I Know the Salmon’s Struggles

Nary is there a day, when I step from my doorway into the street, that I do not think about salmon. This is unusual for me, considering that I’ve spent most of my life avoiding fish, so read carefully. My student’s schedule operates on a rather different timeframe than the working world. When I go outside it seems like I’m always swimming upstream, like the salmon, of course. When I’m going to school in the evening the three million other people on this island are going home in the opposite direction. This contraflow creates a rigorous trek to the subway, which will take me on the last leg of my journey to spawn new thoughts about business for the next four hours. After class I’m ready to come home. At least I get to survive, unlike the salmon. Case in point, Hong Kong is crowded as ever. That’s the extent of my sympathizing with salmon. Don’t let them know I ate sushi last night.

Everything is still going rather well in Hong Kong. The weather, for one, is much better. For a whole three weeks now it has been possible to go outside and stay dry (from rain or sweat, you decide). Classes have begun their second session. This means three new classes for me, which are “Managing the Leadership Challenge”, “China’s External Relations and their Economic Impact”, and “Financial Modeling”. So far, so good.

Job searching is the other big project. I’m looking for positions in strategy consulting. My “Consulting Skills for Managers” course really piqued my interest and developed my analytical skills, as the course title might suggest (success!). I would like to get in contact with professionals in the field; it seems to me like a career in which I would be genuinely enthusiastic about making an impact. I like the logical challenges of problem solving and the opportunities to interact with people in a wide range of industries and even countries.

That sums it up for now. I’m halfway through my stay here, but somehow it feels like I’ve been here forever. I think this is a good thing; it means I’m enjoying my time thus far and still have an equal amount of time left. Zai jian, good-bye.

Run for cover, this place is a ghost town.

Hong Kong What do you get when you take three million people, one island, and a typhoon named Koppu? The answer is a ghost town and an “end of the world” theme party consisting of five invitees in about 170 sq ft. Wait, five people in 170 sq ft sounds like the end of the world, but that wasn’t the idea behind the theme. Here’s the scoop: September is typhoon month in southeast Asia. Hong Kong has an impressive warning system that rates each storm’s intensity and aims to warn the public before storms make landfall. Koppu happened to raise the warning to Level 8, which means that government agencies, most businesses (except McDonald’s and 7-11, thank God), and public transportation shuts down. Included in this mix of closing venues was my Monday night class, which also meant that my first exam was postponed. Like any responsible students would do, my friends and I decided that it would be appropriate to celebrate this most fortunate postponing of exams. Not knowing just how intense the storm would be, we stocked up on provisions at the grocery store just in case it, too, would close early along with the other stores and restaurants.

Having started our action movie and junk food soiree rather early, by 8:00pm I was ready for something a little more substantial. The important thing here is not what I ate, but rather that by 8:00 the rain had not yet started so we went outside to see what we could find. The streets were absolutely empty. It looked like the end of the world scenes in so many films. It still had not started to rain by the time I got back to my apartment and I went to sleep as usual. In the early morning I was awakened by the sound of wind and rain. I had slept through the worst of the storm, which was apparently a pretty big deal. When I went out in the morning there were bits of garbage strewn across the streets, a fallen tree outside my building, and a collapsed sign on a store across the street from where I live. The end of the world party appeared to be completely justified. If I was going to blow away to the sea, I wanted to go happy and full of junk food.

It’s still rainy, but rain makes for a cozy study environment. The first term is nearly over, so the work load is catching up a bit. I’m also working on job applications with banks in Houston and NYC, and I plan to start meeting with some industry people here in Hong Kong to get some career advice. Maybe I would stay here, but the offer would have to be pretty darn good. My latest interest is in debt financing; syndicated loans seem really interesting, many thanks to the fabulously French Veronique, my Raising Debt in Financial Markets professor. If you’re thinking about studying in Hong Kong, I would recommend the course. I would like to see how I can mix financing with the energy industry. I think that would be a winning combination.

A Tale of Two Cities

No, I haven’t been reading Dickens. But I did borrow his title. This particular tale of two cities has nothing to do with Paris or London, rather with Florence and a place geographically a world apart from London but genetically not so far removed,  Hong Kong. This tale is about the differences I have felt between studying abroad as an undergraduate and post-graduate student.

