yes you could and yes people do, some commute to Aus and Europe. As an SO plenty of time off and can spend at least a week or more elsewhere every month, would say about 10 days average. As a JFO hard as not many days off in chunks, as an FO or Capt people do but probably not as much time at home as an SO. If you are thinking of joining as a cadet forget it as will be too expensive as will have to have somewhere in HKG and wont have the spare cash, as an FO ex cadet you probably could do it.