Framing my life in Hong Kong

Once, my young colleagues from AIESEC Kaunas got a brilliant plan of how to promote AIESEC internships in social media.Their idea was very sharp, creative and simple - encourage young people to go on internships by posting themed pictures showcasing current interns lives all around the world. Every day of March they were posting different pictures with a particularly prearranged topic:

Picture of Hong Kong (Kowloon city) from the Lion Rock

I was asked to collect mine. And some of them, together with other interns' captures were on their facebook profile for all March. Since my part is already gathered, I thought of introducing you a little bit more of Hong Kong I know and see every day. And by following the image pattern suggest by my creative fellow AIESECers, let me describe a small part of this very diverse and in every sense multidimensional city.

1. Flag

Three flags at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), or the place where I work already for 9 months. Starting from the right we see the flag of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. This white, five-petal Bauhinia blakeana on a red field symbolizes "one country two systems" political principle applied to the region. The flag of Hong Kong have to be always displayed together with a flag of the People's Republic of China, which we see right here in the middle.
Lastly, the flag on the left - a symbol of PolyU. As university website states, "The round shapes at each corner intertwine to symbolize "P" for Polytechnic and "U" for University. The image of "T" for technical excellence of the past symbol is retained, and the open perimeter represents increased interaction between the University and the world".

2. Dance 

AIESEC culture is vivid everywhere. 

3. Stranger

I took this picture in Kwun Tong MTR (subway) station. A man was waiting for his train just as I did.

4. Dinner

Chinese culture is very collective and food oriented. Many different kinds of dishes are shared between each other on the round spinning table.

This picture is from our team Mid Autumn festive lunch. Tasting Dim Sum.

5. Where I sleep

Surprisingly for Hong Kong, my flat is very specious and I am lucky enough to live in a room twice a size as a regular one. 

6. Can't travel without

Although Hong Kong is a small in size (only 1,104 square kilometers), it's basically impossible to travel without wondering about the beautiful nature all around. I adore this place because of it. 

7. My work

This picture is taken from one of our workshops by self-made balloon mapping kit. By simple materials like cotton string, plastic bottle and balloon with helium, students took aerial photo of chosen area in Kwun Tong. Later, those pictures have formed a satellite map of the area and were uploaded on the "Public Lab" public map database (http://mapknitter.org/map/search?q=jcdisi).

However, my work sometimes can look also like that:

Or even like that: 

8. Friends

Picture from AIESECers tram ride in specially designed Eatery tram at DETOUR Matters festival. This event was also one of our work duty.

But friends for me here are also same passion, habits and quality time together.

9. What I didn't have a month ago

The time I was preparing the list of those pics, I was just dreaming about this trophy in my hands and how it would nicely compliment all my efforts. Although I haven't planned to fall and finish 25 km off-rode run being half-dirty half-wounded, the feeling of accomplishment paid it all off.  

The passion of running continued and even found some great friends:

10. What I found

I feel like I'm repeating myself but nature here is one of my biggest discovery and the most exciting face of this land.

11. Street

Two different views of streets in Hong Kong.
A picture above is taken from the "you don't want to go there on weekends" Mong Kok area...

... or more western looking Wan Chai.

12. View from my office

13. After work

First week and night out in Lai Kwai Fong (or simply LKF) with colleagues.

14. 10 p.m.

On Wednesdays, around 30 thousand of people come to Happy Valley to enjoy another very Hong Kong activity - horse raising. While most of gambling enthusiasts watch the raise from upper rooms or on TV, for the rest of people it's a huge mid-week party.

15. Smile

During staff photoshoot.

16. Tallest building

Hong Kong can be easily called the tallest city in the world.

Although the tallest building is International Commerce Centre (ICC) reaching 484 meters height (left). On the 118th floor it has also the tallest bar on earth - Ozone.

17. Water

18. Hat

Garden keeper at the university. They use those hats to protect their skin from the sun burn and various insects.

19. Native

School kids from quite remote area in Hong Kong were asked to guess what those simple Lithuanian phrases might mean. For some of them "Koks tavo vardas?" sounded like "Have your lunch yet?" and our "Viso gero" guessed to be "I love you".

20. Plant

21. Famous

Do you remember those red white and blue "turginius maišus"? And do you know that this is a very Hong Kong style spread worldwide? One of the cities famous artist and our School of Design alumni Stanley Wong (a.k.a. Anothermountainman) is playing with those colors and patterns by creating different goods.

