HK Architecture

So, I figured since I skipped out on a week of blogging, I better make it up by doing another one closer to my last post :) This weekend was quite eventful as I visited another lantern exhibit for the Mid-Autumn Festival, went to the Ladies Market again, and explored the Chi Lin Nunnery and Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple. Friday night, I went to East Tsim Sha Tsui (right by the water) to see a lantern exhibit. I expected the exhibit to be larger, but I still really enjoy looking at all of the lanterns when they are lit up. I really like visiting East Tsim Sha Tsui as well since it's right on the water & the view of the skyline is very relaxing and beautiful.

*Lantern of an artist!

Saturday, I went to the Ladies Market again to get some Christmas gifts out of the way, but I only bought a few as I'm still thinking about what to get some people! It's really funny how you can bargain with the stall owners here. They tell you the price, you say "no", and as you walk away, they will scream at you & continue to decrease the price as the seconds tick by. So, advice if you ever come to Hong Kong, never pay the price that they offer first as you can get it to come down significantly! I was also excited to have found lime green Converses for $25 US at Fa Yuen Street, a street full of gym shoes & sport clothing. That was such a good deal!

*City skyline, so pretty :)

Today, Sara, Anna S., and I went to see the Chi Lin Nunnery and Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple. I really enjoyed the Chi Lin Nunnery, especially during the path to get there (Nan Lian Garden) with its streams and waterfalls. You weren't supposed to take pictures of the nunnery, but I still did even after getting yelled at twice, haha! They didn't confiscate my camera, so I figured it was okay. The nunnery is gorgeous. The architecture really amazes me here with the curved up roofs & intricate details. After the nunnery, we visited the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple. It was a quick visit as we weren't allowed to go into the actual temple for some reason, but the architecture on the temple was stunning as well. It has the same curved up roof, but the colors on the temple of green, red, blue, and yellow really stuck out compared to the nunnery's brown color. At the temple, there is also a row of about 30 fortune tellers. You go into a little office & they will read your hand & face in order to tell you about your future when it comes to love, your job, etc. We wanted to do it, but it was quite pricy, so we opted against it.

*Chi Lin Nunnery

*Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple

Classes are still going pretty well. They are much less demanding than my one's at Butler & I already have mid-terms in like a month, which is crazy! Sometimes I feel like a walking dictionary because if some of the students don't understand an English word, the professor will always be like, "Alexa, can you explain what this means" - I don't mind, but some words are just hard to explain, haha! Well, I think that's all for now. I leave for Beijing on Thursday & am so excited! Definitely expect a post and lots of pictures when I return! Until next time - love & miss you all!

Link to new pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2092750&id=1490346167&l=00fa56084c