Even in preparing for this trip to Hong Kong there was a distinctly different feeling than when I began packing my bags weeks in advance before jetting off to Italy. Then, I was full of that childlike enthusiasm and energy, a feeling that I think many of us crave and chase after in all our endeavors, especially as we get older. I remember thinking, no, daydreaming about all the adventures I would have, places I would see, delicious foods I would eat, and people I would meet. That’s not to say that I was not duly enthusiastic about heading off for Hong Kong but, having just come off an action-packed summer of interning and entertaining the idea of becoming a Houston local vis-a-vis a great friend of mine, I was a little hesitant to leave my current station, with which I was quite pleased.

Am I coming to that time in my life where I am ready to settle down? After five years of shuffling around every few months as a student, I’m ready to be employed, settled, and contributing back to society. Man, I’m getting old.

My old age is clearly a joke, which brings me to the next point. In relation to my classmates this time around, I’m quite young. I’ve gone the academic route for quite some time now whereas my classmates are of the experienced businessperson variety. This is great for me, as it gives me the opportunity to challenge myself beyond my years. This wasn’t the case the last time I was abroad. My classmates were all quite gifted, but the experience was about expanding our social skills and cultural context. I would dare to say I got the chance to shed a few years in order to become an adult while I was in Italy as Mr. Serious faded away and my more fluid, less stringent personality came through. Now my personality is quite developed and I have my goals. The theme of this trip isn’t so much about development and discovery as it is about learning skills to be put into action. I have a friend that says it’s better to be surrounded by people that give you a challenge rather than staying in the place where you’re already at the top. That’s a wise friend, and that’s what’s happening over here in this new place.

The last thing I will say came to me today while riding on the subway. After being in Hong Kong for about two weeks, I started to feel that I was not adjusting to my current situation. I was becoming increasingly eager to be back near to friends and family in the States. Like I mentioned, I was feeling quite happy with where my life was going. Compared to when I was in Italy, I was then surrounded by 50 wonderful people, all of the same age, and many of similar interests. There was no time to think of home and besides, I knew I would return to school and resume my friendships with my college friends for the next two years until graduation. Now I am in regular contact with 50 also wonderful people, but living separately and pursuing different paths with considerable intensity. And now that graduation has come and gone and my friends are dispersed across the nation and world, there is some bit of finality in knowing that the opportunity to be all one one place at one time is rather unlikely.

The old days have gone and new, different days are coming. I can accept that I’m moving on, and with that comes the realization that it is necessary and proper to be open to new friendships, both in type and person, and to an evolving relationship with my family as I become more independent. Having realized this, I’m much more comfortable with being here and I’ve overcome my first major challenge, which is building relationships and fending off isolation, which can be fairly easy to come by in summertime in Hong Kong; isolation is airconditioned. Now my mindset is: why should I be any different here than I was at home or in Italy, even though I’m here for only four months, when it comes to letting new people touch my life in each one’s unique way. I anticipate a great deal more from this experience now than I did coming into it. I’ve met and will continue to meet fascinating people, and I will gain some really valuable insights from my studies. It just reaffirms my belief that it is the people that make the place.

And to my friends at home and my family, you’re beyond irreplaceable and I look forward very much to seeing you when I return.

Thanks for reading.

Where in the world am I?

Hong Kong is an international city unlike any other. Just the other day I was on the south side of the island at Stanley walking along the waterfront lined with cafes, pizza shops, and pubs, which all overlooked the yachts in the harbor. Then, coming back to reality, it struck me that I am in China. For a moment, it felt no different than being in Nice or Monaco, or somewhere soaking up the last bit of Mediterranean summer sun.

Foregoing the subway, or MTR, in favor of taking a streetcar when I have extra time (which I’ve had in spades, but surely schoolwork will now replace my leisure) has been an easy way to see the many faces of Hong Kong. Riding from Western District to Shau Kei Wan is something like Small World at Disneyland. Western District is decidedly Chinese with its dried seafood markets, Chinese medicine shops, and, ironically, general lacking of most things Western. Traveling eastward I see Wan Chai, where East meets West, and Central, where the sky is the limit for office buildings, luxury apartments, and the ubiquitous shopping mall (I’m still in shock over how much STUFF is available for sale here). You get the point. Hong Kong is a true international city’s international city.

