My Lost in Translation #5: Karen

{When I stumbled upon Blog Goggles, I instantly fell in love with Karen's entries about life as an expat in Hong Kong. She reminds me a lot of myself when I was in Seoul, and I can relate. I'm quite fascinated with HK, and I definitely want to go now after reading Karen's entry. I'm loving the pandas, and the boats- thanks for sharing some great pictures and thoughts! Make sure you stop by her blog for more great finds.}

Hi there,

When Vivian asked me to do a guest post about my expat life in Hong Kong, all I could think was how much there is to say. Luckily, lists make everything better. As I approach my first anniversary of living in HK, here are the five things I love about life here and the five things I miss most about the U.S. Though, to be fair, the "things I love" list could be a lot, lot longer. Thanks for reading!

Five things I love about Hong Kong


What can I say? Neon lights and tall buildings get me every time. Maybe it was growing up in a small town (with only one escalator) but cities are amazing - and Hong Kong's skyline is unparalleled.


Hong Kong is more than a city - it's also a tiny island. Luckily, this means lots of boats. Renting a junk boat for the day with 20 of your closest friends, sailing to a deserted beach, and eating til you burst is one of our favorite pasttimes. Oh, and it's super cheap.


These big guys are fascinating in person. Hong Kong has several pandas in the local Ocean Park and I could watch them all day.


Though my boyfriend laments the loss of his car on a daily basis, I couldn't be happier without one. The city is small enough that I walk most of the time, but public transportation is efficient, easy, and on time. Not to mention that taxis are the cheapest things ever.


LKF is expat party central - a few city blocks in the center of town lined with bars. Like Bourbon or 6th, the streets are closed to cars and drinking is allowed outside. All combined, it's a great party atmosphere just about every night of the week (not that I visit quite so frequently).

Five things I miss about the U.S.


Leaving him was definitely the hardest part about my decision to come to Hong Kong. Luckily, he's become completely spoiled living with my parents, so I know he's happy.


I feel uniquely American every time I eat out here in HK. While I am addicted to Diet Coke and require several daily, people here just don't drink much soda. So not only is soda expensive (not much around), but the servings are tiny. And refills are not free. Don't they realize refills are a civil right?

Note: drinking tap water also falls into this category.


To say that I'm an Obama fan is an understatement. When his win was announced, I was partying in my apartment, by myself. None of my (mostly Canadian) expat friends really cared. A happy (but sad) moment.


Not only do my favorite stores not have outlets in Hong Kong, but most don't even ship here. J. Crew, I'm looking at you.


Hong Kong television is awful, though part of this might be because it's not in English. In order to keep up with my favorite shows, I've become an iTunes addict (because Hulu, etc are blocked in China). It's a little thing, but I miss being able to sit down at any point of the day, turn on the TV, and know I'll find something I like.

*Image 1, Image 4, Image 7, Image 10