Thursday, April 9, 2009
Michelle Bouman@CityU, HK (from Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands) 23-27 March 2009
Monday, 23 March 2009
I had a class at 9.30 – Economies of Asia and the Pacific. Every week a group gives a country risk presentation about a country in Asia, this week it was Vietnam. After that I went to the library to find some information from some interesting books for an essay. The Garden café was loaded and I had sandwich for lunch and read the Microsoft case for the managing Chinese organisation course.
At 13.30 I met my groupmate, another exchange student and we worked on the paper till around 16.00 and then I went to my room to sent some emails, write a letter for a very good friend in the Netherlands who turns 21 this weekend.
Before my class started at 19.30, I met some other Dutch girls so we had a nice. I found it very hard to be concentrated for 3 hours at such a time so I didn’t pay much attention to it. After class I rushed to festival walk to do some last shoppings and then I went to the residence, to skype, write the diary and prepare my presentation for the next day.
During shopping I am often surprised by some products, for example this watermelon! 2888 HK dollar for a watermelon!??!! Maybe the taste is even AWFUL!
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
I had to wake up early because I had class at 8.30 – Japanese management. It was raining VERY heavily! So I was looking for an umbrella for 10 minutes, my room is so small, I don’t have that much stuff, but still I lose everything!
Japanese management is my favourite class of this semester and actually it’s the most interesting course I have ever taken. Japan is such an interesting country, especially for business. In the beginning of the semester I really had to get used to the 3 hours lectures. In my university, lectures take maximum 2 hours. But this course is very lively, so it doesn’t feel like 3 hours. Every week a group gives a news presentation. This week it was our turn. Together with another exchange student and two local students, we prepared some news about Japan; the main theme was education and we told about for example of a teaching robot and the popularity of Manga study books in Japan.
After that I had a break, had some lunch and met some other exchange students. In the afternoon I had another class; culture crime and media. Also a very nice course, where we watch a lot of movies!
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
My class started at 9.30, I couldn’t wake up so I really had to hurry, (There are SO many stairs, if you are in a hurry) and arrived in time! The class is about changing social structures in south East Asia, very interesting but since it’s a course of the social science department, it’s sometimes hard. Especially the readings of this course are intensive. After that I had a lunch with Karolina and went to the Hung Hom station to get my visa for China. Unfortunately, the international office of the City University had advised me to apply at the Hung Hom station for the visa, so I had to pay the double amount of what you should pay for a visa.
In the evening I had a group meeting with my Chinese management group. We had to wrap up the separate parts and write the analysis together. After some hours work, we almost finished the group project.
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Stress, stress and more stress. I realised I didn’t get a confirmation of the ticket I booked at the internet a few days before. So I didn’t know my ticket was booked or not. I had a lecture about economies of Asia and the Pacific and during that lecture I just couldn’t wait to call the airline. I tried to call them in the break but they weren’t open yet.
Sometimes I am a bit surprised by the opening hours in Hong Kong, shops open very late compared to Holland. In here, some shops don’t even open till lunch time! So I was a bit frustrated when I tried to call, since I STILL didn’t figure out what BUSINESS hours are in Hong Kong. After trying to call them for more than an hour, I spoke to a lady who told me my ticket was automatically cancelled after the booking. So my flight, which would be the next day wasn’t booked!
Late in the afternoon I had a group meeting to prepare a presentation. In the evening I went out for a run.
Friday, 27 March 2009
After thinking and thinking, I decided to book the ticket again so I went to the office of the airline in Tsim Tsa Tsui and booked a ticket for the same day!
During the day I did some school work, packed my stuff, charged everything, etc. and called my mum. In the evening I had dinner with Emilia, and after that I took the bus to the airport and took a plane to the Philippines!
I safely arrived in Cebu, I took a cab to my hostel and on my way I saw a very big car accident. My taxi driver was also driving like crazy so I paid some more attention to the cross and other religious items in his car and made a little prayer myself that nothing would happen to us. When I arrived at the hostel at 4am, nobody opened the door. After bumping the door for 10 minutes, a guy woke up and I could go to bed. After that I had a lovely week in the Philippines! The philipinos were all friendly and interested, the beaches were beautiful, the landscape was amazing, the weather was quite good and I just totally relaxed after some busy weeks at the uni!
