Well, here I sit at Hong Kong International Airport, and I've got almost a full day of travel ahead of me. Right now, it is Friday, November 19th here. At 11:25am I take off, and my plane lands at Newark at 1:45pm on Friday afternoon. Due to the thirteen hour time difference between here and New Jersey, my sixteen hour flight technically will land only about two hours after I take off! My family is meeting me at the airport, and it will be the first time I see my dad and sister in over a year! Only six hours later, I am flying down to New Orleans to spend the weekend with my four roommates from Villanova: Ryan, Rusty, Shea and Joe. I have been looking forward to this trip for a long time, and I cannot believe it is finally here! I should arrive in New Orleans at 10:30pm on Friday evening! See ya in 2011, Hong Kong!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
First Impressions
I arrived in Hong Kong on a Monday... November 9, 2009, to be exact. My first Friday, I sent this e-mail to a friend back home. It was so fascinating for me to re-read today that I thought I'd post it here. I was free, white and twenty-two, and I did my best to jump right into carving a new life for myself in Asia. It's now been over a year since the big move, but because I didn't create this blog until more than a month after arriving, it doesn't really have any descriptions of my journey and first few days. That is, until now!
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Friday, November 13th, 2009
Well, after four full days, I now have “gotten settled” here, though I don’t quite know what “gotten settled” officially entails. It’s this change in feeling that I can’t quite put my finger on. I just feel different today than I have for the past few days. I guess it has to be a combination of having unpacked and decorated my apartment, opened a bank account, gotten to know the layout of the city, gone out for a night, enjoyed some of the touristy offerings and started going to work. I haven’t gotten a phone yet, but I will soon. I guess I don’t need a telephone to feel “settled” out here.
The past week has been a long and incredible journey. After madcap packing all night last Wednesday, a car pulled up at my house at 5:15 AM Thursday morning. I met up with my CEO Alan and his girlfriend Jackie at JFK and we flew to London. We cleared customs and settled into our hotel later that night. We were at the Waldorf Hilton, and I was in an Executive Room with access to the Executive Lounge! It was in a great location just off the Strand, and I loved staying there. Dimitri, the IT vice-president, was already in London. The four of us spent a lot of time together.
The past week has been a long and incredible journey. After madcap packing all night last Wednesday, a car pulled up at my house at 5:15 AM Thursday morning. I met up with my CEO Alan and his girlfriend Jackie at JFK and we flew to London. We cleared customs and settled into our hotel later that night. We were at the Waldorf Hilton, and I was in an Executive Room with access to the Executive Lounge! It was in a great location just off the Strand, and I loved staying there. Dimitri, the IT vice-president, was already in London. The four of us spent a lot of time together.
London was great! On Friday morning I walked over to Trafalgar Square and the area where I used to work. The highlight of my morning was going to this tiny print shop on Cecil Court, where the owner, Tracy, remembered me from four summers ago, and we had a good chat about things! I met up with my friend Liz from Villanova at noon in Trafalgar Square and we wandered and stopped in two or three pubs for a few pints. I love Liz because she is so energetic and fun to be around. We both put on British accents for a good portion of our romp around town, but I don’t think we convinced very many people. It was a great day none-the-less.
On Saturday morning, I woke up super early to catch the Eurostar to Paris. I was on the 6:22 AM train and I arrived at Gare du Nord at 9:47, Paris time. At the station I was met by two other 'Nova friends named Katelyn and Amanda. Literally, until my train to London at 9:13 PM, the three of us walked all over Paris, hitting Bastille, Notre Dame, Ile de la Cité, the Marais, Châtelet, Shakespeare and Company, the Louvre, the Galeries Lafayette, the Opéra, Place des Vosges and the Hôtel de Ville. It was one of the best days I have ever had.
Sunday was another “wander around London in the rain” day, and it was great. I especially enjoyed Westminster Abbey, because it was Remembrance Sunday, and there were thousands of crosses and poppies arranged to commemorate the British military. It was a moving display. At 5 PM, we checked out of our hotel and headed to Heathrow for the big flight to Hong Kong. Although I was bumped out of business class and put in coach, it worked out better than I expected because I actually had more leg room, since I was in the first row of seats. I also got monetary compensation for my troubles. I watched The Lavender Hill Mob on the plane, which I loved. Then I ate dinner, went to sleep and woke up with only 1 hour left until landing!!!! It was a phenomenal flight.
