update in China

I am doing fine here in Beijing, but the internet access really sux for me, very inconvinient...so I am going to wait til I return to the States to update this trip and pictures, and such.

Basically, I am here doing front desk stuff majority of the time. Translating powerpoint for next month's visiting professor (from UC Davis)...lot to tell
But I still would like to have a SHOUT OUT to the FRONT DESK STAFF over in College Station~ :D Hi Dennis

It's a rainy day today, yesterday was the dragon boat festival...majority of the companies get a day off, celebrate the holiday...I still had to come to work...sigh...

Anyway~ i am living and eating a lot here in Beijing

Hong Kong, Hong Kong, here I come!

night view of Hong Kong City!



Lunch at ShenZhen: Sea Cucumbers! (or sea slugs)...lots of collagen! good for your skin :p

I arrived ShenZhen (city in mainland China that is next to HK) on Sunday afternoon, because there's no direct flight from Guiyang to HK, then I took the shuttle bus across the boarder. Family friend dropped me off at Huang Gang port (blue arrow on tope of the pic), I had to first pass the Mainland custom to "get out of the country", then took a Huang bus (yellow bus), getting off and pass the entry custom of Hong Kong to "get in" Hong Kong. Then Huang bus again to take me to train station, and you can get around Hong Kong basically anywhere from there.



Taxi to Sheung Shui (where i live) is only about 20 min, but cost $35 HKD ($4 USD which is not a lot to the Americans eye, but indeed A LOT more than mainland China's taxi-probably cost $2 USD).



In order for me to get to Sha Tin (where the hospital and the race track located), I have to first take a taxi or a mini bus to the train station, fortunately, I don't have to transfer trains. Takes me about 45 min to get to Sha Tin station, and there is a bus designated to run between the jockey club (hospital, track, dorms) and the station to transport its employees. Takes me about an hour each day to get to Sha Tin. BUT ! because I am shadowing the ambulantory vet, they usually come by the riding school (where I live) to pick me up and our day starts at the riding school. I hardly went to the hospital in the past couple weeks...


Even though HK is consider part of China now after 1997, it is considered as a special district, and Chinese government promise to keep the regulations and way it runs its own government same as before (British rules) for the next 50 years. There was a huge concern back in 1997 when HK first return to China's jurisdiction, concern about the government have too much influence and would change the economic status of HK. Now, 13 years have passed, I would say the Chinese influence is still there, but not as severe (or should I say...not as much) as all other cities in Mainland China. There is freedom of speech here, so technically I could access my blog from HK, but I think because I am using the Jockey club's company computer, it is blocked from worker's access. That was a bummer. I was ready to write down everything I am experiencing here. But I found ways to write down my thoughts in e-mail, now I am posting it online.

First impression of Hong Kong is...it's HOT!!! and humid. Not as bad as Houston, but I am definitely walking a whole lot more than when I am in the states, I guess that makes you more aware of the temperature. The actual temperature while my stays fluctuate between 27-30 degree Celsius, but humidity stays around 75-80%. Most of the private cars runs on road are either Mercedes or Lexus, sometimes BMW, it's no coincidence, soon you will realize this is part of the Asian mentality. just keep reading :D


First night at Hong Kong, off the street, there is the Lamborghini!! I am not a car fanatic, but I've never seen one in real life! Got to take a pic of it. It was just parked outside street restaurants...wonder who drove it...:D

I tried my best to cover a lot aspect of this trip, let people able to experience Hong Kong without physically being here. But to be honest, Hong Kong is quiet a friendly city to travelers. To experience the best part of HK, you got to come here yourself. You can get around town speaking only English, most people can have conversation and help you around with English. Lots of foreigners worked here are from either Europe or Australia/New Zealand, probably due to its only 16% income tax attractiveness. There aren’t a lot Americans I’ve encountered, probably because the tax law in States still applies to overseas Americans, which means no matter where American works, they still pay same amount of tax and possibly plus the local tax. People work here get Chinese holidays off, traditional and non-traditional (those that established after PRC was established), AND british holidays. Vets from the Jockey Club gets average of 5-6 weeks off during the year beside the public holidays, but of course they work hard during the rest 46 weeks.

random pic of the trip:

Ambulance cop bike. All traffic polic ride bike instead driving a car, I guess they never worries to get stucked in traffic.


