Cross Border Crime, Government in Hong Kong, and a Field Trip to Stanley Marketplace

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Today we had a traditional Chinese breakfast, it was much different than breakfast in Beijing. In Beijing we had vegetables, fried items, and bao's. Breakfast in Hong Kong had various types of noodles. So far, Hong Kong breakfast is my favorite.

The Hong Kong Institute of Technology had two lectures today for the international summer school. The first lecture was about international crime. The lecturer described what international crime was, and the types that occur specifically mentioning the types of crime that occur in Hong Kong and Macau. The second lecture was fascinating. I enjoyed hearing the differences between government in the United States and Hong Kong. I did not know that the Head of State is not popularly elected in Hong Kong, however, since the handover of Hong Kong, the government has actually become more democratic in its elections. The lecturer also described "one country, two systems" and the 50 years of no change that is occurring.

Our field trip to Stanley Marketplace was enlightening, and a good way to see another area of Hong Kong. Located on the Southern Hong Kong Island, the bay was very deep and we were able to see cruise ships and container ships. A few students actually went swimming in the warm water, and learned first hand about the landscape of Hong Kong. There were many rocks, barnicles, and sea urchins. We did a little bit of shopping and I got a few nice items to remind me of my trip to Hong Kong. I also had dinner with a few classmates. We decided to have western food on this trip. Pizza! While Stanley was more expensive than the Silk Market, it was still cheaper than the United States.

I am looking forward to our lecture on education tomorrow.

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