Before I talk about Hong Kong, I want to mention one thing quickly. I believe that Singapore is one of the only countries in the world where you can hail a mercedes taxi. I thought this was cool because the cost for these taxis were almost the same as other taxis and where else can you ride like this unless you are in a "limo"!
Hong Kong has been exciting. With Ronne and Erica in attendance, when we arrived on Saturday I took them on the Star Ferry across to Tsim Sha Tsui to see the light show which is a really cool show with laser and lights lighting up the Hong Kong skyline:
Afterward we returned to Central to a restaurant that was recommended and we enjoyed a lot of really good Cantonese food! For the past few days I had been trying to get Erica to agree to go out to Lan Kwai Fong, but when we finally got to Hong Kong, I was the one too tired to go out!
On Sunday morning Erica and I were able to meet with a young NU alum that has just moved to Hong Kong. We enjoyed lunch up on The Peak which was great but unfortunately there was heavy cloud cover so for a while we couldn't see the city. The Peak is known for its wonderful views over Victoria Harbor but every time I have been up there its been too foggy to see anything! This is supposed to be the view:
Our reception in the evening went really well with lots of alumni and students in attendance, unfortunately from all the visits and talking, I had no voice left for the reception, but it didn't stop me from welcoming in all the admitted students!
On Monday morning it was time to say goodbye to Ronne and Erica who I had been traveling with since Singapore. Ronne was off to Beijing and Erica back to Boston. It was a lot of fun traveling with other people as usual. Over the past couple of days I have stayed in Hong Kong visiting schools and it has been absolutely beautiful weather...for me. Its been overcast and about 75 every day which is the perfect weather, not too hot, not too cold!
I'm off to China tomorrow which means this will be the last blog for the spring. Unfortunately China has blocked blogging so I won't be able to post. Its been a short but fun trip and I'll be returning home in about 10 days!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Back in Asia
As usual, its back to Asia this spring. This year much earlier than usual, which I'm happy about to get to some warm weather! Unfortunately I didn't know just how warm it was going to be 95 to be exact, so it was a big change from the winter weather I was used to in Boston.
My first stop this time was Bangkok, one of my favorite cities to visit. While it was only a short visit, a day and a half, I was able to see some great schools, enjoy some great weather, and have some great food. I had dinner with one of my counselors at a very good egyptian restaurant (don't worry I had thai food 3 times in the day that I was there). Bangkok is one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in Asia and it is always fun driving around to my visits as it can take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes to get to a visit. This spring for some reason traffic wasn't too bad and I made it to my visits with about an hour to spare, so I did a lot of reading.
After Bangkok it was on to Singapore for a few days of high school visits and Admitted Student Receptions. This spring is very different to those in the past as I am not traveling to Singapore and Hong Kong alone. We have done so well in the past few years that this year our Dean of Undergraduate Admissions has accompanied me for the trip to participate in the receptions which have been a huge success. Not only that but I have worked with our Alumni office to combine the admitted student reception with Alumni receptions so I have a lot of company! Last night I enjoyed an alumni dinner with a few alums and the Northeastern Rep at Clarke Quay a very touristy area with a lot of restaurants along the river. After the dinner I tried Durian ice cream which is from the Durian fruit, known for its extremely pungent smell.
I did not mind the taste, it wasn't my favorite type of ice cream but the durian tasted almost nutty and the smell (in ice cream form) was not bad. At the end of the night we had to make one last stop. There is a bar in Clarke Quay called Clinic and it basically looks like a hospital clinic: wheelchairs for chairs, gurney's for couches, surgical lights on the ceiling, waiters/waitresses dressed as Doctors or Nurses etc. but the weirdest thing was that they had a drink that actually came in an IV bag. Who else can say they had a drink in a place like this?
The fun in Singapore is now over and off to Hong Kong where I hope to show my travel companions the light show, the peak and maybe some local markets before our Admitted Student Reception on Sunday.
For all my canadian counselors, here is your moment of zen:
My first stop this time was Bangkok, one of my favorite cities to visit. While it was only a short visit, a day and a half, I was able to see some great schools, enjoy some great weather, and have some great food. I had dinner with one of my counselors at a very good egyptian restaurant (don't worry I had thai food 3 times in the day that I was there). Bangkok is one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in Asia and it is always fun driving around to my visits as it can take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes to get to a visit. This spring for some reason traffic wasn't too bad and I made it to my visits with about an hour to spare, so I did a lot of reading.
After Bangkok it was on to Singapore for a few days of high school visits and Admitted Student Receptions. This spring is very different to those in the past as I am not traveling to Singapore and Hong Kong alone. We have done so well in the past few years that this year our Dean of Undergraduate Admissions has accompanied me for the trip to participate in the receptions which have been a huge success. Not only that but I have worked with our Alumni office to combine the admitted student reception with Alumni receptions so I have a lot of company! Last night I enjoyed an alumni dinner with a few alums and the Northeastern Rep at Clarke Quay a very touristy area with a lot of restaurants along the river. After the dinner I tried Durian ice cream which is from the Durian fruit, known for its extremely pungent smell.
I did not mind the taste, it wasn't my favorite type of ice cream but the durian tasted almost nutty and the smell (in ice cream form) was not bad. At the end of the night we had to make one last stop. There is a bar in Clarke Quay called Clinic and it basically looks like a hospital clinic: wheelchairs for chairs, gurney's for couches, surgical lights on the ceiling, waiters/waitresses dressed as Doctors or Nurses etc. but the weirdest thing was that they had a drink that actually came in an IV bag. Who else can say they had a drink in a place like this?
The fun in Singapore is now over and off to Hong Kong where I hope to show my travel companions the light show, the peak and maybe some local markets before our Admitted Student Reception on Sunday.
For all my canadian counselors, here is your moment of zen:
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Reading Season is here
I know that I've missed alot of posts including Thailand, India and Indonesia but I'm not going to write about them now, just ask me if you have any questions on how the rest of my trip went!
Now its time for reading season. All the applications are coming in from the students I have seen on the road. For those of you that don't know what its like, this video will help...
Now its time for reading season. All the applications are coming in from the students I have seen on the road. For those of you that don't know what its like, this video will help...
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