Sydney 2016 (Part 2)

And we're back on the same flight, one week later. Looking forward to a week of Christmas, Family time, another wedding and New Years Eve.

Sydney 2016 (Part 1)

It has been 16 years since we finished high school and it still feels like yesterday we were running around the Canterbury Boys' High School quadrangle. The memories from that period of my life are the most fondness and memorable. Most of the boys have gotten married and started their own families with some of their kids about to embark upon their own high school memories. It's a surreal feeling, it feels like I'm a spectator watching from the side lines. Despite this, there are still a handful that aren't married so when one does decide to tie the knot, it's always a 'drop everything' event.

So with that in mind I headed to Sydney for what would be part 1 of an enjoyable December back home. I flew out of Hong Kong on the Friday night and arrived in home on Saturday morning for a short return. I can't speak more about being at home with family, if there's anything that remains constant it's returning home to Earlwood and having family time. In my eyes, things don't age but I know that each time I go back, there are subtleties that change.

The weekend was relaxing, I slept early on the Saturday evening and rose early to run errands before the wedding. I checked my calendar to confirm the Sunday wedding time, 2 pm. It seemed a little late for a wedding but I took the open morning to head out and pick up a Wedding Card before a family lunch and onward to the ceremony.

Embarrassingly, it turns out that Google Calendar stores the event as the local time of where the event  entry was created. Now, what that means is, when I received the invitation in Hong Kong, and entered the event that was at 11 am, it registered the Wedding at 11 am, Hong Kong Time. Read that carefully. So of course when I head to Sydney, it re-adjusted the event, factoring in a change in timezone and readjusted my calendar to 2 pm Sydney time, or 11 am Hong Kong time. Yes, that's what happened, I flew into Sydney for the wedding and still managed to be 3 hours late. Read that carefully.

I pulled up into the car park 30 minutes early (or 150 mins late, interpret that as you want) at Mosman and it was full, unusual that everybody was on time, but again I still didn't know that I was late. It was only until I found the wedding crowd. They were all standing and had champagne glasses, while listening to the groom give his thank you speech. He saw me walk in from the corner of his eye and made a special mention of my tardiness in his speech. Despite this, given the nature of the high school group, this unfortunate event would probably not surprise anybody. Beautiful afternoon, catching up with friends like we were still running around the grounds of Highschool. Time is fleeting.

Currently Reading: "Superforecasting"

UNICEF

First long distance run since my ankle injury. Joints feel stable, but still weary.

I actually have enjoyed running again. It's been a while and shocking to see how my cardio has deteriorated over the years. Training in Hong Kong is rather limited, with most of my running taking place on Bowen Road or down by the Victoria Harbour. Still being up amongst the buildings or by the water with the Tai Chi practitioners is a nice change in scenery.

Trying to find my time for the last 10 km race I participated in. It was back in London, for the Miles for Missing People run. Couldn't find my time, but know that I finished 79th out of all the men. Not very useful information.

Due to bad weather, the event was canceled. Bummer,

Spartan Sprint: Hong Kong

Spartan Sprint. 20 obstacles littered across a 6 km course in Kam Tin. Three of us decided to participate. We finished in 65 Mins, I missed two obstacles: Monkey Bars and Multi-Rig. I still remember how easy Monkey Bars used to be as a kid. What happened when I became an adult?

The Gravel Carry was by far the most brutal course, it makes the 60 burpees feel like a walk in the park.

Tokyo + Halloween + Stag

Passed the exam. There's a certain satisfaction in not having to read through the material and instead jump on a flight to Tokyo for 24 hours. Ended up talking the 1 am flight on Saturday morning arriving in Tokyo at 6 am local time. Mental note, try to avoid this flight time at all costs.

I arrived into Narita with just a backpack, toiletries and the clothes on my back. The direct bus to Roppongi shuttled me into Tokyo in a short amount of time and I was checking in at 8:30 am. The Whatsapp group was littered with activity up until 7:40 am. Either they had a quiet night in or they had a late night back. Given this assemble it was highly probable that they have only retired to their hotels within the last hour.

Turns out, one person was awake, not awake early, but rather, still awake. It was was a friend who had flown in from New York and with my freshness and his jet lag, we hit up Tsujiki fish markets for breakfast. Checked into the room and heading straight to lunch and kick started the buck's party. What would follow would be a romp around Shibuya dressed up as Street Fighter characters and the buck dressed as a lone Chun Li. The Halloween romp was followed by a group dinner before we retreated to the hotel to reassemble for the club.

