Highs and Lows

It's been three weeks.  

Three weeks of adjusting, working, learning my way around and figuring this city out.  I'll attempt to recap the past three weeks the best way I know how: highs and lows.  If you know me, you'll know what this means and you'll know it's one of my favorite questions to ask (the camp counselor in me will always prevail). 

SO, high points and low points of the past three weeks:

Highs:

Living in a city, I love it.

My morning commute that consists of riding on the second level a of double decker bus and getting triple shot cappuccinos (it's excessive, but necessary)

My new obsession with croissants: I've replaced the bagel... if you can believe that

Dim sum.

My office: the people and the work I'm doing.  Last weekend I worked on a large scale event for a Bollywood viewers choice award show called the Zee Cine Awards.  Google it.  It was such a cool learning experience.  We managed the media, the press conference and escorted celebrities down the red carpet.  It was exhausting and rewarding and so much fun, the whole event was unreal.

Navigating without google maps: every day feels like an accomplishment

Fresh seafood

The food here in general 

Living with my dad (for the first time since high school)

Living in Repulse Bay: mountains on one side of my building and the ocean on the other

Being surrounded by expat families- young mothers in grocery stores, children running around with their amas (maids), dads teaching their kids to swim in the club house pool and the pack of HKIS students that wait with me near my bus stop every morning- these families remind me of when my family lived here over 12 years ago.  

Public transportation

H&M down the road from my office

Take out Thai dinners

The weather: in my opinion, it's warm here, however I've seen a few people sporting ski jackets in the 60 degree weather we're having.

Skype, I just love skyping now

Being on my own- it's been a refreshing change

Applying to graduate schools (specifically for an MSW.  The more I think and pray about it, the more it feels right)

Getting three days off of work for Chinese New Year and going to Australia during my time off

Experiencing summertime in the southern hemisphere

Wearing flip flops and shorts

Attending the Australian Open: my dad goes to the Australian Open for business every year and I got to tag along.  I got to see Djokovic and Sharapova win.  It was so freaking cool.

Watching Harry Potter 7 pt. 2 on the plane ride home (is it normal to cry during that movie?)

FINALLY updating my blog :)

Lows: 

Living in fear of getting food poisoning   

Not having anyone to talk about the bachelor with (except via twitter, but I'm always a day late) EVERYONE ON THAT SHOW IS CRAZY.  There, I just needed to get that out.

Not being sure if the faucet water here is safe to drink... and drinking it anyway

Being referred  to as "the intern" and "the American"

Attempting to communicate with people who don't speak English and always failing

Long work days: leaving for work at 7:45 am every day and returning around 7:45 pm every night

FOMO: fear of missing out (thank you sib class of '12) 

Still not skyping with my baby who is currently in Belize 

Trading in my iphone for a blackberry (not an actual low, iphones are just so much better)

Eating by myself at lunch (I don't have an issue being alone, unless it's in public, hmmm)

Wearing cropped pants and getting funny looks (you people, 60 degrees is warm)

The 9 hours it took to get to Australia- I had no clue it took that long

Missing the people I love and then realizing it's only been three weeks.  I need to psych up.

It's been such a great start, thankful I have more highs than lows.  And now that I have a routine down and a better sense for my time, I'll pay more attention to this lovely blog of mine.