Robuchon lunch

Robuchon (HK, La Jardine) should never disappoint, and it doesn't. Birthday lunch deal was a pretty reasonable one. The main course was better than the ones we've had in Macao. The amuse and appetizer were really good (but hey, you can't beat Macao's shaved foie gras) and the dessert was a plus even though we didn't have room for the dessert cart.

I don't have a picture of the bread, but it goes without saying that Robuchon's bread may well be the best in Hong Kong. Not that I go around the island and taste bread from all bakeries, but the best bread I've had before the bacon roll was... well... the bacon roll from more than a year ago!

Amuse: Bacon foam with port. Yes, you read that right. Bacon foam with port. Maybe I need to type it again: BACON FOAM WITH PORT! Delicious and a great start.

Appetizer: King Crab Tower with Avocado. The chilled tomato sauce had a slight kick to it and really complemented the crab's freshness and the avocado's richness. The almond, however, had a slight bitterness and was too crisp for the dish. Overall very good.

Both Robuchons (Hong Kong, Macao) have main dishes that don't quite step up from their excellent amuse and appetizers. Medium rare teppenyaki pork, perfectly cooked and with good juiciness, tenderness, and flavors. While I didn't care too much for the sauce, it wasn't bad either. The stuffed sausage (foreground) was not as good though. Still, better than Macao. 

Wife loved the salmon. I'm luke warm on it... 

I did mention it was a birthday lunch, right? Happy birthday to me...!

This is caramel mousse with honey ice-cream, on top of a bed of mangoes (below the mousse - you only see the ice cream here). Presentation wise maybe the chocolate ring they love so much kind of distracts you a little bit. I love the taste of it though. Very well thought out. Awesome dessert. 

The mango... cus it looks pretty.

Good experience overall. The service was impeccable (sadly, a bit surprising because HK service at top notch restaurants have always been a bit suspect!) and really made us feel that we are pampered. They were both everywhere and nowhere, if you know what I mean. They even had their own DSLR to take our obligatory birthday picture for us and gave us the hard copy and sent the soft copy shortly after.

The lunch tasting menu (app+main+dessert) was less that USD 100 per so that's a pretty good deal! 

Oh, and the lighting was great. The bar room could be a little dark for photography, but the main dining room, elegantly separated by a glass door, is a refreshing space with plenty of sunlight.

Highly recommended.

Why are you here...?

You're the man!!!

Looking back on my CEO experience (first post here), one of the aspects that I most overlooked systematically is "why was I the person in the first place?" I say systematically overlooked because in my mind, I had an idea what I wanted to do with the company that was "given to me to manage", but I never really articulated it in a way that could have, looking back, helped me. Ex-post, alas, is better than none.

Anyway, I started writing again because I was reading about comments about Marissa Mayer being appointed as the newest Yahoo CEO. Media commentary were divided. Is Yahoo a media company that needs media people? Or is it a tech company in desperate need of product people? The hiring of Mayer is the Yahoo Board saying that shareholders want to see Yahoo revive as a tech company with new products at the core of its revival.

So why me? I had the support of the Board (Tencent representatives were  were on the Board). I was advising the CEO and all the major BUs on its future strategy for over a year. I've demonstrated god business sense. I knew Tencent products. I developed good relationships (I think) with all of the people I advised. I was a breathe of fresh air without any lingering legacy, politics, or cultural issues. 

I had some obvious drawbacks too: I didn't speak the language... so yeah, I can't read our #1 product, the portal, though Google Translate helps a lot. Being a consultant all my life, I have no operational experience. I don't have any advertising experience, and that is the lifeline of the business. I am young, considered a drawback when there are a lot of people who have been with the firm for many years.

The Board understands all the pros and cons of naming me acting / temporary / interim CEO. What I missed was that I should have thought about these pros and cons before sitting in the corner office. Based on what I am good and bad at, I could have easily foresaw what lay ahead of me, and therefore I could better plan what I wanted to do... anyway, here we go:

Consultant: the good ol' 100 day plan fits right in. Identify your allies and enemies. Interview all the stakeholders. Understand and prioritize all the business plans. Find out the strengths and weaknesses of your staff. Of your BUs. Of your company. Do a asset and resource inventory to see what you have at your disposal. 

