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Published: June 28th 2012
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It was back in September 1996...yes...long time ago...I had my economics university degree from Louvain in my pocket...well kind of...top degree...zero proper work experience...well...kind of too....
First point to remember, I grew up in Luxembourg...this little wealthy country in the middle of Europe. Why is Luxembourg so great...because in Luxembourg people don't strike, people work....and even today when things are getting harder...the government simply give less....people don't complain, as they know that when good times will be back, the government will give more again...that's a stern opposition to what is happening to many places around Europe.
I could have worked for one of the biggest steel industry company in the world, "number two" was a friend of mine...could have work for the biggest bank in Luxembourg, "head HR" was also a friend...and the list goes on... I was...oh yes...22...and my head was full of dreams. The point was not to have a great job....just because I had a "good friend"...or actually few of them... (point to note...these friends, were not referals from anybody else, they were just golf buddies).
So I decided to take my backpack...and fly away. I had some savings from working
for Club Med....while actually attending University...I know...not fair...This allowed me to buy a return ticket to Asia and some extra money to survive for a while (return ticket...as...I did have my feet pretty well grounded).
The arrival at Kai Tak, the old Hong Kong Airport was something...I still remember walking out of it, thinking...this is it...you are on your own now...
I spent my first two months in Hong Kong, living not far away from Chunking Mansion...24 of us, "camping" in 120sqm...trust me...I do understand what it means to live on close to nothing. I could spend hours reading the South China Morning Post and The Economist...on a bench...looking at HK Island. Took me three weeks to find a job...three weeks...I wanted to work...that was way too long. Slight problem, my "job" was only starting three weeks later...and till than, my money had to last, I had to eat, so I went selling sandwiches...there are no small job, there are only dreams...
That was 16 years ago....I arrived in HK with a backpack...today I leave Asia with 160kg.....stop...not that fast...today I leave Asia for 18 months, leaving a full flat into
storage....but way better...today I'm leaving Asia with my two wonderful children, Tiffany and Leslie, who are going to be 10 and 12 in the weeks to come...
Let's go back first on the last 16 years....it was 4 years in Saigon, Vietnam, than 3 in Hong Kong, 6 in Shanghai and finally 3 years in Bangkok.
Saigon, will be remembered for the Wild East...between 1996 ans 2000...it was a really fun place, not easy, but simply wild, with amazing people...since then, it is slightly more...boring...ask those in the known...
HK... Leslie and Tiffany were born there...started my own company...still alive with the same business partners...and divorced (not business wise!)...that's life....what I love of HK is efficiency...what I hate...why does everybody need always more...more is not better....
Than 6 years in Shanghai...still have great friends there....parties were amazing...fake circus pretty often, but so much fun...Shanghai is great to live for a year...or for ten...sadly, it's always the same thing, so one day, it's good to be able to say bye, and to admit you had a great time there...
Before you all ask me, or make
a comment, there were also the women, but this is not the place....
Than came Bangkok....ah Thailand, it was always the place, and not in the way most think...
It was my first holidays where I spent my early earnings in Vietnam...and thanks to the Asian crash in 97...it was great shopping...baht at 51 to the usd!!
It was also the place where I did get married...ok, I admit, no comment...
The place where I had some of my most romantic moments...if she reads this, back in 2002...
The place where I celebrated my 30th birthday...pretty quietly...
And the place where I've been living for the last three years. I arrived in Bangkok as a tourist, I'm leaving as a tourist...huge difference, this time Tiffany is with us. Shanghai will always be Leslie...Bangkok will always be Tiffany...wondering what this will mean in 20 years!
Few days ago we had the big bye bye party for Tiffany and Leslie...and 30 kids in the pool...with my parents visiting for this special moment!
Our last week-end in Thailand, was
in Hua Hin...where a lot of things did happen before...a way to say bye bye...and to remember...my first visit to Hua Hin was back in 1998, to play golf. The place has seriously evolved since than.
This week-end, I play a nice round of golf at Black Mountain on Saturday morning, and than we spent the afternoon with Leslie and Tiffany at the newly open water park. The place is not huge, but it's clean, cheap and with a fun wave pool. We stay at the Sheraton, another nice little room, and some nice cocktails...
But hey...did you read above, our furniture is in storage, we are going travelling....and we will be back...end of 2013...
"We are going travelling"...if you read this as another entry of my blog, it's going to make you smile. I'm an active member of TB...and the forums...and we have always asked the question...how long are you going on the road...good question...this time, not that long for me, but for Tiffany and Leslie, it should be 16 months...bagging their first RTW....yeah!! For me, due to business, I'll be back in Asia already for few days in October...
For the idiots who have been stalking me the last few months...don't give up...we are not going to calm down soon...for everybody else, don't care about that line, I just hate anynomous coward messages....
As a father, I am often wondering what is going to happen to my children future...do I take the right choices...do I do the right things....who care....one thing is for sure today...these little two have their heads full of dreams...full of images...full of imagination....over the next 16 months, we are going to make this two kids....growing into teenagers...and these dreams...becoming souvenirs....forever...and if you ask, Leslie has an impressive school report, and Tiffany is catching up at full speed!
And yes, this last week-end in Hua Hin was pretty fun...and interestingly noted, I spent some time over the last two weeks in Saigon, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok...with friends...and fun....Asia is as always...not that big...
Asia is my home, the world is my garden....that's my quote...if you read it before, it was from me...and over the next 18 months...we are going to do a lot of gardening!!
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Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
Thanks for sharing a bit of your history...
it helps to get to know you better. And thanks for your wrap up of Asia. Have a great time in South American, and make sure you blog more than once per month. We like reading about your adventures.