It's been a while

My God,
Time seems to fly by here. It's been so long since I have had the chance to post. There have been so many crazy things going on, that I don't really know where to begin.
Life on campus is going really well. I am doing all that I can to really live the experience. Those of you that know me understand that I like to become immersed in whatever culture I'm in. I dress and act a lot differently when I am in Boston than I do when I am in New Canaan, New Jersey, California, or Europe (most radical transformation until now). I have come to realize the distinction between what is natural and what is strictly cultural. People who have not had the chance to travel, or those who are very close-minded, often fail to make this distinction and are comforted by labeling what is different as "weird." This is an awful thing.
Anyway, how has my tendency to adapt manifested itself in Hong Kong thus far? Well, I first joined a Puntangua Language exchange in order to begin my study of Mandarin. My roommate and I are working with a Chinese mainland exchange student named Raymond. He is a great guy, and we are learning a lot from him.
I also joined the School of Management soccer team. We have only played one game (against the highly acclaimed Civil Engineering Team), but it was a lot of fun. There were a lot more fans than I would have guessed, and it was fiercely competitive. I was sidelined for a few days afterward, having suffered a nasty turf burn. I guess I was destined to play college soccer after all.
Now, the really fun stuff.... I have taken on the challenge of Chinese Martial Arts. I joined the Wing chum Society here at HUGEST- one of the most respected Wing chum Societies in the world. Wing Chun is a Chinese Martial Art focused on street fighting. The concept is very cool. Basically, it is about speed and conservation of energy. Rather than waste energy swinging really hard for a punch, Wing Chun teaches participants to keep the body relaxed until the point of contact. Once mastered, the result is a much harder punch that devastates the opponent. There is a lot more to it, but that is one of the fundamental principles. Just for the record, I definitely have a Wing Chun uniform that I wear to our bi-weekly two and a half hour practices.
In case Wing Chun doesn't satisfy my urge to learn Chinese Martial Art, I also am taking a Tai Chi class. Tai Chi is the exercise that you often see local residents performing in the parks around here. The health benefits to this regimen are profound, and I am thrilled to be learning an art that I can bring back with me to the States. Special shoes are required... Do I have them? Is that even a question...? Be back soon- when you look in the mirror, you can pretend to be doing cool things like Chinese Martial.