People

Busy weekend this HK.  Rugby Sevens happening and folks flying in from all over the place.  Still, it was efficient from the airport where they commandeered another bus to shuttle the folks to their hotels as they ran out.  I suppose one of these days I should be less lazy and just take the MTR to Hong Kong Station then transfer to the Fortress Hill Station which then is a 3 minute walk to City Garden Hotel.

After checking in, I took off for dinner at Times Square near the Causeway Bay MTR station. My coworkers and I ate at a Japanese place called Japanese Dining Sun which was quite nice (shop 1304, 13/F, Food Forum, Times Square, 1 matheson St, Causeway Bay, HK, +852-2506-1838).

3 of my staff and I ate dinner and chatted about the changes at work and me trying to understand what it is that they are thinking, worried about and like to change.  Of course going direct to the source to the people actually doing the work is the best way but at the same time, it seems that my managers are the ones who should be doing this.  All the same, I find that managing people, not the daily day-to-day stuff is the most difficult of challenges.  No longer am I doing hands-on work but concern with staff welfare, problem solving, lots of delegation is what preoccupies my time.  Bottom line is one can’t overcommunicate enough, to help morale during times of great change and ease consciences.

Now I’m on to the real work but I’ll try to wake up early to deal with it.  I think my days of working to 1 or 2am are coming to an end.

Good luck and good night.

North Point!

That would be Hong Kong and at the City Garden Hotel.  Just arrived this afternoon.  Surprising the trip from the airport to here took 1.5 hours by their shuttle bus.  There were 4 people ahead of me, me being the last stop but still… I think that was a bit long.  Anyways, didn’t matter, it was a nice sunny day and I felt I was doing the Gray Line city tour thing.  No hurries.

Tired from all the work and more work next week and traveling to Singapore. 

Came in early to get away from it all in a nice comfortable environment.  Hotel isn’t bad, but going through some renovations.  They apparently “lost” my reservation at the desk and took a little longer to check in.  Room is a bit small as compared to the Hotel Excelsior and the price not as cheap as was originally reserved for.  Will have to let my HK office sort that one out when I get back.

Going to meet up with an BLS Alum here for dinner in an hour.  Then tomorrow, brunch and then a wedding ceremony HK style for one of the IT staff guys and then the dinner reception after that.

I’ll enjoy while I can… it’s going to be a lot of work!

All the best FC.

On and off

It’s been a whirlwind tour of Asia-Pac via Cathay Pacific.  Last Thursday and Friday was in HongKong.  Seeing the office move to North Point while also in for some key meetings with my direct report.

Then came back Saturday evening, then Sunday evening fly to Sydney for a Regional meeting.  It’s been great so far with BAT.  Learning lots, excellent and smart people, and having a great time on the company expenses.  I flew business class on Cathay and I do believe I will have hit my AA Gold/Plat Challenge with this trip… and I’ve got 2, maybe there more trips left next month to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and HK again.  It’s quite nice.

Interesting thing at the airport though… waking up at 3:30am for a 6:25am flight and luckily I did because I found out that Australia requires US citizens to apply for visas to enter!!! So why are the Americans requiring Aussies to get visas?  So much for being friends and part of the “coalition of the willing”.  Crazy I tell you.  :O.  At least they make it easy and there’s an electronic visa application.  Cathay did it for me at the check-in counter and got it sorted out in 20 mins.  Whew.

I never thought that I’d be back here in Sydney again since after 1994 I was here with my buddy Coops….. and here I am.  Just had dinner at Biondi beach at a place called Nicks.  Fantastic.  The BAT Aussie guys really taking care of us.

So for now, enjoying it after a couple of lean years…. Life is an adventure. God is certainly giving me this.