Many Firsts / Meeting the Boss

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Today, I woke up every couple of hours after midnight. Egad! Not sure if that means I’m still jet lagged or what. But I ended up going to breakfast early and staying awake until it was time to go meet my boss for the first time!



My internship over here is with a high-quality fashion/product/commercial photographer through the first week of August or so. I have to complete at least 220 (unpaid) hours. Today was the day I was going to figure out my bus route and go see my boss.



So today consisted of many firsts:



1.) I killed my first spider! It was in the bathroom, in the morning, with the toilet paper.



2.) I ate dragonfruit for the first time! It’s a very mild fruit with white flesh and lots of little black seeds -- looks almost like some sesame treat. I was afraid I would be allergic because the seeds look and feel a lot like kiwi seeds (I’m highly allergic to kiwi), but I was fine. There was another fruit (I’m not sure the name) that I liked even more (stronger flavor) -- the flesh had the consistency of a pear but it tasted like an apple crossed with a pear....



3.) ...and then there was the BEST PINEAPPLE I’VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE (so far)!



4.) And some Cantonese desserts we all ate while celebrating my host family’s helper’s birthday. There was a custard tart and a mango sponge cake type of thing, as well as what looked and tasted like a sugared doughnut twist and mochi balls, or something similar.



5.) Last but not least, of course, meeting my boss!



I was pretty nervous to meet him. For some reason I had this picture of him in my head as being a stern older guy, short and did I mention stern? This despite the fact that he used a :) in one of his emails to me!



Anyway, my boss turns out to be really cool and kind of goofy. He is really excited about getting me to work and teaching me everything they won’t teach you in school: how to make money off of what you do! Photography isn’t his only business (and not his only successful one, either); he seems like a really smart entrepreneur type.



Another first: I met my first client! She showed up a few minutes after I did, so I got to jump right into the business. She had a product she was producing and wanted shots of it for her website for when it hits the market. She and my boss had been emailing but had never met before, but they hit it off like BFFLs.



I was a little wary because at times I felt like my boss was rather/kind of/really full of himself. Then he mentioned that he used to do modeling himself. That explains it! It takes a certain type of person to do that, that’s for sure.... And no doubt that kind of focus has helped him build his company. But once that clicked in understanding, I felt even better.



Now that I’ve met my boss, I officially start my internship tomorrow. I’ll also be working Saturday, then I’ll have Sunday off. Apparently in the summer everyone who is a higher-up in Hong Kong leaves on vacation (escaping the heat?), so things are slow. Next week we are doing only two portrait sessions. In September, my boss says things pick up again and take off. So who knows, I may end up back in Hong Kong over my Christmas break? That is, if all this goes well! It looks like it’s off to a good start. But I’d have to weigh that against being away from my family for the first time for Christmas.



Ah well, as this entry has noted, there are a lot of firsts!



I will also be able to have my iPhone at work tomorrow - my boss is providing a card with a data plan so I can use it here in Hong Kong. Apparently I will need Safari and Google Maps while I am working here! I have my own desk and I’ll also have my own key.



Pretty cool!

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