Ten things I have noticed upon returning home (Suzanne)
1. My room has been completely renovated and most of the stuff I didn’t bring to uni has been chucked out.
2. It’s the middle of hot, humid, summer here. And the middle of rainy season. Dear cheese, I hate Hong Kong weather.
3. I have gained 8 pounds/4 kilograms of extra mass over the period of my stay at college.
4. This is roughly equivalent to 30,000 calories, which is roughly equivalent to 250 extra calories a day, which is roughly equivalent to afternoon tea every day.
5. Conclusion: don’t eat afternoon tea; it’ll make you fat.
6. Hooray for a country with decent public transport.
7. I can’t read Chinese anymore. Crap.
8. Hooray for proper bubble tea, sushi that doesn’t contain teriyaki chicken and avocado (I’ve always wondered whether that kind of thing made dead Japanese people roll in their graves), cha siu bao, and lo mei gai. Hooray also for the very cheap cost of eating out.
9. Hooray for the South China Morning Post and interesting politics. (I’m sorry, but Australian political news is pretty boring, unless it’s being spoofed on the Chaser. Fight for universal suffrage, national identity crisis, and the future of democracy in China > partisan bickering over WorkChoices)
10. Unfortunately, no more ease of communication. Someday, in the very distant future, I will learn Cantonese. Really, I will.
Yes JCH! I can’t wait!
Although I was born here in Melbourne, I spent 5 years of my childhood in HK. Hong Kong is a great place to live in for a fraction of your life, but I wouldnt wanna live there for an extended period of time. In terms of lifestyle (in my opinion), Melbourne is so much better. HK is a harsh place for the poor but even for the wealthy I think life isnt that great either. Afterall, you can’t buy natural beauty and serenity.
1. My room has been completely renovated and most of the stuff I didn’t bring to uni has been chucked out.
Same here. I was shocked the other afternoon when a man came to our house wanting to look at…my bed. MY BED?!?!?! My parents are even trying to sell my bed…
3. I have gained 8 pounds/4 kilograms of extra mass over the period of my stay at college.
Same 🙁 I am now trying to work my ass off to get back to my “normal” weight
4. This is roughly equivalent to 30,000 calories, which is roughly equivalent to 250 extra calories a day, which is roughly equivalent to afternoon tea every day.
Yes, my guess is it’s the scones. But there’s no way I can give up scones!!!
8. Hooray for proper bubble tea, sushi that doesn’t contain teriyaki chicken and avocado (I’ve always wondered whether that kind of thing made dead Japanese people roll in their graves), cha siu bao, and lo mei gai. Hooray also for the very cheap cost of eating out.
Well actually, Michael took a group of us to this place on Swanston street that does real Taiwanese bubble tea! He swears by it. None of that powdery crap. And did you know that Rica is allergic to avocado? We always wonder why every single roll in melbourne has to contain avocado.
Ooh, yes, I’ve been to that one with Michael too. Bubble tea there is very good, actually probably better than all the Taiwanese bubble tea chainstores here, cos that place uses fancy tea. But it’s about half the price here, and the ones here have better snacks and desserts to serve with the bubble tea, so generally they’re nicer for hanging out in if you’re not planning to be a bubble tea connoiseur 🙂