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Dear family and friends,

Although we have been in Hong Kong for only two weeks, it already feels like home. We have comfortably moved in to our Horizon Suite apartments, filled our refrigerators with food, and even put up some Christmas decorations. It has been fun cooking meals for ourselves, some admittedly more extravagant than others, and honing our domestic skills as we now have to clean and do laundry for ourselves rather than having these things taken care of by the ECC staff.

It is also comforting to be back on a familiar academic schedule, with class five days a week and the weekends free. We all enjoy being at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) campus, bustling with students going about their daily routines, having easy access to our email accounts, and eating amidst Chinese students in the school's multiple cafeterias. Since we've been on campus, we have seen the gold and purple decorations for graduation strewn across the plaza outside the main library. The ceremony itself was held last Thursday and the campus was full of students in black graduation gowns taking pictures with their families, flowers, and even stuffed animals – we saw Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Eyore, Tigger, and even Stitch.

CUHK has also provided us with access to many highly knowledgeable professors who have given us lectures focusing on Chinese ceramics, jades, and bronzes; symbols in Chinese art; and Chinese painting from ancient to modern day. In addition to daily class, we have visited the Hong Kong Museum of Art, which offered us a closer look at the Chinese ceramics and gold works we have been studying. Our tour guide was a British woman who was not an expert in the field; nevertheless, she gave us one of the best tours on our trip thus far. One of our favorite lectures was given last Friday by Professor S.W. Yu on Chinese music and opera. He was a professional performer in the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra before receiving his doctorate, and he delighted in demonstrating a few authentic Chinese instruments called the erhu, yehu (both two-stringed instruments) and zither (a seven-stringed instrument). Then we listened to a couple of excerpts from Chinese opera, which was quite different from anything we had ever heard. While it might sound strange to a Western ear, one can appreciate the obvious technique involved. The performers demonstrated their skill using stylistically specific tones (high-pitched and long), and using movements and gestures while they were accompanied by some of the instruments we had learned about.

In our free time, either after class or on weekends, we have ventured out into this amazing city – taking in its breathtaking views, trying new Chinese cuisine, and exploring the plethora of Hong Kong's famous markets. Hong Kong offers many hiking trails on the city's mountainous peaks. A favorite was the Lantau Peak hike around the 102-foot tall, 250 ton bronze Big Buddha statue. The entire trail, rather than relying on the switchbacks most of us are familiar with, consisted of cut stone steps embedded into the peak that led straight up to the top. The hike itself was grueling – it took two hours to get to the top - but the view was well worth the effort. The sun was setting over Hong Kong's little islands, stretching out as far as the eye could see into the Pacific Ocean. We also got to take the Skyrail Gondola across the bay back to the main island and saw amazing views of the Big Buddha, its surrounding mountains, and the sparkling city.

Another favorite outing was riding the tram up to Victoria Peak, the highest point in Hong Kong reaching 1,300 feet. The view from the top offers a breath-taking panorama of the city's skyline – an endless forest of skyscrapers most at least 50 stories tall, which is a worthwhile view during the day or at night. We could also see raised highways amidst the 21 st century buildings that China has employed to deal with overpopulation, which India would do well to emulate.

Another great nighttime site is the lightshow across the bay from Victoria peak. It consists of flashing lights and lasers projected from the top of the buildings, which are choreographed to music. Some of the buildings even have “Merry Christmas” and other holiday greetings written in lights, warming our hearts while making us homesick at the same time.

Tired of the same five outfits day after day, together with the fact that the weather is finally getting cooler, many of us have ventured out to Hong Kong's markets to buy new clothes. One popular market is the Ladies' Market, full of stands selling clothing, purses, jewelry, chopsticks, wall hangings – basically anything a tourist could want. Navigating through the crowds and bargaining with the tiny yet ferocious Chinese vendors is quite an adventure! Other markets located nearby include the Jade Market, the Goldfish Market, the Flower Market, and the Bird Market. Of these four, the Jade Market was a special favorite, in part as a result of our art class at CUHK and also because jade is considered as precious as gold in China due to its historical significance as a ritual object and its impervious quality.

There is plenty to do in Hong Kong in the evenings. From the corner Chinese restaurants where menus contain photos, but no English, to an all-American breakfast restaurant called The Frying Pan, dining out is never a dull affair. Other fun activities include shopping at the Temple Street Night Market or checking out the nightlife in downtown Hong Kong. A group of us also enjoyed a night at the racetrack, cheering on the horses with names like Confucius Classic and Sweet Baby, while trying our hand at betting.

Every day has offered us something new, and the past two weeks have flown by. We find ourselves over halfway done with our stay in Hong Kong, feeling that we have seen so much yet have so much left to discover. Our thoughts turn towards you all at home more often as Christmas draws near. Though most of us miss the Norwegian sweaters and lefse we normally experience at this time of year, we are looking forward to planning our own unique Christmas celebrations in mainland China.

Happy Holidays,