International Relations: Week 1 (August 2

A Brush with Fame - Sunday 7:45 AM - Terminal 7 - JFK International Airport

After placing my laptop in the worn gray bin, I reached down to remove my shoes paying little attention to the conversation in front of me. As I looked up to walk through the metal detector, I experienced my first up-close celebrity sighting since coming to New York City over two years ago.

And so there he was, King Leonidas himself jovially chatting with the TSA agents. However, this time clothed in modern casual attire, a leather jacket and going for the sexy scruff look (which I'm guessing, for him, probably works). After looking up Mr. Gerard Butler on IMDB was also floored to discover he was the man behind the mask in the 2004 cinematic rendition of The Phantom of the Opera.

In the end, he walked to his waiting area and I walked to mine...just two guys about to get on a plane (albeit one much richer than the other).

(For more thoughts on this encounter, visit my other more contemplative blog Deliberations)

Sixteen Hours in a Flying Bus - Cathay Pacific Flight 841

All I can say is, good thing they have like 100 movies to chose from...I only got through three.

The Scent of a City - Monday 3:00 PM - Downtown Hong Kong

The translation of the name Hong Kong literally means "Fragrant Harbor." I didn't expect to actually test whether this name is accurate, but for some reason, the first impression I have when I step out of an airport is the city's distinct smell. Perhaps it is the dry, recycled air that starves the nerves in my nasal cavity thereby magnifying the effect of odors upon the first burst of outside air. Regardless of the cause, I wouldn't call Hong Kong "Fragrant" in the strictest sense of the term; the strong scent of the nearby maritime mist, the heaviness of the 90% humidity, the odors released from the microscopic organisms and vegetation that thrive in a hot and wet climate. Whether that conglomeration qualify as a "sweet or pleasant smell," I'll leave that up to you.

Hi-Ho, Tai Koo, It's Off to Work I Go - Tuesday - Friday

Wandering through double decker buses, taxis, shuttle buses, subway stations and thick crowds of people, I eventually successfully arrived on the other side of the island to my office building (on the right a few blocks from the Tai Koo station). After two years of emailing many of the people working here, I finally had the chance to start putting face to names. I know they say virtual and remote work environments can work, however, there is a transformational aspect in a work relationship when the voice or text becomes flesh and blood (at least I'm pretty sure none of them are hi-tech robots...this is Hong Kong not Japan [see what I mean here]) and the non-verbal now becomes visible and meaningful.

Still waiting for video conferencing in companies to become low cost and ubiquitous. Until then, I'll still wonder why it is so expensive and fraught with technical difficulties when Skype gives it to you for free with relative ease.

"Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" (Semisonic) - The Weekend

With each minute that passes, a male fetus in New Jersey grows bigger, stronger, and kicks harder; Eliza's honey-dew-like abdomen becomes more and more watermelonesque. People think we're crazy but in this economic environment, burning bridges is not the wisest of activities. Yet, to get my mind off the numerous "What ifs?," it is easiest to keep engaged in other activities. Thus, I venture to harder to reach corners of Hong Kong and outlying islands.

Below are shots off the shore of Lamma Island. One from the ferry of a pavilion on the rocks, a beach, a small village and part of the Hong Kong skyline from the ferry ride back at night (think The Dark Knight sequence [link to trailer if you have forgotten or not enjoyed]).