When we landed, it was 4 PM on Monday afternoon in Hong Kong and we went straight to our hotel, Langham Place. It may be the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in, even though I only got one night there before moving to my long-stay apartment. The President of the company, Tommy, was in Hong Kong already with his wife, Gilly, and 8 year old daughter, Victoria, so we all met in the hotel restaurant for dinner. It was a buffet with food from all over the world: sushi, spring rolls, dim sum, oysters, two or three different kinds of crustaceans, snails, mussels, two carving stations, salads, soups, fresh fruit, a cheese selection and white and milk chocolate fondue fountains. It was mesmerizing.
On Tuesday, my bosses had an important bank meeting, so I had breakfast with Dimitri and the ladies. Then Dimitri and I moved my luggage to the long stay apartment at 2 Macdonnell Road. It is a great place, with a stunning view of the city and a perfect location. Every night in Hong Kong there is this laser light show where all the skyscrapers flash different colors for about fifteen minutes. I can watch it from my bedroom window! I am very happy to be there for the next six weeks, during which time I have to find a more permanent flat.
After putting the bags in the room, we headed to the office, where I finally got to meet Kevin, for now my only coworker and friend in Hong Kong. I have been in contact with him since I started working in June, but it was good to finally meet him. Our office is in the heart of Hong Kong’s business district, and I cannot tell you how incredible it is! At first, we were in a tiny room that was hardly big enough for Kevin and me to share. Luckily, Alan immediately got us a bigger room around the corner that has a view to die for. Literally, as I sit here typing this I am looking out onto Victoria Harbor, watching the Star Ferry cross back and forth between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The Star Ferry is one of Hong Kong’s signatures. It’s kind of like the Staten Island Ferry except that it’s kind of run-down and filled with tourists. Come to think of it, it’s just like the Staten Island Ferry, except it’s painted green instead of orange and has a better safety record. In the harbor, there are also cruise ships, tankers, junks and cargo ships on the water. There are countless skyscrapers shooting up everywhere, and I have a perfect view of Hong Kong’s two tallest buildings. Behind it all are beautiful green mountains. It has to be seen to be believed! As it is right now, our office could comfortably handle five workers, so hopefully we will be here for at least a year before we have to move.
After putting the bags in the room, we headed to the office, where I finally got to meet Kevin, for now my only coworker and friend in Hong Kong. I have been in contact with him since I started working in June, but it was good to finally meet him. Our office is in the heart of Hong Kong’s business district, and I cannot tell you how incredible it is! At first, we were in a tiny room that was hardly big enough for Kevin and me to share. Luckily, Alan immediately got us a bigger room around the corner that has a view to die for. Literally, as I sit here typing this I am looking out onto Victoria Harbor, watching the Star Ferry cross back and forth between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The Star Ferry is one of Hong Kong’s signatures. It’s kind of like the Staten Island Ferry except that it’s kind of run-down and filled with tourists. Come to think of it, it’s just like the Staten Island Ferry, except it’s painted green instead of orange and has a better safety record. In the harbor, there are also cruise ships, tankers, junks and cargo ships on the water. There are countless skyscrapers shooting up everywhere, and I have a perfect view of Hong Kong’s two tallest buildings. Behind it all are beautiful green mountains. It has to be seen to be believed! As it is right now, our office could comfortably handle five workers, so hopefully we will be here for at least a year before we have to move.
Right down the hall from our room is the "honor kitchen" for the office. There is a log and you are supposed to write down whatever you take: water, soda, beer, liquor, chips or candy bars. Yeah, that's right... Beer and liquor in the office for whenever you want. And the firm gets the bill each month. They definitely ought to start putting "honor kitchens" in offices all over the world.
Kevin is great and we are quickly becoming very good friends. He is 23 and English, and an incredibly good broker. I hope to learn a lot from him. I was actually extremely nervous about meeting him, I don’t really know why. I just had this feeling he wouldn’t like me. Also, I guess I knew that if we didn't get along, it would be a rough start for me out here. Luckily we clicked.
That afternoon, we all went up to the top of Victoria Peak, the highest point in Hong Kong. It has a great view over the city, similar to the Pao de Acucar in Rio or Table Mountain in Cape Town. At the top of the mountain, I got a "fish massage" on my feet. Basically, you stick your feet and lower legs into a sort of tub, and thousands of little fish swim up and start eating the dead skin off of you. It feels really good, and it is really wierd watching it happen. Tommy, Jackie, Tommy's daughter Victoria and I all got the massages. I will never forget the experience, and it is something I plan on making anybody who ever visits me out here try.
