Life in HK doesn't suck

El Hombre and I spent the weekend on a lot of boats, getting a lot of sun and ocean and a dose of HK's good life. On Saturday, we went on our first junk of the season - basically a big wooden boat with free-flowing alcohol and lots of people (some friends, some strangers) that sails from HK to a nearby island with white sand and clear waters. Honestly, I didn't think anywhere near HK could have white sand and clear water, so I was very pleasantly surprised.

I love, love, love mountains in the winter and beaches in the summer. It was lovely to swim, kayak and just loll around in the sunshine with friends - such a welcome respite from the constant buzz and concrete jungle that is Central.

Monday was Dragon Boat Festival day - one of the more awesome things about HK is that we have a ton of holidays here - in April and May, almost every single week was a 4-day week due to all the random holidays. Yesterday was a holiday dedicated to the dragon boat festival, a glorified rowing event that basically serves as an excuse for most expats in HK to party during the day (not that most expats here need an excuse to do that most of the time). One of our friends works for Bloomberg, which was hosting a junk at the races in Stanley, so we spent another afternoon on a boat getting lots of sun, surrounded by young revelers in bikinis and trunks.

A fellow American expat friend put it best: "It's a sunny day, we're on a boat, and there's a beer in my hand. You know...life in Hong Kong doesn't suck."

Yup, that about sums it up - life in Hong Kong doesn't suck. In fact, you could say life in Hong Kong is pretty darn nice sometimes. Despite how crowded, humid and dirty it is, Hong Kong has so many attributes that make life immensely liveable. The amazingly efficient transportation system, nearby beaches and islands, generous expat packages and low tax rates, great restaurants, unparalleled convenience...make for a pretty nice life. As much as I miss Cali and hope life will lead me back Home somehow, I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to live in this fantastic city.