In Hong Kong I had an American craft beer subscription that brought two six packs of miscellaneous American imports, mostly from the west coast or Hawaii, to my door once a month. This saved me from the monotony of cases of Carlsberg or PBR or Tsing Tao at the grocery store, and was less expensive... Continue Reading →
It is finally over. There are flowers out; our balcony garden is sprouting; I can go running in shorts and a t-shirt. The thaw started in earnest in March, but April has started to get genuinely warm. Plants, no longer terrified of the sudden surprise cold snap that could destroy their spring buds, have begun... Continue Reading →
Shocking fact about America: vacations usually are planned more than 2 weeks in advance. While living in Hong Kong, we would watch our emails for “Cathay Fanfares” in the hopes of snagging a flight to the Philippines, or Siem Reap, or Bali, or Kyoto, or Taipei for the weekend for a mere 100USD. Once a... Continue Reading →
You don't have to have a car in Chicago, but it helps. My first day in the city (and subsequent days in the city), I used public transportation to get everywhere, as I have done in every other city in which I've lived. It worked fabulously, cheaply, and with great character. The rattling trains and overground... Continue Reading →
I can talk to everyone, or it feels like I can talk to everyone. It can get overwhelming sometimes, distracting even. When you live in a country and you don’t know the language beyond 25 words/phrases (food items, numbers, sports cheers, elementary greetings) you cannot talk to everyone. The extent of my interaction with a... Continue Reading →
I had a 7 hour layover in Vancouver, so I went downtown to sit outside and write, then ambled to a brewery pub for dinner. It was August, and I ate outside. I had a good meal and a nice beer. The waitress was fairly slow; I sat at my table with a menu, by... Continue Reading →
Over the last three years I spent 2 weeks in the USA, my country of citizenship. This meant I always received news from afar: reading news and talking to friends and family. The reality of life in the States was always remote. I didn't experience broadcast TV, the price of gas, talking with strangers or... Continue Reading →
After moving to Chicago in August, I am currently on a three week vacation in Hong Kong, where I obviously spent the previous two years. I'm enjoying HK again in all its overcrowded, overpriced, beautiful glory. People walk the pace of a terrapin, ads assail all your senses, and you can take the bus to beautiful... Continue Reading →
The Chinese Opera is feared, mocked, and sometimes reviled. Everyone will tell you not to go, they’ll get a look of terror in their eyes, and say, “Why?! It’s awful!” You should ignore them. If they have seen it, they have an experience you lack, and if they haven’t seen it, they are just speaking... Continue Reading →
I splurged last weekend, and it was completely worth it. We spent the weekend in the Grand Hyatt, and never left the building. We did a small escape from stress of work/life/relocation by heading over to the Hyatt for a staycation. This hotel happens to have a special deal for HKID holders called "8-2-8": $828 per... Continue Reading →
A repatriated American, living in Chicago for the first time, occasionally writing about it.
jamielynnwaters 