September 26, 2004

Done with internship reports

Finally! After days of tension I finalised both internship reports I had to prepare until this Tuesday.

The only thing missing now is to bind the word files and to deliver both copies to the examination office.

Mission accomplished!

Posted by Claudio at 09:08 PM | Comments (0)

Strange

....hmmm due to some assignments I have to prepare for uni I don't even have the time to think of my friends in HK and Shanghai....what are they currently doing out there????

Posted by Claudio at 08:02 PM | Comments (0)

Barichello first F1 grand prix winner in Shanghai

What a teriffic formula1 weekend. The inauguration of the Shanghai Circuit seemed to work out fine. I am bit jealous of Karsten, Joerg and the other mates who did have the opportunity to experience this event live!!!

Posted by Claudio at 07:59 PM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2004

China's auto market report - Press release

Remember I was working on the recent China's auto market report this summer.

Today the German branch of the company I worked with had a press release on this study. As far as I know my colleagues in Hong Kong did have themselves a press conference yesterday where they introduced the audience to the (my) new report :-)

Here is the link to the German press release

Posted by Claudio at 10:13 AM | Comments (3)

September 22, 2004

Preparation for Shanghai F1 Grandprix

After 18 months of construction, this Friday for the first time ever, the Formula1 circus will be guest in China, namely in Shanghai.
A famous German architect designed a challenging course. No doubt that it will be a great weekend around the track and in Shanghai in general...Damn and Karsten a friend of mine during my internship in HK is going to be right there this weekend with the company he is working for... :-)

Other friends of mine living and working in Shanghai took the opportunity to visit the track this may....the pictures they took are just awesome. Have a look and feel the Shanghai F1 fever!!!

Posted by Claudio at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

September 20, 2004

First week in uni...and Oktoberfest

Sorry, I didn't have the time to post a comment in here last week. University started with a one week business simulation game which ended up to be very time consuming. However, it's over now which means I should have time to write my two internship reports and another reflection paper based on the experience during the business simulation game...holy!

Additionally, the day before yesterday, once again the Munich Oktoberfest opened its door to the audience. Of course I've been there the whole weekend :-)

Posted by Claudio at 06:16 PM | Comments (1)

September 13, 2004

First day back in Uni...

Tight schedule...just one and a half days after my return to Germany I am heading straight to my first lectures in University today...we'll see how it is being back in Uni in Munich after almost 15 months.

Additionally I just came back from registering my small and sweety car....oh it was indeed a good feeling to drive along the streets with it....

Posted by Claudio at 09:13 AM | Comments (1)

September 12, 2004

Parlamentary elections in Hong Kong

Today millions of HK residents are encouraged to vote in such a democratic way which has never been possible in China/Hong Kong before. I am curious to see the results how residents are going to take this opportunity to fight for more democracy in China/Hong Kong.

Here are a few (German) preliminary reports about the today's elections in HK:
- Spiegel.de
- Tagesschau

Posted by Claudio at 08:03 AM | Comments (0)

Sometimes humans make mistakes...

so am I ... how shall parties involved handle such circumstances? May they forgive or turn away from someone? The bizarre thing about it, it's no longer up to the one who made a mistake, how the story is going to proceed. The only thing he or she can do is sit and wait (and pray)...what an awful sight, but perhaps this is part of the punishment someone receives in such cases.

Posted by Claudio at 07:58 AM | Comments (0)

September 11, 2004

Back home!

Hi I just arrived back home in Germany after having slept most of the time during my 12 hours flight from Hong Kong to Munich.

Before getting to the airport in HK, I met my buddies in "Schnurrbart" and had my last beers before saying goodbye to all of them.

However, it's good to be back and to see my sweety and all my buddies again. I am bit of tired but I won't get some sleep now...Claudio, remain awake as long as you can!!!!

Posted by Claudio at 07:53 AM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2004

I am ready

Ok, I just went back home from work and I am now finishing to pack my hand luggage and heading to "Schnurrbart" before taking the airport express to the airport. The next entry will be from home in Germany again.

See you soon buddies...

Posted by Claudio at 11:47 AM | Comments (0)

Last working day

Examplary for the whole period here in Asia, again, this week comes to an end. Today is my last day at work and my last day in HK. I already checked-in my luggage at the Check-in desk at HK station and lucky me, I didn't have to pay for my overweight in luggage. Puh....

I will write one last post before taking the airport express tonight.

Posted by Claudio at 03:45 AM | Comments (0)

September 09, 2004

Katja's HK Weblog

Remember, I told you that a friend of mine, Katja recently moved completely to HK to stay and live with her boyfriend. She just installed her own HK weblog (in German). You may wish to visit her site and give her a warm welcome in HK.

