ONE YEAR IN TAIWAN

Well, I wasn't able to post about this on June 9th since I had to run out and catch a flight to China. But the 9th was special to me since that marked my being in Taiwan for a full year.

Think about this. I graduated from ND and then after three weeks moved to a place where I did not know a SINGLE person and had only spoken to my boss once. Despite all that, I think I have been able to thrive.

For me, it is crazy to think that I have been living overseas for over 1 year. A whole damn year! And more than that, I am coming back for at least one more--and who knows, maybe two.

Chiner!

Well I havent updated for a long while. That is 1. since I have been really busy and 2. part of being busy was being in China. Because of the Tian'anmen anniversary the censors closed all access to this website and to youtube (but strangely not facebook).

I am working to update my facebook albums. So check there.

Hopefully I will get a chance to write some more later. The problem is that right now I think I travel again on Sunday. This time to give a presentation to the King of Swaziland (next to South Africa). Needless to say I am damn swamped.

Good Stuff

These stories are alway cool.

Dad comes home from war and surprises the son or daughter. Just search for this kind of thin on Youtube. Or check out this link from the Today Show: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/31165447#31122415

This is especially cool for that little girl when you consider the multiple tours that her father has likely served and will continue to serve. Much respect to those in the U.S. military (Chris and Eric I am looking at you).

What's in a Name?

For me, that depends on what name. My name is apparently pretty hard to pronounce so what I am called pretty much varies person to person.

My boss calls me Clint. Some coworkers call me by my Chinese name (others have made up a gamut of nicknames based on my Chinese name that they use with me). My GM calls me Crint or Crin-teh. Other coworkers call me Keh-lin-teh or Keh-lin. Still others call me Keh-lin-dun or Clinton.

In Thailand, people apparently cannot pronounce the t sound at the end of my name. So my name becomes Chris. After a few tries I've learned to stop saying, "No, it's Clin-T" and instead say "Yes, it's Chris."

I guess that's called being flexible. That, or having multiple identities.

Edit: I forgot some of the other names I have been called or ways I've seen my name written: Clean, Client (all the damn time actually), and Cliat.

A Passing

When I was in high school I lost a few classmates.

Unfortunately, my class lost one more--Michael Bruhn. I wish I could say the circumstances. I can't. My friend Chris invited me to join a facebook group in his memory and that was the first I heard of his passing. I wish I could say I was great friends with him. I can't. I knew him and would say hello to him in the halls but I was never extremely close.

Still, it is a tragedy he had to pass away so young. I cannot image the pain his family must feel. My prayers are with them.

Thailand Report

So my trip to Thailand was relatively relaxed. I had one long meeting but it was a real bitch.

Friday I rolled into town and went to RCA to meet up with my friend Emily from Taiwan. After searching I met up with her and some friends and we all went to the techno section. It was cool. Then 2am came. You see Taiwan's clubs close at 4am or 4:30am. So I thought it was just a set change. Nope. That meant it was time to go home. But all the cab drivers knew I was a foreigner who needed to go home and couldn't speak Thai. So they gave me crazy prices (I knew the real price back to the hotel was 60 Baht).

Instead, I waited. The night was still young and I knew after an hour they would drop their prices. While I was waiting I was offered some food by a new friend, Ying. Once she left I made a new friend, Oi. Oi invited me to a club that was open until 5am (she claimed). Like the last one, the new club was free cover and Oi ordered a bottle and proceeded to get me hammered.

So it wasn't a bad thing that the place closed at 3:30am. I woke up in the afternoon and went shopping for coworkers. That night I planned to chill out. Oi called and wanted to go back to RCA. I was tired so I turned her down. Then Ying called. So I decided to go to meet her at a club that was open until 4am (she claimed). I headed there about 1am and got out in the general area. That area, Sukhumvit, happens to be around Soi Cowboy which is famous for its go-go bars which happen to close at 1am. So when I eventually went to the club (http://www.narzbangkok.com/) I walked the gauntlet of katoeys and go-go girls.

The club was really nice. It is really 3 clubs. A live Thai music section, huge techno section, and a hip-hop section. I met Ying in the live music section then migrated to the techno section with Ying and friends. The place closed about 3am...yet again.

The next day I moved a damn amazing new hotel. It was so damn sick that I just chilled there all day. I had a huge damn suite all to myself. That night I met my customers for dinner.

The plan was to discreetly invite my customer's technical boss to Starbucks before our big meeting to get a read on his mood in advance of the meeting then see another customer after the meeting. Instead, I felt like crap in the morning and popped pills until I felt better. Then I was grilled for almost 3 hours by my customer. By the time they were done it was too late to see the other customer. So I furiously emailed from Starbucks and went to get a Thai massage. After I got back to the hotel I met Ying again for dinner. She wanted to go out again but I had to get up at 4am in the morning for my flight to Hong Kong

As cool as Oi and Ying were it makes me feel bad. My Thai is shit and their English isn't much better. In Taiwan I can speak Chinese with anyone but in Thailand that's not the case. Basically, when I was there my English regressed ("I no can" and "I same-same" were well used phrases). Guess I need to learn some Thai too.

Great Commercials

I am always a fan of funny commerials. Combine that with the fact that I was all about the Chuck Norris facts (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYLvdLWkhk8) facts that came out a few years ago. So this was right up my alley.

If you havent seen the new Dos Equis commercials you need to check them out mas pronto.

Some of my favorite lines: "Even his beard is listed on his organ donation card." "He is a lover not a fighter, but he is also a fighter so don't get any ideas." "It's never too early to start beefing up your obituary."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tols2yYjnv0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIG0PgOA2og&feature=PlayList&p=BA733E2D1E133002&index=0&playnext=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ym2Jma04qo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUdSjpc9-70&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2SSZA0CjdQ&feature=related

"Stay thirsty my friends"