Hong Kong Travel during Covid-19

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What a difference a year makes. In 2019 we were in the throes of First Year Frustrations and Expat End of Year Itus. In contrast, 2020 and the speedy spread of the coronavirus has blindsided pretty much everyone, everywhere on the planet.

Travel and Covid-19 really are a match made in the seventh circle of hell, because the virus doesn’t travel, we do and this nasty little hitchhiker scabs a free ride.

After several months stranded in the UK, hoping things might blow over, it became very clear that they hadn’t and wouldn’t any time soon. With lockdown restrictions in the UK easing and having grossly overstayed our welcome (what was supposed to be a sub-three-week trip ended up being almost 5 months) we ran the reverse travel gauntlet to return to Hong Kong and my husband who had been alone and working from home what felt like an infinity.

We were quite anxious about the return journey and can’t help wondering if this was an uncomfortable glimpse into the future of air travel.

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female expat lockdown entrepreneur

Expat Entrepreneur Shoutout: 5 Lockdown Silver Linings

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While many businesses are struggling in these unusual times, here are 5 entrepreneurial expat/repat women who have launched exciting and diverse projects in spite of, or inspired by the corona crisis.

Read on to discover; a luxurious range of candles, a lifestyle book, handy lockdown apps, a crowdfunding scholarship and African inspired art prints and children’s books.

Even though these projects are the brainchildren of expats, they have appeal and relevance that belong in the wider world. Continue reading →

homeschool materials calculator, encyclopaedia, pens

Homeschooling Headaches: A Side Effect of the Coronavirus

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    Ay Coronavirus! Never in my wildest nightmares would I have chosen homeschooling as an option. Schooling is already an ongoing headache for expat families like ours, who move countries every few years. In desperation, I briefly looked into it when we were moving to South Africa and were struggling to find places for our children. I was mightily relieved when we secured spots for both kids and homeschooling remained a distant bad dream.

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    An Ill Wind is Blowing: The Coronavirus HK vs UK

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    We jumped ship, dear reader. Only temporarily of course, we’re not rats and the ship isn’t sinking, but the cabin fever was excruciating. The extended boredom with school being shut, the office being closed and all of us confined in a small space, the anxiety in the air and the lack of loo roll persuaded us that the best thing to do was to head back to the UK for a while to ride out the storm.

    Mildly ironic then, that we flew into an actual storm and had the bumpiest of landings.

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    Empty shelves in the toilet paper aisle amid panic buying Hong Kong

    Hong Kong and the Coronavirus: Is it a Typhoon in a Teacup?

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      With the outbreak of the Wuhan corona virus, variously referred to a WuFlu (even though it’s not flu), Wumonia and WARS, how has life in Hong Kong has been disrupted?

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      Win a copy of Knocked up Abroad Again

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      What you can win…

      Our November 2019 book giveaway is a copy of Knocked up Abroad Again. Our October 2019 book giveaway (Culture Smart! Mexico) was unclaimed. I guess I don’t have too many (any?) readers in Mexico. Therefore, it will roll over and form part of the November prize. So you can win not 1, but 2 books this month. That’s literally a win-win. Continue reading →

      Zulu stone circle to appease the spirits

      Sticks and Stones May break my bones, but Expat Names won’t Hurt Me

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      ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ผ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡พ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ผ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡พ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ด๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ฏ

      Many of you will have heard the saying sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me. ย  Continue reading →

      Culture Smart South Africa front cover of book.

      Win a Copy of Culture Smart! South Africa

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      As the nights draw in in the Northern Hemisphere you may be contemplating curling up with a book. Equally, as spring blooms in the Southern Hemisphere perhaps you are longingly eyeing your poolside lounger and dreaming of five minutes peace for quiet reading session.

      It’s your lucky day. We’re hosting a series of monthly book giveaways from September 2019 onwards. Read on to find out how you can win a free book.

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