Don't worry, I didn't get hurt, it was just at a touristy spot, there was an emergency, so I snap the camera just like a true tourist!


fishball!!! According to the tour book, each month, Hong Kong consume over one million such balls. You can find those in Chinese super market here in States, texture is the same, but it's the soup that they cooked in made it so tasty and special to the locals.


Nice gentlemen where I bought the 75 cent USD fishball from...I tried to relocate him ever since the first night I found him...couldn't any more...his ambulatory ability is amazing!

Taste of Home

Note:
This post I actually wrote on the night before I departed for Hong Kong...but internet was TOOOOOOO slow for me to upload on the blog, so I saved til now. hong kong journal is coming up one day at a time, so come back every day for new updates and pictures!!! It was an amzing trip

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Tonight is the last night that I am staying in Guiyang. Everything is packed and I am flying out to Shenzhen (city next to Hong Kong) tomorrow morning. There is no direct fly from Guiyang to Hong Kong, but there is trans-border metro subway connecting the two cities.
I will be staying in Hong Kong for two weeks, and my shadowing program starts on Tuesday. I got 2 days prior to tour the city (and shopping)

GuiYang is considering my half home, where my mom’s from. I was actually born in this city and raised in Beijing. I spent every break since elementary school here at grandma’s house (or apartment, to be precise). So there are lots of local street foods filled up my childhood memory. Every time I return home, aunts and uncles always buys me loads of food or take me out for meals…needless to say, I gained a lots of weight just in the past few days…but it brought back childhood memory, and was some sweet memory.

Aunt's home-made sticky rice~


Tang Ma Yuan: fried sticky rice ball, cover with sesame seeds, taste sweet, my favorite street food!




Typical Dinner table (Grandma lives with aunt, uncle, their son and daughter-in-law, plus the year old nephew, and a housemaid)...minus the gold fish bowl :p


My 20 mon old nephew


YangMei (Waxberry??)


PiPa (Loquat??)


Chinese strawberry (smaller than the American ones, but has a WHOLE lot more starberry taste than the ones in America)


More pictures posted on my google album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/HanlinYSong/GuiYang#

Let me know if you can't access the album.

Safely arrived China

Howdy~~ it's 5am local time on Tuesday May 11, and I am jet legged....
But! None the less, I have safely arrived Guiyang, China (where my grandma lives) and worked out with the Chinese firewall, so I have secret access to blogspot :D
The trip was really uneventful, a bit long. It took me about 25 hours to flight + transfer from Houston to Beijing, and then another 3 hours to get to Guiyang (not including the 4 hr waiting time prior to borading). But I am so excited to be home that it makes it all worth while. and brought Eclipse (Twilight saga) to kill time while I am waiting...
interesting discovery about this pic..I was waiting in L.A. for boarding, and I am reading an English novel, listening to Chinese songs on my MP3 player, and the PA system is annoucing boarding in Korean (flying with Asiana). Ineresting combination...


Right before boarding at L.A. at midnight...



Speaking of Asiana, if you ever considering to fly to China, or Asia in general, I would recommend Asiana! I think they are fairly new and wants to get a piece of the market so their tickets are the cheapest right now and their service are two thumbs up (I mean after all they are Koreans, known for their hardworking mentality, alone with the Japanese guys). Food are MUCH more flavorful to any other flight I have been on, I wish I took pic but I chowed down before I could think...

Snapshot of Incheon Seoul International Airport at 5:30am local time...@.@

Oh, and btw, China has limited access to certain websites because the firewall security deal, blogspot.com, facebook, youtube, etc...but not to worry, when there's a question, there's a solution, there's blocking, and there is a sneaky way to go around it.

