. When I was little, infant-toddler age, my grandmother (who can't speak English) took care of me while my parents worked, so I learned a lot of Cantonese from here. But when she moved out, my Cantonese level has been dropping since then, and my brother never got to learn any from my grandmother.]

Because I already have an idea of what to expect in Hong Kong, I hope to make this blog instructional for other people going to study abroad or traveling in Hong Kong, as well as serving to document my travels for my friends and family to read. I hope i remember to keep this up, but please forgive me as I might soon be too busy to update often!

Well, it was very nice meeting you. I'll see you soon, on the other side!