1 Week Left

After my first week in Hong Kong, I was walking to the cafeteria on campus thinking to myself, "Well, 16 more weeks to go." And that seemed like forever away.

But now, school is over and I have one week left in Asia.

And it's made me pretty sentimental.

For the past four days, I've been tearing up randomly. It started in Beijing on the bus to the Great Wall. We were passing through streets of chaos as Beijingers made their way to work and I was overwhelmed with the magic of Asia and, yeah, got a little teary-eyed. And since then, I've been a little bit of a sappy mess.

But truth is, I love Asia. I always knew I would like Asia, but it has been great to see my love confirmed.

Asia is so different from what I knew before coming here. There's a different set of rules that can make a Westerner uncomfortable. I mean, pedestrians don't have the right of way? There's TWO words for thank you in Cantonese? But if you stick with it long enough, Asia has plenty of rewards in store.

But anyway, I am being way sentimental and I really need to get off campus and take advantage of my last week in Asia.

So I'll get back to you later.

Happy Mother's Day!!

I am one of those people who believe that things happen for a reason.

And Stephanie Fay Toller being my mom is no exception.

I am so grateful that my mom also happens to be my best friend. I mean, how cool is that? We can talk about anything and everything. We spontaneously go for McDonald's ice cream cones and talk for hours in the parking lot. We throw random dance parties. We have mommy-daughter cuddles.

It's pretty great, our own version of Gilmore Girls (except she wasn't a teen mom, the opposite really, and I don't go to Yale). But basically, yeah, we're the Arizona Mormon version of Lorelai and Rory.

So I would just love to express my gratitude to my wonderful mother whom I have so much fun with. Thanks for having patience with me and knowing what to say when I feel down. I'm thankful for your guidance. I'm grateful for the moments we have and I am so excited to see you in the flesh in a few short weeks.

I love you!!

(PS But, can you please stop buying me clothes? haha)

(PSS My life is so hard. Haha!)

The School Side of My Study Abroad

My blog mostly showcases my adventures of my study abroad. Vacations. Animal Encounters. Culture. Food. But my blog doesn't really touch the "real" purpose of my study abroad--to study. And since I'm hoping that someday this blog will inspire someone to take the plunge and go on a study abroad (maybe even to HKUST! Do it!!) I thought I would write a post about all the learning I've been doing at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

My Classes

Strategic Brand Management- Definitely my favorite class that I'm taking at HKUST for 3 reasons. 1) Attractive professor--it really makes a difference. 2) They don't offer this class at BYU and since brand management is something I'm interested in doing as a career, I really enjoy not having to wait until Grad school to learn about it. 3) I'm actually growing. I love classes that allow me to grow as a person or a business person (in this case). The class is pretty difficult. But I have seen my critical thinking skills get better as the semester goes on.

Mandarin for Non-Chinese Background Students- The class that tries to teach me Mandarin. It's a very interactive class with lots of group activities. My laoshi (teacher) is a really nice lady who has an adorable small child whom I get to see sometimes at random HKUST events.

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Studies- Another class that pushes me to my limits, but I'm learning a lot. The whole class is learning the life cycle of a venture from idea conception to IPO (Initial Public Offering). Plus, there are no midterms or final exam. Student do have to write a business plan, which is a hefty assignment. I really enjoy the guest speakers from top ventures in Hong Kong.

Consumer Behavior- My least favorite class. The professor just lectures at us for an hour and a half in a soft voice that puts me to sleep. But despite the struggle to pay attention in class, I am surprisingly learning a lot. In Thailand, I saw consumer behavior terms in practice as I watched my fellow travelers make decisions on what to buy.

HKUST vs BYU

A question I get from a lot of students at HKUST and from home is "How does HKUST compare to BYU?" One of the nice things about UST is the smaller class size. It's nice not to have a class with 800 other students. Therefore, it is easier to participate and participation is expected. Participation plays an important role in your grade at UST. It's not enough to just come to class.

As for work load, UST is very similar to upper level classes in the Marriott School, lots of group projects and case studies. And I felt about the same amount of stress that I feel at BYU.

I do think that tests are harder at UST than BYU. They are very memorization heavy, rather than application heavy. I had to revert to studying techniques I haven't used since high school like Cornell notes.