I’ve decided that Central puts a smile on my face with its pristine skyscrapers and intermittent parklands and historical buildings. Everything here seems perfect, and the breeze blows softly through the open spaces, which is a welcome break from some of the exhaust-choked districts. I sat in St. John’s Cathedral Church in Central, a beautiful old building established by the British just beside the old French missionary building, while a trio of musicians on the piano, cello, and violin played Brahms and Dvorak at the lunch hour for passersby. There was no airconditioning, only fans and the breeze off Victoria Harbour. It was a dreamy moment in the tropical weather, just cool enough to induce sleep among many in the audience.

The east side of the island is also making its way into my heart. The beaches on the east side are great places to enjoy the sun and nature. It feels like the Caribbean or Mediterranean plus humidity, but the people, the language, and the beach cuisine remind me that I am indeed in China. Hong Kong has done a nice job of selectively paving paradise to put up its parking lots. There are still many nice places, like the beaches, to enjoy the greenery, sand, and surf. The surf is supposed to pick up soon with the changing of the seasons and I’m hoping to spend a considerable bit of my time at the beaches on the nearest rental surfboard I can find. This is how I’m going to enjoy Hong Kong.

Armanius Maximus

Hong Kong just makes me want to buy things. Everyone else is doing it. Let me help you conceptualize the possibilities open to anyone with a Platinum Visa and a sturdy pair of legs to prolong the “drop” in shopping until you do so. One building and, what, a baker’s dozen of Armani stores? Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, Armani Collezione…Armani Fragrances, Armani undergarments…Armani home furnishings, Armani books…and if you need to drown away your buyer’s remorse about the book on little black dresses you bought to help you decide which little black dress to buy, stop by the Armani bar on the top floor for a stiff one. Better yet, stroll on over to the Armani candy store for some chocolates. With all the shopping you’ve done today I’m sure you’ve earned those pricey calories, which thankfully, on the part of the American, are measured in metric units which numerically cuts their number in half.

In MBA-speak, it seems like the not-so-secret to brand success in Hong Kong is the winning charm of a European label. Doesn’t even have to be a real European label. Still, luxury is everywhere and “big-ticket” doesn’t seem to faze buyers of that next “it” Chanel bag or that Ferrari, which won’t be driven but a few traffic-ridden miles a day, and probably by the valet at the owner’s high rise apartment. Why is Europe winning out over Asia in terms of tastes here in Hong Kong while in Los Angeles, Asian influences have revolutionized the cultural scene a la’ sushi, Hong Kong style cinema, and “Asian fusion” of all kinds?

Photobook

View from Kowloon

“Rose, now that is a beautiful name.”

Hong Kong Do you know the scene in “You’ve Got Mail” in which Tom Hanks comes to Meg Ryan’s rescue in Zabar’s? If not, you should go back and watch it. It speaks to me on a fundamental level; man saves damsel in distress (in the grocery store who doesn’t have enough cash in the cash only line). What a great scene. I wish I could be like that, Tom Hanks’s character, that is, swooping in to sweet-talk Rose, the Zabar’s cashier, into “zipping” the credit card through the machine: “zip-zip.” Well, I’m less than impressed with my own dramatic performance tonight post-navigating the airport and successfully arriving at my hotel in a taxi cab speeding toward a language barrier. After I got settled in my room I thought it would be nice to run on the tredmill for a while to get the blood flowing from my 13 hours of being seated en route. I didn’t anticipate being hungry after my run but, lo, I was famished. The airborne delicacies I shoveled down my gullet simply didn’t stick to my bones.

But, with a stroke of luck (this is China, after all) I found a Park’n'Shop grocery store across from my hotel. Seeing as I don’t know the neighborhood and it’s after dark, I took the precaution of taking two bills of Hong Kong currency totaling HK$120 to be exact. What I failed to ponder deeply is that this amounts to, say US$15. I should have known this wouldn’t get me too far in a grocery store, but I wasn’t looking to be mugged (in one of the safer cities in the world, as it turns out.) I scoured the shelves for some familiar items not involving seafood and was pretty successful: oatmeal, apple juice in the little boxes you give kindergarteners, instant coffee (the appeal of which will be determined in the morning), and bottled water.