Acting / Temporary / Interim CEO: Ops, someone might not share their full business plan with you, only the official one that was submitted. Ops, some key staff that you want to talk to doesn't want to talk to you. Ops, I'm pretty sure <insert department name> is trying to slow down your digging when they give you so much information without distillation.

Okay, it wasn't that bad, but my point is that the consultant plan is what it is, a plan. You need people to make a plan work. I think one of the most important things I learned was that since I didn't speak the language, I needed a few trusted lieutenants whom I could always trust to tell the truth. No dancing around facts and politics, just the truth. I also needed to be "out there" with my employees since a Chinese guy who didn't speak the language was going to be a pretty hard sell. I had to reach over some of my direct reports and speak directly to their direct reports so I understand their work. I had to be out there on the street with the cafes and locals to know how our product was perceived.

You need to be the CEO, the EVP, the VP, the Manager, the Analyst, the Customer, and the Consumer all at the same time.

And, looking back now, I think that's why the Board appointed me. They saw that I could connect with the people in the company despite not having the language skills. It wasn't my business mind, it wasn't my knowledge of products, it wasn't portal vs products (like Yahoo). In fact, I couldn't lead the company to the finish line (see all the cons!). But... I could stabilize a company in turmoil and steer it towards the right direction. And that I did. I just wish I did that sooner rather than wrestle with products and operations that I was in a distinct disadvantage to begin with!

From Consultant to (Interim) CEO

Wow, I haven't blogged in months!

This period of no-blogging is, coincidentally, the same period I was appointed interim / acting / temporary CEO of an Internet portal company. For 10 months, I managed the a website that, for all intended purposes, is basically Yahoo in an Asian country. Monster but declining traffic; leader in banner ad sales but being slowly eaten away by Google and Facebook; a portal that is what it is: a portal.

When consultants cease working for a consulting firm, the biggest difference is just the traveling. The mindset is ingrained into our thought process and working style. We want to identify stakeholders, scope the project, lay out an action plan, develop a fact base, draw a story line, sketch blanks, and do all these consultant-lingo things that really can be summarized into three (+1) words: solve the problem (efficiently).

Being a(n) (Interim) CEO was exactly that... with a nasty not-so-little twist: you have to convince your team to follow.

I will resume blogging soon, and this post will hopefully kick start the writing! Public commitment, even though this blog isn't THAT public, is the best motivation.


1st topic: why are you here...?

Bangkok thoughts

Yes I live in Hong Kong. Yes I work for Tencent in Shenzhen. Yes I work mostly in Bangkok for a company that Tencent acquired. And yes Bangkok is somewhat normal again, as in we finally moved back into our previously evacuated offices after a whole month on the run!

• Week 1: nobody knows anything until the water shows up at their doorsteps. With not many options in mind, we asked all staff to work from home starting Oct 22 because the surrounding neighborhoods are all seeing water and it is impossible to drive. Two days later, I get pictures that show both access roads to the office have been turned into a tranquil lake.
• Week 2: Waiting... waiting... as a temporary solution for both staff and company, we rented some hotel rooms for affected staff and a conference room to work out of.
• Week 3: I finally am in Bangkok. On the cab ride from the airport, the city seems eerily empty. I see no floods. There are several cars and trucks parked on the elevated highway. Near my hotel, there's little traffic, little tourists, little people on the street (street vendors are still out in full force though), only a few food vendors, and no working girls. They say central Bangkok will be spared from the floods. For once, I believe them. They also announced that the flood waters will recede in 11 days. Nobody believes that. My staff tell me that the water may come towards our current location. I believe them.
• Week 4: Seems the same as last week. Alas the water didn't come our way. A bit more people on the streets. Central Bangkok is as normal as it can be, but on TV you see reporters in chest deep water interviewing families who had nowhere else to hide from the water. Near the (now evacuated) office, we can access the office via convoys but not drive in ourselves.
• Week 5: The cars have been cleared from the highways. Toll booths are back up and running. Tourists on flipflops are ranging around the hotel. Breakfast food vendors are back 80%. Working girls are back at the bars again. Nov 24, I'm sitting back in my office. About 40% of the staff is at work. And I let out a big sigh or relief.

