When I came back from my first trip to China in 1990, I was infected–the desire to return as often as possible, with and without students, had struck. Hence, when one of our alumni at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in Shatin told me about a conference over Thanksgiving 1993 (?), I HAD to go. Carolyn and I stayed in a faculty dorm overlooking the ocean in Shatin, and had a turkey dinner for Thanksgiving–along with a dragon dance! The conference explored some of the villages in Hong
Kong that were distinctly different from the splash of Kowloon and Wanchai. Centuries different.
One highlight was high tea at the Peninsula, the old colonial hotel that was so posh the Japanese had commandeered it for their headquarters in 1942. While we were dressed up, it was more downscale than I had anticipated; the quartet played “Misty” rather than Schubert. I stopped at a tailor shop 
to get the first of my Harris Tweed jackets that were made for me and thus, fit. Suits and jackets, shirts and pants became regular additions to my wardrobe. Eventually, I had my “own tailor” (thanks to Ruth Ann) and my “own optician” in Hong Kong.
On the way home, I insisted we stop in Seoul and explore for a few days. We discovered Kalbi and other Korean dishes, the palaces, and more reasons to return when possible. As the blogs make clear, that happened.