Brief Update

So I'm two weeks out of uploading my blog posts.  I guess as amount of fun increases number of blog posts goes down, who woulda figured.  I did just upload a bunch of pictures to my picasa page.  Sometime tomorrow I will get to uploading everything. 

And Happy Fathers Day Dad!!! 

Day Seven: What Goes Up, Must Come Down

Seeing as I slept just about all of yesterday and barely got a quick dinner in with Mary at the Peak, today I would surely need to expel all of that reserved energy.  Being it is Sunday and sunny, the four of us went out for breakfast at Wagyu.  Alasdair commented on my particularity when it comes to food and all I could do was laugh.  He's learning my ways quite well.  I had the typical American breakfast: eggs, sausage, and toast with a glass of orange juice to wash it all down.  It was quite nice to have a taste of home.  But this was just the start of a great day. 
Mary and Alasdair were itching to go on a hike and I was glad to come along.  We made our way to the MacLehose Trail in the New Territories of Hong Kong.  The drive to our start point was just over an hour and once in the national park, we began our journey.  With Mary's hiking enthusiasm and Alasdair's never ending outdoors drive, I knew I was going to be in all sorts of interesting places on this hike.   We started out walking up a road which only taxis can take.  Apparently taxis are a way of cheating a bit, so no cheating for us today.  Once we get to our first trailhead, there was a sign warning of landslides, so we took the higher and less traveled route on the MacLehose Trail.  Let me put it this way, it was like walking through tall grass with a one foot wide piece of broke concrete to walk upon.  You could tell not many take this section of trail.  It was steep inclines, which I don't really mind, but the sections of steep declines, my body just doesn't like.  About 10 km through, we stopped at a local village for some fried rice before making our last section of trail.  The last part of the trail we walked had what I could call a never ending slope, I really thought I was going to be passing some folks bound for heaven.  But sure enough, the inline stopped and once again I had to go back down.  Mary and Alasdair pulled on my gullible side with saying we had to swim a mile back, but even I saw through that one.  I really think a swim would have been a nice ending the the hike.  All in all we hiked about 15 km (about ten miles).  A very good day, next time I just need to drink more.
Things to note:
I miss the humidity of New Orleans
Mary and Alasdair both think I should do a RTP race

Day Five: Nice Hotels in Hong Kong

We made our way to the Mandarin Oriental hotel after work today to attend the Unique Estates property showcase. There were some gorgeous properties there and trust me, Nicolette can sure entice anyone into thinking they can buy one of her properties.  I went for the wine and hors d'oeuvres.  I primarily socialized with the property agents that were more of my age, and the Australian accent was definitely growing on me.  The sheer popularity of such events surprises me.  But if you got the money, why not spend it? 
And it is a Friday evening, but I hear my bed it calling my name. 
Things learned today:
Private airstrip is a must.

Day Four: Mr LeBeau is coming back to haunt me.

So another normal day at the office, a not so normal evening.  Mary and I arrived home shortly before seven as she and Alasdair were hosting a dinner party for some friends of theirs.  The first guests arrived around 7:30.  Nicolette and her boyfriend Andy sold Emerald Valley Villa to Mary and Alasdair recently.  Mr. LeBeau would have loved the conversation, as much of it had to do with geography and I didn't really try in his class.  Lots of talk about the real estate around Australia and I couldn't even point to anything else that continent besides Sydney.  The other couple to join in dinner was an old colleague of Alasdair's at Jardine Matheson.  Just about all of the conversation had to do with geography of some sort and I realized how much of a different track in life I am on.  Numbers are my thing, but not when it comes to finances.  At one point I was asked, "So Trey, is engineering just a degree and then you'll move onto investment banking?"  I thought he was joking, but apparently not.  Oh well.  Politics and gossip were on the table all evening.  I love gossip, but I had no clue what any of it was about.  But hey, I enjoyed everything they said and we even got a good discussion on why Obama is horrible, so the night had a great end to it.
Notes for today:
Read the finical section more in the paper.
Host more dinner parties.

Day Three: Caffeine Is a Must

Just another day at the office.   This morning I found out that when "no taxis are available" via phone, one can request to pay an additional HK$10 and there will be a taxi outside in four minutes.  Quite interesting how that works over here.  Mary pointed out some gyms I can join on the way to work.  One is called California Fitness with a three story high picture of Jackie Chan on its sign.  The other, slightly closer to work, Fitness First also boasts three stories but no gaudy Asian figures on their sign.  Upon arrival at work we were joking about the gyms here and the overall consensus was Fitness First. But working out will have to wait, I have to make it through my first week before I seriously think about working out.  Today's lunch with nothing special, just a turkey sandwich and a diet coke.  I should be exploring more, but wow does the jet take it out of you.  I did finally get on Skype and was able to say hi to Matthew, Chris, Mom, Dad, Blitz, and Behr.  It's truly different being over 8,000 miles and a couple hundred apart from home.  That sounds trivial, but being completely on the other side of the world makes it hard to get in touch with people.  Right as I'm ready to go to bed, everyone is waking up and right as everyone is able to talk in the evening, I am busy at work.  I now see why it's so hard to get in touch with Mary via phone.  Oh well, I'm rambling.  Tomorrow should bring some interesting conversation, dinner party here with a luxury real estate agent and a former coworker of Alasdair's.  Should be quite interesting.  
Things learned today:
I speak American and English.