Items in hand I approached the checkout stand like a scared puppy; will the cashier speak English, did I add up the total bill in my head? Yes and no, respectively. The cashier and I touched upon the subject of bank cards, or was it a store membership card? Still fuzzy on that one; language barrier round two. Then she started scanning my items; $24, $50, $111, $124! Grave error. Let’s send back the apple juice (clearly not because I was too dumb to bring enough cash, but because the juice had added sugar). OK fine, I was a little too into the starving college kid role playing. Lesson learned: take sufficient cash…or a wallet…genius idea!

All is well that ends well, and by sending the apple juice back I had enough change to buy a plastic bag for 50 cents to carry my loot. I bid adieu to the cashier with a smile and an “I’m sorry [that I made a fool of myself and made you call the manager to OK the return...]” I wonder if I should ever show my face there again. Maybe they’ve even banned me from the store? Or just maybe I should go back and see if that cashier’s name is Rose.

“Rose, now that is a beautiful name.”

Once upon a time in a land far, far away…

California I returned to LA this weekend to visit friends from college after being away in Houston for the past two months. Although it’s been only two months since I was living in LA and taking it for all it’s worth, retracing the steps I’ve spent my college years taking feels like walking into a stranger’s house. It’s true that a sense of place is not, in fact, about a particular place at all, but about the people that define it. I’m happy to see my own life, and the lives of some of my best friends who are still living in LA, are panning out so well in these post-graduation days, but the lamentable part is that the perfection of being in the same place at the same time as so many remarkable people is now only a memory. Now it’s time to take my first steps on a new path, and this time I go alone.

Tomorrow will be my last day in the United States for four months. I’m almost all packed up for Hong Kong. For me, packing gets easier every time I do it. Moving to college required two cars full, Florence required some unexpected shipping and handling fees, Houston whittled the load down to one car, and Hong Kong is looking like yet a lighter load. Tomorrow will probably lead to lightening the suitcases a bit more. The neatly packaged heap of my possessions is starting to look rather heavy and cumbersome, and I hate to be the person disguised as a nomad’s camel in the airport.

Contrasting the “old days” when I was constantly surrounded by familiar faces with today, and preparing for my trip, has sparked a number of thoughts that aren’t yet fully developed. I’ll be writing more about them. What I know now is that, as tireless as I am at being surrounded by my friends, I will gain a better perspective on my own life, on my sense of place, and on those whom necessarily comprise that place, as I go this new path alone.

Today’s News

California This is today’s news. I’m still stateside flying around the house packing up belongings from my home of 20 years because my family is moving. Trying to be a big help to the family is great except that my efforts are, in some ways, counter productive. Balancing on the line between packing up everything and taking things out of already packed boxes just to re-pack them in my suitcase for Hong Kong is rather like walking the tight rope: precarious, in terms of knowing just what to pack, and a futile endeavor. Why futile? Because it’s likely that my accommodations in Hong Kong will be of similar proportions to the suitcase sitting in my almost empty bedroom of days gone by. This comes as a bit of a letdown having just come from Texas where everything is bigger. Looking for an apartment online is another futile endeavor. My compliments to those leasing agencies that have functioning websites and professional sounding correspondence via email. This seems to be the exception, not the rule. It’s hard to be frustrated even so. I’m not quite willing to put money down on a place site unseen so I’m sure all parties are doing the best they can, seeing as we are limited to email communication. But I keep reading these stories about how people get scammed on apartments. Just when I think I’ve scouted the perfect one, I read someone’s horror story. Perhaps it’s time to embrace the celebrity modus operandi and stop reading the reviews. Most likely case: I’ll put the leasing issue aside until I arrive, and then I will repeat the cycle of what I’ve been doing here, which is flying around looking for a place to land. Just now, I’m off to meet friends for one last time before I jet off into the atmosphere. Tomorrow is Los Angeles to see the rest of the crew. It’s exhilarating to be on the edge of myself, not knowing exactly where I’ll living by this time next week. Planning is great, but right now it’s just futile. And right now, futile is fine with me because it’s provoking me to just stop trying and start trusting that my God provides for all my needs. Prayers (and advice on where to find apartments in Hong Kong) much appreciated. Cheers!