Phew! What a time it has been lately here! So, as an update, my speech was anything but successful during the contest. In the military we commonly say, “proper planning prevents piss-poor performance” or “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. This was exactly the case during that time but I know to better prepare myself in the future.
On the bright side, shortly thereafter we began our study trip around cities/special autonomous regions around southern China. Our first stop was in Shenzhen. To be honest, from what others had told me, I thought Shenzhen would just be a totally urban sprawl of factories and little else. Upon arrival, I was pleasantly surprised that it is still not quite so large like Shanghai. There are plenty of trees, parks, and a lively, young population.
There we visited a park where at the top was a statue of Deng Xiaoping. Atop that hill there were plenty of people catching a glimpse of the city (it’s not often you can look down on skyscrapers), people taking pictures with the statue of Deng Xiaoping (as well as with us), and even one or two elderly men that were doing calligraphy on the ground with a sponge-like brush and water! Oh what I would give to be able to write like they can…
Next stop! Hong Kong. I have been to Hong Kong previously but it’s an interesting place and probably one of the most diverse places I have been to. In the Science and Technology Park we observed and learned about many fascinating subjects such as modern living, fiber optic, and more. After Hong Kong, we took a ferry to Macau and I went to a casino and gambled for the first time in my life; on the night of the Marine Corps Birthday no less! I double my money there so all-in-all I would say it was a great night. The Venetian was incredibly massive and elegant. Our hotel, Harbourview Hotel, was just as incredible and one of the nicest hotels I have stayed in.
The following morning we headed to Zhuhai and spent the last bit of our time relaxing in the hot springs at Zhongshan Hot Spring Resort (which was much needed and there couldn’t be a better way to end your trip). We had some company and museums visits as well. One startup company was similar to kickstarter except that the investor would receive their money back on top of their other incentives if the project was successful eno
ugh. Getting to learn some of Hong Kong’s policies in terms of tax and how they prefer to govern was very enlightening as well. I believe it assists small businesses (although it does seem to be crowded with large ones as a tax haven) and minimizes interference in the everyday lives of most citizens.