I have finally arrived

Written on my internet-less computer last night, June 2, 11:30pm:

Greetings from Hong Kong! What a day, after 24 hours of traveling, flying with the sun and across the entire Pacific Ocean, I am just about settled. I woke up at 4:30am, having to be at the Austin airport 2 hours before my flight (for international percautions and much to the chagrin of Dad who drove me). Knowing it was some of the few precious hours I had left to use my phone, the 2 hours passed quickly as I updated myself on the most current TFLNs and FMLs. One thing I did notice was my sudden assumption that every Asian on my flight could be flying to Hong Kong. It may be a little racist, but I felt every Asian flying to San Francisco (my connecting city) was all of a sudden Chinese and flying back their home country. I wanted to be their friend. One of my potential new "friends" sat next to me on the plane, and thank goodness I asked him where he was going opposed to assuming and asking him if he was going to Hong Kong because he was Korean and going back to Korea.

Jessies asked me if I think I will be able to differentiate between different Asian origins after my trip. I don't think so. It reminds me of the MLB Cap commercial I saw the other day (click on the YouTube link, its funny); an overweight, scruffy white guy weraing a Boston Red Sox hat gets off the plane and Japan and everyone thinks he is David Ortiz. Sure, they have the same jowl and Boston hat, but David Ortiz is black. Hmm... Its funny how differentiating between people of idfferent races is as difficult as it is. Also difficult: Chinese languages! If I pick up more than a handful of Chinese phrases I'll be impressed.

Other things that have surprised me:

• China's fascination and utter fear of the swine flue. Everyone is wearing surgical masks. Okay, not everyone. But I did have my temperature taken via ear and infrared on my forehead (very MIB-like) before I could step foot into the I-House ("International House," the dorm we are staying in while at CUHK (Chinese University of Hong Kong)). Asians on the plane and at the airport wore surgical masks and every entrant to Hong Kong had to go through a health screening line before going through customs.
• The enormity of our airplane. 60 rows, 3 aisles with 3 seats on the outside aisles and 4 in the middle. Then, first class was two floors! Crazy.
• This odd, fish-like smell that seems to permeate the air. Ocean spray? Not really... I'll see if it clear up, probably not though because it's more humid here than Houston and we haven't figured out how to work the AC yet... sweaty.
• At one point today I realized I was with four people who had all either interned for PwC or just accepted their offer from PwC. Is the world trying to tell me I should work with PwC?

Although its 10:50am in Austin (11:50pm in Hong Kong), I have to try to get some sleep because I have class from 9-1 tomorrow. Although I don't know anyone in the program well, I think this is the exhaustive beginning of a great trip...

--Jin Lin