So that's a little bit about the academic side of my study abroad.

One Month Left

I can't believe that my adventure in Hong Kong is winding down. Time really does fly when your having fun.

I can now count the weeks I have left on one hand. And they are going to be some crazy weeks with finals, presentations, and papers.

But there are some exciting things coming up to. I'm going to Beijing with my pal Melissa. Yes, I am going to see the Great Wall!!!! My Asia trip will be complete! I still have to go to Ocean Park, Hong Kong's version of Sea World. That's when I'll get my panda fix since I'm not going to make it to Chengdu (too expensive: $300 airfare, $323 to hold a panda WHAT!).

And then, I'll go home.

And I'm actually kind of excited, which is interesting because a month and a half ago I was crying about how I never wanted to go home. But there's a time and season for everything and it's time to return to the US and finish school.

But I still have a month to YOHKO it up!!

So stay tuned for the last leg of HK adventures.

Ciao!

The Bollywood Dancing Poseur

I love Indian culture. I love the clothes, I love the food, and I LOVE the movies.

But I also love Indian dance.

It all started when I took an Indian folk dance class last Spring at BYU. I spent my mornings learning Bharatanatyam, Bhangra, and Bollywood. It is one of the best classes I've taken in my college career.

So when I heard that there was a Bollywood dance workshop at HKUST, I registered without hesitation and just couldn't wait for it to start.

When I showed up to class, the lady taking attendance told me there was a performance for this class on the 27th of March and if I could do the performance.

A performance? I didn't sign up for this. But I still really wanted to take the class and there were like 20 other kids in the class so I wouldn't be that noticeable at the performance (cause although I love Indian dance, how I think I dance and how I actually dance are two different things- especially due to my whiteness). So I said yes and didn't think much more about it.

Two weeks later, I got an email from the same lady telling me about extra practices for the performance. Ugh! Why is this such a time commitment? I thought. But I really enjoyed the class and I wasn't going to quit because of some dumb extra practices. So I wrote back saying that I could make it.

And then it was time for the first extra practice. And only four other girls showed up. I quickly learned that in reality, the performance was optional, but I was now too deep to get out of performing.

So on March 27th, I was on a stage in the Atrium, in front of my fellow classmates and friends, strutting my Indian stuff.

And here's the video for you to enjoy.

Just don't laugh too hard at my white dancing, okay?

Adventures with Huong

So this is way past due, but school's been crazy and really I should be studying for my quiz on Wednesday but my brain is pretty fried.

This is Huong.

She is from Vietnam and basically, she's awesome.

I had the special pleasure of hosting her while she visited Hong Kong for a women's conference.

The cool thing is that we never met until she was in my dorm room and I had returned from Taiwan.

It was one of those Mormon network stories. Huong had served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cambodia where she was mission companions with a girl who lives on my block at home. She was trying to help Huong find a place to stay. But one day, my mom talked to her mom about it, my mom talked to me, I talked to the girl in my neighborhood, and a few weeks later, I was playing tour guide. 

And it was really fun.

Together we did the sights of Hong Kong.

We took a bus up to Victoria's Peak (the cool way to do it, the tram is so overrated). We ate at a restaurant Anthony Bourdain went to. We had dim sum. We went to the Chi Lin Nunnery. We saw the Temple. We talked to missionaries. We hung out around Mong Kok. We did the Temple Night Market. We watched the sun set at TST.

But the best part about that whole week was Huong herself. I am so lucky to know her. She is such a humble, sweet, gracious person. Definitely a great example for me to follow.

2 Months

Yeah, I've been in Hong Kong for two months!!

Can you believe it?

Cause I can't.

These past two months have been wonderful. I have had so many new experiences, made so many new friends, and tried so many new foods. I have been to four new countries and I'm adding two more on Friday. I have learned so much about myself--what I can take, what I need to improve, and what I want for my future. It's exciting and oh so scary.

I've been introduced to a whole new world of options. And it's hard to make a decision of which path is the right one for me. It has been a trial of my faith and my patience. I am learning how to rely on my Heavenly Father because he is all I can rely on. The more I am here, the more I realize how inadequate my ways and my plans are. His plan for me is so much better and wonderful than any plan I could have for myself. I can only do so much, but with God I can do all things.

