Let's start with the pros:
Hong Kong has delicious Hong Kong food. If you have any interest in Hong Kong food, it is good to go there and enjoy the food. There are also ferries to islands with beautiful views. If that's your thing, do it. Also, cheap shopping.
Cons:
Crowded
Expensive real estate
Workaholic culture
And of course my ultimate deciding factor: zero interest in liking a guy while in Hong Kong.
The end.
Monday, April 2, 2018
Shanghai
I loved Shanghai as a 19-year-old, and I loved it again as a 22-year-old. Let me tell you, shopping in Asia and being able to fit into all the one-size dresses was a dream come true. I loved it.
Shanghai was interesting for me because I fashioned it into what I think was my ideal lifestyle at the time. Consider:
1. Class in the mornings
2. Figure skating, rock climbing, and shopping, 2 times a week
3. Playing pre-school with 4-year olds once a week for spending money
4. Trying out every variation of Shanghainese food, and Chinese food more generally, at every meal
5. Going out with friends all the time, day and night. Karaoke, shopping, food, museums, traveling. The great thing about lots of East Asian cities is that they close around 2AM which means there is delivery until 2AM, and then when things start opening at 6AM you can go out and eat again.
The only flaw with Shanghai was...yup. No guy. This is in my early 20s though, so guys were not yet a big deal. I think it put a damper on my day maybe...10% of the time. Of course if I were to go back as a single person now, it...really wouldn't be so fun. Also, I don't care so much for fashionable clothing or Chinese food anymore. So...would I go back to live? Probably not. Maybe if my future husband wanted to see it.
Shanghai was interesting for me because I fashioned it into what I think was my ideal lifestyle at the time. Consider:
1. Class in the mornings
2. Figure skating, rock climbing, and shopping, 2 times a week
3. Playing pre-school with 4-year olds once a week for spending money
4. Trying out every variation of Shanghainese food, and Chinese food more generally, at every meal
5. Going out with friends all the time, day and night. Karaoke, shopping, food, museums, traveling. The great thing about lots of East Asian cities is that they close around 2AM which means there is delivery until 2AM, and then when things start opening at 6AM you can go out and eat again.
The only flaw with Shanghai was...yup. No guy. This is in my early 20s though, so guys were not yet a big deal. I think it put a damper on my day maybe...10% of the time. Of course if I were to go back as a single person now, it...really wouldn't be so fun. Also, I don't care so much for fashionable clothing or Chinese food anymore. So...would I go back to live? Probably not. Maybe if my future husband wanted to see it.
Abu Dhabi
I have a love-hate relationship with Abu Dhabi.
I love Abu Dhabi because it was completely different from anything I had ever experienced before and it did that while paying me money.
I hated Abu Dhabi because there was nothing for me to do as a single 23-year-old female after 9pm. Nothing. Having recently moved from Los Angeles and Shanghai, this was a total tragedy. I ended up going to the beach and watching the sunset by the Corniche multiple times a week.
Abu Dhabi did have some interesting things going on.
1) Food. As a majority-non-Emirati population lives in the city, there are lots and lots of ethnic cuisines that really are quite good. I learned how to differentiate between multiple kinds of Indian food, had my most authentic Ethiopian food experience, fell madly in love with Saudi knafeh and Lebanese Shawarma, had Syrian ice cream...the list goes on and on.
2) Art. I don't know if I was simply not exposed to enough art and architecture from the region beforehand or if it really was that interesting, but either way, I learned all about rugs, I saw lots of usages of circles and spheres that had never occurred to me, and the general aesthetic was just...very different from what I had ever seen before. It was nice.
Verdict: It would be nice to maybe visit, but I think 11 months was a perfect amount of time for me. I would consider going to Dubai under the right context (aka husband+job) because I would like to learn Arabic at some point but I don't think I will be living in Abu Dhabi again.
I love Abu Dhabi because it was completely different from anything I had ever experienced before and it did that while paying me money.