Posted by Claudio at 01:15 PM | Comments (1)

Completed auto market report

Hooray!

This morning I received the first hard copy version of the new auto report I was developing during my time here in HK this summer. It looks terrific indeed. Unfortunately I am not able/allowed to show you the pdf version of the report yet since we are still waiting for the official press release to be sent out the next days. Anyways, after the official release I will definitely show you with what I was involved in the whole period.

Man I am hell of hungry this morning!....sorry, I think I will grab some biscuits.

Posted by Claudio at 05:06 AM | Comments (0)

Hangover follow-up

Uhhhhh...how bad do I feel this morning. A tough night yesterday. This morning I woke up very late indeed, 8:45...I used to be in the office by 8:30...ahem.

In fact I just woke up because my flatmate rang the doorbell in such an intense manner. Well thanks to him I woke up at 8:45 otherwise I would have had no idea when I was going to wake up ;-)
But why was he ringing the doorbell at 8:45 in the morning...well to my shame I unfortunately activated the security lock when getting back home this night in the believe that he was already in bed. In the end, he wasn't. So he couldn't enter the apartment (he tried to knock on the door, ring the bell for at least half an hour but it seemed I didn't recognize it) and then decided to sleep in the miramar hotel....uuuuuhhhhh bad claudio!

Posted by Claudio at 05:00 AM | Comments (0)

September 08, 2004

Last wednesday, last ladies night...

Just 3 more days to go until departure, so this means it is wednesday again, expecting once again a ladies night session at the Klong Bar in Wanchai. This is going to be reason enough to head to this place tonight and to have my last drinks together with my buddies I used to be around during my time here in Hong Kong.

My plans for the next two to three days:

- today lunch with my boss
- tonight having a drink with my boss and then heading to Wanchai
- tomorrow lunch with the whole department
- tomorrow evening going to the bar at the renaissance hotel
- the day after tomorrow (friday) lunch with Winnie, who is already missing the German language sessions we had during my time in the office. ;-)
- Friday, goodbye to my colleagues, then getting back home, change dresscode, get my whole luggage packed, then getting a cab to HK station for a check-in at Lufthansa desk, then walking up to LKF to meet some buddies at "Schnurrbart" for my last "Koepis", then at about 21:45 farewell to all and getting back to HK station to take the airport express to Chep Lap Kok airport...

Posted by Claudio at 06:17 AM | Comments (4)

September 06, 2004

Last week in Asia

It's the beginning of my last week here in Hong Kong. I will finish my work this Friday and I will then almost directly head to the airport to get on the plane to Germany where I will arrive Saturday morning.

Although it was good to be back in Asia this time, I am looking forward to get back home. 15 months of global travelling are due to come to an end very soon though.

Posted by Claudio at 08:32 AM | Comments (0)

September 05, 2004

Weekend market, Patphong and ping pong shows

Yesterday was a day full of varieties. I went to ... weekend market, a massive and huge market with more than 15,000 shops to buy clothes, accessories, animals, etc.

The animals section was really horrifying. Captived pets, especially dogs kept in a small cage, breathening for air and wind considering the hot temperature. I even saw a dead dog lying in a regular bin...beggers with just one leg were crouching in the mud and hoping to get some baht from the visitors...it was truly the worst perspective I've ever encounted in Asia.

After that I took the subway which has been inaugurated just few months ago to Sukhumvith station where I bought some nice and cheap shirts. From there I started my walk back to the hotel...holy it took me ages to get back...I didn't expect it to be so far away...another indicator how large this city is.

In the evening I met Matthias (who I already met together with Florian) and two of his friends and a thai queer and we had delicious thai food dinner in a small stand near the road...man was it good! and we all five did spend even less than I spent for myself for the thai dinner I had the night before....amazing! Then we headed to Patphong, an area full of bars, night shows and market stands. Matthias suggested me to at least have one look in one of those table dance "ping pong" shows.... ;-) Well I won't describe what these ladies did with ping pong balls ;-)

After that the group split and I went to Bed supperclub by my own. Hell, this club is really a posh one. I mean the interiour is truly fascinating and to be honest I've seen the most beautiful people in there during my whole stay in Bkk. It's really a place to be, at least once considering the prices for drinks.

I will fly back to Hong Kong today, so I will write again as soon as I get back "home".

Posted by Claudio at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)

September 04, 2004

Friday evening in Bkk

Puh....after walking along the streets the whole day to see some temples including the mandatory Grand Palace and the Wat Arun temple on the western riverside of the city I took the boat taxi to the pier in Chinatown from where I continued my journey.