Day Two: Jet Lag

I awoke this morning quite early, around 5:30 a.m.  Mary and I were scheduled to leave for the office at 7:30 and I had two hours to kill.  I wish I could say I went and did something productive, but I just mulled around, taking a bath and making myself a simple breakfast.  Mary was actually up getting some work done before I awoke, so it was a surprise seeing her up working as I mulled around.
Mary called a taxi and I was quite surprised at how fast a cab was at our front door.  It literally took less than five minutes for it to arrive.  Taxis are quite popular here and are quite cheap relative to the states.  We arrive at work a little early and she let me in the office.  RacingThePlanet is about to consolidate its two offices with their recent acquisition of the entire 22nd floor in the Nam Wo Hong office building in Sheung Wan.  But for now I'm in the office on the 11th floor.  My coworkers are quite nice.  In my office there are seven people including myself.  Two are British, three are Asian, one is Finnish, and then you have the American (me).  Today's tasks were nothing crazy.  I got acclimated to the computer system and most of my work will be performed on a Mac.  My primary duties will be getting their large photo library in check, which includes sorting, tagging, organizing, and uploading over 15,000 pictures.  It's a large task for the summer intern, but I should be able to get it all in check.  Getting the opportunity to go through the race pictures is absolutely great. Some of the views that the runners see in each race are just to die for.  Mary and I went out to lunch at a Vietnamese place.  Entrees were pretty cheap here, but I think only half of my rear end fit on the chair they provided.  I think Matthew would have been a little big for it too.  But I ordered a chicken and rice dish seasoned with lemongrass.  It was quite tasty.  I will say I have had to start to rely on Coke again.  Jet lag really has begun to hit me, and it was only 2 o'clock on Tuesday.  But back in the office, nothing really to note.  I'm horrible with names, but we have two Sams and then the others I just can't remember the others, my goal for this week is names.  Mary and I left the office around 7 and made it home for dinner with Alasdair and Alex.  Dinner was prepared by their housekeeper Dede, who prepared a nice rice and chicken dish.  I had a glass of wine with dinner and wow was that a mistake. It truly wanted to make me retire right then and there for the evening.  I wish I could write more but it's time for bed.
Things learned today:
1USD= 8 HKD

