Category: En route

Fooled you!

Short post…. I spend most of my time on Facebook nowadays… so much simpler it seems to just go there.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt that they’ve got the awesome scrabulous game to get me hooked.  I need a 12-step program for that because I get quite irritated when I need to wait for others to play their moves.  Anything more than a day and I get grumpy…. It’s a sign of … something :s.

Getting ready to go to HK again… but am glad that I’ve got at least 10 straight continuous days in Taipei.  I’d been flying every week minimum 4-5 days per business trip.  Was way too much because couldn’t get any work done and totally not productive.  Frustrating to say the least and just barely recuperating. 

The purpose of this visit however is to prepare my move to HK.  Yes, I’m moving… B- and I have spent a lot of time scouring the internet for HK apts – both serviced and non-serviced types.  Fun, but realize now that we need to get on the ground and see in person.  The range is quite broad but we’re going to focus on the east side of HK Island (e.g. North Point, Quarry Bay, Tin Hau, Fortress Hill, Tai Koo, Happy Valley).  We may go out of the way though just for kicks. 

Love the March Madness this year!  Final Four will rock!

Red Mango

South Korean frozen yogurt chain Red Mango was dishing out free cups of their treats with one topping at their new store at West 14 and 6th Avenue. Lines weren’t going out the door (freezing temps outdoors don’t inspire going inside for frozen treats), but all of the tables were filled with people trying it out. P- had the original with strawberries, and I had green tea with pineapples. Two things come to mind: 1. a much more distinct yogurt taste (with Real Active Cultures™), which is actually more pleasing than Pinkberry’s version, and 2. the toppings are better quality.

Survivor winner Yul Kwon apparently was recently thwarted from opening a Red Mango franchise in North Beach, San Francisco because of chain store zoning rules.

The next time I’m going to try the mochi rice cake topping, which is made by Little Tokyo bakery confectionery Fugetsu-do, one of the originators of fortune cookies in America. Recommended.

Xmas in HK

B- and I are headed to HK to celebrate Christmas HK style. Not exactly the same as NYC but pretty good alternative. We used Hotel Travel.com to book our accomodations at Cosmopolitan Hotel @ Wan Chai. Sitting in Taoyuan International Airport now typing this, using my CHT HSPDA modem to get online.

Been quite a month/week/day. Pooped out is more like it. I got hooked onto facebook despite my best efforts to resist. But then B- got into it with the cities thing and it was over. I spent way too much time jazzing up my facebook page despite the fact that putting bad stuff on there could ruin your career (as posted in various newspapers recently). This past week was so full of meetings. I facilitated on Thursday a workshop on strategy and then Friday immediately flew to Seoul (on CI) for another meeting. Just came back to TPE in the afternoon and waited in the airport for B- so we can then fly to HK this evening via CX.

Looking forward to some QT with B- in HK… she’s been great through this whole few months with the changes in BAT which has made me uncommonly busy. Looking forward to the challenges in 2008 but it’s quite daunting so hopefully the days off from now until Jan 2nd will help me recover, re-energize, and renew myself toward the projects ahead.

I’m reminded again what blessings B- and I have had during 2007, both personally and professionally. The good friends, church, and colleagues who have helped make Taiwan much more like home.

So wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas!