Lox - Archived Entries for 2009 / 11

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Korean Hangover: [Tuesday 17th November 2009]

Well I guess that the title says it all... Yesterday I have had a meeting with a potential new Korean distributor, the meeting was scheduled early in the morning and I was already scared about the prospect that it could last ALL DAY, as normally these talks do.

Quite surprisingly we managed to cover all the amenities and serious talks in a couple of hours, and that meant that after a quick lunch and a tour of two department stores and GMS, I was at the hotel quite early.

Here the first part of the mistake... My client invited me for dinner, of course I had to pack as I had to leave the day after, and I wouldn't have minded a quiet night in, he told me that he was off to Shanghai the morning after so he could not be "late" as normally the evenings in Korea happen to be (especially if you are there for work).

My mistake was to accept of course, so after an afternoon spent working on emails I met the client around 8:00PM, and I was back in my room around 10:30 PM.

Those two and half hours are still taking an heavy toll as I write...

3 bottles of JINRO (the typical Korean spirit that you drink while eating, around 29 degrees if I am not mistaken) and one pint of Asahi Super Dry, got me TOTALLY WASTED... I had to pack my suitcase completely drunk, I slept 3 hours (quite bad sleep anyway), and run out of water supply in the hotel room too early.

Of course the typical signs of hangover set in, headache, stomach pains, weakness...

Now it's a bit better, after a double espresso and some medicines but I am flying to Tokyo and I have one of those supermegaboring meetings with a client where there are going to be 18 people speaking Japanese to me (it's a very "traditional" and "old-style" company)... The bad news is that these used to be good clients, and I am actually going to nicely put an end to our business relationship, so it's a fairly important meeting and I am in no conditions whatsoever to actually survive it!!

And I ask myself: what is to business meetings that you always have to end up drunk or with a lady (prostitute or simple "hostess" as it's called the kind that just pretend to drink with you and be interested in the things that you say), or both?!? Can't it just end at the meeting itself and then everyone does what he/she wants?
I guess it's a sort of hospitality thing, they are trying to show you a good time, and alcohol and female company is usually widely accepted all around the world, but there is a limit to everything I guess... In that sense my other clients, that know me better, just let me be by myself and of course to my eyes are a million times better!

Don't get me wrong is not that I do not like it, it's just that I would have much more fun if my real friends were with me...

Let's hope that I can sleep on the plane, maybe that can help...

If I burp I am going to kill someone! :D
[3 comments]
Get out of wherever you are!: [Friday 6th November 2009]

In Manila for the usual business trip I have had the final enlightenment on life.

GET THE HELL OUT OF WHEREVER YOU ARE and move to the South East of Asia. What are we waiting for? In these countries with a modest pension you can live a life that you could not even imagine now.

Fruit that taste like jam, fresh, delicious. All sorts of ingredients, food is the last of anyone's problems.

People are happy, extremely poor but happy. You can buy everything you need at least at half the price than what you normally pay it, unless you go to local markets, in that case prices are even lower.

Women (and man if you are into that), love you. You are different, everyone is nice to you but they let you be if you don't feel like mixing in.

Technology and buildings are of the latest grade, these are developing countries and everything is bloody new and works like a Swiss clock.

Yes you have to put up with pollution, traffic and the sight of extreme poverty, but I gess that we are used so much at being cynic everyday that in the end we can let that go.

Oh did I mention that here EVERYONE seems to be able to speak perfect English?

So we got to run, it's the only choice to lead a better and more comfortable life, to have 3 maids at home, 5 unofficial girlfiends, 1 official one and of course a wife, to have a driver, to live in a place where it's always hot, where if you want you drive (or better you get your driver to take you) to splendid beaches and mountain resorts.
Are you into massages? You can get a massage for almost NOTHING (like 3 Euro for 2 hours).

What makes us want to stay in a place like Europe where everyone (almost) feels poor and depressed? A place where we work like donkeys all our life to get a shitty pension that barely covers primary needs. Are roots to the territory so strong?

I am considering to buy a house. With the sum that I am planning to spend not only I can buy a villa here (with the 3 maids), but I can also buy a couple of cars (and drivers), and probably if I am careful with the money I can live doing nothing for some years!

Oh well, sorry, that is the usual reaction to the new clients that I have met here. They are so stinking rich that a pig is like Claudia Schiffer bathed in Chanel N.5 in comparison.

Another place where little have a lot and a lot have little, a strong contrast every day, but to lead the life that my clients have would probably convince the worst sceptic.

I do not know what life will give me, but for sure, if I will have the money, later in my life I will consider moving here, after all what is all the stress worth if in the end what you get is more dissatisfaction?
[4 comments]

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