Sorry it’s been so long since my last post! I’ve been super
busy and my time here is going by so fast, I can’t believe it!
So far everything is wonderful and I’m loving my classes!
I’ve had some really great experiences in each of them and I’m so grateful for
all the opportunities I’ve had so far.
One of the most exciting things I’ve gotten to do was go on
two difference site trips for my History of Religions in China class. On the
first, we went to a Zoroastrian prayer hall and cemetery. This was a really unique opportunity because Zoroastrianism has become such a small religion that there aren't many prayer halls like this around. The main priest was very kind to invite us
there. He told us a few facts about the religion and their basic beliefs, and
then said a prayer over us in Ancient Persian. The prayer hall and cemetery were both very
beautiful, but out of respect I didn’t take any pictures inside! Here are some photos of the entrance :)
On the second site trip we went to two Buddhist monasteries (one rural and one the largest in Hong Kong), a Chinese ancestral hall, a combined Buddhist/Taoist temple, a temple for the sea goddess Tin Hau, and a Catholic church.
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| These are special long-burning incense rings in the Taoist temple. If they are left undisturbed they can burn for a month or longer. People light them in honor of family members who have passed away. |
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| It was really special to be able to visit one of the small rural monasteries. Most of them in mainland China have closed, so Hong Kong is one of the only places left where you can visit one like this. The atmosphere was definitely different than the larger temples that visitors usually go to. |
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| This monastery is famous for the calligraphy and inscriptions you can see hanging above the arches. |
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| This is an alter to Tin Hau, the sea goddess. There is one large statue and one portable statue that can be taken to festivals for different gods and goddesses throughout the year, as a symbol of Tin Hau's presence at these gatherings as a guest. |
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| Most of the alters had offerings of flowers, fresh fruit, and incense. |
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| These are two models of boats outside the Tin Hau temple, each built as offerings of thanks to the goddess after rescue from a shipwreck. |
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| This is the entrance to the ancestral hall we visited. It was elaborately decorated to show off the riches of the family whose ancestors are represented here. |
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| Each of the tablets in the background represents one of the ancestors of the family. They can be pulled out and opened up to reveal information about that specific person's life. (You need special permission to do this of course!) |
The rest of my classes have also been very exciting! In my global citizenship class we did a unit on food justice, and on the final day everyone brought in a dish that they made out of local and organic foods. I got to visit one of the farmers' markets in Hong Kong to buy some ingredients, and we ended up bringing a kiwi banana salad:
This course also has a service learning portion, and for it I signed up to work with a local agency that advocates for the rights of migrant domestic helpers in Hong Kong. I've already learned so much and I have a lot to share about it, so I'm going to save it for another post coming soon :)
