What do you miss most?

I've been living in Korea for the past 3 years (I'm from Canada). Of course I miss family and friends but the weirdest thing I miss is a proper kitchen/oven. I like to cook and two burners plus a toaster oven doesn't always cut it.

Other things:
Kraft peanut butter (they have other kinds but it's not the same), Kraft dinner (wow, I sound like an ad for Kraft), inexpensive fruit and veggies, some spices (okay, I get most shipped from home) and over-the-counter meds that work.

Living in China I miss from Canada:

- cheese
- my oven
- political awareness/interest
- clean air
- sandwiches

I recently went back home for a visit and by far and away the best part was eating at a local sub sandwich shop. I couldn't believe how divine the taste was.

- books and music from the public library
- cheese
- good and cheap wine
- smoke-free environment

Being in the UK, there's not much from home I can't get here. However, being from Texas, I have to agree on the Mexican food front. I never thought I'd wish for it!

Also take-away coffee.

What don't I miss? Bugs, screens, running the aircon 24/7 11 months of the year, driving. I LOVE not driving.

As an American living in Singapore, I miss:
- friends/family
- mexican food (i think this would win at the polls )
- over the counter medicine like antihistamines and sudafed. (I know in many parts of the world it's easier to get what is normally a prescribed medicine in the states OTC, but not so in Singapore.)
- Target. The store where you can get ANYTHING you need.
- good bagels and cream cheese in the morning

Things I do NOT miss:
- tipping!!
- customer service (particularly at airports)
- obesity

U.S.-style efficiency.

I don't always miss it, but Jesus, how many trips to a Mexican Post Office does it take to successfully rent a P.O. Box?

Not the first Travis wrote:U.S.-style efficiency.

I don't always miss it, but Jesus, how many trips to a Mexican Post Office does it take to successfully rent a P.O. Box?

Just guessing, but I'm going to go with two more.

minerguy wrote:Just guessing, but I'm going to go with two more.

Optimist.

That would make it five trips. I guess I can dream....

Mexican food is way up there on the list. I always miss ice (warm juice/pop/water is just not appealing to me), and good dairy products. I'm currently in Istanbul, though, and we have some decent cheeses here, I just have a very difficult time figuring out which is which! (they're all white)

The thing I miss most when I live overseas, though, is definitely clear communication. It's hard not being understood. (on both a "what did you say?" level, and much deeper, as well). I tend to travel/move alone, and don't meet up with (or find) very many expats, especially English speaking ones, and so to go weeks, or months, not speaking with a fellow native speaker can become emotionally fatiguing. I miss being able to just open my mouth and say what I think/feel, and be understood... without having to pass it though a bunch of cultural/linguistic filters.

[Canadian, currently living in Istanbul]

Not the first Travis wrote:That would make it five trips. I guess I can dream....

Ahh, good someone else found this one for me. Was I right? I couldn't remember there this was in to find out at.

minerguy wrote:

Not the first Travis wrote:That would make it five trips. I guess I can dream....

Was I right?

It depends upon your point of view, minerguy.

On my fourth trip, they said yes the boxes were available, and yes they were ready to do business and yes they knew how much they would cost "this year". But then I was told I had to walk two blocks away to make a copy of (whatever) document I had right there at the counter and bring it back.

Still, I smelled blood.

And yes! The store with the copy machine happened to be open and the machine happened to be working!

Triumphantly I marched back, trying to hide my smile.

I signed the paperwork with wide eyes....then he handed me the lock to my box, explaining that they didn't have a key and I would need to go get one made and bring it back to have it installed on my box. That took a couple days.

Nonetheless.....VICTORY!!!!

I'm calling it 5 1/2 trips, but again, it all depends on your point of view.

Does that about sum it up? Well done! I can barely keep the copy machine working here, well done on finding one there!

What I miss from the States...

Hearty, Lovely, real SALADS!! (shredded iceberg lettuce does not cut it, but it is called 'salad' here)

The availability of a vast amount of whatever I'm after at the shops, at varied prices, the selection.. yes the consumer in me! I sometimes feel like I'm paying way too much for poorly made things here.

Whole Foods (never thought I'd say that)

Mexican food

Donuts

Our extended opening hours for stores

I think that hits the major ones..

When living in the UK i missed:
- good coffee
- my car
- toffee pops
- Burger rings
- the beach
- the mountains
- NZ wine & beers

Now i'm back n NZ, i miss stuff from the UK:
- frequent public transport
- hobnobs
- M&S ready meals
- the cheese selection at Waitrose
- H&M
- teacakes

Mexican food!

These days you can find almost everything overseas - but authentic regional cooking is difficult to find. I just visited the USA for the first time in about 5-6 years - and good Mexican food was about the only thing that I could get there that I can't get here.