Bangkok, you're back. Kind of. Millions of home remain under water elsewhere in Bangkok as the government sacrificed them to save the central district.

The outrage from Google's Reader fiasco

My thoughts from a while ago... but too lazy to blog. I need to blog more.

For a company that has always churned out products that are both groundbreaking (Gmail) and customer fitted (Reader), Google's recent blunders in its push towards social is quite shocking. Specifically, I'm talking about its attempt to push Reader towards G+. It's an effing disaster.

I still think G+ is a great platform and great social tool, but forcing Reader on G+ this has just been desperate and Google will probably end up in a lose-lose situation. G+ is already becoming G Staff+ (not sure if Google staff realizes that... just because they can recreate their social circle there... doesn't mean others would)... and Reader has just downgraded itself significantly to become an RSS feed since it's social aspect was stripped out to accommodate the aforementioned G Staff+.

Why do I use Reader? Because in one platform, I can subscribe to:

• (35%) all the industry news feeds that I ought to follow (e.g. GigaOM, Tech Crunch) and all the blogs that interest me (e.g. Freakenomics, Photo related)
• (33%) my friends' blogs (e.g. GSB folks, foodie friend in NYC) and posts for burning time (e.g.  Failblog, FML)
• (16%) stuff that my friends read, i.e. wife sharing wife things, Satyajeet sharing Satyajeet things, Megha sharing jokes, Ivan sharing random auto things, Haide sharing new mom things, etc
• (16%) stuff that people in the industry read, i.e. Thailand reporter sharing Thailand things.

#1 Do I wish there was an icon on Gmail that could get me access to these feeds? YES!
#2 Do I wish I could share to Facebook as easy as I can share to Buzz? YES!
#3 Do I wish Reader was more powerful so that I can find out which blogs other people are subscribed to? YES!
#4 Do I wish other people can know what I subscribe to? YES (but not completely)!
#5 Do I wish sharing was more intuitive in Reader? YES!
#6 Do I want complete control on how I share? YES!

And what does Google do? Stay put on #1 and #2, address #5 partially, and make G Staff+ the default for #3, #4, and #6. Well, congratulations, you just eliminated 32% of my reasons (stuff that people read) to use Reader. Not only that, but the remaining 68% of the reasons any RSS feed software can do! And G Staff+ can control the sharing very well, but hey, you're still G Staff+ and nobody outside of Google goes there to read what I share!

And being the person who is in love with my own vanity (I mean, come on, all bloggers should admit that), I want people to read what I write as easy as possible.

So, this is what I am going to do. Share this on Facebook (not easy, but hey, they're the SNS), Reader (Auto), and G+ through Reader. And hope that Google will listen to its users and leave Reader alone - it's a great great platform, don't force parts of it to G Staff+. Allow both, and make it easy to share to G Staff+, but don't eliminate other ways!

Google. Still needs to learn social. (But if the argument is to bolster its search engine, that's fine... but don't mess with Reader!)

Blogging again - Movie Series

In no particular order...

3 Idiots: if you overlook the simple premise and predictable plot, it's a thoroughly enjoyable movie with likable characters. And I added one sentence to arguments at home: All is Well. Recommended.

The Fighter: the pirated DVD has been sitting at home for a while... it's a pretty good movie and I see how Oscar would bless it. Love the Southee accents from both Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. Totally believable. Great inspiring movie overall. Recommended.

One Day: I recognized Edinburgh right away. Then it was all London and all downhill. The book must be much better than the movie. Not recommended.

Transformers 3: Saw this on the plane... and glad I never had to pay to see a 3D version. Just a lot of metal robots messing around with each other. I don't need to fork up HKD150 for it. Anyway, I get to see my old home in Chicago go up in flames... other than that, Transformers 3 was just a lot of metal moving around. Not recommended. Oh, and just to be clear, I prefer Megan Fox.

Fast and Furious 5: dumbass plot with dumbass actors and actresses but with tons of over the top action. Sure, why not? Love the Brazilian bad guy. After checking IMDB, I can confirm his only role in US movies is being a drug lord (Desperado, Clear and Present Danger, and I'm not sure who he was in Behind Enemy Lines, but let's just assume he was a bad drug lord there too). How do you ever top that one!!?? Recommended.