Headed back to the hotel to drop off some water before heading to Agaha. Only to fall asleep. I wake up propped up against my bed with a million messages along the same line "Where are you?", "Wake up", "Get here now". It was 4 am, I had flown in for one night and managed to sleep through the entire evening. I pulled myself out of bed to meet up with more stragglers at 6 am for some morning sushi. What a whirlwind 24 hours in Tokyo.

Study sessions

SFC licensing. 60 questions, 70% pass rate. Material, oh so dry. Currently reading, this.

HKSAR: National Day

First day of work

Quiet - lots of interesting projects, big data, data mining, first impressions, great culture. Welcome pack included two books. First observations, I will most likely put on weight with the open pantry and open fridge.

Train to work - quite inefficient - almost as long as Quarry bay - need to figure out a more efficient way to work. Bus? Ding Ding?

Update: Bus

Currently Reading: "Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service"

Blood Donation + Watford

Turns out Climbing Mount Kinabalu has been identified as a risk when donating blood in Hong Kong. The risk is that Malaria may be present and the blood may be contaminated. Have I had Malaria for the last 6 months? What about all those Gin and Tonics I've had between then and now?

This is the first time I've donated blood. My ex colleague convinced me to donate blood with the promise of waffles. The interesting thing is that majority of the donors are the Causeway Bay Donation Centre were all helpers. I wonder what attracts helpers to want to donate? Is it because a lot of them having Nursing or Medical backgrounds?

Much needed extra week

I had expected to only have a one week off between jobs. Thankfully the Visa transfer process has taken a little longer than expected with the Immigration Department requesting evidence that my previous employee has acknowledged my resignation. Having the relaxing few days in Sydney and now a couple of extra days in Hong Kong to decompress and unwind has been exactly what I needed. Lots of long sleeps, yoga, beach and running around completing apartment errands (clothes donation and installation of some black out curtains).

Visa was approved on Wednesday evening, and with Friday being the Mid Autumn Festival public holiday we have agreed to an official start day on Monday the 19th September. Which means that I've had two whole weeks off in between. Can't wait to get started, looking forward to new challenges and new learning.

Sydney

I have a break between jobs! Exactly one week worth of doing nothing. As much as I would like to spend that time in Hong Kong catching up on errands (think: going to the tailor, fixing the halogen lights in my bedroom, getting new bedsheets, buying a vacuum cleaner, buying some new kitchenware, eliminating the light pollution from my bedroom, relaxing, the list goes on ... ); my mind raced through the endless possibilities. I entertained the usual destinations: Malaysia, Thailand or Korea. With the standard agendas: eat, sleep and yoga. However a recent trip from my dad convinced me that it would be nice to return to Sydney and decompress on home soil. With the help of CX Fanfares I managed to pick up some opportune flights back to Sydney (only 4400 HKD return).

3 days in Sydney. Mom had time off due to recent eye surgery and it presented a good opportunity to hang with the family. It was exactly what I needed. Cool, early Spring weather. Great food: hotpot at home, Sydney Cafe, Butter Sydney Fried Chicken, food court Sushi and Pho An. Lots of sleep and the recalibration of my body clock. Shopping for bedding, sports equipment and kitchenware. Physical activities, walking, (double) yoga and my first float. But most importantly some quality family time.

Currently reading: "Four Hour Chef"

Sensory Deprivation

My first sensory deprivation tank. A little surreal, drifting in between wakefulness and consciousness.  90 minute sailed by. Might have to give it another go in Hong Kong.

And so it is: Last day at work

Since my resignation two months ago, I had expected the workload to slow down. However, due to block leave and deadlines it has been quite the opposite - my days have been vigorious, working weekends and maintaining the same intensity as a employee with no end in sight. "Why are you still working so hard?" is the common mantra from friends, I honestly don't know. I guess the issue is, the work needs to be delivered and since I'm the only person around there remains an element of accountability. So I push on, not 100%, but not full time malingering.

With that being said, it has finally started to taper off during this last week. Since returning from Bali I embark on my final four days and it has finally started to taper off. My colleague has returned and the last few days have been dedicated to handovers. I leave before 7 pm and my demeanour noticeably improves up until the final day. I am still sending mails, not everybody knows that my time here is drawing to an end. I order 40 cupcakes, and write up my farewell email.

Today marks my final day with BNP Paribas - It has been an enjoyable three years punctuated by challenges, fulfilment and entertainment both professionally and personally. Thank you to the Client Management team, past and present. To the stakeholders who tried to make life easier for me. Finally, to those who always had the time for a conversation in the kitchen or lifts of Exchange Square and PCCW Tower.

There was always a risk that this would become an award’s acceptance speech, so before I drop the mic I can be contacted on all the regular channels: email, mobile, Facebook and of course Snapchat.