22. Surprise

It was a genuine surprise to see those beauties...

....some really smart decisions of street maintenance... 

... or the umbrella vending machine.

Surprise was also to see how successful the University Info Day can be. Potential students are coming to visit faculties, get introduced with teachers, see what are they actually doing, discuss future job possibilities and decide if that university can meet their requirements. 
PolyU has its Info day in October and usually it's packed with visitors - kids and theirs parents. Despite a regular visit, many activities are organized for them, like guided tours, workshops, competitions and performances.

Can anyone remember such crowds in any university in Lithuania?

23. Your Choice

A view from Sunset Peak in Lantau island. More than 3 hours of hiking up for 20 minutes of this breathtaking view. And a quick run back until you still can see your way down.  

24. Sport

Never thought playing squash can be that exciting. Well, it is.

25. Happiness

Happiness is to graduate from university, wear a robe, get dozens of flower and a "must have" graduation gift - Teddy bear, also take thousands of weird pictures and start to wonder about all undiscovered possibilities.

With my AIESEC buddy Mildred on her very special day.

26. Social

I live in a very local area. No matter when, there you can always see elder people around, taking, discussing their life, or dancing, exercising in kids playground, doing Tai Chi, playing badminton with their grandchildren. Those people are so surprisingly active and full of energy.

27. Last thing I bought

Egg waffles. And it's never enough of them.

28. Somewhere I went

A stop moment in a beautiful Sai Kung country park.

29. Looking down

A view from Lion Rock and the feeling "I'm on the top of the world".

29. How I feel today

I'm well!


30. Change

I honestly don't feel that much of change by myself. But let's say that Hong Kong definitely gives some colors for my life. And that's why it's exciting.

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Unique in copying

Have you ever stolen someone’s ideas and gave them a second life honestly thinking that it is your brand new and quite unique thought?

I started noticing that it happens.  And it has happened many times.

I wanted to have a tattoo, because those inked people always look really interesting and it seems they have a story you would definitely want to hear. They are people who want to be asked, who want to show their individualities, strength, beliefs, compassion or devotion. Unfortunately, I never came up with anything what would suit me and could explain me well enough. Oh, there is one tattoo I recently saw on someone else’s wrist that would be glad to wear. But it will be a counterfeit, just one of the millions I wrote my Bachelor and Master thesis about.

After realizing I’m not good in drawing or singing, I wanted to be a writer. And it seemed pretty easy. We did it frequently at school and my teacher liked the way I was able to put all my thoughts together and discuss about various authors’ raised issues in papers. But each time I planned to write something I actually wanted to be one of my favourite writers – sometimes inspiring as P. Coelho (at that time), sometimes funny and sarcastic as well read bloggers, strong and powerful as journalists who were traveling around the world and saw shocking things with their own eyes, or just so simple, easy but magical to read as H. Murakami. I ended up doing all those things one after another, but never managed to finish any of them. Although time is not over yet.

Running became my biggest joy these days. A dream about a full marathon gives me such a big excitement that inspires me to beat another extra kilometer every day, and feel even greater. But my knees are always reminding me of my doctors’ advice not to run at all if I want to save my legs for later years. And despite of it, I still do it, because I heard someone said that all limits are in our heads. And I believe in it. And I’m chasing a better me as that person always running a few steps ahead me in my training.

Counting 5 countries of living came up from travelers I met in my small city. They were interesting to talk and share hundreds of adventure stories. But mostly, they looked more lively when anyone else around me, and so wise, with strong willpower. And what inspired me – “Whatever would be, let it happen!”.

After seeing another commonly shared TED talk, I asked myself what defines me. It’s not that easy to find it. Because everything what is happening to me, has already happened to someone else. What I think what defines me as person might be a principle of another individual. And I look at myself, at things around me. I try to remember my thought about one or another matter. And now honestly I can see how many of them are self-imposed and how many are just someone else’s life I want to “wear”.

And this leads to a confession – I’m actually not that unique, I copy a lot. I copy my friends, because they care about the same things, although we see this word so differently. I share their posts on facebook, I listen to the music they like and if it compliments my taste, I listen to it twice or more, until it becomes mine.

Dear friend, I read books you have already read and watch movies that were also recommended by you. Sometimes I take your thoughts and find myself in some of them. And when I want to write my blog, but yet again I struggle choosing the right and “unique” wording or writing style, unfortunately , I end up by just keeping all those thoughts to myself and sooner or later they all appear in someone else’s posts. Read Tuyana, Alla and Zhenia, they have much more to say when I ever could so many times.