Too Big to Fail: I read the book first, and the movie doesn't miss a beat at all. I wanna get Paulson's take on the movie (apparently he was spoke at Booth this past Monday... too bad I missed that by a day!). Much better than Inside Job, IMHO. And Paul Giamatti's impersonation on Bernanke was awesome. On the flip side, the actor who played Warren Buffet was not. Couldn't you get Buffet to play Buffet!? I'm pretty sure he'd say yes! Highly recommended (and the book is highly highly highly recommended)

Goodfellas: why I haven't seen this classic from start to finish is beyond myself. Highly recommended.

I think there were a few more movies that I saw on my (coach) flight from Hong Kong to New York, but I don't remember already... guess they weren't worth it. And today I'm heading back from Chicago, so looking forward to a few more!

Blogging again - Concert series

Although I am old and boring, I actually do stuff outside of work. The PNW and I went to three concerts (the forth, Paramount, was not to be...):

James Blunt: PNW downloaded all his music to my iPhone (thank you, QQ music) and I actually enjoyed it a lot more than I thought... EFFING HIGH!!!!!!

Khalil Fong 方大同... sad to say, I didn't know his songs as well. Got free front seat tickets from Tencent so we scrambled to download the music and learn the lyrics. His encore song PNW knew well so that made it all worth it (I think... as in it was a free ticket after all!)

Red Hot Chili Peppers: hard core band with hard core fans. I knew maybe 30% of the songs and I'm pretty sure everybody else in the concert knew 150%. Awesome crowd made the concert much more enjoyable otherwise.

Linkin Park -nuff said. I actually enjoyed the concert but "my friend" with much higher standards thought it was pretty bad. Clearly not everybody at the concert knew the songs and I think therein lied the problem. Was quite a contrast to RHCP where all the hard core fans showed up. And, uh, one of the concert t-shirts didn't have Hong Kong (WHAT!?)... come on guys, the least you can do is print right t-shirts for those who pay for them!

2 months after G+ launched...

Admittedly I got really excited about G+ when it first came out. I'm still excited about it even though its really lost its steam. As a former consultant and current tech strategist, I've monitored some of my own behavior:

• I get notifications much faster on G+ than I do from Facebook (Web bar rules)
• I spend less and less time on G+ because I don't have enough friends on them
• But the posts on G+ are more relevant for me... partly because I'm in tech
• I also spend less and less time on Facebook because I have to split time with G+
• I'm getting bored with Facebook
• I post on both networks now...
• Posts where I am seeking advice (Kindle recs) get better responses on G+
• But none of my advice seeking posts were shared...
• Posts where I am eavesdropping (Over the border) get better responses from my closer friends on G+
• Posts where I am just sharing interesting bits in life also get better responses from my closer friends on G+, though they get more responses on Facebook

I wrote this a week ago and forgot to post it... here's an addition since G+ added games and Google acquired Motorola: it feels more and more like a community for Google and ex-Google employees and techies. I see 1500 comments for Larry Page, Satyajeet's lovefest with G+ games, a few comments on how G+ is quite boring, and that's about it.

Apparently combining all types of social activities is not enough, you still need a social graph that engages each other. And, guess what, I'm working at a place that has all that. Tencent! Now if they can only figure this out better than Google.

Anyway, the wars continues...

Book, TV, and Movie

In order or preference...

The Help (Book) - this fictional story about black maids and their employers in Mississippi is written by a white person. Perhaps that's why a white lady and a bunch of black maids tried helping each other and only the white lady made a future for herself... anyway, I shouldn't be cynical about fiction, right? The book touches hearts with light and heavy subjects at the same time, and is simply a wonderful read. It's incredibly raw, and you find yourself sucked into the lives of the three main characters, rejoicing and bleeding with them along the way. Highly recommended.

Dexter Seasons 1-3 (TV) - I'm pretty sure this is fictional as well. Just kidding... blood scientist with the Miami police is a serial killer who hunts down people who slip through the cracks of justice. Yeah, okay. Surprisingly good actually, even though outrageous. Recommended.

Harry Potter (Movie) - It's not a bad movie at all... I just don't know what is going on most of the time because I haven't read the book and I rarely remember anything from previous HP movies. Wizard fight scenes suck and the general fight scenes aren't that great either. I suppose it's real good if you are an HP fan, like my wife is. Not recommended.