Have you heard about Dr. Willard?

a little bit background information. Dr. Willard is consider the "king of small animal internal medicine" and all of the vet students have the privilege to take his class in the 3rd year curriculum. He is no joker...so intense that every time you mention his name to a 3rd year, they feel stomach rumbling...he is so tough but yet SOOOOO knowledgeable and good, no, awesome at teaching, that you probably will learn THE MOST in your entire life while studying your butt off in his class. one of his many famous quotes from just the syllabus is "In such a case, you will never amount to much of a veterinarian and you will waste a lot of money and probably kill a bunch of patients"... brutal! but so true.

So...for all the students who experience this love-hate relationship with Dr. Willard, the 4th year came up with this video, and post it on youtube, hoping that we will be able to continue the tradition at the end of each year...I see that being so like a good idea, and I was laughing the whole time watching it.

They dressed up like Dr. Willard (blue clinic shirt) and his signature white mustache across the face. His is so famous to be known about his efficiency, so the race is a walking race but yet, carry a lots of patient info at the same time...you will have to know Dr. Willard to get a HUGE laugh out of these videos.

But none-the-less, it's a funny video and shows that vet students do have fun!

Prelim Run, the first two that started the run (team captains) are true clinicians, one of them I recognize is Dr. Cook whom is also a very very knowledgeable internalist with a charming british accent.



THE race between Dr. Willard and Dr. Cook :D

wrap up 2VM, China! Here I come~~~

So the week of celebration of knowledge (aka finals week) has finally came to an end...I am back at home in Houston and it is 11:50p on Friday night. For the past week, I have been on a 4 hr sleeping cycle and amazing enough, not that tired. I will have to give the credit to my dad's amazing chicken broth alone with Chinese herbs (that suppose to boost your brain stimulation and balance Ying and Yang inside your body which will keep you awake - in the lamest term). It really keeps me up going this whole week with unsanely 6 finals.

Overall, I passed. I am not an over achiever, and I am fairly satisfied with what I am getting as final grades. It could be worse, and I could really failed one of the classes (Toxicology...pure brain memorization power in English...not my game...at all). I lost my A in public health, if I stick with my first instinct I might be able to keep it...but I did't...oh sad day...but Dr. Budke is truly a super nice prof, kudos for her :D

Now, I am going to put my 50% concentration power on PACKING FOR CHINA!!!~~ I think I am too tired to get excited, it was actually a little sad on the way driving back from CS to Houston, a bit lonely. I blame on the 4 hrs sleep that I got today. Planning on watch Iron Man 2 before I flight out, but it looks like it's unpractical...Everyone go watch that movie so it can stay in theater until I get back from China :D

Fly out from Houston Bush intercontinental around 4p, then leave L.A. around midnight, arrive Seoul at 5am local time(!!!!), then land on Beijing around 10am on the 10th local time (9p on Sunday night american time)...Then I am fly straight back to GuiYang where my mom and my grandma are at right now~~~ hmmm hmmm~ food! :D I will have internet access at GuiYang for sure...so leave some comment so I know that someone out there is reading, and I am not talking to myself. Thanks!

Adios, 2VM~! Here I come, CHINA!!!

Happy Birthday to me :D

It's my birthday~ yep~ celebrate 25 years of my life. Celebrated by having 1 exam (mid-term final), 1 writing essay (that I totally did not answer in full sentences...)...and 4 hours of sleep.

However, we got some family friends visit from China this week, and they took me out to Taste of Texas (#1 steakhouse in TX!) and I got to celebrate a special day with mom and dad. House complimentary birthday dessert for myself~ I am not a chocolate person...but it's their signature dessert...and their staff even had a camera to take down the special moment. I did some post photo editing...friends had pointed out it was such a good capture of my mom's smile...it's the smile from the bottom of her heart. There's a saying in Chinese "your birthday it's your mom's most painful memory"...;p because your mom gave birth on that day. So it is really the celebration for mom.

Anyway, it was a quiet and sweet birthday. I truly enjoyed it. I am heading out to Corpus Christi to visit my corps buddies~ taking K-nut with me as well! It's gonna be a great spring break.


PS: hope my birthday wishes all come true this year!~~~~