Wanderlust Heaven!

You may have guessed I’m seriously busy these days, I haven’t filed a blog post in more than 3 weeks.  I had another existential self-struggle about whether to keep the blog going, but am going to persevere as long as possible – I’m come to feel quite strongly that persistence/perseverance is the most important human trait.

Last post was my 160^th, when you look at the Boots’n’All screen, on the right-hand side, there are so many months in which I’ve posted that it spans more than a screen deep.  I’m well over 3 years’ worth of posting, although the cadence has slowed since I returned to work.  You may actually be thankful for that!

Because I haven’t posted in a while, my memory is dimming a bit, but will try to be both colorful and concise here.

I’ve started (sort of) frequenting the Bulldog Pub, which seems likely to become my “local.”  My second night there, I met Nicole the Marketing Manager, her South African buddy, who’s a DJ at nearby Zapata’s, and cute Filipino waitress Tani.  Good vibe, decent value, and usually a vacant seat at the bar.  Count me in.

Had a challenging presentation to a pharmaceuticals distributor in Hong Kong a few weeks ago.  Had to get up to speed on some different product categories in the space of 2-3 days, and write a presentation to give to them.  Thankfully, an old colleague works there now (he brought me in), and he set expectations accordingly.  The prez went well and we might do a piece of work for them in coming months.

After the meeting I walked over the my old favorite, Shanghai 369, for some noodle soup and steamed dumplings – this place has the greatest dumplings, I swear.  This meal was really the sole bit of pleasure during this one-night trip to HKG, the rest was all business.  Which seems to be becoming a theme these days…

Got an RFP from a former client, and we signed non-disclosure agreements, which turned out to be a bit more of a pain than I anticipated.  I download the client’s form, attached my digital signature, and sent to my assistant to get the company seal and then get dropped off.  For some reason she couldn’t open my file, so I had to re-send late in the day and it was all a bit stressful.  We got it in before close of business, but I was stressing while standing in line at Pudong Airport Immigration – not something you really need after a busy day.

Met friend Ed at the Hilton for a beer, and to see his friend KJ, who’s a mover/shaker in life sciences in China.  Had a good discussion.

Went to Bulldog for a much-needed cocktail after that.  Saw Tani and chatted with her…talked to Steven, an Aussie sitting at the bar next to me, who regaled me with stories of Papua New Guinea, where he used to teach.  It happened to be Ladies’ Night at the bar, but the crowd still seemed a bit thin.  Chatted for a few minutes with waitress Annabelle, who shares her name with my maternal grandmother, bless her soul.  Filipinos have classic names, I wonder how many Westerners are named Annabelle these days…

Next day, went to a presentation given by a local law firm.  I wasn’t thrilled to attend, esp. given that it was in Mandarin, but they needed someone senior to attend, so I went with one of our project managers.  Midway through, I got a call from the prospective client – he had sent the RFP and I needed to download it ASAP, as I was getting on a flight to Beijing in a few hours and wanted to at least read it on the flight.  Found the Business Center, got the file, called him, and then went to the airport.

Read the file on the flight and started formulating my thoughts & proposal.  It looked to be a hairy few weeks, they wanted to start pretty soon and I had a few other things on my plate coming right up.

Did my meetings in Beijing, stayed just the one night, then back to Shanghai.  Worked on the proposal and got that into decent shape.  Shared it with some colleagues for comments, and while awaiting their response, I went to the Bulldog to soothe my nerves.

It was Trivia Night – I tend to be pretty good at the inane and trivial.  I got all the geography questions right and wound up impressing Tani the cute waitress.  The hardest question was for a photo, they showed a very blurry pic and had us guess who it was – not a multiple choice question, unfortunately.  I forget who I went for, but the correct answer was Leon Trotsky – someone actually got it.  I should stick to my strong suits, geography and history.   Fun night, anyway.

I’m becoming increasingly annoyed with Facebook.  I get at least 10 messages a day from the site, and probably should turn off the notification feature.  The downside would be if I ever did want to see what’s been going on, there’d be hundreds of notices and I’d flee instantly, never to return.  Better to manage the slow drip, methinks…

September 11^th rolled around.  Had a very busy morning working on two client leads/cases.  Got an email from an old fraternity brother, he and another brother were heading to Cleveland on the weekend to visit another brother who’s son is in a specialty hospital there, getting treated for some terrible illnesses.  Just heart-rending.  I asked him to call me when they were all together, I wanted to check in and provide my best wishes.

Had a meeting with prospective client re the new proposal.  Good session, made some progress.  What I’m starting to realize after a few months here in China is that the fast pace of change makes everything unpredictable and hard to manage.  I feel much more rushed and tired than I did in Japan or Oz…those are mature markets and clients know how to work with consultants – here everything needs to be turned around in 2-3 days and it makes life difficult.  I’m not putting in world-record hours, but it seems like every minute is packed and I’m dead by 7 p.m.

This 9-11 seemed pretty low-key on my end, I don’t even think I watched a second of TV or read much about the anniversary of the attacks.  We had an office meeting and then a dinner that night, went to a nearby Italian place where we all ate too much.  No karaoke afterward, I think we were all tired…or perhaps some people slunk away to engage in mischief but didn’t tell me – all for the better.  I went to the Bulldog for a few beers and then cut my losses.  Stressful week…

For some reason in the cab en route to my flat, I fixated on the car’s turn signal.  I thought back to when I was a little boy, riding in the back of my Mom’s car, and wondering how the car knew when it was time to turn left or right.  Ah, those days of ignorance!  Now I know too well what’s going on and it’s often more than I can bear…

Had a date scheduled with a Russian woman who I’d gotten in touch with through a mutual friend.  She was working for a Shanghai-based clothing company and we were to meet Sunday night.  On Saturday I spent some time listening to some Russian-language podcasts I’d downloaded a while back, I remembered some Russian from my 4 or so months in the FSU, but had forgotten most of it.  I kind of like Russian and it was good to hear the words again.