Kevin is great and we are quickly becoming very good friends. He is 23 and English, and an incredibly good broker. I hope to learn a lot from him. I was actually extremely nervous about meeting him, I don’t really know why. I just had this feeling he wouldn’t like me. Also, I guess I knew that if we didn't get along, it would be a rough start for me out here. Luckily we clicked.
That afternoon, we all went up to the top of Victoria Peak, the highest point in Hong Kong. It has a great view over the city, similar to the Pao de Acucar in Rio or Table Mountain in Cape Town. At the top of the mountain, I got a "fish massage" on my feet. Basically, you stick your feet and lower legs into a sort of tub, and thousands of little fish swim up and start eating the dead skin off of you. It feels really good, and it is really wierd watching it happen. Tommy, Jackie, Tommy's daughter Victoria and I all got the massages. I will never forget the experience, and it is something I plan on making anybody who ever visits me out here try.
On Wednesday, two nights ago, Kevin, Dimitri and I went out in Wanchai. I am looking forward to many more, especially when I start to meet more young people. We had a great time, but Kevin and I were both exhausted all day yesterday.
I am still getting used to the Hong Kong dollar exchange rate, which basically means every price here has to be divided by 7.75 to find the U.S. dollar equivalent. At first it was really hard because the symbol for the Hong Kong dollar is the same as the U.S. dollar. In the mornings it costs $27 to get from my flat to the office, so that's about $3.50. Taxi drivers here make New York cabbies seem like careful grandmothers. They drive like maniacs, and they do not speak English. In fact, half the time they won't even accept you and tell you to try another cab. If they don't feel like driving where you want to go, then they don't take you. They even drove Alan to a train station a few nights ago because they didn't want to drive him to his hotel but wanted to get some money out of him. Last night, my cab driver couldn't understand me, so he called up a friend and handed me his cell phone. I had to tell the friend where I wanted to go and he translated for my driver.
Last night, the whole group (Alan, Jackie, Dimitri, Tommy, Gilly, Victoria, Kevin and me) went out for one last dinner at a nice Australian steakhouse called Wooloomooloo on the 31st floor of a skyscraper in Wanchai. It was the best meal I've had here so far, and I am already looking forward to a repeat visit. It was a good finish to my introductory stage of living in Hong Kong. I strolled around quite a long while in town afterwards, until it started to rain. It's really a great place. Someone once wrote of Hong Kong, "A dream of Manhattan, rising out of a South China sea." That's pretty much a perfect description. Now the bosses are getting ready to leave, and it's time for me to really make this place my home. I am looking forward to it like I've never looked forward to anything before in my life.
I am still getting used to the Hong Kong dollar exchange rate, which basically means every price here has to be divided by 7.75 to find the U.S. dollar equivalent. At first it was really hard because the symbol for the Hong Kong dollar is the same as the U.S. dollar. In the mornings it costs $27 to get from my flat to the office, so that's about $3.50. Taxi drivers here make New York cabbies seem like careful grandmothers. They drive like maniacs, and they do not speak English. In fact, half the time they won't even accept you and tell you to try another cab. If they don't feel like driving where you want to go, then they don't take you. They even drove Alan to a train station a few nights ago because they didn't want to drive him to his hotel but wanted to get some money out of him. Last night, my cab driver couldn't understand me, so he called up a friend and handed me his cell phone. I had to tell the friend where I wanted to go and he translated for my driver.
Last night, the whole group (Alan, Jackie, Dimitri, Tommy, Gilly, Victoria, Kevin and me) went out for one last dinner at a nice Australian steakhouse called Wooloomooloo on the 31st floor of a skyscraper in Wanchai. It was the best meal I've had here so far, and I am already looking forward to a repeat visit. It was a good finish to my introductory stage of living in Hong Kong. I strolled around quite a long while in town afterwards, until it started to rain. It's really a great place. Someone once wrote of Hong Kong, "A dream of Manhattan, rising out of a South China sea." That's pretty much a perfect description. Now the bosses are getting ready to leave, and it's time for me to really make this place my home. I am looking forward to it like I've never looked forward to anything before in my life.
Well, today is Friday, and I couldn't have asked for a better first week. I'm going to head over to the 'honor kitchen' this afternoon and help myself to some of the goods. Hopefully the weekend will be as good as the rest of this week.