I admire your perception of life, sometimes I want to follow the same pattern. I might like your vision on life and your strong opinion towards one or another thing. I also would like to go on an adventure with you, I would truly support you and ask you if I could join, or share this idea with someone else as mine.

Dear acquaintance or my new friend, I might also remind you of a person you have already met in your life and because of his or her characteristics, very similar interests, behavior, look or even goals, I won’t be that interesting anymore, because you already might know what to expect from me. And you most probably will be right in some points. But I might also surprise you.

And even with all this, I’m not unique without you. Because you inspire me, you make me want to do things I never thought of before or haven’t had the courage to start. You make me dream about the life I didn’t know I can live. You make me move, do things. And because of that I know – there is a long and very wide way to my self discovery. And it’s possible, that even after so many years I still would want to “borrow” some qualities you have.

Surroundings can define a person in many ways. Sometimes we are not even aware of them. But in the end it’s not so bad as long as we are strong in our actions, do it with passion and do them good. We might catch ourselves in the same things as others have previously done. We might dream about new roads which are so common and familiar to many. We might fight a life-changing battle about which others would say “Pfff, what’s so special? I do it every day before breakfast”. But we might also do all those things better or worse, or just different. And we would be that outcome.

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Sunday hikes

They are the reason for our good mood and energy.

Me, Zhenia, Tuyana and Maurus. A group which meets every Sunday for a hike in Hong Kong. We have already visited many breathtaking places and discovered this city from completely different but yet very pleasant side.

I won't try to explain much, because those pictures speak more then I would ever be able to say. 

And we just enjoy it!

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Laiškas LC Kaunui iš Honkongo

Buvo tokie laikai, kai stažuotojai rašydavo laiškus namo ten pasilikusiems AIESEC nariams ir savo istorijomis juos drąsindavo nebijoti kelionių, daugiau pamatyti, patirti, pajusti, išgyventi kitokią patirtį. Dabar jau taip niekas nebedaro, todėl darau aš :) Tikiuosi, kad mano laišką jie gavo ir perskaitė. O jei ne, dalinuosi juo su jais ir čia kartais vis apsilankančiais draugais ir pažįstamais.

Apie gyvenimą už devynių jūrų ir marių...

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The Lantau island treasure

Although most of people see Hong Kong more like as a fast forward city with modern urbanistic landscape, yet it has many more things to offer. Incredible how quick in 20 minutes or half an hour you can find yourself in almoust unrecognizable places. Like beautiful island with partly untouched nature, endless rainforests which look so soft from high above, like a painted wool, blue waters, and magnificent mountains.

I am talking about the largest island of Hong Kong - Lantau island. This mountainous terrain by its name literally means “big island mountain”. And it actually looks like that. Beautiful mountains whatever direction you would look to, much less high buildings, more peaceful and slow attitude, less pollution, but more green views, less local people, but, unfortunately, too many tourists at this season.

The island can be reached by a ferry and a bus, or metro and a cable car. Why not a cable car - it shouldn't be so bad, - would have thought I at that time. Or, to be honest, i didn't think about it at all. Until we reached the terminal.

Traveling by cable car is equal to airplane flight - smooth and slow. So people like me, who better choose other forms rather than air travel, might find it a bit difficult to enjoy. But nature plays its part well there and still gives many pleasant moments.

Brave worker on his own open air cab ride

Tung Chung New Town and Tung Chung Bay

The magnificent view seen  from Ngong Ping 360 cabway

Finally on the ground we came to see a small touristic village full of numerous eating places, restaurants and small shops stuffed with things you mostly don’t need.

Near the one of Twelve Divine Generals guard - the representative of Rabbit Chinese Zodiac

And the following views which reminded me nothing else, but my beautiful Sri Lanka.

Tian Tan Buddha

Built only 20 years back, in 1993, Big Buddha is more a tourist attraction point than rather than spiritual and religious centre.

 In Sri Lanka it is absolutely disrespectful to pose with Buddha behind. Although Hong Kong seems like doesn't follow the same spiritual pathway. Moreover, neither tourists nor locals are asked to cover their shoulders and knees.

Buddha Amoghasidhi close view

Following views I enjoyed the most

Already one of my favourite

Extra large incense for stronger worship or bigger sins?

Chinese tourists found it excited to pose with cows mowing

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