Did some reading…worked some more on my client proposal, which was a demanding piece of work and I had no help on it…and practiced a bit of guitar, something that’s really been slipping lately.

Went out for a run…when I got outside, there were crowds everywhere.  No, it wasn’t my audition for “Life of Brian,” instead there was a fire in a building across the street.  There was a fair amount of smoke billowing about, I went back upstairs and closed all the windows.  Then went back out, skirted the crowds (Chinese people seem to love a public spectable), and walked to Jiaotong University’s track, as usual.

Had a good run – it’s getting cooler out, I can go much farther now.  After the run, walked around the ‘hood for a long time, hadn’t had a chance to do that much yet.  Found a cluster of Japanese cafes/restos near the West Yan’an Metro Station (I think it was that one).  There was even a dedicated sake bar – who knew?  Went home, showered, and walked back – ducked into Yakitori Daikichi and had a very nice informal meal.  When I lived in Tokyo I would go to izakaya or yakitori-ya nearly every night, the assortment and quality were simply exceptional and I really have missed Japanese food.  Now I have a good alternative to Chinese, although I can eat that nearly every day without getting sick of it, the variety of dishes is so vast.

Saw “Hotel Carolina” on Xinhua Lu on my way home.  I love it.

Took it easy the rest of that night, Saturday night.  Am I getting old, or just responsible?  It’s probably a good thing that Bulldog Pub isn’t down the street from my flat, otherwise I’d be there more often.

On Sunday I worked all day – not a trend I hope to continue, but it seems likely.  Had lunch at new favorite Shen Ya, near the Crowne Plaza.   Got a call from Cleveland, my fraternity brothers were there, I spoke with a couple of them, including Seth, who’s son is being treated there.  He’s holding up pretty well.  I joined CaringBridge, the website where his son’s progress is being tracked.  Life is truly a going concern, you have to soldier on and make the best of things.

Did a bit of yoga, which helps center me when I’m way too busy.  Then showered and went to meet Marina, my date, at Haiku by Hatsune Japanese resto.  Had fun talking with her and eating rolls…we went for a nightcap at Sasha’s, then headed home (separately).  Saw roommate/colleague George when I returned to the flat, he’d just gotten in from San Francisco.

Monday morning – up at 6:15 a.m.  Had to fly to Beijing, and later in the week to Seoul.  Saw George, packed my bag, and headed to the airport.  At least this was Hongqiao Airport, the domestic field, which is much closer and less of a hassle.  At the airport I had a call with my Korean colleagues about the Friday morning meeting, then got on the plane.  No dull/free moments these days.   Worked on the client proposal on the flight.  By the time I landed, around 10:30 a.m., I already felt like I had put in a full day.

Went to our office.  Worked on the document a bit more.  Had a meeting with a different client.  Back to the document.  Had a short call with the Russian lass, that was a welcome distraction – we made some plans to meet soon.  Had a call at 9 p.m., then collapsed into bed.

The next day we were kicking off a 3-day client capabilities workshop, I was only attending the first day but had to say a few words of intro.  Noticed that I’d forgotten my collar stays, so stuck some cardboard up the shirt-slots and that worked pretty well.  Improvisation – yet another important human characteristic, I’m reasonably good at that one too.

After the workshop, I put in a bit more time on the client proposal, which was by now in solid shape.  I just wish I had more help on these things, it always feels like you’re running a solo shop.  Switched on the TV for the first time in ages (I was in a hotel, and do tend to watch a bit more TV when in hotels generally).  It was the first anniversary of the collapse of Lehman and all the muckety-mucks were opining left and right.  I recalled being in Sevastopol, Crimea when this was all happening last year and being utterly gobsmacked by the scale of the wreckage.  That was when I’d gotten serious about returning to work…what a year it’s been, friends.

Next day I met with “client #2,” to prepare for a workshop we’d have later in the year.  He’s a great guy and I enjoy spending time with him.  Got out of that meeting and got a call from the client to whom I owed my current proposal – instead of needing it two days’ hence, he wanted it that night.  Ugh.  I had to rearrange my entire schedule and plan to be up all night.  Flew back to Shanghai as regularly scheduled, but spent entire flight cranking on the document.  Worked on it till nearly midnight, then sent it off.  George gave me an assist towards the end, he read a couple documents for me and teased out the key bits.  Remember what I said about China being fast-paced, unpredictable, and demanding?  Word…

On Thursday I was drowsy all day.  It was raining, an all-too-often occurrence in Shanghai.  Had a call with our Asia Head, we decided to make me a full-time employee starting January 1.  Being a contractor really has no benefit – same pay, same hours, and the possibility of non-renewal once the contract period ends.  I’d done a good job since returning and wasn’t particularly worried about being cut free, but I think it’s better if there’s at least some impediment in place to being fired.  I imagine most people would agree in these much-diminished days…

No time for a run that night.  Cooked some mushroom soup, then got on a work conference call.  Traded texts with the Russian.  Call ended around 10 p.m., I decided to go to Bulldog for a beer.  Did that, didn’t stay long, but it was a nice diversion from the grind.