Cheers,
Paul
Cheers,
Paul
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Passing the One Year Mark
Well… it’s official. I have now been in Hong Kong for exactly one year. And in nine short days, I will be making my first visit back home, three hundred and seventy-nine days after I last set foot in the United States.
In all honesty, though, I don’t think I will go this long again without at least a short visit back home. It has long been a goal of mine to stay away for a full year, just to prove to myself that I could do it. Psychologically, it was a hurdle I really felt the need to get over. And now that I have succeeded, I’ll make my best effort to come home at least a couple of times each year from now on.
In all honesty, though, I don’t think I will go this long again without at least a short visit back home. It has long been a goal of mine to stay away for a full year, just to prove to myself that I could do it. Psychologically, it was a hurdle I really felt the need to get over. And now that I have succeeded, I’ll make my best effort to come home at least a couple of times each year from now on.
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I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again, but it certainly doesn’t feel like I’ve been away for as long as I have. Yes, I feel very at home in Hong Kong—I have great friends and I love the lifestyle—but it still feels like the beginning of an even longer journey. There’s still so much time ahead of me out here, so even though this milestone might seem impressive today, I’m sure one day I’ll look back on it as one of the earlier stages of my international experience.
Last night, to commemorate the big anniversary, some friends and I got together for a rooftop barbecue in Mong Kok, the part of town where I spent my very first night out here. I had read about this “hidden” restaurant months ago, and last night finally proved the proper ‘excuse’ to give it a try.
Basically, some local people decided to turn their private rooftop into a barbecue restaurant, and it has slowly become more and more popular via word of mouth. Perched atop an apartment building near the Ladies Market, the restaurant is only marked with a curiously discreet, misspelled sign indicating ‘BQQ’ in red letters. For a mere HK$118 (and after scaling seven flights of stairs in the walkup apartment building), an unending array of meat, shrimp, corn, bread and other foods is spread across some tables. The barbecue pits are filled with charcoal and lit upon arrival, and then the diners are free to go to town! The soft drinks, tea and beer are included in the price and also unlimited! And on a nice night, as it was yesterday, the rooftop ambiance cannot be beat. It was a great way to celebrate the occasion.
Work is going better than ever. Gone are the days when I struggled to earn my keep, to get customers to pay some attention to my existence, to feel like I was actually on a path to success. Now I even have a few customers who come to me, without any nudge on my part, to help them with their daily business. It’s a very good feeling, and I look forward to developing my business even further.
Last night, to commemorate the big anniversary, some friends and I got together for a rooftop barbecue in Mong Kok, the part of town where I spent my very first night out here. I had read about this “hidden” restaurant months ago, and last night finally proved the proper ‘excuse’ to give it a try.
Basically, some local people decided to turn their private rooftop into a barbecue restaurant, and it has slowly become more and more popular via word of mouth. Perched atop an apartment building near the Ladies Market, the restaurant is only marked with a curiously discreet, misspelled sign indicating ‘BQQ’ in red letters. For a mere HK$118 (and after scaling seven flights of stairs in the walkup apartment building), an unending array of meat, shrimp, corn, bread and other foods is spread across some tables. The barbecue pits are filled with charcoal and lit upon arrival, and then the diners are free to go to town! The soft drinks, tea and beer are included in the price and also unlimited! And on a nice night, as it was yesterday, the rooftop ambiance cannot be beat. It was a great way to celebrate the occasion.
Work is going better than ever. Gone are the days when I struggled to earn my keep, to get customers to pay some attention to my existence, to feel like I was actually on a path to success. Now I even have a few customers who come to me, without any nudge on my part, to help them with their daily business. It’s a very good feeling, and I look forward to developing my business even further.
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I am so indebted to my firm for giving me the great opportunity to work in this amazing city. The trust they put in me and the responsibilities they have given me have been the backbone of this entire journey, and I would never have had any of the great experiences without that. And of course, I owe so much to Kevin, my coworker, as well. Patient and savvy, he has taught me practically everything I know about this business, and I could not have asked for a better colleague to show me the ropes.
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All I can think about these days is savoring the joys of Hong Kong over the next week-and-a-half. Of course I am ridiculously excited about my upcoming six week trip back home, but I know it will bring with it some longing for the things (and people) I love most about this place. It has been a phenomenal year, and I am very grateful for the wonderful experiences I have been fortunate enough to enjoy, both internationally and right here in my city.
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Thank you Asia for giving me the best year of my life!
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