Cint, 18 December 2010
Hong Kong , Hong Kong 18°

The Hongkong office

My trips to Hongkong are getting a certain rhythm. It is about relationships, than there are the formalities and more and more there is the business. I arrive mostly direct from Amsterdam or from the office in Shanghai, this means that I have yes or no a jetlag. This time I had to deal with one.

We have joined the office with Matthew Hoyle, who also is my JV partner. It is located at the 65th floor of The Center at 99 Queen’s Road. It is easy to find from the station as the signs lead you the way.

Paperwork and formalities can be slow. The steps I thought to make this time for the website were partly blocked by some misunderstandings elsewhere. Knowing my next trip will be in February, I get very impatient. Although I know not much will happen during the coming holiday season with first Christmas, than the Western New-year and the Chinese New-year at February 2nd. Still I have that stress of trying to get it done before I leave. The conclusion is that formalities, website, office things and people are all on the way but still not totally ready. So it is essential to have a JV partner on the ground. These days Matthew is a great help. He and his people facilitate me where ever they can. Meanwhile we can say we are dealing with the first customers. It is Ophelie who will do the recruiting side and she is in close contact with the customer.

In Hongkong it is Christmas time. All the Christmas songs are there in shops, hotels and office buildings. When I arrived at the 10th I came from a freezing and snowing Netherlands but I wasn’t yet in the Christmas mood. In a temperature of almost 25 degrees I got a full confrontation with the Christmas wonderland theme. I know that Hongkong loves it.