I had a class at 9.30 – Economies of Asia and the Pacific. Every week a group gives a country risk presentation about a country in Asia, this week it was Vietnam. After that I went to the library to find some information from some interesting books for an essay. The Garden café was loaded and I had sandwich for lunch and read the Microsoft case for the managing Chinese organisation course.
At 13.30 I met my groupmate, another exchange student and we worked on the paper till around 16.00 and then I went to my room to sent some emails, write a letter for a very good friend in the Netherlands who turns 21 this weekend.
Before my class started at 19.30, I met some other Dutch girls so we had a nice. I found it very hard to be concentrated for 3 hours at such a time so I didn’t pay much attention to it. After class I rushed to festival walk to do some last shoppings and then I went to the residence, to skype, write the diary and prepare my presentation for the next day.
During shopping I am often surprised by some products, for example this watermelon! 2888 HK dollar for a watermelon!??!! Maybe the taste is even AWFUL!Tuesday, 24 March 2009
I had to wake up early because I had class at 8.30 – Japanese management. It was raining VERY heavily! So I was looking for an umbrella for 10 minutes, my room is so small, I don’t have that much stuff, but still I lose everything!Japanese management is my favourite class of this semester and actually it’s the most interesting course I have ever taken. Japan is such an interesting country, especially for business. In the beginning of the semester I really had to get used to the 3 hours lectures. In my university, lectures take maximum 2 hours. But this course is very lively, so it doesn’t feel like 3 hours. Every week a group gives a news presentation. This week it was our turn. Together with another exchange student and two local students, we prepared some news about Japan; the main theme was education and we told about for example of a teaching robot and the popularity of Manga study books in Japan.
After that I had a break, had some lunch and met some other exchange students. In the afternoon I had another class; culture crime and media. Also a very nice course, where we watch a lot of movies!
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
My class started at 9.30, I couldn’t wake up so I really had to hurry, (There are SO many stairs, if you are in a hurry) and arrived in time! The class is about changing social structures in south East Asia, very interesting but since it’s a course of the social science department, it’s sometimes hard. Especially the readings of this course are intensive. After that I had a lunch with Karolina and went to the Hung Hom station to get my visa for China. Unfortunately, the international office of the City University had advised me to apply at the Hung Hom station for the visa, so I had to pay the double amount of what you should pay for a visa.In the evening I had a group meeting with my Chinese management group. We had to wrap up the separate parts and write the analysis together. After some hours work, we almost finished the group project.
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Stress, stress and more stress. I realised I didn’t get a confirmation of the ticket I booked at the internet a few days before. So I didn’t know my ticket was booked or not. I had a lecture about economies of Asia and the Pacific and during that lecture I just couldn’t wait to call the airline. I tried to call them in the break but they weren’t open yet.Sometimes I am a bit surprised by the opening hours in Hong Kong, shops open very late compared to Holland. In here, some shops don’t even open till lunch time! So I was a bit frustrated when I tried to call, since I STILL didn’t figure out what BUSINESS hours are in Hong Kong. After trying to call them for more than an hour, I spoke to a lady who told me my ticket was automatically cancelled after the booking. So my flight, which would be the next day wasn’t booked!
Late in the afternoon I had a group meeting to prepare a presentation. In the evening I went out for a run.
Friday, 27 March 2009
After thinking and thinking, I decided to book the ticket again so I went to the office of the airline in Tsim Tsa Tsui and booked a ticket for the same day!During the day I did some school work, packed my stuff, charged everything, etc. and called my mum. In the evening I had dinner with Emilia, and after that I took the bus to the airport and took a plane to the Philippines!
I safely arrived in Cebu, I took a cab to my hostel and on my way I saw a very big car accident. My taxi driver was also driving like crazy so I paid some more attention to the cross and other religious items in his car and made a little prayer myself that nothing would happen to us. When I arrived at the hostel at 4am, nobody opened the door. After bumping the door for 10 minutes, a guy woke up and I could go to bed. After that I had a lovely week in the Philippines! The philipinos were all friendly and interested, the beaches were beautiful, the landscape was amazing, the weather was quite good and I just totally relaxed after some busy weeks at the uni!
Labels: 2008/2009 Semester B
Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]