The life of a diplomat's wife may appear glamorous - and to a certain extent it is. After all, travelling, entertaining and hobnobbing with the high and mighty are the perks that come with the job. And if you asked Lily Lee Levin whether she had led a good life she wouldn't deny it.
As the wife of Burton Levin, the former US consul-general in Hong Kong as well as US ambassador to Burma, Lily says she was exposed to a lot of things and met a lot of interesting people.
'You get a chance to meet people whose country you are living in and the opportunity to learn another culture and language,' says Lily who originally comes from Beijing, where her father was in the military.
Cosmopolitan Lily was sent overseas at an early age to study, earning a degree from North Carolina University in the 1950s. She then worked in New York as a radio producer before moving to Taiwan, where she met her diplomat husband.
During their tenure in Hong Kong from 1981 to 1986, Lily and Burt proved one of the most popular couples on the social scene, entertaining extensively and always seen at the smartest parties.
Looking back, Lily says she has no regrets about not having a career of her own.