Sadness takes over

Today, we visited Alan. I can't believe it's already been eight years.

As we mourn our loss, I can't help but notice how nice it was at the grave yard. The day was hot. But there was a nice mid morning breeze. The sun never let up. But there were clouds protecting us every now and then. A new building was being build. But there were birds and dragon flies humming and buzzing around. Alan's grave stood there. But there he was, admiring the greenery, buildings, mountains, and skies, laughing at all this foolishness of those who remain behind.

And I let sadness take over. Wish you were here bro. I know you wish that too.

Movie time!

Oh man, I think I watched quite a few movies but never had time to write what I thought of them... here goes:

Inside Job: My old firm Analysis Group was mentioned several times in this movie (along with the very evil Glenn Hubbard) as part of the evil establishments that protect banks and bankers from being held accountable for what they did. I wish documentaries would not be as one sided and actually seek another angle to try to offer some neutrality to the story. For example, how could you not interview Andrew Ross Sorkin? By the way, Too Big to Fail is a much better way to understand the financial crisis. Inside Job is more for populists. Not recommended (unless, of course, you are a former employee of Analysis Group, defender of the evil empires).

King's Speech: A real movie finally! What a fantastic job by Colin Firth... it's rare nowadays that actors and actresses capture the total essence of the character they are playing. But Colin Firth has done it masterfully. Natalie Portman in Black Swan - reviewed a while ago - might be another... my god that makes TWO worthy Oscar wins! Guy Pierce, on the other hand, is not believable at all... Highly Recommended.

Hangover 2 - please don't have a Hangover 3. The Thai lady boy moment trumped all the moments in the original Hangover, but the rest of the movie couldn't measure up. And what's up with the Asian pre-med kid being a complete dork in the movie not caring that he's missing a finger to becoming a surgeon... oh wait, there wasn't supposed to be a plot, right? Not recommended - you're better off re-watching the first one!

X-men First Class - truth is, I don't even remember what happened in the movie, except that it was slightly better in the sense that there was quite a bit of depth in the discussions of mutants' value in the ecosystem. Overall the mutants abilities were a bit disappointing though (especially the kids... I mean... you can scream so loud that you can fly... err...) Slightly recommended.

Some HK Detective Story: I'll cut to the chase: Not recommended. It has Aaron Kwok so that's the one to avoid.

Quick thoughts on Google and +

There's tons of articles on how Google+ is going to affect the Internet landscape. Here were my first impressions...

用了Google+一个早上，Google能整合Gmail Contact，Picasa，和Buzz等产品，从一开始就有一个比较好的基础。但感觉就是除了Hang out（多人视频交谈）以外，其他的都跟Facebook差不多。Circle虽然是一个很好的概念，对Privacy的了解和体验都不错，但就算能优化 体验，其实Facebook也可以抄袭的。在人与人之间的沟通，如果base能做起来，我觉得Google+有可能取代Gmail和Facebook Wall。但其它添加平台粘性的地方，如游戏，Google+很难有突破。

当然。。。我只用了一个早上。。。

Roughly translated: Between Hangout and Circle, Google's key differentiators so far, Facebook will copy Circles pretty quickly. To regain (maintain?) its status as communication platform between people, I think Google+ is a great first step and could possibly take over wall functions on Facebook. But it lacks other "stickiness" factors such as social games... for now.

One day and trying out many different ways to use Google+ later, several things struck me:

Love

1. Hangout - love it... Skype is going to hate this... or rather, Microsoft is going to super hate this very very much. How did MSFT stock price still raise? Their crown acquisition just got punched in the face... twice!
2. Circles is a great privacy tool. I'd like to see sub-circles (I organize my friends in triagles - a few at the top whom I can share everything with, a couple more in the middle trapezium whom I'd like to know (but not too much) about, and the bottom trapezium whom I have on the list because it's rude if I don't. Nonetheless, a great feature that Facebook will have to copy for sure.
3. Buzz put the first spotlight on Google where it violated users' privacy. Google+ is much much much better. You control it with Circles. I raised an eyebrow with the "Share" function, but then I thought this is the same as a private email being forwarded... or some private Facebook status being screen captured (See Failbook for some hilarious examples). Privacy win for Google+, so far.

