Observations of a serial expat now in Hong Kong. Four international moves and I still enjoy gawking at (and sometimes still being the cause of) cultural collisions. Join me in my search for both the absurd and the inspirational sides of expat life. There are always hard days (months!), but it’s a hell of a ride and I feel lucky to have had the chance.
Me: American (Seattle/Salt Lake City). Civic-minded, but also cynical, (non-practicing) lawyer. Have had the good fortune to live abroad in Zhuhai, China; Groningen, Netherlands; Cambridge, UK; and Hong Kong. In my former life, working for a good-hearted NGO, I spent time in India, Rwanda, Angola, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, China and Mexico. Once also roamed around the usual places as a curious, backpacked youth.
The comics: I use Strip Generator to make my comics. It’s pretty “drag and drop”-dead easy, although infuriatingly, you can’t edit after the fact…
Curious about the older posts? To check out my older comics, missives and expat book recommendations have a browse through my index.
Awards! I’m delighted to have been “Freshly Pressed” by WordPress and to have been nominated for several blogging awards. Have a peek here for the details.
Contact: I prefer comments, but can also be reached at jenniferamybrown@gmail.com
You will enjoy Hong Kong very much! Thanks for following my blog!
Liked your pics of HK and other posts on life in Beijing. How did you ever take that moving picture on your bike? Thanks for the follow back.
Hi
I have nominated you for an an award. See my post here:
http://expatalien.com/2012/04/25/an-award/
Cheers!
Thank you very much Expat Alien! I also enjoyed being introduced to the other bloggers you nominated. So many interesting people out there; nice that we can all meet up on-line. Now I have to think about seven interesting things to share about myself…
That shouldn’t be too hard!
Hi – it may be too much, but I also nominated you for a Liebster Award! Wanted to let you know I especially enjoy your posts on language. For details, you can see below.
http://zhongguojumble.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/ive-been-nominated-for/
Best!
Thanks! Glad you’ve enjoyed my language posts. I’ve had a rough week in an empty house in a new neighborhood, so a few nice boosts are exactly what I needed!
Hi! I’ve just discovered your blog from another expat one and am so enthralled with all your writing / posts! We lived in Korea last year and will return at the end of this year to live the expat life. Your blog is so insightful and inspiring, thank you!!
Great to hear and glad you’re enjoying it! Where have you been an expat before? Sounds like you’re heading to Korea later this year? Exciting!
You guessed it! We (my husband and I) taught English in Korea last year and will go back to our jobs there again at the end of this year
Interesting blog!
Thanks! I was very interested to read about your son and his own conflicted feelings about where he is “from” and where he feels “at home.” My kids are very young right now, but it’s interesting to have some insight into the future…
What is it they say… Little children, small problems. Big children, heartbreak!
)
(I actually have nothing to complain about
I loved what you wrote in your ‘chameleon post’ children learn to adapt, before we even find the post office… Oh, how true that is!
Love your blog so much that I nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger Award. Stop by and see me for all the details!
Thanks very much Anni!
And another award! I have nominated you for the Sunshine Award. You can see my post here: http://expatiallymexico.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/sunshine-award/
I saw you were featured today on The Daily Post! Looks like others enjoy reading your blog as much as I do. Congrats!
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2012/09/20/focus-on-expat-life-blogs/
Hey cool! Thanks for letting me know. I had absolutely no idea.
Just stopped by to say congrats for being featured on the daily post/ expat life blog feature! From your comment above, just wondering if you got to see the actual email. I can forward it to you if you like
I’d love to see it and have a copy. Thanks very much! A nice end to the week.
Pingback: Lostnchina’s One Year Anniversary « lostnchina
Hi there. Congratulations on your new award: http://expatalien.com/2012/11/20/blog-of-the-year-thanksgiving/
A lovely pre-Thanksgiving surprise! Thanks very much Expat Alien.
I just moved home to California from Hong Kong. Life is so different here! I hope to be an expat again before long; will be following your blog!
Ah the expat flip-side: reverse culture shock. One day I’ll have to face up to it… For the time being, I remain in denial.
Nice to “meet” you and thanks for stopping by!
I’ve just nomintated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award – congratulations! If you would like to accept, you can follow this link to see the post and learn more about the rules for this award: http://expatiallymexico.wordpress.com/2012/12/02/yay-its-very-inspiring-blogger-award-time/
Thank you for inspiring me!
Hi Kristin and thanks very much!
Hi there! I’ve also nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award
Your blog is always inspiring and creative. Thank you!
http://petroleumwife.com/2012/12/03/very-inspiring-blogger-award/
Got started with your blog on the nunnery then explored and found myself here. Also a serial expat, I lived in Repulse Bay for 6 years – left in 2011 for Switzerland. If you’re interested in heritage issues, I would love to chat with you about Adventures in Preservation sometime.
Jamie
I’ve also just gone over to the Adventures in Preservation blog and website and had a poke around. Very interesting to learn about your group and it’s preservation activities!
Since you lived in Repulse Bay, any thoughts on future projects in greater China?
As a lawyer by training, I’d also be interesting to know how (and whether) you get involved in the legal side of historic designation and preservation.
Cheers,
Jen
Glad you finding us interesting! For every story I read about a preservation in China, I read one about the devastating loss of the country’s heritage, which is sad. There are some very interesting projects going on – do you know the Linden Centre, but then I think about the mass destruction of the hutongs in advance of the Olympics and it makes me want to cry!
AiP doesn’t get involved with many of the legal aspects of preservation. We’ve helped with National Register listings, non-profit support, etc as follow-ons to projects, but at this point, when we get a project now, its status is generally already confirmed. We have had a couple fabulous potential projects fall through due to family squabbles and legal issues – but we steer clear and have our local project partners work though it since we are not lawyers.
Out of curiosity, where are you living now? Feel free to em me – would love to keep chatting!
Jamie
Will email you. Right now I live in the NT, in greater Tai Po.
Hello there!
I was looking through the web about ‘Seattle vs. Hong Kong’ in terms of affordability, weather etc and I came across your blog! (lovely photos by the way, really shows the exciting and buzzing nature of Hong Kong) Anyways, my son is planning to study in Seattle in the next few years and I just want to ask if the weather’s similar? I’ve heard that Seattle rains a lot and pretty humid but the humidity does not feel the same in Hong Kong where it’s sticky and cloggy. Any help will be greatly
The weather is not really that similar. While it very rarely snows, it is generally much, much cooler than Hong Kong. Few people have air conditioning at home, but everyone has central heat. It does rain quite a bit, but doesn’t have the big, dramatic rainfall and thunderstorms like Hong Kong. It’s more of a constant drizzle. But August and September can be gloriously sunny and beautiful. I’d also say Seattle is nowhere near as humid as Hong Kong (for example I never ever had mold grow on my shoes like I have here). Hope that helps! Seattle is a really interesting, dynamic city and a great place to spend some time.
Hi again, I’ve heard alot about the ‘Seattle Freeze’, are people there really that unsociable? Also, do you have any tips to deal with the gloominess? My son really wants to study at Udub but I’m afraid he’ll get depressed because of the weather. Any help will be greatly appreciated !
Seattle-folks do tend to “keep to themselves” but if he’s in a graduate program, he should easily make friends through the university. I first moved to Seattle to attend law school at the UW and many of my friends are people I met through school.
As for the gloominess, I never found it so terrible in Seattle. Yes, it’s rainy, but there are long stretches of rainy, grey days in Hong Kong as well (like right now…sigh). Also, it’s never too hot or too cold in Seattle, so you can almost always get outside for some fresh air. That’s what always helped me!
Best of luck.