short mission with happenings

Why do my field missions always have some happenings?

This time it was supposed to be a short and sweet fly in and out kind, but things are never so straightforward.

First my flight was nearly two hours delayed. Then, my flight the following day got canceled (!). I was reassigned to the evening flight. Since I had to let go my driver for him to get back on time, which means 4 hour wait at the airport, I decided to go to a nearby city to have nice lunch in a hotel. I got a cab to the airport from the hotel then got stranded on a bridge (two cars got stuck on a narrow bridge). I waited for 20 minutes, still no sign of clearing and only 20 mins till my flight. My taxi driver negotiated with a random motorist who kindly agreed to take me to the airport. Then I bang my head so hard on a car trunk door when I was getting my bag out and I was in pain and holding onto my luggage on a back of a motor bike. Finally the flight was again more than 1.5 hour delayed! I was exhausted by the time I was back home with a minor head injury.... I will have a few of these missions in November... Hope I will survive. Oh by the way, the mission itself was quite good and productive but besides the points!!!

お別れ

今日は、２年間お世話になった副代表の離任の日でした。すごく厳しい人だったけど、色々なことを学ばしてもらい感謝。しんどかったけど、鍛えて頂いてありがとうございました。これで、うちの事務所の一つのチャプターが終わった気がする。またどこかで一緒にお仕事できれば良いな。

お別れ会を私がまとめたのですが、みんな楽しんでくれたみたいで良かった。

Travel buddy

My friend whom I traveled with! It was so much fun to hang out with you. He is a really nice and cool guy. Great to talk to him and hear about his experience working in Shanghai and all the catching up etc etc,

Thanks for sharing the trip with me!

香港アラカルト

Kawloon walled park- it was serene and beautiful, might have been my favorite places among what I visited during the trip. Old wall and chinese traditional buildings, I wish I have a nice park like this in my neighborhood! I would take a walk every day....

A view from the Victoria Peak, you can look over the whole skyscraper city from here. Night time view would be amazing too.

Small Taoist temple on an island

Very laid-back fishing town

食い倒れ香港 Eat until you drop in Hongkong

I had to temporarily relax my non-meat-eating principle in Hongkong, as many things have pork in them. But, plenty of seafood to enjoy!

飲茶を食べることそのものが旅の目的の一つだったので、初日と最終日に美味しい点心を堪能！

Dim Sum at a restaurant in the Festival Walk mall, we ate so much.

clams with black bean sauce

scallop with vermicelli noodle and garlic

フェリーで３０分の近隣の島、長島でローカルな海鮮料理の食堂。香港出身のマラウイ時代のお友達がフェイスブックでわざわざ情報を送ってくれただけあって、安くて美味しい！

And dessert　

black sesame paste rice-balls in hot ginger syrup

香港の旅！

３泊４日の旅。結局、直前にも連絡がつかなかった友達ともホテルでなんとか落ち合って、香港の旅楽しんできました。にょきにょきと高層ビルが建ち並び、田舎から出てきた私には圧倒される街でした。　海！買い物！映画館！そして美味しい中華料理！とここ赴任国にはないものをたっぷり満喫。

遊び過ぎで、帰ってきてから久しぶりに風邪でダウン。今週は１日半病欠してしまった。反省。まだちょっと調子が悪いので、今週末はおとなしくしています。

写真は九龍側からの香港島の眺め。ここからフェリーであっち側へ渡るのです。

Sand UP for the Interview! 面接のために立ち上がれ！

is a piece of advice I got from a colleague today...

I had a telephone interview today and he told me to stand up and answer the questions.... ? I have never heard that before. I was told to still dress up like you are being interviewed in person, but not to get up and do it.

Anyhow, I followed his advice. Then the outcome...? I am not sure. It was my first UN job interview. Since there was so much back and forth (yes again) since my office phone did not work and my mobile did not work. Everyone was starting to feel frustrated, and finally the panel got through to me. So, I did not have time to feel nervous and was just thankful that I can actually do the interview. Phew,

I am not so hopeful for getting this position in NY, but this is a good learning opportunity and I will do better next time (if I am short-listed)!!

電話面接は立ってしろということでした。ほんとに効果あるのかなあ？

香港旅行

急に思い立って今週木曜日から３泊４日で香港に行くことにした。大学院時代の中国人の友達と現地で落ち合う予定です（彼はカナダに住んでいるが現在上海エキスポの仕事で中国に滞在中）。２年以上会ってないかな。

初めての香港なので楽しみ！

I have decided to go to Hong Kong over the religious holiday. It is going to be only 4 days, but it will be fun! I am meeting up a friend there, who will be coming from China. He is working in Shanghai for the Expo, and I haven't seen him over two years. He was originally supposed to come and visit here, but his flight got canceled. I was hoping to go away, so this will be perfect! I have only a few days to plan.

Just got a Lonely Planet Hong Kong before my yoga class! Yeah!

Festivals

In this country, the festival season is approaching (in some ways it has already started). This is a period when nothing gets done, but the work pressure does not really go away. I just took on another project in my office temporarily related to sexual violence. It is extremely interesting, but I really need to work hard to keep up.

Anyhow, I am also planning a couple of short vacations (again!!). Lets see what I can pull off!