Hate

1. Circles is a great idea and the animation is awesome. It is, however, a fundamentally flawed UI with the horizontal setting. It needs to be VERTICAL, like a phonebook list, and allow us to drag names towards the Circles on the right. Someone had too much fun with the animation and forgot the fundamental desire: I need to organize my contact list.
2. I hate that Google+ is hijacking "Stream" and "Hangout"... now I have to ask people to see my stream? And hanging out with people becomes a different thing? 
3. Google released Plus like they did Gmail, Buzz, Wave, with limited invitations. Under a close beta, they will fix kinks and bugs and improve the product to a point that it can be released publicly. Except that Plus is a product that needs the public release to truly unlocks its popularity. Perhaps a prime example of how a large established firm with its established release schedule got in the way. Within a day, all users are screaming for more invites, but Google can't give them the jewels cus the product still has bug. I suppose Social products have very little room for error from the get go!

Not sure

1. Do you notice you can't post on other's "wall" like you do in Facebook? You can only "stream" the person... I'm not sure where this could head, but it was strange that if I want to start a discussion with someone over Google+, I need to use stream and I cannot add more people to the discussion (or maybe I can "share"...?)

Switching from Google to Steve Jobs

Finally, I gave in and dumped my old ass Google G1 phone and got an iPhone4. Well, more like my wife was sick of me hogging hers to play games so she got me my own instead. Now we can both play games at the same time and cease conversation once and for all. Technology, it's great.

The G1 and iPhone4 are of course no comparison... the Apple product is clearly the champion of smartphones... for now. Apple products, however, have a way to piss you off. The iPod, for example, still baffles me why I cannot simply drag and drop MP3s from a folder to the iPod.

Here's problem #1 with iPhone4:

Yup, I'm ghetto, and the iPhone4 is sleek and chic and cool. I have 4 Sim Cards - HK, China, Thailand, and US. And they all fitted nicely into my G1. iPhone 4 is so nice and small it doesn't allow for any ghetto Sim Card storage.

Problem #2: like all normal tech savvy people, I use Google to manage my emails, my contacts, and my calendar. G1 was perfect in every way because it was designed to do just that. iPhone4, on the other hand, dislikes that very much. I synced email and calendar via Gmail, but contacts needed to be done via Exchange, but only after you disable Gmail. Say what!? Luckily wife has done this once and guided me back to the enlightened path.

Problem #3: iPhone4 also dislikes you trying to customize anything in a non-Apple way. In Google Contacts, for example, you can customize names for numbers, such as "Call this number after 10pm." A more practical use is that I name one of my contacts "Lawyer" and customize to "Criminal" and "Document" so I know which one to call. Well, those numbers won't appear on the iPhone4, unless you change it back to "Mobile" "Home" or "Office" cus those are the only 3 possible places where you would have a phone number associated...

Anyway, I'm done bitching. Where did I move the Angry Bird Rio icon...?

Traveling like a consultant

Perhaps it was pure coincidence that I watched Up in the Air last night... pretty good movie which I highly recommend, by the way.

As a former consultant, I maximize efficiency. At the airport, that means minimize the time I spend waiting for others. So when I switched a 5pm flight to a 10pm flight because a meeting ran overtime, I've already planned how to leisurely stroll into my seat a minute after the gates close. Game plan: leave office at 740pm, arrive at boat terminal at 8pm for a 815pm 30 minute boat ride to arrive at 845pm, giving me more than enough time to enjoy the lounge and have dinner there.

Instead, here's what transpired...

Actually, perhaps the seeds were planted even earlier...

