Bonjour à tout le monde!

Currently sitting at my new favourite grocery store/restaurant/butchery. It’s called Feather & Bone. Yes, I know what’s you’re thinking, and no, I don’t care that I sound like a pretentious douchebag, because that’s exactly what I am.

It’s one of those places that only serves grass-fed animals that were slaughtered in a humane way. As it turns out, this sort of thing matters to me. I’ve learned that about myself in the last 24 hours.

I spent some time researching Halal and Kosher last night and realized that is literally what I follow in terms of my diet and have been for as long as I can remember. Literally since childhood. No pork, no seafood, no blood/guts/weird body parts, no predatory animals. Yeah, it’s me, fam. The biggest violation I can think of in recent years is when I ate alligator meat in Louisiana, but come on, man. I was in New Orleans! I just had to try it. That being said, not sure I’ll ever venture into Frog’s Legs territory. Not for me.

I’m not really a “cook meat for myself” kinda gal because actually touching raw meat with my bare hands physically makes me feel ill, but I will eat cow & chicken if someone else makes it for me. Yeah, I know how I sound. This is who I am and I’m owning it right now. Sorry I’m not sorry!

That being said, they have cold cut deli meat (my preference), French cheeses galore, and of course, an excellent selection of imported wines. Pricy? Yes. Worth it? Also yes. I need to know this animal didn’t suffer when it died.

Of course, in this day and age, there is no way to actually confirm that. I’m sure it’s all greenwashing and the truth is just as horrific as the Seaspiracy. It is what it is. I guess maybe I’m a better candidate for a job in the Middle East than I initially thought.

Either way, I’m making a choice, setting a boundary, and refusing to compromise on my principles when it comes to this subject. The End.

Now I just need to see if I can find a place that sells real hummus instead of the Israeli stuff. I’m boycotting Israel. Do I celebrate Jewish holidays? Yes. Do I love Jewish people? Also yes. Do I support the current leader and his evil agenda of warmongering, colonialism, and genocide? Nope. Fuck that shit. Bye Felicia!

I just stopped here for lunch after spending my afternoon at the Immigration Office looking like an idiot. It is what it is. I accomplished the mission I set out to complete today. Now I am rewarding myself with lunch. I also just wanted to come here by myself so I could enjoy an obnoxiously bougie lunch without anyone sitting across the table making me feel bad about it. That happens a lot, in various ways, and frankly, I’m over it! I just want to be my comfortable bougie self and enjoy my Prix Fix lunch menu with wine without anyone making me feel bad about it!

I know my dad and grandma are here with me right now. I especially know because they’re playing The Only Living Boy in New York on the radio. I can’t explain it. Sometimes a song comes on and I just know.

Last thing on my agenda today is to sign up for a bank account. I’ve already done the research and made a choice based on global connections to my home bank. Do I agree with the questionable ethics of the global financial industry? No. But am I willing to play their game to get myself ahead when it comes to international banking? Yes. Yes I am. Sue me. It is what it is.

Just more bougie shit. Here I am, embracing it. What can I say? I’m from Washington, D.C. The elitism is strong with this one. It’s not about thinking I’m better than other people, because I know for a fact I’m not. It’s about embracing the choices I want to make about things like food, finance, travel, and luxuries without being made to feel like a terrible person for enjoying myself.

Do you even know how broke and miserable I was living in South Dakota? It fucking sucked. I never, ever had any money of my own. Ever. And when I did, I spent it on getting out of that shithole to travel. Now I have a little bit of money of my own and I’m learning how I want to spend it and on what. Do I keep track of my budget? Oh hell yeah! I do that shit by hand. I have a whole dedicated notebook for it. I learned how to play the game. So what? Sue me.

Anyway, I’m not sorry. There is nowhere in Verm that I can do what I’m doing now. Might as well enjoy myself! As long I keep track of my budget, there’s no reason why I can’t treat myself to a bougie AF lunch all by myself once a week. I basically live on charcuterie trays and cheap noodles anyway. Again, it is what it is.

Look at all the fun things I’m discovering about myself and the world now that I am no longer being held hostage by my crazy family way out on the lone prairie. Honestly, knowing that South Dakotans hate me for this kinda thing just makes me like it even more. Allow me to rub all of your dumb little fucking faces in it.

Hate me. Hate me more. The only thing you know how to do is Hate, Hate, Hate, Hate. Hate me more. I feed off your negative energy. It makes me feel alive.

Meanwhile, I just ordered a glass of their current special Rosé from Aix-en-Provence and wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Just wow! 🤩 The color. The taste. The flavours. Incroyable! This is what living life is all about. This is it right here. I’m sitting in a fabulous restaurant in a huge international city, drinking a glass of French rosé after my late lunch, living my best life.

I earned it, I deserve it, and I’m never going to let anyone shame me for it ever again.

The End!

Awww… just as I declared that to the world, La Vie En Rose came on the radio overhead. Now I’m crying. I’m crying. I’m crying in public. It’s happening and I can’t stop it. I’m so happy right now. These are tears of pure joy and happiness. I am out here living a dream.

I did it. I finally did it. I made my lifelong dream come true. I am living and working abroad. I never thought it would be Hong Kong. Not in a million years. Yet somehow, my dream manifested in the most unexpected way. Right now… I’m happy. Just in this moment right now. I am happy.

Ha, yeah, let’s see how I feel when I walk over to the bank to open my new international account and see if I don’t want to choke out some dumb finance bro who only got his job because of who his daddy is. Or how I’ll feel after all of those long days at work. Ugh. It doesn’t matter. None of that stuff matters.

Just for this moment, right now, I am happy. I’m so happy to be here right now, in this moment, in the present.

Haha, now they’re playing Hello Dolly! Sooooo me. Fav for life! Mood. Vibes. This is definitely my big debut moment in the big city.

Sheeeeeeee’s baaaaaackkkkkkkk!

Omg now they’re playing Goldfinger from James Bond. Oh yeah, my dad is definitely here with me today. I can just hear his voice in my head saying, “You gotta get the umbrella-sword combo or you’re not even living life in Hong Kong right now. Why even live there if you don’t take every opportunity possible to pretend you’re James Bond?”

Okay, it’s decided, I’m treating to myself to a stay at the Peninsula Hotel for my birthday. They have a special birthday package! I’m doing it. It’s happening. I’m checking the price right now and making sure I set aside enough for the stay. Do they take credit card points? Maybe. I guess we’ll find out.

Probably just gonna lock myself up in there for two days and rewrite The Man With The Golden Gun from the perspective of Mary Goodnight. Tell us, what is it like to be a professional female spy who worked her way up to the Hong Kong office just to be partnered with some fuckboy who runs off with underaged sex workers dressed as school girls who were probably trafficked in from Thailand as children? All so you could be kidnapped by some psycho with three nipples as his main identifying feature (???) and held hostage an island where you’re forced to walk around in a bikini all day?

I’d watch the shit out of that movie. Guess I just gotta sit down and write it…