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Home » Living In Hong Kong » The story of a frequent flyer

The story of a frequent flyer

28 February, 2020 by Kelli Shoemaker 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.hk/expat-life-hong-kong-travelling/

We asked our readers to share their stories about any aspect of expat life in Hong Kong. Here, KELLY SHOEMAKER talks about her experiences as a frequent traveller.

Miles, miles and more miles!

In the last month, I’ve travelled about 29,000 kilometres. Those kilometres translate into:

  • seven take-offs;
  • seven landings (thank goodness!);
  • one flight cancellation from Hong Kong to Los Angeles;
  • one flight delay from Washington DC to Kansas City;
  • 2,805 minutes up in the air;
  • three charley horses;
  • four viewings of The Greatest Showman;
  • three books;
  • one dinner with two college roommates;
  • two days with my parents and sisters;
  • 24 hours with a best friend;
  • ten days of missing my husband and my dog; and
  • twelve seatmates, including a federal marshal, a rabbi, one Hawaiian moving to DC (poor guy), a reverend, two Americans going on their first cruise around Asia, a young couple with well-behaved twin babies, an older woman travelling with her friends for their first “autumn break” (not sure if she meant their age or the season) to Mexico, and another couple who spoke no English but smiled understandingly when I used charades to indicate I needed out of the seat row for a bathroom break.

Expat life in Hong Kong – frequent flyer

 

A new perspective

Travelling, while a privilege, is exhausting and takes longer to recover the older I get, not to mention it throws my body into a tailspin for days. And we won’t even discuss my closet and the fact that my luggage will remain partially packed for five days. But I do it for those hours with the people I love – and, as an added bonus, find myself spending minutes with people that I discover I like. These people rarely look like me, talk like me and hardly ever think like me. They are fascinating. They have stories and experiences and names and cultures that unfold before me like a rich tapestry of sounds and colours and textures I’ve never experienced together before.

Living an expat life can feel like you’re living in a vacuum. But as much as I talk about my distaste for “people-ing”, I’m grateful for these interactions, planned and unplanned, that force me to see a new perspective, to get outside of myself and my self-imposed walls.

Don’t let the news media’s fear-mongering or social media arguments over politics fool you. It’s a big, small world out there and people are still looking for positive moments to share – be it sharing the armrest on a 16-hour flight or sharing your hard-earned knowledge on an expat Facebook page. You never know when your journey will inspire another to step outside of their box. And just think, you could be visiting them on your next trip.

Tell us a tale and win $1,500

Here’s your chance to get published – and make some money at the same time. We’re looking for 500-word written contributions on any funny, poignant, practical or even controversial topic that touches on expat life in Hong Kong. Simply email your stories in a Word document to editor@expatliving.hk and we’ll consider them for inclusion in an upcoming issue.

 

See more in our Living in Hong Kong section:

Your guide to Wong Chuck Hang

What it’s like to live in Hong Kong

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Categories: Living Here Living In Hong Kong Tags: expat life Living In Hong Kong Travel

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Easy Blueberry Oreo Cheesecake to start the weekend!
Serves 4, or 2 if you're hungry😉

Preparation time: 15 mins Ingredients:
• 6 digestive biscuits
• 50g butter 
• 250g cream cheese (1 brick) 
• 6 Oreo biscuits
• 125g blueberries (1 box)
• 100g milk or whipped cream 
• 5 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:
For crust:
1. Crush digestive biscuits in a big bowl and add melted butter.
2. Press together at the base of the cake mould.
3. Set aside to cool.

For filling: 
1. Beat cream cheese, sugar and milk or whipped cream on medium speed in a bowl until it is smooth and creamy. 
2. Add crushed Oreos and beat until they mix evenly. 
3. Pour the filling over the cooled crust.
4. Freeze for two hours and top with blueberries!🫐
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#2 Organise Your Linen:
Generally speaking, a crisp white linen table-runner will do. But if you’re looking to up the ante this year, go for one with subtle prints on it. 
 
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 A beautiful Christmas centrepiece is the fastest way to add cheer to your party. It’s also a great excuse to show off your creative flair to friends and family. 
 
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When it comes to tableware, most people play it safe with crystal glasses and porcelain plates. Why not take it up a notch by throwing a set of gold cutlery into the mix? It’s an instant pop of luxury that exudes warmth to traditional red and green themes. 🍴
 
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What’s a Christmas dinner without some good old-fashioned crackers? Sure to put a smile on anyone’s faces, they’ll also ensure your party goes out with a bang! 💫
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What a view 🙌🏼

📷 @lailasophiashah
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Less than five days left to vote for your favourite businesses! You could win fun family staycays and dining vouchers, so make sure to vote today by visiting 👉 expatliving.hk/readerschoice

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#expatlivinghk #hkbusiness #hongkongbusiness #elhkreaderschoice #hkexpats
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Companies tagged in the photos for more details🪑
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#1 BUBBLE & SPARKLE
A package for two, including an aroma steam shower, deep sleep tourmaline crystal massage, sparkling champagne facial and a glass of champagne 🥂

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How good do these look 😍 New recipe from @charissa_and_co_wellness. You can try a free sample by scanning the bar code on our online articles 💜

Recipe: Flourless Pecan Cranberry Brownie

Ingredients

Brownie base:

2 servings of Nuzest Clean Lean Chocolate Protein
1.5 cup of pumpkin puree
1 cup of hazelnut butter or almond *
1/2 cup of raw dark cacao powder
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
1/3 cup of dehydrated cranberries
2 teaspoons of Manuka honey ** Optional
White chocolate drizzle:

1/3 cup of melted cacao butter
2 tablespoons of cashew nut butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons of Erythritol
Dark chocolate drizzle:

1/3 cup of melted cacao butter
2 tablespoons of cashew nut butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
3 tablespoons of raw dark cacao powder
1 teaspoon of Erythritol
Instructions

Brownie base:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Grease a square baking tray with coconut oil and line tray with parchment paper.
In a large blender, mix all the brownie ingredients together until smooth.
Pour the brownie mix into the pan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Once cooked, allow the brownies to cool on a rack.
Chocolate drizzle:

You will need two separate mixing bowls for the white and dark chocolate drizzle.
Melt the cacao butter at low temperature and mix with the rest of the ingredients.
Pour the chocolate drizzle over the cooled brownies.
Pop them in the fridge to set or enjoy them as warm brownies.**
Optional: Sprinkle some fresh pomegranate and dried cranberry seeds onto the brownies (after cooling in the fridge for 20 minutes).
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TGIF 🌿🌿

📷 @lailasophiashah
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In our new winter issue we take a look at Dutch expat Nicole Hessing’s impressive home renovation in Clearwater Bay 🏡 Check out the article for all her tips and local recommendations 👉 expatliving.hk/digital/ig
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