140pm: Meeting ran overtime... going to miss my flight... checking flight scheds... email travel agent to switch me to a later flight...
230pm: Travel agent emailed "no flight at 1010pm"
240pm: WTF are you talking about (No, I didn't say that...), it's CX 709
241pm: Oh... you are flying from HK, not Bangkok!
242pm: OMG, you are a fucking idiot (No, I didn't say that...)
.
.
.
740pm: Leaving the office...
750pm: uh oh, the main road to the terminal is blocked for no apparent reason
803pm: 12 minutes to get a ticket, go thru customs and immigration
804pm: Sorry, we accept cash only for boat tickets
804pm: WTF... (No, I didn't say that...)
805pm: Bought ticket... with cash
805pm: Sir, you have to check in your flight over there
805pm: Sir, we can't see your reservation
808pm: (Fiddling with my Blackberry) Here's my reservation number, flight number... and my previous flight number
811pm: Sir, here's your reservation. But... we can't let you on the boat unless you have a ticket... and we can't give you a ticket unless you've paid the fee for changing your ticket...
811pm: Urrr... here's my credit card
812pm: And we can't accept payments here...
812pm: WTF... (I did say that...) let me find my travel agent at 812pm. WTF... (I did say that) Sorry, I'm not swearing at you, I'm swearing at my idiot travel agent...
813pm: (Annoying customer waiting behind me) Excuse me, can you guys open another line to serve us?
815pm: (After some phone calls...) Sir, we can let you on the boat. We've held it for you. Please run.
(WTF... couldn't you guys have done that at 810pm?)
816pm: running... running... immigration... running... other dude running after me... I have to sign a waiver in case I miss my flight... running... running...
818pm: On the boat! It's leaving 3 minutes late thanks to me!
848pm: Hong Kong Airport! Full hour before my flight... just have to pay my fine and check in...
851pm: Sir, our credit card machine isn't working... Sir, there is no ATM in this section...
900pm: Sir, sorry to keep you waiting... we've found a credit card machine...
911pm: Woohoo... finally at the lounge
941pm: (Announcement) Mr. Lam, please go to your gate!
949pm: In my seat
955pm: Gate closed! I got there a couple minutes early. Must make it tighter next time.
1208am: Finishing this blog entry
112am: Arrive at hotel lobby... fudge, I'm SPG Gold now... I miss complimentary breakfast and Internet!

World News

I'm sure we all feel the same way: the world is coming to an end, and it has all ironically started with Egypt (it being an ancient civilization and all), continued with chaos in Libya and other Middle Eastern / African countries, then concluded with earthquakes in China, Japan, and Burma / Thailand.

I remember reading a great BBC article about how the media will soon get over the "Facebook and Twitter - American innovations - helped the lower class Egyptians overthrow their dictator" angle and the only way you'll learn about what is happening in Egypt is through Al Jazeera (Their website which has Lybia on the cover but also their site on Egypt). Well, that's exactly what happened. Perhaps right now is when the Egyptians actually NEED our attention... but, alas, watching bombs drop in Libya is clearly more interesting. Just as a reminder, I came across this CNN article... food for thought.

Kindle changes my life... so far

I got a Kindle for Valentines Day... and so far, it has changed my life.

Instead of eating and watching movies, I now do three things: eating, watching movies, and reading on my Kindle!

In a month, I've read:

• What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell: the only reason I didn't buy the book was that it's basically a collection of his articles from way back and I thought why would I shell out US$15 for this? Oh, but it is $3 on the Kindle! Awesome book, especially the chapters on the Discovery Space Shuttle disaster and Enron. Highly recommended.
• Lost Symbol: the first time I tried the "highlight function" on the Kindle... more on this at the end of the post. Sigh. Anyway, horrible book, and I got all the twists. Dan Brown, how have I read all your novels. Arg. Not recommended.
• Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin: I can't believe that the author is only 32 years old. His account of how the US government and other Wall Street big boys raced to save their buddies is one of the most captivating stories I have ever read. Dare I say he is better than Michael Lewis (I read the Big Short on my way from HK to Brazil - and I just realized I never wrote about that... highly recommended book on how people made unbelievably easy money from the 2008 financial tsunami). The whole thing is a gripping ride. Highly highly highly recommended.
• 大江大海1949 by 龍應台: I've been reading about 4-5 chapters a day on my commute to Shenzhen. And not one day have I not welled up on my trip. 龍老師's detailed description on how lives were eternally altered during the war years in China were all so moving. I remember meeting her once and asking her if she regretted leaving out any stories. She replied by saying all of it - all stories that were told but not published deserved to be published. 

Well, I wanted to share a sentence in the Lost Symbol that has to do with bad writing and a penis. Why am I not sharing this now...? Cus my Kindle seems to be stolen at work. Mother fucker, I have 86 hours of CCTV to see who might have stolen it... or if I just left it on the bus.

