Pre-Ramadan
Managed to spend a full week in Hong Kong when it ‘just so happened’ that I had meetings at CX City 4 work days in a row, and ‘just so happened’ to sandwich a long weekend in between : P Met up with friends and did the usual stuff. Owen milked a big hot-pot meal out of my re-departure, and Francis managed to seduce me and Peter into an overnight game of AOE2.
Sat in the back both ways, but considering the trip was free, I really shouldn’t complain. Was welcomed back to BAH with my ‘new old’ ride - a silver 2002 Nissan Sunny. It’ll get me from point A to point B, so it’s all good. FT really took the time to make sure it got a decent restoration, replacing the tires and cleaned up the interior. The leather was a little overwaxed though, to the point where my hands would feel waxy just from touching the wheel. I don’t know why, but they even waxed the brakepedal (?!) so now it squeaks a lot down there whenever I’m in a traffic jam.
Travelwise, the biggest disappointment so far has been the shifting of the Regional Meeting from Islamabad to…Bahrain. Pakistan visa problems for many of the managers. By missing out on Islamabad, it did make attending the Chinese National Day Celebration possible though. Lots of drinking, lots of eating and lots of standing and ‘blowing water.’ Bahrain indeed is not a huge place - over my 5 weeks’ worth of meeting people, I realised I already knew about a third of all the big shots that were at the celebration. There was so much variety at the celebration buffet I had to resist the temptation to try everything (which would have been impossible), and stuck with what I knew I liked. I wasn’t hungry then. I’m hungry now, and that buffet is all I can think about.
Speaking of hungry, Ramadan’s right around the corner. One month of daytime fasting up ahead, so I went to the supermarket to load up. Wendy and Alice showed (pointed) me around as I drove, and even led me to the local Asian market. Frozen shumai, chasiubau and fishballs…mmm…
