8/25/2017 0 Comments The First Few DaysIt's very true that you can't judge a place without actually being there. My first glimpse of Hong Kong was better than expected.
Arriving Because of Typhoon Hato (warning signal 10!) that hit Hong Kong on Wednesday, August 23, my flight (among many) was canceled. My 1-night layover in Seoul turned out to be 3 nights! Typhoons are very common in the Hong Kong area during the summer and early fall months. When the warning signal is 8 or above, many schools and places of work shut down; however, this is still a regular occurrence for the locals and with some patience and good fortune, I was able to make it here safely. As I exited the airport, I just followed the signs that said "Taxi", showed the helper the address of my flat, and was directed into a car. It was very simple and the University also suggested this method of transportation upon your arrival. Most taxis aren't as decorative as mine was (pictured above), but the ride was simple and stress-free. Settling Upon checking into my off-campus flat (the HK term for apartment), I met another exchange student from Amsterdam. Together, we figured out a few of the first few important elements of settling in: 1. Get a SIM card for your smartphone. There's no US service here, and I don't recommend making any calls/SMS texts anyway as international rates are expensive. Just get a HK sim card and use the data to message your friends and family through online applications like FaceBook messenger, LINE, Skype, or email. You can buy them at the airport or any 7-11 and mine was 80 HKD (10.40 USD) for a 5-day card. These are refillable, however, I've heard that you can get a 30-day card at China Mobile for not much more money. That's what I will probably do next. 2. Figure out the MTR. The Hong Kong MTR is the metro underground system for the city. It's very easy to figure it out -- just download the MTR smartphone application. Thanks to our new SIM cards^, we were able to access the app, find our way to IKEA, and get all we needed for our first night in our rooms! 3. Don't expect too much out of your accommodations. Hong Kong is experiencing a housing shortage which is a socioeconomic problem that you'll feel directly from your room. Small living spaces are also just the way it is here, even compared to Hawaii where everything is also small and expensive. My room is roughly 7 x 10 feet (I kid you not) and consists of a bunk bed and two desks. My room is so small that our closets are in the living room and we're unable to walk into our room with our desk chairs at our desks. So, we also put those in the living room. Not all rooms are this bad and it's really not a big deal to me anyway :)
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