Far East Bound

Well I have made it across the Pacific!  After a long journey I have finally (and I mean finally) made it into the special administrative region of China, also known as Hong Kong.  We landed a little after 7 p.m. local time (GMT +8 or 12 hours forward of New York) and it is very apparent that I brought the rainy dreary weather with me.  Now to backtrack through my travels:
I woke up Sunday morning in Washington D.C. at 4:15 a.m.  I didn't really sleep that much as I was constantly checking the time afraid I would sleep through the alarm I set.  Once up I did the morning ritual, making sure I had my passport and ticket for the long haul.  Dad and I left Michael's house five minutes to five for the ten minute drive to Reagan Airport.  Dad dropped me off at the top and I walked inside to find American Airline's counter, only to be ushered to use a computer kiosk to check-in.
Check-in was pretty uneventful, I just had to show my passport and fudge the date I am supposed to be back in the states, as Hong Kong only allows a stay of ninety days without a visa, and according to my return ticket I will be here for a few days over a hundred (going to change to an earlier date once I get overseas).  I checked my bags, one coming in at 47.5 pounds and the other just over 10.  Glad I decided to go for the smaller suitcase and a small bag.  I look like the stereotypical student walking through the terminal as I make my way to security.  I have my blue L.L. Bean book bag, iPod, Virginia Tech fleece, and various other items with me that would fulfill the collegiate requirement.  I pass through security with ease and now comes the waiting game for my first flight.  If you have ever traveled with me, you know how much I loathe commercial flying and the only thing that makes it tolerable is an exit row seat.  I luckily got exit rows for my first two flights, but sadly I was stuck in the "regular" seat for the long haul across the ocean.
I boarded my flight Dallas-Fort Worth and we departed the gate a little before 7 a.m.  Wheels were up about 7:15 a.m. and the flight was uneventful.  I made some headway on the books I brought along and ordered a water in flight.  We touched down at DFW a little before 9 a.m. and the trip was starting out quite well.  I walked up the jet bridge and noted the warmer weather and humidity, I foretaste of Hong Kong I thought.  Once in the terminal I decided I would get my last taste of home grown food and made my way to McDonald's.  I got my standard breakfast, a sausage, egg, and cheese McGriddle, a sausage biscuit, and a sprite with no ice.  I made my way to my gate and made friends with a girl named Sarah from UT-Austin.  I forget what we talked about, but she was quite nice and she was headed to Canada for a summer trip.  I made my last call on my phone to my parents and then turned my cell phone off (which will be the case for the next couple of months).  The gate agents were calling for my boarding group and I made my way onto the 757 for another uneventful flight in the exit row on my way to Vancouver, B.C.
Wheels were up a few minutes before 11 a.m. and this flight was much the same as the flight to Dallas.  I made conversation with the gentleman next to me as he had saw the book I was reading and had a few comments about it (I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, who doesn't have a comment about this book is the real question).  Our main joke was that we couldn't really tell our neighbors what we were laughing about as the stories aren't exactly the best to recant to a complete stranger. But all was well and I finished that book and moved onto some books by Mitch Albom, which I did not have to worry sharing with my neighbors should they ask.  After about four hours in the air, the wheels touched Canadian ground a little before 1 p.m.  The weather here was rainy and cooler.  It made me glad I brought my fleece along with me.
I made the long walk to customs, I turned in the form to the Canadian customs official which I had filled out on the plane and continued my way to the international terminal.  It was quite large and had many moving sidewalks to get from one end of the desolate terminal to the other.  I found my gate and attained my boarding pass and of course asked for my exit row, but this flight was full and I was unable to attain such seat.  With that, I found the food court and had my last North American meal.  Subway and doughnuts were on the menu.  Quite a tasty combination I must say.
This flight would be my first international flight in over ten years.  I remembered the last international plane I was on quite spacious, but then again I was just over eleven years old.  I was quickly reminded that the Airbus A340 was not a spacious plane and my memory needed to be re-sized for my younger self.  I found my seat and quickly made friends with my Chinese seat mate.  I forget her name but we chatted about where we're from and the like.  She was on holiday in Canada visiting her family and was now headed back to Hong Kong.  We noted the long flight ahead and me looking like a sardine in a can.
We pushed back a little after 3 p.m. and I saw the wings flex up around 3:15.  The long haul flight hath begun and I was already ready to get off the plane. Thirteen hours to go and no land in sight.  I will say one thing, if I ever fly internationally again, I will choose Cathay Pacific at all costs.  The service was fantastic and I even got a pillow, blanket, and peanuts.  I guess they haven't felt the financial crunch like all of the American based airlines.  Each seat had a screen on it with our position, ground speed, and estimated time of arrival on it.  On these screens one could also choose from a large selection of movies.  I found myself watching Avatar, Dorian Gray, and Road to Perdition.  All very good movies and I even finished Albom's book and started on another.  The seats were cramped and when one goes to recline the seat, it does not move back, rather the seat slides forward.  To say the least, Airbus does not get points in the passenger comfort category.  But the meals were quite good.  I actually can say I ate all of both in-flight meals. The first was a pasta and the second beef.  Throughout the flight drinks were offered so it was a nice way of sidetracking my mind into thinking I was comfortable. I never really was able to sleep even though all of the window shades were down in my cabin.  After thirteen hours of twiddling my thumbs, we touched down, 7:09 p.m. Hong Kong time.  I made it to Asia!  Now the only thing to conquer is officially getting into the country.
Customs was not much of a chore.  It was a firm twenty minute walk from the airplane gate to the customs area, but I guess in China they like the red tape.  I filled out my custom card and was given my entry into Hong Kong for ninety days.  Once I claimed my bags, I made my way to purchasing a train ticket (HKD100) to get into central Hong Kong.  I boarded the Airport Express for the 22 minute ride into the city.  The views of the city along the ride were quite nice, I just wish the weather had been a bit better as it was raining by now.  I made my way into through the train station and swiped my ticket to exit.  
I met Mary and it had been quite a while since I've seen her.  Between little sleep, a long flight, and the twelve hour time difference; my body was ready to crash.  We took a taxi home and I did my best to stay up whilst talking to Alasdair and his daughter, Alex.  It was time to grab a shower as I felt disgusting and make my way to bed.  Asia is great so far.  I leave for my first day at RacingThePlanet at 8:00 a.m.  I cannot wait!  More to come.
Totals for the day:
Time in transit : 24 hours
Time slept: <1 hour
Miles covered: only God knows.

Hong Kong: Tomorrow

The journey has begun. I have made my way to Washington D.C. for my flight tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. I am with my dad staying at my uncles house in Alexandria to make the journey in the morning to the airport all that easier. We arrived in Alexandria about 3 p.m. and I had a great time playing with little Mike. We made our way to the country club that Michael recently joined and had a wonderful American picnic there, including hamburgers, ribs, and crab cakes. Little Mike had a great time with Ashely on the space walk and they were having so much fun playing in space walk it was like they weren't even there. Once we were able to make it out of the country club (Mike was a good sport about leaving, but in all honesty he could have easily went for another three hours in that air filled contraption) we made our way back to Michael's and had the way to the airport pointed out to us. Once home, I said my goodbyes to Michael, Christine, Mike, and Ashley as my dad and I would be out the front door by quarter of five the next morning. But hey, it was eight o'clock and Trey can never go to bed before one, so I met up with Emily at Fairfax Corner. We didn't do much, just what Emily and I do best, a whole bunch of nothing. People watching, Ben & Jerry's, and conversation were our three courses for the evening. I made it back to Michael's a little before midnight and my alarm will be going off shortly at 4 a.m. I can't wait. Hong Kong: Tomorrow!