WPG vs. HK

I wanted to write a post about the size and population differences of Winnipeg and Hong Kong for a while, but today I am finally posting it. The image below is a map of Hong Kong with map of Winnipeg overlay. I constrained Winnipeg to to the Perimeter Hwy as border to scale the two together. The red portion of the map is Wan Chai District where I live. It has an area which is just a little larger than the University of Manitoba's land [running from pembina hwy to the river]. Wan Chai has around 150,000 people, compared to the 650,000 in all of Winnipeg. You can click on the map for a closer look.

The Stats:

CUT & PASTE

So the digital design tournament was pretty sweet. The crowd was large but un-enthusiastic [maybe the wrong type of crowd for cheering] or it could have been the lack luster performance of the nights MC, who failed to get any type of excitement going, and then announced the wrong winner at the end of the night...ooops. It was really neat to see the skills that some of those artists have, incredible...and soo fast. Here is a link to the results of the night and a couple of pics.

COMPETITION

This weekend I will be attending a graphic design tournament in Kowloon Tong. It is an international event with many world wide venues. This stop, hosted in Hong Kong will see many top Hong Kong graphic designers go head to head in a 15 minute design competition. Their work is projected on large screens and the winners move on to the next round, striving to be crowned champ and get a sweet 23" wacom graphics tablet. If you are interested, check out the link: CUT & PASTE

STANLEY

I took bus number "6X" across the island to Stanley for the afternoon. It is resort like over there, with beaches and boardwalks. Many, many foreigners some vacationing, some which are working here are probably living in posh beach houses instead of living in the city. The have a great little market which had a bunch of stuff that I haven't seen yet. I will probably head back over there to do some christmas shopping. It has mid-20's for the last fews days, so everyone is wearing heavy sweaters and jackets. It seems a bit odd, since I can still feel a little warm in a t-shirt at times. Below are some LOMO shots that I took on my day trip.

JOBS

I found an interesting little article today on finding an Architecture job, and thought many of you would find it as a useful reference. Click here for some Architecture Job Application Hints

CANTONESE 101

Today was my first Cantonese language class. I don't know how anyone can actually learn a second language. I either forget words and/or the pronunciation about three minutes after I learn something new. This will definitely be a challenge for me, but I think that it is an important skill to attempt acquiring. The funniest part of the lesson was when the instructor asked if I knew Mandarin, since apparently I speak with a Mandarin accent.

RIDING THE TRAM

I really like riding the tram. It is my new favourite thing to do.
There is a station just a short walk from my apartment, and for $2HKD [23 cents CAD] I can ride it as far as I want. The tram is a double decker street car and has open windows on the top level. It is great to travel around with the breeze in your face nearly 15 feet above the street. It gives a great new perspective on the street life and people/car/building interactions.

SHENZHEN

Last week I went to Shenzhen for part of a day. I have now finally been to China.

As you can see from the image Shenzhen, which is a SEZ [special economic zone] has grown right up to the edge of Hong Kong's SAR [special administrative region]. The image shows some rice fields on the Hong Kong side, and the small river of water which separates Shenzhen's further growth. There is current talk about the eventual amalgamation of the two cities into a superCity which would have a population of around 25 million residents.

NEW RADIOHEAD

A new Radiohead album was finally released on October 10th, over four excruciatingly long years since their last release. You can download the lovely new songs at www.inrainbows.com Check it out.

MY BUILDING

This is my unit in my building.

12 SQUARE METERS

My furniture arrived, so now I am ready to get to work.
More photos of my building and my views to come shortly on my new Flickr site.

FLAT C ON 6/F FU YUEN BUILDING

... or rather "A" component of flat "C". My apartment was once a larger apartment which has now been divided into 3 smaller apartments. I live in the "A" unit, which may or may not be the smallest of the three. Luckily I have ample sunlight and a view of the street.

My place is located in the district of Wan Chai, not to be confused on the MTR schedule with the district Chai Wan. It is on a heavy pedestrian street, within a short walk to the subway, and surrounded by street markets. I am nearly settled in. My bed and desk will be delivered tomorrow evening, so I can stop working and sleeping on the floor.

NEW LOCATION

View Larger Map

FIRST WEEK

I finally found a place and moved in last night.
It is a tiny little apartment in Wan Chai on Hong Kong island.
More to follow soon.

VAN >> HK

I arrived in Hong Kong at 6:30am Pacific time. The flight was delayed in Vancouver, but the 13hr flight after that went by fairly quickly. After a quick taxi ride to Kowloon, I dropped my bags off and went out for a quick bite. It is now time to sleep as I have been up nearly 24hrs. Tomorrow, HK in daylight, and probably cell phone shopping.

WPG>>VAN departure

After a fun packed weekend of activities, the last "see you later"s were said and I boarded AC0297 at 11:43am heading for Vancouver. Once the throttle was increased and the brakes disengaged, the reality of how I have chosen to spend my final year of architecture school became quickly apparent at a rate of 250 km/h.

As we rose above the harvested fields I looked across the blocky plots and both rejoiced and lamented the frozen winter that I would soon be missing. I settled in for a short nap.

I awoke to the in-flight screening of Pirates of the Caribbean "At World's End", which in the early scenes clearly illustrated the asian situation I will surely encounter upon my arrival on Thursday.

I am currently looking out over the Pacific from a window in UBC's school of architecture, only hours from my breakfast with Michael at the Falafel Place, but already far, far away.