I had returned from Singapore right before revision week, and I have to say, it was a break I desperately needed. November was a relaxing month overall aside from final papers and group projects. (There are wayyyy too many group projects, and they definitely tested my time-management skills.)
Recap of Singapore:
My friends from Taiwan and I had stayed there for 3 days and 2 night. With other exchange friends from the U.S., I finally had a home-cooked meal on thanksgiving! It was really sweet of them to prepare a full 3-course meal. Singapore, overall, is a pretty nice and clean place. Everything, architecture-wise, was designed with a purpose. Before I boarded the plane, I made sure to look up laws that Singapore had. (One included banning of chewing gum being sold in supermarkets!) All the laws and regulations were strict with large fines, but they made Singapore that much safer. It wasn't dangerous for us to walk around on the streets in the middle of the night because there wouldn't be anyone bothering us.
I lived in a hostel for the first time in my life, and it definitely changed my perspective of hostels. In the past, I always thought they were sketchy, and rundown living quarters. However, the one I had lived in was very safe. Because of its location, food was easily accessible. Unfortunately, spending was similar to that of the States. Now that I've been in HK for several months, I've gotten used to no tips/ tax or at the maximum, 10% tips. However, everything I ate/bought in Singapore had tips and tax. T-T This is definitely something I'll have to get used to once I'm back in the states. Before then, I'll be enjoying tax-free meals! ^_^
Even since I got back from Singapore, I've been working away on final papers / studying for exams. Accounting was definitely challenging, but fair. The exam was held in the gym, along with 2 other examinations. There were probably 600 students in the same room for 3 hrs- WOW. I have one more exam in the gym. Maybe I'll be able to snap a photo then.
For the past few days, I've been catching myself thinking of "Lasts". ie. the last time I'll eat at ____ , or the last time i'll see my classmates, my last class at CityU, etc. When exchange first began, I thought 4 months was a REALLY long time. Especially when I had culture shock during my first month. Now that I think back to my plane ride from NYC to HK, it feels like it just happened yesterday.
Now, with 7 days left in HK, (still can't believe it) I really have to be adventurous and do all the tourist-y things before leaving HKG!
Next Stop: Seoul, Korea