I hated Abu Dhabi because there was nothing for me to do as a single 23-year-old female after 9pm. Nothing. Having recently moved from Los Angeles and Shanghai, this was a total tragedy. I ended up going to the beach and watching the sunset by the Corniche multiple times a week.
Abu Dhabi did have some interesting things going on.
1) Food. As a majority-non-Emirati population lives in the city, there are lots and lots of ethnic cuisines that really are quite good. I learned how to differentiate between multiple kinds of Indian food, had my most authentic Ethiopian food experience, fell madly in love with Saudi knafeh and Lebanese Shawarma, had Syrian ice cream...the list goes on and on.
2) Art. I don't know if I was simply not exposed to enough art and architecture from the region beforehand or if it really was that interesting, but either way, I learned all about rugs, I saw lots of usages of circles and spheres that had never occurred to me, and the general aesthetic was just...very different from what I had ever seen before. It was nice.
Verdict: It would be nice to maybe visit, but I think 11 months was a perfect amount of time for me. I would consider going to Dubai under the right context (aka husband+job) because I would like to learn Arabic at some point but I don't think I will be living in Abu Dhabi again.
Sao Paulo
I loved Sao Paulo. I loved Sao Paulo so much, and I'm not even sure why. Let me tell you all the problems I had with Sao Paulo.
1. Shops close by 8pm. This is horrible. Do you know how inconvenient it is to get out of work and have nothing to do late at night? No? You have obviously never lived in a crowded East Asian city before. I forgive you.
2. People talk about getting their cars bullet-proofed like it's a normal thing to do. Because it is. Have you ever thought about getting your car bullet-proofed? You see?
3. The food is all sugar and meat based. They add sugar to their hot chocolate and the churrascarias are a heart-attack waiting to happen.
4. The mosquitoes. Oh, the mosquitoes.
5. For some unexplained reason, I was extremely sick in Sao Paulo. Everything was going wrong. An old ankle injury blew up on me. I couldn't breathe properly. My back was dying. Everything was wrong with my body that summer, even as I was mad crushing on a boy.
So...why did I love Sao Paulo?
1. The people were friendly.
2. The food was crazy interesting once I learned how to avoid the sugar and the meat. Vegetarians, you will love the diversity of fruit here.
3. I met a guy (always a plus) and envisioned falling madly in love with him and staying in Sao Paulo for...6 months before wanting to leave. I know. Crazy.
4. I made friends at my pole dancing class.
Would I go back? I don't know. Maybe. The culture was a lot freer than anywhere I have ever been, even in the midst of political and economic turmoil. If I found a job that made sense, I would maybe go again.
1. Shops close by 8pm. This is horrible. Do you know how inconvenient it is to get out of work and have nothing to do late at night? No? You have obviously never lived in a crowded East Asian city before. I forgive you.
2. People talk about getting their cars bullet-proofed like it's a normal thing to do. Because it is. Have you ever thought about getting your car bullet-proofed? You see?
3. The food is all sugar and meat based. They add sugar to their hot chocolate and the churrascarias are a heart-attack waiting to happen.
4. The mosquitoes. Oh, the mosquitoes.
5. For some unexplained reason, I was extremely sick in Sao Paulo. Everything was going wrong. An old ankle injury blew up on me. I couldn't breathe properly. My back was dying. Everything was wrong with my body that summer, even as I was mad crushing on a boy.
So...why did I love Sao Paulo?
1. The people were friendly.
2. The food was crazy interesting once I learned how to avoid the sugar and the meat. Vegetarians, you will love the diversity of fruit here.
3. I met a guy (always a plus) and envisioned falling madly in love with him and staying in Sao Paulo for...6 months before wanting to leave. I know. Crazy.
4. I made friends at my pole dancing class.
Would I go back? I don't know. Maybe. The culture was a lot freer than anywhere I have ever been, even in the midst of political and economic turmoil. If I found a job that made sense, I would maybe go again.
Paris
Hello friends,
If you know me, you will know I've wanted to live in Paris since I was 13. Given that I am now 26, I have spent half my life trying to get to Paris. So...why do I hate it?