Had breakfast the next morning with colleague George and an Aussie named Tony who’s looking for a job.  Had a relatively mellow day, and was looking forward to going to Rosh Hashanah services at the Millenium Hotel around 6 p.m.  Had a car arranged…then, at 5:15 p.m., my prospective client called – he wanted to get together and discuss the proposal.  What could I say?  This was important to our business and we wanted to get the work…so I had the car just take me to his office, nearby.  We discussed things, I promised to get him a revised version by Monday afternoon, and then went home.  No Rosh Hashanah that night, and the weekend would now be full of proposal revision work.

Went to the Bulldog to vent a bit.  Had a beer with Nicole and the South African fellow…Nicole was practicing her Valley Girl slang so I chimed in.  Pretty funny, actually – I hate hearing that lingo when I it’s everyday speech, but when you try to mock it, you can have some fun – especially when you consider you’re hanging out in Shanghai, China.  The South African guy was breaking up in laughter.  Nicole’s from Buffalo, and younger than I am, so she was streets ahead of me in the lingo but I managed to get in some good bits too.

Slept in next day, Saturday.  Proposal work loomed.  Got up and got going on that.  Went to Shen Ya for lunch, did a bit of food shopping at City Mart, the expensive but excellent upscale place nearby.  Spoke with the Russian, our schedules weren’t aligning too well.  Back was pretty sore, did some yoga and that worked wonders.  How can I work that into my daily routine – that’s an ongoing, unmet challenge.

Took it easy that night.  Got up fairly early on Sunday, did some more proposal work.  Practiced guitar for a bit, then back to the proposal.  Around 3 p.m. I got in a cab to go to the Renaissance Hotel, where the local Hash House Harriers club was meeting.  Rory and Anne, my British friends whom I’d met at the Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia Hash, were back in Shanghai after summering in Bulgaria.  I was excited to see them again, and when I reached the hotel they were right there.  Caught up with them, then did the Hash, which took us around various obscure parts of the city.  Was fairly tired afterward, we did the usual Circle of drinking and singing, then went to the nearby Oktoberfest party.  That was good fun – quasi-German fare, good beer, bands who played not only German classics, but YMCA and Sweet Home Alabama as well – random and bizarre, but good fun.  Great opportunity to see affluent Shanghainese families at play, they were really getting into it.

I didn’t stay that long, as I still had to work on the proposal, which, all told, had taken huge amounts of my time (and sanity) over previous weeks.  You can probably sense that from this post, no?

Did some more work, then quit for the night, I was pretty close to being “done.”  Watched the 1981 movie “Continental Divide,” starting John Belushi.  I’d really liked this movie many years ago, had seen it a couple times, and had the DVD.  And I still like it – seeing John Belushi playing a relatively straight role is quite an experience.  The movie falls short of being a real classic, but it was certainly worth 90 minutes of my scarce time these days…

Monday morning.  Had a quick call with George on the proposal, he liked what I’d done and had a couple suggestions before I sent it off.  Proceeded to have an exhausting day…went straight home afterward and had a nap, something I almost never do these days.  Reminded me of my sabbatical, when I had the luxury of such things.

Tuesday – rained all day.  Utterly depressing.  Had to fly to Beijing that evening, packed and went to the office, after having my assistant get me a car.  Nearly impossible to get a cab in Shanghai when it rains – perhaps the least agreeable aspect of living here.  Read in the car that former nightlife spot Julu Lu was closed down – a notorious place, so I wasn’t surprised.  The Expo is in Shanghai next year and I imagine the government is trying to clean the place up.

Spent the day working on various client matters, then we had a CV Workshop for prospective hires.  Quite an accomplished bunch.  I did the firm’s intro, then let my colleagues handle the rest.  Went to the airport and flew to Beijing that evening.

Had client meetings the next morning…then my prospective client called and asked me to attend a meeting that Sunday afternoon.  Because of the upcoming National Day holiday, which was combined with the Autumn Holiday, we’d have more than a week off, so the powers that be designed two weekend days as official work days, and this Sunday was one of them.  I agreed to attend.  Client meetings on Sundays – not something you want to make a regular event.

Had a productive client meeting after that, then had dinner with the Beijing office head, a good guy from France.  He took me to a genuine local place where they eat skewers and peppers – nice to get away from the hotel restos.  Then we went to Maggie’s for a beer, that place has been around forever but moved a couple years ago.  Fun dive bar.  Called brother-in-law Dave when I got back to the hotel, it was his birthday and I wanted to say hi.

Next day, I did a few things in the morning, then flew to Seoul.  Hadn’t been there in 4 years or so.  Easy flight from Beijing.  Got to Incheon Airport and got into the waiting car.  I must say that Seoul looks much nicer than it did years ago…they’ve created new parks, planted more trees, and in general made it more pleasant.  Went to our office, which I remembered fairly well from some late-night work there years ago.  Most of my Seoul memories were of long nights at the office, and weird client meetings.  I did a bit of work in the office, then, along with a couple colleagues, went to the train station to catch a train to Daegu City, Korea’s third-largest city, where we’d have a client meeting the following morning.  I’d never heard of Daegu City until a week ago, when I was asked to join this meeting – see what you learn along the way.

Got to Daegu City, checked into the hotel, which was perfectly fine.  Met old colleague Won-Hong at the poolside cafe, where we talked about the project and meeting.  Hadn’t seen him in years – that’s one nice thing about rejoining the firm, I still have some old friends around the planet – and they seem pretty happy to have me back.

Not an ugly night (for me).  Was in bed around 12:30 a.m.  But our project team stayed up all night preparing for the meeting, which was at 8 a.m.  I got up and went for a quick breakfast, then we met in the lobby.

Meeting went well – it was with the city government, the vice-mayor was there/presiding.  I had a few comments, it was all over after 90 minutes and my Korean colleagues seemed happy.  We went to our project office, worked, had a good Korean lunch, then got on the train back to Seoul.  Every single one of us slept the entire ride.  It was Friday and a long week for all of us.