Regards,

Derek

There are faces of confusion, clearly my departure was not advertised and as I walk around and bid farewell to the faces on level 16 the resounding sentiment is "Congratulations". I leave the building and head back to Exchange Square for my exit interview.

All you need is love, and sunshine, oh and daily massages

Between now and the 12th of September I have a four day vacation, a four day final working week topped off by a one week transition period. I can't help but wish  I had timed my resignation a little better, but with all things it comes down to timing and lets just saying timing is not one of my strong points. Irrespective, the point of this post is not to bitch about my unfavourable annual leave situation but to celebrate the wedding of one of my favourite Hong Kong couples. The August wedding was more of a formality as the couple had previously signed the papers to be married earlier this year (it was a Chinese Fortune teller who advised that the couple be wed in the year of the Sheep, not the year of the Monkey). In any case, who doesn't like a destination wedding?

We arrived into Bali, Ngurah Rai International Airport just after 2 am and due to some skilful inception somebody had managed to convince the group that we needed KFC to be our first meal. It probably should have come to no surprise that KFC was closed and we were forced to have Mc Donalds. The same McDonalds I have eaten at in all previous Bali visits.

The crowd in the restaurant was best described as Antipodean, it was as if I had been transported to George Street Sydney, "Maccas" on a Saturday night circa 12 am. A cacophony of "OHH YEAH" and "HOWZZIT GOING" bombarded our weary ears. It would take us 40 minutes to consume the food. The hot plate was not working and they weren't able to accommodate anything with a beef patty.  We switched our order to Mc Chickens and Mc Nuggets and reluctantly gobbled down the food . We arrived in Seseh just before 4 am and promptly drifted into sleep.

Clear skies and warm weather greeted us the next morning as did the bride. There was something different about her today, she was on crutches and each step winced her with discomfort. Those crutches are new, I thought to myself. Turns out she had (re) dislocated her knee and was now confined to limited movement. How would she walk down the isle? How, indeed...

The wedding had been setup in the main villa and family and guests were assigned adjacent villas. We had a nearby villa where breakfast was provided and our days consisted of swimming, chilling, massages, and the odd 1 hour car ride into Seminyak - Who would have thought sitting in an air conditioned car be so tiring?

So back to the wedding. Due to previous destination weddings held in sweltering heat, the bride and groom decided that suit and tie for men was not going to be very comfortable for anybody; Not for the guy sweating profusely, and not for the person talking to the guy sweating profusely. A large proportion of the guests had flown in from America and Europe and were not handling the warmer temps and higher humidity. Our wardrobe consisted of shorts and warmer weather attire and boy what a difference it made. So what happened to the bride? Well, it's obvious. She was "walked" down the isle on a Balinese Palanquin manned by four Balinese ushers.

Great weekend trip in South East Asia. Managed to avoid the mosquitos. Caught up with a lot of familiar faces. However the highlight was of course the beautiful wedding, punctuated by a touching wedding video, a fireworks display, a raucous after party and two dislocated knees. That's right, she dislocated the second knee later that night during the after party.

Breakthrough: Job Offer (#2)!

"I'm afraid I am going to have to turn down the offer"

"I don't understand. It's only been 1 day, maybe you should take a little longer to think about it?"

"I have concerns about it being a contract role"

"Let me see if I can speak with the client"

"Also, there's another firm that I just started interviewing with and I think that's a better fit for me"

"Have they made an offer?"

"No. In actual fact, I've only had one interview"

"You realise what you're leaving on the table here?"

"Yes, sure"

"Well, as long as you understand the opportunity you're giving up"

"I don't wanna come back in a few weeks time and reneg on the offer"

"Sure, I appreciate the honesty, I'll give you the weekend in case you change your mind"

That is the conversation that took place 6 weeks ago with my recruiter. 9 interview rounds later the gamble paid off and the "another firm" has made a job offer. What a relief!

However, there is a third opportunity that has now piqued my interest. Again, no job offer. Do I tempt fate and turn down a second offer for the third role? 

Breakthrough: Job Offer!

One of my resolutions this year was just to participate in more job interviews. Not so much try to find a job, but at least become a better candidate in this tangled process for job acquisition. To date, my year has been productive based on that metric. the prospect has ultimately led to a job offer. Good firm, decent position, yet, I have declined the (contract) offer ...

Currently reading: "I am Pilgrim"

Shoulder soreness: Part 3

It has been over 9 months since I injured my shoulder. I have been quite diligent with my rehab programme with a lot of focus being spent on  scapula and rotator cuff strengthening exercises as well as lat and pec mobility.

The result is, my range of motion has improved and I am finally able to place load on my shoulder. Started with my weights on presses and have started back into more advance yoga practises.Certain positions still cause me discomfort, overhead hangs and high arm stretches but I could not be happier with the progress so far. Let's just hope I don't do something stupid (again) to re-injure myself. Just in time for summer.

