Being from an island, one of the first things I did when I moved into Kennedy Town was find the ocean. Luckily I live only 5 minutes away from a pier that overlooks Kowloon. Even though you can't swim here, seeing the ocean is all I need for the moments that I feel homesick. Walking from the pier in Kennedy Town down to the aptly coined "Instagram pier" has become my favorite thing to do in Hong Kong. It doesn't hurt that the views are amazing as well!
There were a few people inside lighting incense and leaving offerings for various deities. Many of the temples I have visited in the past have seemed like tourist attractions. They were always boisterous and full, usually only allowing people to peer in while keeping most of the worshiping spaces outside. This temple was different in that there were no areas that were off limits - you could go right up to the shrines to leave incense or to pay respects. While there were aspects geared towards tourists, such as souvenirs available for purchase, it felt more like a space for people to engage in traditional practices. I hope to go back soon after learning a little more about the temple so that I can partake in some of those practices as well. Opposite to the calm of the temple was the excitement of the horse races at Happy Valley Racecourse. My family watches the triple crown of horse racing every year on TV, so I was eagerly anticipating watching horse races in person for the first time. Although I opted not to bet on any races this time around, as I did not understand how to read the odds charts and I had not done any research regarding the line up beforehand, I still had a lot of fun. I loved the atmosphere of the racecourse. Everyone was there to have a good time and no one was a bad sport, even if they ended up losing money. It was amazing seeing how large the pot would get for each race. There were multiple races with over $30 million in bets! Spending the evening at the racecourse was a highlight of my week; I'll definitely be returning soon.
I have always taken Hawaii's beaches to granted, assuming that all beaches are made the same. I think that it's hard when you grow up only knowing one type of environment to recognize how special that environment actually is. In recent years all I've wanted to do was leave Hawaii. I was so sick of living on a tiny island. It took being away for a little less than a month to realize how lucky I am to live there. I thought that I would not get homesick, but I found myself comparing everything here to home. At Big Wave Bay all I could think about was how the sand at home was more pristine, the water cleaner and clearer. If nothing else, I'm thankful that going on exchange helped me to see my home in perspective.
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Emily BallBorn and raised in Aiea, HI, traveling to Hong Kong to study Human Resource Administration. Archives
January 2019
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