Got into Seoul.  Checked into the Marriott, then had dinner with colleague Hanmae, who was my “handler” this trip.  He’d had zero sleep the night before, and hadn’t seen his family all week, so I didn’t keep him out long.  I wouldn’t have minded seeing more of Seoul, but I was fried and had to do some work the next day, in anticipation of my Sunday client meeting.  We went to a terrific Korean resto where we had kalbi, sirloin, and the usual endless assortment of side plates.  Then went back to the hotel where I read a bit, then crashed hard.

Slept till 9 a.m. the next day.  Had a nice breakfast, for once, then had to head to the airport to fly back to Shanghai.  Car didn’t show in time, so hopped in a taxi.  The entire time in Korea I never had a Korean Won on me – I’d relied on my colleagues or credit cards.  Taxis in Seoul accept credit cards, so I was able to avoid the hassle of getting Won that I might not need for a while (although I may return later on in this project, we’ll see).

On Sunday I worked the entire day, it was an official work day.  Had my afternoon client meeting, which went well enough – we did what we needed to do, and decided to have a “soft project kickoff” right away.  The week promised to be a hard one – the holiday would start Wed night, so between Sunday and Wednesday I’d be in 5^th gear, without much of a project team around me.  We were fully booked until after the holiday, and my project manager was in the US.  Ugh.

As expected, I had a brutally busy week.  Spent nearly all my waking hours at the client – at night I’d limp home.  It rained most of the time, which made it hard to get around town – coming from the client’s office to ours on Tuesday evening, it took nearly an hour, versus 10 minutes in decent weather.  Between the rain and the pre-holiday madness, it was a terrible time to be trying to move around the city.  I was dying to escape, and had booked a flight to Bangkok…where I expected to have to continue to work, but with better weather and a bit of a holiday mentality, if not a true beach bonanza.

Things with the Russian lass didn’t pan out…I think she got back together with an old flame…and I was so fried from work/life in China that I really didn’t care, I was actually happy to have one fewer distraction.  You know you’re working way too hard when you start to feel that way.  It’s almost like being demasculated, you don’t want any social distractions, except perhaps for an on-demand beer at the pub.  So I went on Wed night to the Bulldog for a “farewell beer” before flying to Thailand on Thursday.  Saw the usual gang there and it was nice to spend an hour or so there.

National Day, Thursday October 1, rolled around.  For the third straight morning, a nearby car alarm woke me up.  Got up and did some work, and started to pack.  Housekeeper Ching showed up – hadn’t met her before, and while it was nice to finally meet, I was pretty busy and hadn’t really expected her.  I knew she tended to clean our flat on Mondays and Thursdays, but didn’t know precisely what time, and also it was National Day so I half-expected her to take the day off.  But no…she showed, with a little boy – she works/lives with a Western family and he’s the son.  I found their presence a bit distracting and was happy when they left after an hour or so.  Finished up some emails and hastily packed, then met the car waiting downstairs for me.  I was escaping and was damn glad about it.  It had been a month from hell.

It was, of course, raining hard, which promised to screw up the flights.  Plus the government had dibs on landing slots, this being National Day, with lots of military hardware being paraded about.  My China Eastern flight was more than 2 hours late and I was annoyed.  Getting out of China wasn’t proving to be easy or smooth.

Landed in Bangkok around 8 p.m.  Got to the hotel around 9, dropped off my stuff at Starry Place Apartments, then walked over to see friend Bob at VP Tower.  His girlfriend Kate was there, hadn’t seen her the past few trips and it was good to see her, despite the language barrier.  Bob was finishing up some e-trades – he showed me a bit of his work and I was a bit jealous, to be frank – I wouldn’t mind working from home, dealing only with a computer, and controlling my hours.  Of course, his income is totally unpredictable, and the stress therein shouldn’t be underestimated.  How to weave together the better elements of our two jobs/lifestyles??

Had a couple beers with them, then walked back to Starry.  It was really nice to be back in Bangkok, one of my favorite cities.  The place is totally accommodating, there are so few real frustrations here.  You can get a taxi when it’s raining…things are cheap…quality is fairly high…and the mood is relaxed.  OK, there’s not the commercial vibrancy of China, or at least the zany entrepreneurial spirit, but there’s enough energy and diversity for me.

Bought “District 9” DVD, I’ve heard great things about this movie and have been meaning to see it.  I fully expected to have to work during the upcoming week in Bangkok, but I was hoping to keep it to half-days and not 12-hour days.

Got a haircut – which wasn’t looking promising until I intervened.  Need to find a better salon that than one.  Had lunch with Bob at Century Mall nearby, he’s perfected a super-cheap system where he brings his own bottle of water (filled at a sterilized water place, for next to nothing) and pays about a dollar for a solid, healthy lunch.  I think Bob’s getting by on USR$1K a month or so – amazing.  I’m frugal enough but would need to spend a multiple of that.

Took a much-needed nap…went for a run in the park nearby.  Soi Rangnaam, where I nearly always stay, is wonderful – it has great street food, this park, a couple good bars, and is near the Victory Monument Skytrain stop.  I swear I could come here and spend a year or much more…I might just do that before long.

Watched District 9 that night, enjoyed it thoroughly.  I love the South African accent – not everyone does, but I do.  And the theme of the movie really resonated, it was an excellent piece of work.

Next day, Saturday, I got up and got to work.  Made solid progress, not enough, but hey, it was Saturday after all, and a holiday week.  Not that the Chinese holidays hold much meaning for me, but after the month I’d had I deserved some rest and meant to take it.  Had some street food for lunch…took another nap…went for another run.  That’s my type of pattern, and need to get back to it soon.