Despair

Rejection. It's like being kicked in the gut. Back to square one.

Linda and Adam: The wedding

Each step taken causes every tendon and muscle in my lower body to scream. The trauma that my body is experiencing from the past few days hike is exceptional. The fact that my agenda for the next few days is to sit by the pool and sleep is not surprisingly the only thing within my current capabilities.

It feels like everybody is getting married, there's been a shift in the attendance demographic. There used to be a time when weddings would be the gathering of friends; single friends. There has been a shift, it's couples, families, kids. Another amazing wedding. Familiar faces, high temperatures and great times.

Mount Kinabalu

"It's not easy, but if you're relatively fit and healthy - you'll be fine" is what everybody said of Mount Kinabalu. How difficult would it be? I decided that I would climb the stairs from the platform of Quarry Bay to the entrance; that would be my preparation. I, like most of my friends had drastically underestimated the climb, it wasn't so much the ascent but the descent which would prove to be the most challenging.

Mount Kinabalu is a 7 stage climb, it's not so much of a climb but more of a hike. There were moments of hands on knees, hands on hips, hands on the ground but for the most part it was like being on a stair master for two days. Our biggest fear at the start was not so much the physical challenge but Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) or altitude sickness. Our sherpa was a middle aged lady, with rosy cheeks and a portly, low centre of gravity. She would be our guide up and down the mountain and had made a living escorting tourists up and down the mountain twice a week. Her stout appearance gave us encouragement as we set off in mid morning.

The first few stages were relatively straight forward, we were passing groups with relative ease and making quick work of the provisions of muesli bars and snacks. It was around stage 6 where things got a little challenging, the goal was to reach base camp before sunset otherwise the park would be closed. We arrived at base camp ahead of schedule. Unfortunately the temperature had dropped significantly and we were starting to feel cramps and niggles, a good night's sleep was critical. Unfortunately our dorm had no showers, and the the dorm that did have showers had no hot water. We cleaned up as best as we could and socialised with the other tourists (so. many. tourists) and no surprises here we were the group late to Ferrata training! The afternoon was spent chilling and mentally preparing ourselves for the morning start.

Nobody slept, the dorm creaked and of the person who slept, his snoring kept everybody else awake. We rose at 2 am, to some warm coffee and some biscuits. The point of the overnight stay was to start the day early to reach the summit before sunrise. It was bloody cold, we made it to the top and the view was breath taking. Our afternoon was spent ferrating around the mountain, a lot of fun and a challenging to the motor skills.

What people failed to mention was the challenge of coming down the mountain. The jagged, uneven steps were like jolts to the joints.. Each step like a test of the shock absorbing ability of the body. Still, our sherpa pushed on and as quickly as we scaled the mountain we had made it down. Our legs like jelly, our faces covered in sweat and rain. We had made it off the mountain, but only just. It's times like this you question your own fitness levels particularly living in Hong Kong.

Next stop Shangri La. I looked at our group, there was visible signs of stress and physical exhaustion. I turned to my friend and asked "Why would you climb this mountain twice?".

Easter: Wedding

A wet Thursday evening, the ceremony was scheduled to start at 5 pm. I had just climbed into an Uber, it was already 5:30. The rain teamed down and not surprisingly the wet weather wreaked havoc on the roads. There's something calming about rain, except in Hong Kong. Rain brings a heightened sense of anxiety, the additional umbrellas, the lack of taxis and the congested roads coupled with the formidable T8 and Black Rain storms add to the the already humid climate. This evening felt different. The blaring of the horns, the stagnant traffic jamming the Aberdeen tunnel adding to my already late arrival had me calm. Work has been busy, but productive and it was a nice end to the week. I had the Easter long weekend to look forward to and a trip to Malaysia scheduled and it all started with a Easter wedding in Hong Kong.

This would be my second Hong Kong wedding, my first was a huge production and this was billed as an intimate casual affair with close friends and around 60 people who had made the trip over from Australia. Anthony and Sylvie get married at The Verandah in Repulse Bay, followed by a late night romp in Mahalo, Wan Chai and late night ramen in Ichi Ran, Causeway Bay. Happy Easter!

Locked myself out of the apartment

That moment, when you arrive home and you realise, that you don't have your keys and that the only spare set is back at work. The round trip back to Quarry Bay from Sheung Wan is brutal. I really should have a spare set of keys somewhere, closer.

Currently reading: "The Light Between Oceans"

Hope

The concept of hope and expectations. It can be so uplifting and dramatically change perspective and mood.

Three interesting roles, all different, all different firms. The interview process continues ...

Central Sri Lanka