after the "looksy" trip in June as they call it in this part of the world, we knew it would be a matter of days before signing and making our way to the continent where it all started - beautiful, mystical, electryfing asiA.
july sped by in new york as did time with family and friend in Chicago. come august 16th, sunday, 16.8.09, and the bitter sweet time had arrived. such mixed feelings - excitement, optimism, uncertainty but in the end ready. ready for the next chapter in our lives...
life is a wonderful thing, and we are blessed to have the opportunity that we do to eat what we want, live where we like, travel where we want. there are very few in the world can say this, and we are forever grateful and humbled for this.
cathay pacific, we will become good friends. ohare flight delayed 3 hours so we know the connection through LA is already missed! not to worry, we arrange to get on the later flight at 2am from LAX. a few quick bloody marys later we arrive at LAX in time for our connection. loved the non-stop from NY over the north pole we took in june, but no worries in the span of a lifetime an extra 12 hours of travel is nothing!
26 hours after arriving at ohare we arrive at HK international airport, colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport. The energy level is turned up a notch, even coming from NYC. And it's only 8:30am! we arrive at our service apartment in Soho, an area in central Hong Kong. Perhaps named after NYC's famed neighborhood with a vibe comfortably similar yet not foreign enough...
the week ahead is planned, i need to get some suits and shirts tailored on this monday so they are ready by the end of the week. unfortunately i can not get away with my uniform in new york - jeans, button up, and a jacket. although fast forwarding to early october, i will be going for breaking the code this upcoming friday by wearing jeans to the office. let's see how it goes...
back to the first week, some shopping on monday, exploring on tuesday, the gambling enclave of macau on weds, resting on thursday, and i start work on friday. they don't mess around in asia, i was actually supposed to start work 1-2 days after landing but was able to extend until friday. so it's time to enjoy the blistering heat for a few days before the grind begins.
monday, mid-august, hong kong - it doesn't get any more sticky, muggy, disgusting. it's a sauna when you step outside and on the contrary an icebox when you step inside. not so great for the health having so much heat and sweat accumulate and then being in freezing temps! ahhhhh the smell of hong kong, every corner you turn uncovers a hidden surprise...
a city that is one the most densely populated in the world, built completely vertical, with tremendous interaction with our co-inhabitants of this planet on a constant basis whether you like it or not. there is activity all day, all night, everywhere. from a fresh plate of dim sum being served to tailors hawking business to reflexology to shoe shiners to trendy lounges. hong kong is a city where no service, no want, no desire is very far. and the heat, yes the heat. the heat combined with the population and the food make this an intensely engaging experience for all of the senses.
where was i, monday still? we get our essential checklist crossed off which included getting tailored suits and shirts for myself, an iron and ironing board, camera (for those that know, we have huge issues with cameras ironically as my father is a professional photographer), electric toothbrushes (which don't work), watch batteries, and a shower cap. the jetlag is far behind us even though it's a big one and the night carries us into the early hours of the morning...
can not wait for a good night's rest and around 830am, the loudest alarm you can imagine goes off - fire alarm! someone in the building left their tea kettle on the stove while showering and getting ready and the building evacuated. this wasn't the night of rest we were looking after 26 hours of travel! tuesday was rather uneventful as we were extremely tired. our 2nd day of exploring the sights and scent of hong kong in the incredible heat arranging our trip the following day for macau.
weds - it's time to visit the gambling mecca of asia. a city that has now surpassed vegas as the most grossing gambling venue in the world, macau. the former portuguese colony city / island that is a SAR (special administrative region) like HK under the one country, two systems setup. We have one night booked at the Venetian and head for our ferry ride which takes only 1 hour...
on arrival, nothing seems more appealing than hitting a pool. and the venetian has the best, a series of them which we enjoyed all afternoon. the most basic room we had is three times the apartment we have which i write this from - extravagence to the extreme! so it's time to hit the floor, we've heard the stories, and they are all true! the floor is completely different than what you would expect in a casino in the west.
in vegas, there is a 'party' atmosphere with entertainment, shows, fine dining, nightlife, and gambling to keep you occupied in between. not in macau. the chinese are not going to let all of these western bad habits get in the way of the objective - gambling. not one person on the tables has a drink except westerners and the tables are packed all night. locals are putting down thousands per hand in cash, some gambling their village's livelihood away, while others enjoying their newfound wealth. in the end, the chinese are here to gamble, not to see performers jumping through hoops and eating fire...
it's a shady underground city run by the mafia but now with western establishments such as the venetian, hard rock, wynn that are trying to make it a family entertainment center like vegas. nothing compares to vegas in terms of all around entertainment. but macau (and soon to open marina sands bay in singapore) will suck all of the asian gambling revenue out of america.
so we broke even on the tables, i was down, and as many of you know, we are not big gamblers. i actually came back strong on WAR. yes, WAR! i never had seen it on a floor before and had to play. we were at hard rock, good music, and threw down a hundred (usd$15). won. then another. won. then double. won. then double. won! 6 or 7 hands in a row and i was happy! we enjoyed a cocktail and a conversation at the beautiful bar - of course the only ones there as everyone else was on the tables!
a ferry ride back and a the day of rest has arrived this thursday. enough action for a few days, enough to ponder, enough to take in, enough to rest. we enjoy a restful thursday before i head to the office friday morning for the first day.
my boss doesn't arrive back from his holiday back home in paris until monday. so it's a day of taking care of HR matters, meeting staff, and getting the laptop set up. beautiful office in central on the top floors of the most iconic address in hong kong - the landMark. i hope to take you there when you visit. a constant mix of fashionistas, business execs, trend setters, and those just coming to take it all in. what a feeling. and the staff and team - all chinese, all local. everyone of course speaks english but the reason my position was created - develop, manage, lead a team that is used to 'book-keeping' to become advisors and analysts that support the business. easier said than done.
so my first, and last, 9-5 day ends. fortunate enough to be able to take our first 'junk boat' out on the harbour. 'junk boat' trips are when you rent out a boat with a bunch of friends and head out out of the city and land on one of the many islands off the coast. as entriguing a city as hong kong is, one of the best parts is the numerous hikes you can take, beaches to visit, and islands to explore within 1-2 hours away. not to mention mainland china 1 hour by train.
so our junk boat takes us out for the evening on a four hour tour through the harbour with the hong kong landscape under lights in the background. beautiful. we met these guys during our looksy trip in june and they invited us out for one of their birthdays. a great night before a day of rest on sunday. and when i say a day of rest, it entails a few hours of exploring, sometimes a reflexology session, a local meal, and a few errands!
our first week has come to an end, and the second week holds a business trip for two weeks to singapore for me and house hunting for my lovely wife Malabika. the asiaN odysseY Continues into week two...
First off, moving to HK has been great and also a non stop roller coaster. It was definitely a bit hectic in the beginning and the whirlwind has not stopped, however, its just been so exciting! The first month we stayed in an area called Soho (South of Hollywood Road). The area is catered towards a western appeal and many ex pats and foreigners live fairly close by. We figured that it would be a nice and easy way to start off our journey there since it really close to Sumit's work. I now have gotten to know all the good restaurants and the amazing peeps that own/work there. I have a new found Nepali family and did not have to travel far...
ReplyDeleteThat month, as Sumit started his job, I was apartment searching, and in the middle we were off to Singapore (S'pore). I found our place within the first two weeks of being there, which was great, and then joined Sumit in S'pore for ten days as he was on 2 week business trip. It was a great way to see S'pore for the first time and we enjoyed greatly and I definitely made use of the hotel's amazing facilities! Needed the R and R peeps! Love you Grand Hyatt and everyone who works there!!