But... it has changed my life... so far.

Movie - Adjustment Bureau

I swear I've seen more movies... but somehow never recorded them.

Adjustment Bureau (IMDB): In a story about fate and free will, I thought the movie was pretty good until the last 5 minutes. Matt Damon runs a lot in this movie, and I kept thinking that he'd turn into Jason Bourne and actually change his fate with fists and guns. Anyway, he didn't. I suppose the message of the movie is that you got to grab the bull by the horns and control it. I'm cool with that message. I can't stand movies that worked so well along and keeps the audience on its toes and screws it up at the last moment (Somewhat like State of Play, but Adjustment Bureau only screws up the last 5 minutes) When Matt Damon stops running, that's when you should leave the theater and call it a night. Slightly recommended without the last 5 minutes.

Inception: I think the last time I watched a movie three times in a year was The Mission (Canto). Well, I did my third Inception and it was better than the first two. And I think I figured out where Leo is physically and also in his dream state. In fact, it kind of reminded me of Momento, another one of my all time favs.

Skiing in China

Skeptically, I went skiing in China last weekend. Turned out I was the fool - the ski resort I went to was comparable to mid-sized American ski resorts in the NE and everything exceeded my expectations. The only thing I really wanted more was more grooming on the tougher slopes.

Anyway... seeing that most of the workers on the lifts were villagers from the originally deserted town, I wondered out loud whether they knew how to ski and how they would get back down the slopes. If they don't ski down, they'll just take the lift down of course.

Not. As I looked down the black diamond run and considered how to end my last run of the day, I saw a bunch of dots in a straight line going down... curious, I caught up. So this is how they get home...

Yup, put your ass on a shovel and head down. I'll be back, China ski resorts!

The problem with Facebook...

Much like how Google promotes the use of the Internet to strengthen its commercial interests, Facebook promotes the lack of privacy to strengthen its.

I received the following email from Facebook after painstakingly going through it's privacy settings (PC, then mobile, then back to PC) trying to remove my phone number from Facebook.

Hi Josekin,

As you requested, your imported contacts have been removed. Please note: if some of your friends choose to share their email or phone numbers with friends on Facebook, you'll still see their contact information in your phonebook.

Thanks,
The Facebook Team

And herein lies the danger with Facebook:

• First of all, I'm not sure if I removed MY number at all. And I can't figure it out. 
• Second of all, now I am aware that others have their number that I can see. I'm no stalker, but this strikes me as dangerous especially for younger folks who have less concern for their own privacy (because they haven't realized the harm). 
• The second sentence... "if some of your friends choose to share". Look, let's be honest, nobody knows that they just did, because Facebook has made privacy such a convoluted process to set and un-set.

Ugh... everything Facebook does makes me want to quit it, but I can't. Doesn that make me sound like an addict? My god it does!

Movies, again.

Yup, apprently I only eat and watch movies.

Middle seat coach on United from SFO to HKG - it doesn't get any worse than this, except that I'm paying a fraction of the price, so I guess I do deserve whatever they give me. Btw, DO NOT get the breakfast option that is Japanese Teriyaki Vegetables and Tofu with Rice: by far the worst ever airplane meal I have ever had.

Even though it was a shared movie screen for the entire coach, I managed to catch 2 pretty good movies. In fact, the flight was overall enjoyable, no doubt because I didn't have to play the elbow game with my neighbors. You see, life is much better if we all stick to our personal space.

Anyway...

Morning glory - Rachel McAdams stars in this girly comedy along with... wait for it... wait for it... Harrison Ford! And I'm not ashamed to say that it was surprisingly good with a lot of funny moments! Harrison's serious face (a.k.a. the Jack Ryan or "I'm the President of the United States of America" face) is still fun to watch. Recommended to watch on an airplane - the couple across the aisle kept LOLing.

Megamind - fun cartoon featuring voices of Will Farrel, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, and the fat kid from Super Bad. haha... just thinking of Super Bad makes Megamind worth it. Fun cartoon from start to finish. Brad Pitt does an awesome job as the voice of one of the heroes. I couldn't really tell that Megamind's voice was Will Farrel's. Recommended.