Thais really make their food with tender loving care.  Walking around, watching vendors prepare food, it’s captivating to see how much attention they devote to their art.  And this is also true with eating, Thais spend time mixing in condiments and spices, instead of just wolfing down the entire bowl/plate.  That’s something I appreciate about this place, they tend to take the time to enjoy life.

Went out with Bob that night.  Had some surprisingly OK Mexican food at Sunset Grill (or something like that), I had fish tacos which were quite nice.  Then we walked over to Soi Cowboy for a few beers, that was the usual ogling but again, a welcome distraction from the grind.  Then went back to Starry Place and slept like a corpse.

Today, Sunday, I got up and got back to work.  I finally feel like I’m catching up with everything, and plan to do whatever I need to do between now and Thursday, when I fly back to Shanghai, to both get ahead of the work and also enjoy some R&R.  Won’t be easy to balance the two, never is, but this is probably one of the better places to try.  I’m just cranking out this long-overdue blog entry, and after posting it will go for dinner and a beer, and try to avoid further work for the night.  The upcoming month looks to be another demanding one, and I need to build up some energy and fortitude before I return to Shanghai and take the gloves off once more.  Wish me luck, dear readers.  Over and out.

Back to work after a nice week off in the Philippine islands.  As I returned to the fold I was a bit more contemplative than usual…my calling it off with Christine had meant that one of the last vestiges (I’d prefer not to call it a “loose end,” that’s a bit crass) of my sabbatical was gone.  She and I had met just before I returned to work, and whenever I spoke with her I had a quick flashback to those carefree days.  At the same time, I was happy to have resolution and one less “project” to manage.  I swear, as I get older, I could probably do just fine as a prison inmate, surrounded by books – as long as it was in a Madoff-like prison, of course.  Rikers Island – no way.

My first day back, I sat in on some qualitative market research interviews with physicians – the first time I’d had the pleasure in many years.  They do the interviews in a research facility, with one-way mirrors, so you can sit back and munch on bon-bons while the show’s in progress.  Useful data from these interviews, but I can’t sit through more than 2-3, then I get stir crazy.

Left the facility.  It was about 5:30 p.m., and I wanted to get in a run before my 9 p.m. call.  Hot as hell out…impossible to get a taxi.  Shanghai is awful in this regard, there aren’t enough taxis and during rush hour you’re pretty much screwed.  I’m starting to look into scooter options.  Anyway, after a futile half hour of looking for a taxi, I gave in and hopped on a moto-taxi…I’ve ridden these things without compunction in Vietnam, Thailand, etc., but never while wearing work clothes and carrying a valise.  Managed to get aboard and off we went – the driver was a typical Chinese maniac and we went through some ill-advised passages.  But I got home and it was very cheap.  Not the ideal ride, but I suspect that I’ll need to do more of these unless my transport picture changes.

Went for a good run.  My feet are a bit sore these days, I think I’ve got a minor (for now) case of plantar faschitis.  Need to get some new shoes, and probably ice down my feet after running.  Or just join a gym, and either not run (bike instead), or run on a treadmill.  I’d really be devastated to have to give up running, I’ve been doing it since I was 16 years old and it’s the linchpin of my fitness plan.  I practice a bit of yoga and do some other routines, but nothing beats running.

Ate a sandwich, then did the call.  Afterward, plowed through more of Paul Theroux’s “The Great Railway Bazaar.”  More on this shortly.  I’m getting a bit boring, I mostly sit around reading at night.  Not a great local pub around here, as far as I can tell…which is probably a good thing, it keeps me honest (and less paunchy).

I’ve been following the US healthcare debate online.  Read about guys who are showing up at Obama’s town hall meetings with guns.  Charming.  We look deeply sophisticated in front of the rest of the world when our redneck citizens carry shotguns to the President’s meetings.  And I loved hearing about the guy who had a sign reading “Keep the government away from my Medicare!”  That program, of course, is administered by said government.  It’s pathetic how ill-informed most Americans are…and the damage being done is severe.  It’s already nearly impossible to have a meaningful, open debate on the right level of taxation (which is of course linked to the right level/quality of services), on bearing arms (by no means an open and shut case, if you read the 2^nd Amendment – and certainly a scary prospect in general, considering the mental state of many gringos), and on the right level of government involvement in the economy (which, of course, equals “Socialism” – ha).  So guess what?  Our 25^th-ranked healthcare system won’t be getting much better anytime soon.  Nothing to celebrate, that’s for sure.

The weather here has been grim – over 35 degrees Celsius most days, humid as hell, and rains every afternoon/evening.  Which makes getting a taxi all the harder.  That said, I haven’t had too many late nights this time round…I’m managing to get home by around 7:30, go for a run, and eat before midnight.  That all may change if we get even busier, but for now I’m counting my blessings.