Super easy reason. No guy. Yup. That's it. Sure, you can say that it's not really related to Paris. Let me tell you, it is most definitely related to Paris. I have been guy-free for almost two months at this point and let me tell you: I have no idea what to do with my free time, and I am miserable in a way that I have not been in a long time.
I'm not saying Paris is an awful city. In fact, Paris is a great city. I imagine if I had shown up in Paris at 16, or 19, or even 22, I would have loved it.
Consider:
1) Paris loves supporting recreational activities. Museums? Art galleries? You got it. Circus? Cabaret? Ballet? Yes! Affordable, uncrowded skating rinks, rock climbing walls, and swimming pools? Yes!
2) Paris has a lot of interesting food. Traditional bistros? Check. Michelin stars? Check. Ethnic food that tastes good from Southeast Asia and Northern Africa? Check. Delicious seafood? Check. High-quality beef? Check. Amazing food markets? Check.
3) Paris has beautiful architecture and beautiful gardens and beautiful alleys. Everything is beautiful. The pictures do not lie.
So...what's wrong?
Well. I've hit that age in my life (26) where I feel like life should not just be about food and play and pretty things. And...for some reason, living here gives me no joy. It's not the language, it's not the food, it's not anything about it here. My test is always: if I fall madly in love with a guy in this location, will I want to stay? For Paris, it's a no. In fact, I don't even want to fall in love with a guy in Paris. So...that's that.
If you know me, you will know I've wanted to live in Paris since I was 13. Given that I am now 26, I have spent half my life trying to get to Paris. So...why do I hate it?
Super easy reason. No guy. Yup. That's it. Sure, you can say that it's not really related to Paris. Let me tell you, it is most definitely related to Paris. I have been guy-free for almost two months at this point and let me tell you: I have no idea what to do with my free time, and I am miserable in a way that I have not been in a long time.
I'm not saying Paris is an awful city. In fact, Paris is a great city. I imagine if I had shown up in Paris at 16, or 19, or even 22, I would have loved it.
Consider:
1) Paris loves supporting recreational activities. Museums? Art galleries? You got it. Circus? Cabaret? Ballet? Yes! Affordable, uncrowded skating rinks, rock climbing walls, and swimming pools? Yes!
2) Paris has a lot of interesting food. Traditional bistros? Check. Michelin stars? Check. Ethnic food that tastes good from Southeast Asia and Northern Africa? Check. Delicious seafood? Check. High-quality beef? Check. Amazing food markets? Check.
3) Paris has beautiful architecture and beautiful gardens and beautiful alleys. Everything is beautiful. The pictures do not lie.
So...what's wrong?
Well. I've hit that age in my life (26) where I feel like life should not just be about food and play and pretty things. And...for some reason, living here gives me no joy. It's not the language, it's not the food, it's not anything about it here. My test is always: if I fall madly in love with a guy in this location, will I want to stay? For Paris, it's a no. In fact, I don't even want to fall in love with a guy in Paris. So...that's that.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Lifestyle of the Week: Long-term travel, Family Style
This family has been long term traveling since before their kids were born, and their travel blog seeks to inspire and inform others about traveling long-term, even and especially with kids. Their story is in some ways very typical: Caz and Craig met after college, married, and traveled the world. The story deviates after this, because instead of going home and living a "regular" life, they went back to traveling and have been doing so for 16 years. They are currently road tripping across Australia and make money through a combination of free-lance, travel blogging, social media, and tourism partners.
Why I like them:
This couple wanted to travel and made it work. The jobs that they have are not necessarily the jobs that I would want, but they wanted the travel enough to stick with the job.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Honorable Mention Jobs
The following is a list of jobs that people were helpful enough to help me find but that I was unable to find more information on. However, the jobs themselves sounded so intriguing that I simply had to list them somewhere. You are not obligated to believe the existence of these jobs.
Cave diving for bear cubs
Cave diving for bear cubs
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