Tonight was the night of the Chinese New Year's dinner for students, mostly aimed at the international students I think.
I had class until 5 tonight, but the dinner started at 6. There were a bunch of people on my floor that were going, so I rushed home so I could quickly change and go with them to the dinner. I can be ready in a matter of seconds; I'm not one of those girls that takes forever to change and get out the door.
But the girls were already leaving. My roommate hesitated, but when I said that she could go if she wanted, she was gone in an instant. I appreciate that she hesitated at least.
It made me all the more aware that it's every man for himself. No one has to care about you. I felt pretty bad that they all left me behind. I'd like to think that I'd never do that to someone; I always try accompany people if they have to stray from the group.
I was out the door in five minutes, but they were long gone.
And if that didn't feel shitty enough, approximately seven buses passed me by, completely full so I couldn't get on. It was making me super late and I was getting pretty distressed.
There was a girl who was waiting there before I got there, but she kinda positioned herself in a bad way, so when the first bus with a single vacancy came, I was poised to seize the spot.
But we had both been waiting for the bus for so long, and her even longer than me. So even though I could've gotten on the bus, I let her have it.
I don't know why I was so stupidly nice. Being late to the dinner made me feel terribly anxious and lonely, and I had to wait for yet another bus. Curse me!
I finally got on a bus, got off at the school, and walked to the hotel restaurant by myself. I arrived late, everyone else seated, eating, and the food was growing cold. The waiters found me a spot at a table, and luckily there was people I knew sitting there. From then on, things started looking up.
They gave us 红包! With a...chocolate euro in it?
We were carted off on a bus, told we were going to the "flower market."
This is Otti and Vivian, Otti's local "buddy." Otti has the best buddy! My buddy didn't come to the dinner with me because she was so slow to respond =(
But actually this flower market was a fair! I did not expect what came next.
Wow so many people! This "flower market' was actually a huge fair with tons of goodies to buy! To think I started out having a bum night, but this totally made up for it!
I felt like a little kid having fun at a fair. There was so many things to look at; I was so excited running here and there to join in, with a huge smile on my face. I think the new friends I was walking with thought I was weird because of it, but I'm in HONG KONG BITCHES, I do what I like! And I'm going to have a good time if I want to!
Virginia, Jenny, and I!
And so many snacks to eat!
Mmm eggettes! 蛋仔！So good! I love these.
I like them extra crispy!
Funny story about the eggettes.My friends and I approached to order, and the guy making them made a joke to Vivian, to which I smiled knowingly because I could understand the bit of Cantonese. Then the guy (he was a 26 year old Portuguese-Chinese American or something) turned his attention to me, realizing that I was hapa and that I could understand Cantonese. He proceeded to say 亮女亮女 kind of stuff, saying that I was such a pretty girl, that a lot of guys must seek me out/ask me out, etc etc. So embarrassing! And then he was like "I'm handsome too, right?" Ahh so awkward and embarrassing!
...and i had to just take it because he was making my eggette!
He kept saying that it was going to take a little longer because he wanted to make it extra crispy for me...but I think he was just trying to keep me there. But the reality is that I like it extra crispy, so I just had to wait! I JUST WANT MY EGGETTE!
Vivian was cracking up the whole time, trying to explain to Otti what was going on. Oh my dear.
Frozen yogurt!
Okay, so you know I said I was acting like a little kid? I bought that pinwheel for $3 from a vendor. Not only does it have a little windmill, but it also has bells and plastic ribbon on it. It's kinda obnoxious, but I was having fun running around, holding it up to let the wind blow through it, and eating my eggettes. Remember this pinwheel, because it will come up again.
The city skyline over the fair!
After we were done with the fair, we took a cable car to Happy Valley! Why were we going to Happy Valley? Tonight there were horse races!
We had a lot of fun riding the cable car! Also it was so cheap!Did you forget my pinwheel? No? Well, keep remembering it, it's going to come up again!
Riding the cable car!
Night race at the race track! Free admission, too!
I had never been to the racetrack, but it was pretty fun! While I didn't bet, Otti did, and she won! The horse's name? Happy Yeah Yeah. Best horse name every, I think!
Every time a race started, people started cheering, and you could just feel this SURGE of excitement throughout the crowd. It was really exhilarating!
Above the racetrack is the city! It's so surreal, being in such a big venue but still seeing the skyline above it, like a huge backdrop.
Haha, I think this beer had a funny name. I got a cup of pisswater for HK$34 and nursed it almost until it got warm. I don't drink very much or very often so that one beer was more than enough for me. Enough to start my Asian glow too.I spent most of the time talking to Vivian. I really liked her! We talked about local life and boyfriends most of the time.
After the racetrack, a bunch of us headed to Wan Chai to the bar streets. Why go to a bar on a Wednesday? Ladies night!
Us girlies got free admission, and free drinks! As many as you want! Any kind you want!
We went to this bar called Mes Amis. Unfortunately, there are no pictures to follow, because what happens in Wan Chai, stays in Wan Chai. No tacky club photos!
Walking into the club with all the loud music and flashing lights made me feel like I was in a movie. I was following my friend Lyn/Lin in. She was pushing through the crowd, looking back at me every once and a while to make sure I was still there. Following a beautiful blonde Swedish girl into a club amidst the music and lights felt like a cinematic dream.
So, you remember my pinwheel, right? Well that didn't magically go anywhere when I stepped into the club, so I had to bring it in with me!
Well, I had bought it and had to carry it like a scarlet letter of shame all night. Not that I was ashamed, mind you. But it did really get in the way of my dancing. You can only imagine how ridiculous I looked trying to dance in a club holding that ridiculous pinwheel. By ridiculous, I mean ridiculously awesome. (The pinwheel, not me. No, no, I was truly embarrassing.)
On the taxi ride back, the girls were all talking about another girl who will go unnamed. But they were talking about how annoyed they were because she would text them out of nowhere to ask what they were doing for the New Year's and where they were going.
Girls are pretty mean, I think. I could sympathize with that girl, because I imagine if you didn't have a group to go with, it'd be really hard to reach out to find a group to travel with. I mean, what else are you supposed to do but text random acquaintances to try and find somewhere to fit in? I hated that moment when they were talking about her, because this is what I'm all too aware of, and what makes me scared to make friends sometimes. It's scary knowing that your honest, friendly intentions will be ridiculed by a group of girls in a taxi.
I fear that kind of sentence as well. I was being very childish and bright-eyed at the fair, and I just wonder what they will say about me (and my pinwheel) later. I hate that too - there is this giant pressure that I feel from a lot of people where it's "not cool" to get excited about things. I honestly don't understand this. We're studying abroad in HONG KONG. What's more fun - complaining about how lame things are OR running around acting excited like a kid on Christmas day?
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