Off to the Games

I'm out folks.
Heading off to Thailand for my first Asian trip outside of China. I'm excited, a bit nervous, and not looking forward to the alleged 4 day downpour that's been going on in Bangkok.
I thought I'd mix in some very poorly capture iPhone photos of the Shenzhen stadium where we train. I'll be sure to snap some pics this weekend for everybody here playing our home game.

OK, so I've been trying for 2 days trying unsuccessfully to upload these pics. I give up for the time being and will try again on Tuesday when I get back.

This is what the best meal I've had in Shenzhen looks like

Couldn't tell you what it was, because I have no idea, but someone said something along the lines of a carp.
We caught 7 fish that afternoon at this little fishing place outside of town. They cooked up 4 for us, 3 for dinner and one to take home. These fish were pretty sizable too, made for amazing eats. As the sun started to go down we decided to have the people there cook em up for us, asked for three different styles, and let them work their magic while we relaxed in our little bungalow, to share time with eachother and the mosquitos and other various creepy crawlies that dwell in the late summer air.



Hell of a day really, sit by the water in your own little bungalow, have a couple Tsint Tao's, look at the water, try to catch some fish, then eat em right where you caught em. Nice.



It was a much needed break, we've been working full throttle getting this company off the ground, our first job takes hold this week, and we're in the process of organizing a seminar for about 100 people to educate and sell our services. It's sexy putting on your suit and being toured around the function rooms of the Ritz, the Marco Polo, and various other 5-star digs in Shenzhen. What's not sexy is the cost, and we are rolling thin on the funds, our first job will be a nice breather as it takes care of our rent for a couple months. It's not just welcome, it's absolutely necessary for us at this point.
It's exciting and worrisome at the same time, but with our first little victory, we'll be able to breathe and stay out here a couple more months.

One night in Bangkok

I've been in Shenzhen a little over 6 months and have yet to really travel outside the immidiate area. Hong Kong is the exception at this point because of its proximity, but I really have not had the time or the opportunity to travel.

A couple months back I joined up with the Gaelic Football club in Shenzhen. I had no previous experience with the sport and still don't quite know all rules but I was told soccer was a sufficient enough background and it was an excuse to go run around a bit once a week. The team that the club represents, The Shenzhen Celts, was invited to the pan-asian Gaelic games (esoteric huh?) being held in Bangkok this year, so sure enough, I tacked myself on the list and as of today, and booked next weekend to go try a new sport in a country I never really thought I'd visit.

Pretty cool, minus the hit my wallet has taken. It has been 6 months out here without a paycheck to speak of. While we have two looming on the immidiate horizon, it does not make the current situation any easier. It's fun living the expat lifestyle, but it comes at a price, and they all make money, we, at this point, do not.

(on a side note, someone will need to correct my grammar and blatant overuse of ellipticals and commas, thanks)

We have not been living lavishly, but have not been roughing it either, and it's a fine line deciding what is an appropriate expenditure. Thailand was definitely someplace I've always wanted to visit, although I have to admit, Bangkok does not rank high on sites within the country. List be damned, I'm looking forward to it, and at the very least, it gives me a reason to work hard next week as we begin work with our first client!

Mergers & Acquisitions

The evolution of the TWC Logo

As any of you who read this know, our little group known as Anemoi started out ambitiously enough. Idea one was a bit involved, idea two is still alive and kicking, albeit on a low simmer, and idea three is the real potential make-or-break baby we roll up our sleeves for everyday. Idea three is the True Wind Consulting project, and as we speak it continues to evolve and mature. The initial problem was and is our lack of training experience that we bring to the table. While this has been remedied to some degree, the more we looked at our potential clients, the more we realized we were projecting ourselves more into the management consultant realm. This happens to coincide with one of our partners, and over a couple of weeks and many latenight discussions with a bottle of Dewar's, the decision was made to forge ahead allied with each other.

The new venture is not new at all, in fact, True Wind maintains its distinct separation as does its partner Saks-Gloweli, but the two now offer the others services as well, allowing us to bring clients a more thorough offering list.



The logo is in its final rework stages as well as a new and modified website. For those playing the home game the differences will be subtle, for those just tuning in... I realize your lack of interest, and I would suggest Perezhilton.com or whatever it is everyone wastes time on.

Procrastination

Well I am back in China after a 3 week hiatus stateside, and I'll admit that it has been tough for me to get back into the blogosphere. Not that I was hampered by the heightened security which precedes one of China's largest holidays, I was instead handcuffed by my old friend, procrastination.

Actually, it's rearing its ugly head again, and rest assured a legitimate update will be here soon, I leave you with a video I just stumbled upon and absolutely had to post. Apologies to some as it is a nod to me sciency-nerd side. That and with the autotune craze that is everpresent on the internet, some may find this annoying, but I assure any real nerds and geeks that this is pretty damn cool. Hell, Steven Hawking makes an Autotuned cameo on this.

End of (Summer) Days

The summer is now over, and I was lucky enough to see it pass in the US.
I've been in Boston over a week now and am itching to get on the road and see some friendly faces. It's been surprisingly quiet around here, and perhaps it is my own fault for forgetting that everyone has jobs now, and no one really wants to hang out on weeknights.

The trip will be some work mixed with some play, as I wait to here back from colleges in Western Mass, CT, and elsewhere.

Maybe 3 weeks was too long in the states, I'm almost anxious to get back to China to continue getting our business moving forward. Things feel far too stagnant here.

We'll do it live!

Afternoon everyone,
I have arrived in the US, and it's pretty sweet. Our consulting company is up and running and the website is LIVE, in fact you can check it out here if you like.

Expats have interesting ways of viewing and approaching homecomings, some planning out vague plans or outlines of their trip on a calendar, others take great care alotting their relaxation and visits, while some, plan menus. Of particular interest was a man from Spain named Victor. Victor had prepared not only a list of the restaurants he would visit while home, but also a list of friends that he deemed appropriate fits for the restaurants he would attend. Victor worked pairing the friends to restaurants much the way a sommelier would with wines and entrees. It was fascinating to hear him speak of his plans, the meals he would order, and why he would chose a particular friend for a given restaurant.

While I cannot say I have laid such elaborate plans, it is an intriguing concept, and one I would recommend this for anyone who has spent time out of the country, but also to people looking to reconnect with old friends. This excercise really forces you to think about your friends, your relationship with them, and then of course, think of the food that you two can or have already bonded over. I think if you spent some time making this list, you might realize how important some friends are to you or at the very least be forced to look at why you may be friends with some people. Combining relationships with food, whether it be fine or fast, is a very interesting way to relate to people you may take for granted.

Homecoming

Today has already been fraught with scrambling, cursing, anxiety and general running about as we prepare to head home for a few weeks. We present our first assessment in an hours' time and begin the final stages of editing on the new website. Our curriculum for SCLI is completed and is being edited for advertising to schools in the states. The brochures have been finalized and will be printed in the US for lack of a better service here, and I probably need to pack some clothes at some point.

Here's a teaser of our new projects website



For those of you who may actually read this, I'll be in the states tomorrow, NYC then most likely straight home to Boston. Get excited folks.