After some weird comments of several persons I want to ensure you that I’m NOT pregnant. It’s only the wind that gives this impression.

As a prospective mathematician I would put it this way:

wind + new top = AT as a balloon

When I went swimming yesterday morning, I wondered why it was so unusually windy. Then, in my ODE-lessons (Ordinary Differential Equations) I found the answer. Chrystal — my friend from Hong Kong — told me that there was a typhoon approaching Hong Kong.

It was my first typhoon, that’s why I was a little excited how it would be to stand out a typhoon. So I asked for some surviving tips. She told me that if the typhoon was called number 8, than all restaurants and shops on campus will be closed — except McDonnald’s — and that I should increase my stock of instant noodles. Another tips was that I should pay attention to the windows, because if there is havy rain, they will leak. But I don’t have to worry as long as my room wasn’t at the end of the corridor — what it however was.

In the afternoon the wind became stronger. We had a very good view at the sea from the bridge, the water was flared up and many students took photos of the waves….me, too. Then I thought it was time to go to Parknshop (the supermarket) — unfortunately, the hole university had the same idea. I’ve never been in such a situation before. It resembled a TV report about the German seasonal sales, where people were hustling to get the last T-shirt of the shop.

The typhoon itself was dissapointing — or should I say it luckily didn’t make any big damages? No heavy rain, no collapsing trees, no flying garbage cans…only wind. So I’m awaiting the next REAL typhoon.

Anh Thu

This time I want to write about the REAL important things: the studies….although there are some students who were claiming that the exchange semester is mainly half a year vacation ;)

University life at UST differs very much from that at TUM. Here are the things I like most:

• the amazing campus with its huge number of recreation activity offers
• the outdoor swimming pool: big, at the sea, warm water, in the morning mostly not crowded
• lecture halls with cushioned seats, which give you a feeling as if you were in the cinema
• the variety of restaurants which very tasty food at a reasonable price — however I was told that the UST has the highest prices among the universities in Hong Kong

Things I don’t like are:

• the online registration system of the school of science: there is a limited number of places for every course, so if you’re not lucky (and fast) you can’t get all the courses you want to take
• the big queues in front of the elevators
• math classes held with beamer

Things which are similar to TUM:

• leaking glass roofs
• if the air-condition is switched on in summer, then it’s usually too cold
• promotion offers at the beginning of the semester — however the so called “MEGA-sell” here is much bigger and it offers besides offers from banks also other products like clothed, acessoires, pens, food …. at a reduced price

Things which are different:

• the earliest lessons begin at 9 am, timeslots are fixed so that there’re always at least 10 minutes between two lectures
• one lecture takes usually 80 minutes (double) or 50 minutes (single)
• in math-courses there are not only math-students, so that the number of proofs differs against zero not to mention the notation errors
• you have to be prepared to write quizzies, like in school, midterm-exams and endterm-exams
• marks are given not only on basis of your final exam, but also with regard to homework point, other examinations and the performance of your fellow student — so that if they all screw up, you will get better grades

This is my first entry written on my iPod Touch, because my laptop hasn’t arrived yet. Although I’m quite used to the touch keyboard, it still takes me more time to write my text because of the auto-corrector which thinks everytime I write “my” I meant “ms”.

Now to the main topic of this day: the fire alarm at my (and there it goes again — ms) student housing hall (Undergraduate Hall 1 — because branding is very important) was tested. In the last days you could read the notes informing about this event, however it only mentioned a time slot so nobody knew when it would be. Finally, the event was today evening around 10 pm. It’s a pity that I missed it. I got to know it when I saw a crowd assembling in front of the hall, where the assembling point was suppose to be. But this wasn’t the worst part of the story, but the fact that I couldn’t get through to my hall, because they blocked the bridge — the link between Hall II (where I was) and Hall I ( where I wanted to go to).

Luckily, I’m now back in my room, nothing is missing I suppose and that’s why I can report this adventure to you with a smile.

Anh Thu

Yesterday there was the mid-autumn-festival in Hong Kong — and some other Asian countries as well.

We were invited by our hostparents to join the family dinner, so we could learn something about how Hong Kong people celebrate this day. Tradional food is moon cakes with different flavours and pomelos. After dinner people go on the streets or in parks to meet friends or play candle games — however I still don’t know exactly how that works. It seems that little children have lots of fun, running around and glowing neon sticks, which replace the tradional toys and lanterns.

My festive mood was supported by an orange lantern I got (for free) at Yoshinoya (Japanese fast food chain — but way better than American fast food chains, which name I don’t want to post)…hehe. By the way it’s a very nice decoration and my room becomes a little more comfortable.

Anh Thu

It´s my first time living and studying in Asia. And it is a whole different from Germany. I think the thing I like most is that I get to know so many people here.

Against all experiences from other students who were at UST I´m getting along with the local students really well — way better than with the exchange students. It might be the fact that I look like a Chinese, so everybody tries to speak Cantonese to me first and then realizing that I didn´t understand anything… (that so funny). Thanks to that and facebook I got to know so many nice girls and I hope that we can become really good friends.

But it seems to me that I´m the only one who has this experience. The other exchange-students stay in their group of foreigners — what a pity. But fortunately, it´s not my problem at all.

I´m looking forward to my appointment with Ebe (and maybe some other girls) next week. The buddy program is great! If you´re going to UST sometime you have to apply for it. Most buddies are so helpful and it´s the easiest way to get to know local students, so try. And if you´re lucky, you´ll get more than only one buddy.

See you next time.

Anh Thu

Hi everybody!

This is my first time I’m writing on a blog. It is to give you some insight of my life at the HKUST: housing, studies, social life and my trips in Asia.

I use English as I think that I’ve to improve my English. To those who don’t like this language (I’m thinking of a very special person now :p ) I think that it is a win-win situation for us. I can get better and you can get used to English. If I’ll have time, maybe I also post some blog entries in German as well as Vietnamese.

I hope that I can post as many entries as possible. I think my blog situation will improve once I get my MacBook and my iPod Touch so I don’t need the computer hall of the UST anymore. And maybe I’ll get used to the English keyboard style some day.

So, let’s have fun together.

Anh Thu