O-Camp

Unique to Hong Kong, Orientation Camp or O-Camp for short, is an event that aims to integrate new students into a club/organization. Usually run by returning students, this event can last anywhere from one to three days, include multiple venues per day, and can involve as many as 100 students. This event is considered one of the biggest events an organization will put on for their members.

National Day - 國慶節

On October 1, 1949 the People's Republic of China was established and later dubbed Nationals Day.

It's full name, National Day of the People's Republic of China, is a public holiday celebrated every October 1st throughout China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Similar to Hawaii's Statehood Day, this holiday allows all students a one day break from school.

There is no specific event or special dish to enjoy on this day so I spent this holiday as if it were another weekend.

Typoon Usagi

Who would have known that within the 1st month of arriving in HK I would already be able to experience a storm signal #8. 

Typhoon season for Hong Kong starts in May and ends in November. Being right next to the sea, Hong Kong experiences an average of 6 typhoons a year.

After learning Usagi was the most powerful Typhoon in the world in 2013, thus far, I was scared on what was to follow. 

Hong Kong Slang - 潮語

Slang is unique to every community. It is the creation of new words or meanings that will describe the unique appearance, personality, action, and/or situation of someone in their society.

After many conversations with local Hong Kong people, I've noticed that I didn't fully understand a lot of the words that they were using; not because I was illiterate but because those words had a different meaning from it's literal meaning.

Before learning the more current slang words used by local HK residents, below are two sites listing a few long-established words even I've grown up hearing:

• Learn Chinese Cantonese Slang Terms
• Hong Kong Cantonese Wiki

Mid-Autumn Festival - 中秋節

My first and one of the more important holidays to be celebrated in Hong Kong: The Mid-Autumn Festival. This holiday comes around every year on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. This year it fell on September 19, 2013. The moon on this day is said to be the fullest and brightest. 

Similar to Thanksgiving for Americans, Mid-Autumn is a day for everyone to return home, have a large family dinner, and spend the rest of the night together under the moon enjoying each other's company. 

How did I spend this traditional holiday?

Top 5 Hong Kong Discoveries

Surprisingly enough, since the day I've gotten to Hong Kong never have I had the feeling of being home sick (at least not yet). Hong Kong is similar to Hawaii's Chinatown back in the 1990s when the Chinese community was more prevalent than the Vietnamese. Cantonese is heard everywhere, crowds of people are pushing through to get to where they need to go, whole chickens, ducks, and pigs are hung at the front of butcher shops, and of course broken english is the meeting grounds for all locals and visitors. 

HOWEVER! Being raised in Hawai'i my entire life there are still some things I need to adapt to.

The Long Journey Away from Home

A perk of leaving on an exchange trip is that it serves as a great excuse to party hard the entire week before you leave. I was able to do a lot of things I've always wanted to do but never did because I'd always tell myself next time. Some things I was able to enjoy before leaving paradise was attend Eat-the-Street (theme: spice), experience a Bon Dance, have breakfast at Cafe Kaila, boat cruise out to sea, mini house party, beach, bowl at Her-Way-Thursdays Aiea, Waimea, dinner with friends, and Krazy