And I keep reminding myself that, even though I'm watching my friends leave on missions and get married while I have no mission, no boyfriend, no summer job prospects, and basically no idea on what to do in life at a time when I really need to figure that out (graduating in a year!!).

But then I remember that I live in Hong Kong and that my present is super amazing. I am such a lucky punk. I have so much to thank Heavenly Father for every day. So I would like to share what I am grateful for with you.

• I am grateful that everyday I open my dorm room door to see the ocean. (And if I wake up early enough I can see the sunrise, which is the best view ever)
• I am grateful for elevators, BYU needs to install one on South Campus.
• I am grateful for FaceTime because it allows me to talk to my family.
• I am grateful for technology in general.
• I am grateful (most of the time) that I don't have a smartphone. I like not always being connected to the internet and social media and distractions and whatnot.
• I am grateful for public transportation. I just can't get over how efficient it is here. 
• I am grateful for my friends here. I am so lucky that Heavenly Father guided me to them.
• I am grateful that I have met so many fabulous women here. Honestly, every week at church I meet another fantastic individual who I want to be like when I grow up. 
• I am grateful that it takes me an hour to get to church. It requires me to make a honest decision and effort to go to church.
• I am grateful for missionaries. Bothering them is one my new favorite hobbies. 
• And most of all, I am grateful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for His love and patience with a soul so rebellious and proud as mine.

Sorry for the more serious, picture-lacking post. Don't worry, there will be plenty of pictures with tomorrow's post.

Big Buddha

Or big booty!!!

Hehe

I finally went to see the Tian Tian Buddha, one of the five giant Buddhas in China. And it is HUGE!!

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

To get to the Buddha, you have three choices:

1. Take a bus
2. Ngong Ping 360 cable car (the quick touristy option)
3. Hike 10km

We chose to do number 3. 

Which was quite the adventure.

Adventure #1: Finding the trail

The trailhead is nowhere near the beginning of the cable car service at Tung Chung. Rather, you have to first walk around Tung Chung to the mountain and then finally start the trail. Luckily we had found some directions on a hiking blog, but we still got lost.

But then we found a nice local student who walked us to most of the way to the trailhead, even though it meant walking the opposite direction from her home. We really appreciated her.

Finally, after 45 minutes, we got to the trailhead.

Adventure #2: The first tower

The Buddha hike is considered a pretty tough hike and they weren't kidding. The hike to the first tower  (there are 5 in all) was stair after stair after stair. Plus it was 89% humidity that day so basically I was dripping with sweat BIG time. It was disgusting and difficult and I wanted to cry. In fact, at one point it got super hard to breathe, like the beginning of a panic attack. That bad. I was pretty sure I had made the biggest mistake of my life. 10 km of this? I was going to die.

The view from the first tower.

But luckily for me, the hike to the first tower was the most difficult. The hike to the second tower was a little bit easier. I was regaining confidence. Then we stopped for lunch at the C15 marker (the halfway marker).

And lunch reenergized me (but notice how bloomin red my face is). And then before we knew it we were at the third tower and we got our first glimpse at Buddha!!!!

And within the hour we had finished the trail!!!!!!

Then we made our way to the Buddha.

And I felt like a boss because I survived the Big Buddha hike (possible t-shirt idea????)! Take that sissy cable car riders!!

A Slower Pace of Life

So my life has been pretty mundane recently. The first round of midterms are over; the second round starts next week. I'm saving up my funds for a week in Thailand.

And all this means is that I don't leave campus that often. Pretty much only on the weekends.

I do still have adventures, just a bit more nerdier ones. Like exploring the HKUST library and therefore finding better, quieter places to study than the Learning Commons (like the BYU Periodicals or the No Shhh Zone). Because I now have to study--the downside of a study abroad.

And I'm taking a Bollywood dance class--and performing next week. Don't know how I signed up for that one. But now the UST student body can watch my awesome white-girl moves. Yeahhhhhh.

My diet usually consists of a lot of peanut butter, saltine crackers, and instant noodles since I'm saving up to splurge on riding an elephant and petting a tiger in Thailand. And I found an actually good place to eat on campus-- the Turkish kebab stand. Yes, I'm pretty sure the tall skinny guy at the register hates my guts (for what reason I suspect I shall never know), but the food is oh so tasty and fills me up. Much better than both of the school's cafeterias.

