Stanfords Finest

Is there a more desperate sight than a middle aged Australian sales manager and his dreadful family in ‘comedy’ wigs and sunglasses? No is the answer so why then are the Rugby Sevens (apparently) such A HOOT and the MUST DO event in Hong Kong’s social calendar? Why do people spend entire days queuing for tickets? Why are tickets changing hands at huge prices and why does Hong Kong go rugby mad for the weekend? What am I missing? This is Asia right? I came to escape these rugby bores not be mates with them. 40,000 of them squeezed in Happy Valley and then spilling onto our streets in their ‘wacky’ and ‘light-hearted’ manner. I hate rugby, I hate forced jocularity, I hate being surrounded by drunk and overweight honkies and I hate subliminal colonial undertones to the whole debacle. It’s hell on earth and thank god it’s over for another year. Bring back Hong Kong.

Free Tibet. FREE TIBET. Popular cause celeb right now but lunch today with my Chinese colleagues gave me a different slant on the whole debacle. Of course oppression of nations, countries and people is A Bad Thing but there seems to be a lot of attention, nay obsession, about this issue. Kashmir anyone? No, not sexy enough thanks. Georgia? Ukraine? Northern Ireland? Anyone? Nope let’s just dwell on China China China Olympic Year all the time. Is the Western Press trying to say China is bad by any chance? One of my colleagues on a visit to Hong Kong noted that the western press were carrying shots also of Nepal in their stories. Tibet is a mess, of course it is, but so are many, many other situations but I guess Ukraine won’t get Richard Gere in a T-Shirt. It’s all bollocks. Free Tibet yes but Free Georgia and Iraq as well.

Slightly hungover I awoke to find HK grey and dull this easter weekend. I went to work yesterday for a few hours before meeting with friends in Central for the first time since my wife came back. I love going into work on my days off as I can get work done without being disturbed ALL THE TIME. No politics or bullshit – just straight up work. Revolutionary. I hate the office politics in Hong Kong. I hate the silly game of staying late when one doesn’t have to just to show what a hardworker one is. In Asia it seems the process is more important than the result and that is quite frankly bollocks.

My son continues to grow and he now smiles at me every morning and he knows who I am if only for a fleeting second but its stunning work all the same.

Tried to relax and mostly did but work and fatigue were following me around like naughty children. Speaking of which my son has now fixed up a new sleeping patten – all day. Stunning work and much like his old man this boy spent most of Sunday asleep. They say that after three months there is a change in behaviour and it looks like we are witnessing it now. Only Jah knows what the new day will bring. I cannot wait for work tomorrow. Bring the rukus.