For dinner I went out to a ...

... really awesome Thai restaurant near Sukhumvit Road (Soi 23). I really enjoyed the food, however, it was tremendously spicy although I was prepared for the worst case. Afterwards I went along the Sukhumvit road with all those small shops where they sell Poloshirts and all kind of stuff before ending up at Q-Bar and the Bed Supperclub both known to be the smartest places to be at night in Bangkok. At Q Bar I met a young Englishman (student for South England) with whom I had some good Gin Tonics before they closed at 1 am...It's really a pitty that every place is closing at 1 to 2 am in the morning, and be aware, if you don't have your ID card with, even if you might be 60, they won't let you in (this is general reulation in Bkk)...good question why they do this....to date I have no clue.

Today I might be going to the famous weekend market north of the city by using the Skytrain for the first time...We'll see how easy it is to get on this train. Tonight I might meet Till another German who works here in Bkk and perhaps the Englishman from last night, we'll see.

Posted by Claudio at 06:34 AM | Comments (0)

September 03, 2004

One night in Bangkok

Good morning fellows!

I am sitting in an Internet cafe somewhere in Bangkok on the way to see my first temples in town. This Icafe is almost for free....30 baht per hour, which is about less than 1 Euro...incredible.

Yesterday evening I went to...

see some Thaiboxing in a arena in downtown...Amazing, they have different ticket desks for both locals and foreigner. of course foreigner pay more than double the price of locals....in general I have the feeling Thais are trying to cheat whereever possible...;-)

So i was standing surrounded by xxx Thais who raised their voices to bet on the outcome of the fight....just unbelievable....After the first fight ended I decided to go to the "foreigners" stand where it was much more calm ;-)

After having seen 4 out of 10 fights I decided to go back to the hotel, refresh myself and to meet Florian. It was great to see him again after we last met one year ago in Hong Kong. We went out for dinner together with his friend and afterwards we headed to Nana Entertainment area....I couldn't believe my eyes....Hong Kong is nothing compared to this...an area where you have 99% prostitutes (x% are lady boys, unbelievable sometimes I really didn't recognize them to be men), 1% western people (of which 80% are over 50). We went into one table dance bar, had some whisky coke and changed the place afterwards but don't ask me what is was called. There we met more of Florian's colleagues from Siemens which was ok. In the end we changed location another time to a Hip Hop club and enjoyed our last drinks. Btw, it is really unbelievable, every club/bar has to close at latest at 2 am here in Bangkok...ridiculous.

Today I wanna go see some palaces and temples, move to Chinatown and perhaps I will make it to do a Khlong tour...let's see.

Although it is rainy season right now, it is not that wet here...some shower durin the day but less worse that I had expected.

Talk to you later on....have a good day!

Posted by Claudio at 06:39 AM | Comments (2)

September 02, 2004

Welcome to Bangkok

Hi there!

This is my first entry directly from my hotel in Bangkok! After a tough night yesterday (have been out drinking until 3 am) where I got very pissed I almost didn't make it to the airport in time...holy, I woke up at 10:45 and had to be at the airport at latest at 12:00....so I couldn't enjoy a relaxed breakfast, couldn't go to my office to borrow a digicam in order to make pictures during my stay here in Thailand and and and....

The flight was horrible for me since I still felt bad, headache. I just had a bad hang-over.

After landing at Bkk Int. Airport I managed to get downtown to my hotel quite easily, and cheaper than expected thanks to many hints I found before surfing several Bkk related webpages.

Now I will try my first steps outside the hotel and I am planning to go to see a Thaiboxing event tonight before meeting Flo, a German friend of a friend of mine from Munich, who works here in Bkk as a trainee I suppose. He will hopefully be able to show me some nice Thai restaurants and bar tonight.

Tomorrow morning I want to head to the Grand Palace area and perhaps doing a Khlong ride (cruising along the small canals with a boat) and many more thing. Hopefully it will not be to tough to come along with this new atmosphere.

I am going to keep you up to date as long as I find an internet cafe somewhere in Bkk.

Cu

Posted by Claudio at 11:44 AM | Comments (0)

September 01, 2004

Weblogs getting even more attractive

It's really interesting to see this development going forward. I just read this article on FTD.de (in German) and it tells that compared to the US where it is said to have more than 2.5 million bloggers (online diary writers), Germany is lagging far behind with about 20,000 bloggers. However this number is steadily growing in the coming months and years.

Posted by Claudio at 03:41 AM | Comments (0)