Read that the journalist Robert Novak died.  He was the guy who did the story on Valerie Plame and outed her as a CIA agent.  Of course, the real “outer” was Dick Cheney, who managed to slime his way out of the investigation; his chief of staff, Scooter Libby took the hit.  Even W. was smart enough not to expunge the conviction from Libby’s record – although he did commute the prison sentence.  Cheney was lobbying Bush to erase the conviction right up until their final day in office, but W. seems to have figured out that Libby and Cheney were deep in the shit on this one and deserved what they got.  The ludicrous bit is that Cheney’s still out there, mouthing off, whining about Obama…his reputation is in shambles and will only get worse as more’s made public about the tortures and unconstitutional activities over the past years.  Bye bye Dickie boy…

Took a taxi to the office a few days after getting back from the RP.  Saw a laborer on the street shoveling sand on the sidewalk.  It must have been 38 degrees C outside – this, friends, is why a college degree is so important.  Not that this fellow was complaining – if he wasn’t doing this, he’d probably be shoveling manure onto fields in Sichuan Province…

Had a call the next day with a former colleague who now heads strategy for a big pharma distributor.  The call went well, but the next steps looked to be daunting.  He had an Executive Team Meeting in a week and a half, and we had potentially committed to a sizeable bit of support for the meeting.  I wasn’t keen for a huge fire drill…we agreed to talk on Monday to decide the gameplan.  Sort of made my weekend a bit less enjoyable, with this hanging over my head.  I can take a certain amount of ambiguity and uncertainty, but not an endless quantity…

Had dinner with another former colleague that night, at a very nice Italian place near the Portman Ritz Hotel in Shanghai Center.  He now heads the local subsidiary of a major pharmaco.  Hadn’t seen him in 10 years, since we were on a case together in Tokyo.  He managed to escape from this case, which was the most brutal I ever worked on, and my last recall of him was saying goodbye to me in the lobby of the Westin Ebisu in Tokyo, and leaving me to deal with an annoying client.  Anyway, it was great seeing him again after all this time.  We traded lots of war stories and talked about pharma in China – which is changing by the minute and presenting interesting opportunities.  Might be a chance for us to work together before long.

Had a 9 p.m. call that night, Friday night – not something I enjoy.  The weekend should start earlier than that.  Did the call, then went out for a couple drinks, but I was fried from the week and didn’t last too long.

On Saturday I did my slew of errands – haircut (the local barbershop loves me, they all crowd around when I go in there), did some food shopping, read the newspaper and, of course, some work slides, and went for a run.  Noticed that Ramadan started today – last Ramadan I was in Turkey and the Middle East, that was an intense experience.  Not quite the same in Shanghai, although there are Muslims here and at least one mosque out in Pudong, if not more.

I stayed in that night – watched a movie and did some reading.  And when Sunday rolled around, I was just as lazy.  Had lunch at a nearby joint called Amazing Cantonese…read…watched The Godfather, as brilliant as ever…took a long nap.  Got up and switched on the living room light switch, there was a loud pop and the sound of breaking glass.  Ugh.  I’d had a couple aircon units on, and must have blown a fuse.  Went out in the hallway, turned the master switch to my flat on…nothing.  I eventually called my assistant, and went down to the complex’s guardhouse, where I handed a guard the phone and she told him what had happened.  They got a technician, who promptly came up and opened a wall panel I’d never seen before.  He switched on all the switches behind it, and everything came on.  Coolio.  I felt like a dumb lao wai (foreigner), but didn’t really care.  At least I’d get to sleep with aircon and not sweat the entire night.

Spent a half hour sweeping and vaccuming the broken light bulb.  First time I’d used a vacuum (or broom) in at least 4 years.  I’m really becoming domesticated these days…

Didn’t sleep well that night.  Was it the nap?  The electrical blowout?  Who knows.  I woke up cranky, and my stomach hurt…I’d tried some random things at Amazing Cantonese, and apparently they weren’t that amazing.  Nothing worse than a bad Monday morning.  I could only look forward to the rains…

Long day at work.  Of course.  I came home cranky, with diarrhea.  And it was only Monday night…

Woke up on Tuesday with my stomach still aching, and I still had the runs.  I don’t think I’ve ever called in sick to work, and I wasn’t about to start.  Went it, and after a couple hours I started to feel better.  I would not say that work is the best antidote for these sorts of illness (sex is much preferred), but I wasn’t complaining.  Had a productive day at work.  Still no word from my former colleague at the drug distributor about the meeting support, and time was slipping away.  Still, I was kind of happy I’d had the 2 days to recover without having to run a work fire drill.

Had a call that night with some senior colleagues.  The last time I’d done a work call with them was 4-5 years ago.  Just like old times.

Flew to Beijing the next morning.  Heavy morning traffic, I feared I’d left home too late, but then things cleared up and I got to Honqiao Airport 50 minutes before the flight – all clear.  My taxi intercom was making a “ping” sound much like that made by Lotus Notes when an email arrives – somewhat unsettling.  There is truly no escape from email.

Got into Beijing, and promptly had an insane day.  Rushed to the office, cranked out a short slide deck that had to get done ASAP.  On my flight I’d cranked out another document for my evening meeting.  Went to some client meetings that took the rest of the day.  Then went to “Full Link Plaza” to meet a former client for a coffee, he’d moved companies and was now the General Manager of China for a big Japanese pharmaco.  We met at a Starbucks – which was full of stunning women, I really must make a note to go back there soon.  My friend soon arrived, with a rather fetching new colleague in tow.  We had a fun chat about the China situation, and about the past – it felt like a Friday afternoon after all I’d been through that week and day…by rights I should have been able to declare it a Friday and take 2 days off afterward.

Took it easy that night.  Had a client call the next morning that didn’t go that well, the clients were French, and were using speakerphone, so it was difficult to understand what they were saying.  I’m much better face-to-face, but that wasn’t an option here so had to struggle through.  Sort of annoying.

Headed to the airport to fly back to Shanghai.  Called newish potential girlfriend N. in Bangkok – I was heading through Bangkok that weekend en route to a client meeting in Singapore.  Got her on the phone, was nice to hear her voice – I like the way she (sort of) speaks English.  We made a date for Saturday night – I was really looking forward to that.

I passed out on the flight – so weary from being ill and from the insane rush of the week.  I hope that 1) the weather improves soon, and 2) things get somewhat more calm at work.

