Hi everybody... Stephen reminds me its been 2 days since my last blog...
Monday at the office was low key. A lot of PR activity flurrying around due to a competitors product launch, and some good catchup on analytical work I had been procastinating! Also met with the Greater China head of sales who is the HK Office Manager (incidentally he never really comes to the office; always in Mainland), so we caught up a bit. I had a Korean beef lunch just downstairs, and got my PCCW blackberry (finally!).
My first week in Hong Kong was fun, busy and I started to feel settled in at work and home. Maybe almost too routine for my liking.
But late last night after a sushi customer dinner in Shatin (suburb of Hong Kong), around 10pm, I took a flight to Taipei for a business trip and will stay here until Saturday. Only landed at midnight. There were a lot of Mainland Chinese on the plane, so I get to practise my Mandarin a bit. That said I observed they step right over you (I had the aisle seat) without bothering to wait for you to get up! Even very overweight people will push right by you without thinking its an intrusion.
Being in Asia too long, I am losing my need for personal space. Have to pick my battles!
Also the international airport is in Taoyuan not Taipei which is nearly an hour highway drive from town. The airport is also far older / less modern compared to Hong Kong or Beijing's efficiency and modern travel experiences. So...i got into my hotel after 1:30am! Exhausted, had to wake for a conference call at 6am, then took another short nap after before eating my YUMMY TAIWAN BEEF NOODLE soup now. Heading to our office in Nangang/Neihu area soon.
Taipei is less modern but nonetheless a fun place. Did you know this Island of Formosa was a Japanese colony until 1975 (or sometime very recent)? Guess what food I love here? SUSHI is fresh and awesome and more reasonably priced that Hong Kong! The other interesting observation is the Taiwanese revere / respect the Japanese more so that others would their colonialists. Maybe the disdain for China is greater. OK enough politics for now!
Will blog as much as possible! Have a great week everyone!
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