Hong Kong #5: Football. Academians' Night. China Consulate. Boatzilla. + TED Talk!

The CityU Fam

Hey everyone! I hope you guys are doing as good as I am. This will be my post "Hong Kong #5" since I arrived in Hong Kong for my study abroad. Thanks for checking my blog and leaving comments and votes. Keep it up! :)

Despite the departure of Mona back to California, the week has been relaxing yet interesting and tiring. This week I've finally written my first paper for my Process Innovation and Change Management class, which was simple and straightforward. Other things during this week have been the football training with the CityU HK team, Academians' night, and a [ wild ] Boat Party during weekend.

CityU Hong Kong Football Team.

Trainings has been getting more intense each week; however, we are almost over with the try-out sessions. I'm glad that my exchange friends and I have made it through. I'm also excited for what's coming during the next two weeks when the coach is deciding the players that will make next season's team.

During last week's training I've started to enjoy football once again without my self-pressure of wanting to make the team so bad, although it's something that makes me dream during nighttime.

Every time I play football it reminds me of my friend's words, "Play with your heart and everything else with come out more simple." He said this during one of the street games we used to play in Venezuela during the year 1999 and I've remembered them ever since that day. Thanks Pedro!

Adidas makes the difference ~ Richard's cleats

Academians' Night.

This is an event created and hosted by the hall I live in and it was only for a limited amount of students. Academians' night is more for residents to know each other better and/or know who's living in your hall through ice-breaking games.

Although the event was fun at times, it could've been better. Apart from the event [ not a complain ] - the thing about some of the local students in Hong Kong is that some of them are not as opened to talk with non-local students as non-local students are when it comes to creating rapport with locals. I understand that it might be because their English might not be as fluent as non-local people or because they have their own groups, but I believe that it's through these little daily conversations how they can practice their English and become better.

Dancing Battle!

MCs and the Chair Battle game

Chair Battle game

Dude, you gotta move. It's part of the game ;)

Fellow Hall's Residents :)

China Consulate.

During the end of the week I went to the China consulate located in Hong Kong with some friends that were planning to get their Chinese visa. I gotta say I'm surprised how fast the process was compared to the Chinese consulate in San Francisco. The waiting was less than an hour compared to over two hours in San Francisco. Most of them handed their documentation in and left.

Tips? Of course!

Go during morning time. They're opened from 9-12 and 2-5 p.m. [ Info ]
Bring your updated Chinese visa application form.
Bring passport, one passport photo, HK ID [ if you have ].
Make a copy of your passport front page, Hong Kong student visa, and HK ID [ if you have ] ~ [ Copies in the consulate are HK$ 1 each page ].
In case you're traveling to Shanghai or Beijing, you must book your flight beforehand and submit a copy of your itinerary along with your documents.
If you're going to Guangzhou, you will need to write down a hotel's address in the form [ they don't require you to book a flight ].
Once you have the application form completed, go for a ticket to submit your docs.
Payment varies by nationalities [ your passport ].
You don't need to pay when you hand the docs in, but when you pick 'em up.
It would normally take 4 business days for processing [ check ]

BoatZilla [ Boat Party ].

It was Saturday and what's better than getting far away from books and enjoying other activities Hong Kong offers. It was Boatzilla! Yep. Boat party. Drinks. Food. Crazy jumps. Salty water. Drunk people. Laughs. Photos. Friends.