Must be that time of the month

London beckons on Friday and i am not the least bit excited. Still ho-humming over the details, contacts in London have been egging me over what I want to do, see, experience while i'm there and i give the same answers i give anyone who has ever gone on travel with me, "Anything lah, i am not fussy." But honestly, i am not a global trekker kind of person. There is no tourist checklist or travel lustfest. I just go there, walk around, find out things by myself and then that's it. Most of the time, i spend hours in some part of town drinking hot cocoa (if the weather is cold of course) and reading mgazines. Tourist hotspots are often overrated. And i certainly would now want to trudge or travel over 3 hours to look at some tree or prison where so and so died.. etc. Very boring stuff. I am more into the atmosphere and vibe of the place. Barcelona's La Ramblas was an example where i "touristed" my way. Just walking, no agenda.. even though the gang did decide to eat at a "real authentic" Spanish tapas restorante to have paella only to be served by a Korean immigrant.

Reaching London on the 3rd and leaving for Paris on the 7th. By the time i get back on the 12th, i would have to pack my bags again for work on the 15th. Need a relaxing holiday. Booked a beach fantasy trip over the Labour Day weekend in May. Would be heading to Manila in April if all goes well. Got an awesome travel companion, a new black Samsonite. Samsonite is a masculine brand right? So does it count as a male travelling companion?

Hong (for King) Kong

In Hong Kong for work. so this is like a worklogue. I forsee much travelling in the next 3-4 quarters or so.. Think "every week" instead on 2 weeks in a month. It's going to be hectic. People tell me it sounds so exciting and glamourous to be travelling overseas to meet clients. You get to flyBusiness, stay in swankyhotels and charge everything to the corporate AMEX. Stop romantacising. Work is work. Travelling for work, is no fun.

It's cold in Hong Kong, the office here is FREEZING. And it's warmer outside than in. I like Hong Kong. Or at least i like staying on my own. Hotels are my kind of thing. Or at least housekeeping and room service is. It's like having your own anonymous maid. You leave your towels on the bathroom floor in the morning and by 7pm when you get home, it's been washed, folded and neatly hanging off the bathroom rungs. My shoes are re-arranged, my bed is made, any food eaten the night before never becomes dinner. In short, everything is well kept.

That's the main reason why i dread relocating. I hate housework. I like to think of myself as someone who loves to leave a trail of chaos and destruction in her path at home. I like having people pick up and clean after me. Tell me a person who doesn't and i will show you a liar.

Being at this point in my Life begs the question: What's next? Sure i have been mulling over this a couple of times for a couple of months with a couple of people but really, what is the answer?
So you got a great job, you have spending power, the world is your oyster and you are in a position where you can actually MAKE things happen for yourself and for others. Everything is "planned out". But what about the intangible things in Life? I go back to my hotel room after a long day and though 5 star fully paid for accomodation on the 45th floor with an awesome Harbourview is nice and good, i crawl into bed, hardly have any human interaction and watch Malcolm in the Middle till i fall asleep to STAR WORLD.

The things i look forward to nowadays are not the pay raise, that next Gucci, the clothes, air ticket.. that my salary can buy me but the unexpected awesome conversations, great dinner outings with girlfriends, watching-TV-with-boyfriend, listening to an old favourite song on the radio- stuff that really matters. And the things that matters keep you whole, sane and HAPPY. I don't want to be detached from my own happines.. Wake up in the Conrad and forget that LIFE is so much more than just work. The important stuff, the good stuff are the things that you do after 5pm.

Don't get me wrong, i am crazy about my job. And i am thankful for the opportunity. But one must strive to reach a higher plane. It's not just about work. Work is a distraction from LIFE. Only problem is.. when does work end and LIFE begins?