Thursday, September 2, 2010

The First Day


We began our first day of courses on Wednesday.  It was a bittersweet milestone in our experience, as we were use to personal pursuits like shopping, sleeping and sightseeing to pass the time. It was down to business now, back to the grind.

Symphony of Lights at the harbour
The day started out on the 1st floor, in the Canteen, with all three of us grabbing a quick sit-down breakfast prior to making the 10-minute journey to PolyU.  This particular meal was noteworthy because Whitney’s new roommate joined us.  Katrine just arrived in Hong Kong and is from Latvia!

Our first class started at 9:30a.m.—Global Supply Chain Management, taught by Dr. Chris K. Y. Lo.   The three of us being the Trio we are all marched in, single-file, and proceeded to three open seats toward the back.  The class was quite a bit longer than what we are accustomed to—50 or 90-minute classes are downright heavenly when compared to our 3 hour marathon learning session (yikes.).  Not to selves, bring a water bottle and grapes, or other small snacks (thanks Mrs. M for supplying the bag of treats and goodies), to maintain consciousness. 

Dr. Lo (Chris as we were instructed to call him) was very knowledgeable and incorporated various teaching methods into the first lesson—from interactive, group drawings to sitting down in a student chair to lecture, he was young, fresh and approachable. 

We also found out that quite a few of the students in that class shared another course with us; a serendipitous chance to grow and develop relationships, and build our international network. 

That night, as a celebration of sorts, a super large and super nice dinner took place.  All of the exchange students from each university in Hong Kong were invited to attend this 10-course feast—octopus, jellyfish, goose feet, etc. all graced our plates.  The venue was stunning, and was noted as one of the top places in Hong Kong to have your wedding.  There were close to 750 students from all over the world!

Exchange Dinner
To further this celebration of sorts, a large group of PolyU exchange students taxied to the Wan Chai district in hopes of raising their spirits by virtue of spirits.  We enjoyed a great night—dinner, dancing and fun!

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Our Thursday morning started at 9:30a.m. again, with Fashion Global Marketing and Brand Management.  The professor for the course is Dr. Wing-sun Liu (Wing-sun).  We maintained our rank and file ways, but this morning greeted our newfound friends and classmates in individual conversations.  Dr. Liu has been teaching at PolyU for over 20 years, and was extremely well versed in this subject matter.  He was a fantastic lecturer, with some of the best accompanying learning supplements we’ve experienced.  His approach to marketing and branding, particularly for fashion, is one of psychology, the subconscious, and relevant philosophical questioning.  Instead of students asking the questions, Dr. Liu asked most of them.  Again, the 3 hour length was a bit much, but bearable since he maintained his own energy level.  After a trip by the bakery, and goodies in hand, we returned to the dorms—which is where we are writing this entry.  But our blog-worthy shenanigans don’t end there.  In just about half an hour, the three of us are going to see the largest seated, bronze, outdoor Buddha in the world!  We will join a group of exchange students and be sure to take plenty of pictures. 
At the base of the Tian Tan Buddha
Be sure to comment on our posts—we like that!  So until next time—

WJM
ASH
DCL

Friday, August 27, 2010

Institute of Textiles and Clothing

We took part in the ITC orientation this morning.  The Institute of Textiles and Clothing is our host program here in Hong Kong.  The day started in ITC's very modern, immaculate, glass meeting room.  There were 20 exchange students present around the meeting table, with Dr. Tracy Mok facilitating.  The students are from Sweden, Australia, UK, and Germany to name a few.  Most were focusing on fashion design, and we were the only Master students.  After a brief presentation, and words from the Dean of the Institute, we were given a tour.  The tour began in a very impressive floor to ceiling, 180 degree theater.  An informative video was played, which demonstrated the very impressive offerings of ITC.  The design studios were simple and modern with a refreshing, creative feeling.  The dyeing and finishing, weaving, and knitting labs were similar to ours, but smaller in scale.  We were impressed by the style of the facility and the appeal of its people and design.  Following the tour, the orientation was wrapped up.  We ate lunch in the student Canteen with the ITC students from Australia (who happened to be from RMIT, our host University for Spring semester!)  After that we had a great afternoon walking through Hong Kong to the Harbour, and to Star Ferry.  Plenty of pictures were taken and even a Starbucks purchased along the way.  Fun fact: Andrew got asked to take a picture with a local.  Enjoy the photos.

Theater at ITC
Knitting Labs

Display hallway of Intimate Apparel

In front of Hong Kong Island

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Destination: Hong Kong




Greetings from Hong Kong!!!


It is such a relief to finally be in Hong Kong--after many months of arduous planning, surprises and successes, it is our time now.  It is our time to represent the College of Textiles, to discover and develop ourselves further, and to have the time of our lives.  If you are reading this post or are a follower of this blog, you are somehow connected to us, as a student, family member, friend or acquaintance.  Just in case we don't say it enough throughout our time here, thanks for caring--thanks for taking the time to read about the journey of three young people.  We appreciate you and hope you can feel, taste and see Hong Kong through our words.  "Gom bui!"


We had a long flight over, 16 hours, but finally made it to PolyU, and our home for the next 4 months.  We started our first full day off with a Cantonese culture and language class and then went to tour the PolyU campus with the help of our amazing Hong Kong buddies, Carmel and Tracy. We made a shopping run for necessities and stopped at a Chinese restaurant for some traditional tea and dim sum. 


We are beginning to feel settled with the small touches being put in place.  We will continue to slowly learn our way around the city and have already been exploring various blocks around PolyU.  We are now working on getting in touch with the textile companies and local contacts.  Classes begin on September 1st, and until then we will be acclimating ourselves and refining our plan of action for the semester.


"Baai Baai" (Bye-Bye)


ASH
DCL
WJM