But one of the best things about my more normal life is rediscovering the awesomeness of Whose Line is It Anyway. Watching a skit between taking Cornell notes for Consumer Behavior brings a smile to my face and the will to keep reading about low effort attitudes.

In fact, let me share one of their skits with you to brighten up your day!!

Love,

Sarah

Adventures in Sai Kung

Sai Kung, a beautiful beach town just down the coast from HKUST. And still, I had never gone. That is, until Saturday, when a group of us headed to Sai Kung to go kayaking...on the open ocean!!

Yeah, my life's pretty adventurous.

For 50 HKD (about 6.5 USD) you can rent a kayak for the whole day. Which is a pretty sweet deal, especially when your buddy loves to negotiate and you get the kayak for even cheaper. Thanks Ellery! And waterproof bags and life jackets were included!!

Honestly, I could do this every weekend!!

Things to Look Forward To

Hi everyone,

Yes, I haven't spammed your FB news feed with blog posts for a while. This week has been insane! Honestly, I'm on the verge of insanity. But after next Tuesday, life will slow down to a more manageable level. And then I have so much to share with you!!

Cause I went to Taiwan last weekend. And it was awesome!! Good food, nice people, strange concept restaurants, Taiwan is definitely worth a visit if you have a chance. (Which everyone does, but that's for another blog post)

And this week, I made a new friend, Huong from Vietnam. She's been staying with me at HKUST and I've been showing her my new home which has been really fun. And this weekend I am going to the Asia LDS Women's Conference. There will be so many mormons! Weird!!!

So get excited!!

P.S. If you know of any awesome things to do in Hong Kong that I haven't done yet. Please tell me. Also, if you have suggestions on how to make this blog better, let me know. :)

What I Ate- Week 4

Not that much this week, but I am going to Taiwan, where the food is especially delicious!! Keep your eye out for What I Ate- Taiwan Edition!!

Taco Tuesday!!

Coconut Shave Iced (with shaved ice being ice cubes)

Fried squid with chilis

My first pizza in HK!!

Passionfruit juice with jelly- the best!!

Red bean in Coffee (no, this was not mine)

Ice cream!!

There Are Girls, and Then There Are CHEAP Girls

Being a poor college student is tough, especially when you are on a touristy island where ALL the prices are inflated.

I mean, 40 HKD for a Coke? Really? I can get a can on campus for 5.50 HKD.

When it came to cheap food, Lamma Island definitely wasn't the promise land. And this fact alone meant that dinner was 3 hours long as my companions and I hopped from restaurant to restaurant, pulling out our calculators, trying to figure out how we could eat good food for cheap (much to the annoyance of the only guy in our group who just wanted to eat after such a long day, poor kid). We eventually went over our budget, but I had fresh seafood and my first pizza in HK so it was sort of worth it.

So food wasn't Lamma Island's strong point, but there were lots of charming things about Lamma (despite the fact that, no, there are not any llamas on Lamma Island).

It's the rural side of Hong Kong--banana trees, dingy fishing boats, jungle, beaches, and hippie expats. And a 30 minute ferry ride from the hustle and bustle of HK Island.

To get around, we took the Lamma Family Trail which took us through mountains, villages, and jungle. The trail from one side of the island to the other takes about an hour and a half. But with my groups mad skills, we took about 7 hours.

But that's mostly because we got caught up at the beach in the middle.

It was warm and sunny out, why not? For 3+ hours we explored, searched for sea glass, took random pictures, and relaxed. It was awesome. 

My favorite picture of the trip. An unexpected wave surprised Conne, Kayla, and Devin. 

After awhile, we figured we should head into town since the sun was going to set soon. But along the way we stopped for sweet tofu, hippie shops, and every domestic doggie. 

Finally, we arrived at Yung Shue Wan just in time to watch the sun set over the ocean.

So in conclusion, Lamma Island is a very beautiful place to visit, especially if you need a break from Hong Kong. Would I come here frequently? No. The food was too expensive and there are plenty of other beaches around Hong Kong. But if I ever decide to become a hippie, I would definitely settle down on Lamma Island.