will i am's delayed diary

Our flight out was in the afternoon, so we had some time in the morning to do some sightseeing. A local partner mentioned that we can catch the tail-end of Sakura season in Qingdao, so we decided to make a trip to Zhongshan Park although it was drizzling. So different from the several days we spent cooped up indoors. The irony of it. From the hotel we walked to Renminhuitang Metro Station. The Metro staff actually stand at the entrance yelling warnings about the wet floor, and hand out plastic bags for umbrellas. Down in the station, passengers and bags need to go through security screening. Interesting to note that their restrooms are actually on the platform! The park was just a short walk away from Zhongshangongyuan Metro Station, but when we arrived, the drizzle had intensified. Much to our disappointment, the cherry blossoms along the so-called Sakura Road had mostly ended up on the ground. The rain had killed whatever was leftover. Many a plan was dashed by the sudden d...

On the last day of the conference, my GM did his presentation. Pretty interesting because it was the first time I ever heard him do a business pitch in putonghua , and I must say that its better than his English! Everything was wrapped up, and they closed with a dialogue with the customers regarding products that had caught their interest. So that was it. My only purpose there was to smile, nod my head, and 'look pretty'. Zzz. We had some time to kill before dinner, so we had a little walk outside. Walked along Taiping Road, going as close as possible to the Chinese Naval Museum to get a better look at the submarine. Walked past some heritage houses and the Tianhou Temple which had a giant sculpture of Chinese cabbage at the entrance. Also had a look at the People's Hall which tries to emulate its grander twin in Beijing. There was also a small park with some colourful blossoms, and vendors selling seashell crafts, and roasted sweet potatoes. On our way back, we stu...

Finally it was showtime. The event was held at the function hall in the basement of the hotel. The tables were arranged in a very "meeting style". The hosts sat at one end, while we sat with their customers at the other end, facing each other. In the middle ( at the far end ) were the senior management of our hosts. Very surprised that the CTO is actually a woman. Something rare. The whole event was set up purely for the benefit of their customers who numbered less than 8 persons. One by one our local partners got up to give very impressive presentations. I noticed that they could really weave stories naturally and talk and talk and talk non-stop. All in putonghua of course. These were the same people who worked late setting up the venue, managing the logistics, and entertaining the guests. Talk about efficient multitasking. Hot tea was served along the course of the day. One Singaporean colleague was Indian, so he needed a translator to assist him. Whereas the other Singa...

The room they gave me had a pretty decent ocean view. From the window, I could see tourists thronging the rocky beach right in front of my hotel. Further out was Xiao Qiangdao island, a restricted military area until 1987. On the left, I could see a decommissioned nuclear submarine that's a part of the Qingdao Naval Museum. On the right was Zhanqiao Pier, an unofficial symbol of the city. The pavilion at the end of Zhanqiao pier is featured on the logo of the famous Tsingtao Beer. The room was spacious, with a work table that came with the most complete set of stationery that I ever saw. Which hotel provides scissors, ruler, gel pen, magnifying glass, and paper clips? On the coffee table was a teapot with a jar of tea leaves and chrysanthemum flowers. The breakfast spread at the hotel was pretty decent. A whole lot of porridge -- some like it white, some like it black, some like millet, some like barley. Also some Western choices for the angmoh . No activity was planned for t...

Work gave me a chance to visit China in mid-April. It was my maiden trip to the 'motherland'. Never had I considered travelling to China on personal trips. Due to a recent investment my group chairman made in a Chinese IT company, my company was roped into some engagement activities. So for a whole week before the trip, I had to compile pre-sales materials, and some of my colleagues had to help out with the translation. Truth be told, it was practically useless for me to be in an IT product conference in China since I could not read nor write, much less do a presentation in putonghua . And yet, I was flying there with my GM to be a 'unqualified vase'. LOL. And at the last minute another colleague actually pulled out with a doctor's letter claiming sinus problems. Alamak . Regardless, I proceeded with the flight tickets and visa. Two other colleagues would be flying from Singapore. My ticketing department got us 'great' tickets from Cathay Dragon where ...