Friday morning – did a training session for some of the younger consultants, we’ve cut back on training this year due to the economic situation.  But the need is there, and I’m trying to do my part to ensure that at least some training happens and that morale doesn’t deteriorate.

Read somewhere that China has over 600 leprosy rehab centers.  Those must be absolutely charming…

Flew to Bangkok – smooth ride.  At Immigration, I had to ask the agent not to stamp a blank page – he was poised to do that and I cringed, I only have a few blanks left and am already started to worry about replacing my passport.

Checked into Starry Place, an apartment building on Soi Rangnaam.  Friend Bob used to stay here, then he got sick of it and moved to VP Tower, where I’ve also stayed recently.  But I wanted a change of pace and Starry did the trick.  Hadn’t stayed there in a couple years, but they seemed to remember me, in that careless Thai way of theirs…

Went out for a couple drinks that night.  Bob was in the States so I was pretty much on my own.  Anyway, no shortage of things to do in the City of Lights/Life/Wild Times so boredom was never a fear.

On Saturday I took care of some pressing matters.  Got a couple vaccines at Bumrungrad Hospital – I love that place.  You go in, tell them what you want, and you’re out in 30-45 minutes, signed sealed and delivered.  And the cost is half or less of what it would be in the West.

Went to Central World Mall, bought a new pair of New Balance running shoes.  My heels have been sore and I’m hoping that new shoes will take care of this, but imagine I might need to make some other changes.  Went to glitzy Siam Paragon Mall and bought two more pairs of shoes – black wingtips (Thai made – let’s see how those go) and brown Doc Martens, with a huge sole.  Take that, plantar faschitis!

I don’t think I’ve ever bought 3 pairs of shoes in a single day – I basically turned over my entire footwear collection except for my Tevas.  Pretty random.

Took a wonderful nap.  Went for a run in the nearby park, the 6 p.m. calisthenics session was just letting out.  I often avoid this and run later when in town, but there were some fine sights leaving the park and I didn’t regret starting when I did.

Met N. in the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel.  Took a taxi to Water Bar, where we had a few drinks, listened to music, and ate some great local food.  I am quite fond of N. – she’s very sweet and has a killer smile.  And she’s fun to talk with.  After Water Bar, we went to Saxophone, where we talked and listened to the live band for a couple more hours.  Nice kiss goodnight, and I put her in a taxi.  Fun date – I’m looking forward to seeing her again.  Not the least bit annoying – at least not yet!  I think this was my first date since I’d gone out for Syrian food with Lydia in Tashkent last summer.  Syrian food with Lydia in Tashkent…Thai food with N. in Bangkok…you make the call.

Slept late on Sunday, the curtains at Starry Place are pretty solid/thick and the sun doesn’t intrude too much.  Got up and went out for some street food.  Then I checked out and did some reading for work, the meeting with my former colleague and his associates loomed and I had to get my act together.  The assignment was more concise than originally planned, but it was still a challenge for me.

Flew to Singapore.  Landed, checked into the Conrad Hotel – yet another terrific hotel in this city.  Checked email – the client had postponed our meeting.  Ugh.  You’ve gotta to kidding me.  Well, I was already in Sing, and had dinner plans with friends Monday night, so I’d just work in our office on Monday and focus on the distribution meeting prep.  I got that document in decent shape by evening, and then caught a cab to my friends’ place in a residential section (felt almost suburban).  Hadn’t seen Angie in more than 3 years, I’d seen Nigel in Mumbai a few months earlier.  They live in perhaps the most stunning spread of any friends of mine – a beautiful Bali-style two-story house, with a separate kitchen/maid quarters, and at least a couple acres with lawn, pool, and trees.  To die for.  Had a very fun time catching up with them, they’re doing well and enjoying the “permanent expat” lifestyle in Sing.  Good for them.   We parted around 1 a.m., full of beer, beef, and red wine.

Woke up the next morning with a gruesome headache, and had a 7:30 a.m. internal call regarding my distribution meeting.  Got some very helpful ideas from my colleagues, so was happy I’d dragged my ass out of bed for the call.  Went into the office after checking out of the hotel – worked a bit more on the meeting document, which I’d share with my former colleague the next day in Hong Kong, in advance of the actual full team meeting.  Things were coming into place and my anxiety level was slowly diminishing.

Went to the airport.  Singapore is the Asian Switzerland, never any trouble getting a cab, even during rush hour – and the airport is never more than 30 minutes away.  And Changi Airport is like a world-class shopping mall.

Got on the flight.  A dude put his suitcase in the overheard compartment and I caught a brutal whiff of his underarm pong.  Many Asians don’t bother with deodorant, here was a real exemplar.  I almost passed out.  Otherwise, the flight to Hong Kong was smooth.

Landed in HKG, headed into the city, and checked into the Luk Kwok Hotel.  Went out for a couple beers in Wanchai, just for old times’ sake.  Chatted with a cute Filipina, but decided not to get into any further trouble, it was only midweek and I still had a lot to plow through – I needed a clear head.

Read emails – ugh.  The client meeting was pushed back to next Tuesday.  I’d still meet my former colleague the next day and show him my discussion document, but would probably have to return to HKG again in a few days’ time.  Not a terrible situation, I love HKG…but things were already getting backed up.

Read about the fashion designed Anand Jon getting sentenced to 59 years in prison for rape.  I recalled having gone to a fashion show in Goa a few years ago, his sister, also a famous designed, kicked off the affair and urged us all to ‘get sloshed.’  Evidently “good times” run in this family…

Got up on Wednesday morning, checked email before going to see my friend.  Got a disturbing email from university buddy Paul, his high school buddy Brad, whom I’d met and had fun with on many occasions, had died in NYC from alcohol abuse.  Jeez.  He’d always had problems with the bottle, but he went back to b-school a while ago and then went into finance/accounting in NYC, and we thought he’d turned things around.  What a loss, he was an incredible lively, music-loving (he played sax with unbelievable emotion) bon vivant, and I was floored.  I felt a bit off the rest of the day.

Got a weird email from the former manager of the superb Malabar House Hotel in Fort Cochin, India, where I’d stayed many years ago.  Francis, the manager, was opening his own inn, Tissa’s, and wanted to let me know that.  Francis had no idea I’d ever left Monitor – I must have given him my card when I was there, around 2002 I think.  So he’s the only person from my first go-around at Monitor who went ahead and emailed me during round 2 without knowing about my sabbatical – to Francis, it’s like I never had one.  Sort of funny, if you think about it…

Went and saw my friend, and showed him my document, which he quite liked.  We wound up spending 2 hours talking.  Then went  back to my room, had an internal call, took a nap, and went for a run.  Solid day.  Had dinner at my old favorite, Shanghai 369, just down the street.  Noodle soup and steamed jiaozu (dumplings) – perfect fare.

Got up on Thursday, decided to inhale some McD’s breakfast before starting my day.  Plowed through emails, nothing too shocking this morning.  Then went to the airport to fly back to Shanghai.  I reflected on the past week – I’d spent time in China, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and was now returning to China.  Solid week of travel.

Read in the paper that the former Attorney General of Ontario, Canada, who was known for campaigning for tough traffic laws, had killed a bike courier.  Apparently they’d had a minor scrape, the courier grabbed onto the car door, and the former AG had stepped on the gas and deliberately swerved towards trees and mailboxes, eventually knocking the guy off and killing him.  Crikey, what a world!

Got to Shanghai, cleared Immigation and got a taxi.  It was 5:30 p.m., traffic looked to be bad, so I pulled out my iPod and listened to music for the entire 90 minute ride.  Queen’s “Under Pressure,” and a slew of Steely Dan songs (“Here at the Western World,” “Any Major Dude”) were what I listened to.  I noticed that my taxi was a VW Santana, most appropriate…

The next day was Friday, always a bad day for getting cabs.  Waiting for a half hour despite getting an early start.  Almost went back home to sit out rush hour, but eventually a taxi pulled over.  Went to the office, where I met my new assistant, Lynn – the last and only time I’d met her, we interviewed in a cab while I was heading to the airport.  I was happy she was joining us, our current assistant Stella is way too busy.

We all went out for lunch, something that doesn’t happen often enough.  Another new hire was Jasper, who had been with us, then went to b-school.  So the lunch was really to welcome he and Lynn.  Went to nearby Citizen resto, which has great Sichuanese cuisine.

Got a call from an old friend/former client, who also works in Shanghai.  His pharmaco is looking for some support and he might have us do the work.  That would be terrific – I’d like to sell more work, let’s see where this goes.  Could unfold fairly quickly, like nearly everything in this biz…

Called N. in Bangkok, it was her birthday.  She was going out for dinner with her roommate…I sighed, my own plans that night were decidedly less appealing.

Finished the Theroux book before heading out.  Very good book all round – he spent time on the Trans-Sib, and I identified closely with his experiences.  Desolation but also revelation.  The only issue with this book is that I was so busy with work, it took me a month (or more) to finish it, and at times I’d nearly lose the storyline.  This is the sort of book you should plow through in 3-4 days, then you’d get the true sense of the adventure Theroux took.  I’ve gotta get more of his books, he’s my sort of travel writer, cynical but also open to learning.

I realized that I’ve now been back at work for 6 months.  Ye gods…

Went out that night and checked out a few nightspots.  Also called Paul to discuss friend Brad…we were both beside ourselves with sadness over losing him.  Not much more to say than that.  There are so many things in life that it’s hard to know what’s going on sometimes…

Got an email from friends Rory and Anne, whom I’d met in Ulaan Bataar on a Hash Run.  They’re back in Shanghai now, after summering at their farmhouse in Bulgaria.  Looking forward to seeing them again, they’re always a lot of fun.  And I really do need to start doing the Hash here, I’ve been very lazy (or away) on Sundays…

Yesterday, Saturday, I sat around and watched Godfather 2, quite good for a sequel.  Did some reading, then went out for a kip.  Almost ducked into Kaiba, a new Belgian beer bar near my flat, but it looked dead so took a cab into the city center.  Went to the Bulldog, a cool pub with some rather stunning wait staff.  And they have non-stop 2-for-1 drink deals, so essentially all drinks are 50% off.  Granted they inflate the price first, but it still works out well.

Tried to recall the Japanese word for chopsticks, and could not (the beer might have played a role here).  I know the Mandarin word, kwai tze (“fast little fellows”).  I think Mandarin is slowly crowding out my Japanese, I probably only have capacity for one demanding Asian language.  Oh well.

Slept late today, Sunday.  Had lunch at my favorite little place, Shen Ya, near the Crowne Plaza.  Came back, read some work slides, practiced guitar (finally), and went for a long run at the Jiaotong University track.  Now I’m finishing this 8-page slog posting, and I might just return to the Bulldog for a burger (they look stupendous), a beer, and some eye candy.  It’s Sunday night, must squeeze a bit more out of the weekend.  Thanks for being patient with this posting, it’s been 3 weeks…believe me, it bothers me even more, I cringe knowing how much material I save and must cover after that length of time.  Fare thee well, gentle readers.  Over and out.