60 less

We now have 60 less people working for the organization! The 2007 - 2008 team have officially checked out and gone off into the sunset.


We had a big leaving ceremony on Friday where awards and recognition was provided to the team. There were a few tears from people at different parts of the day, the largest eruption of water surprisingly coming from the tear ducts of a member of our own office team. Earlier in the week we had collectively decided that Rachel should say a few words of goodbye from the office because she was playing less of a role in the ceremony itself, she was also believed to be the least likely to get emotional. I have found her rough notes from the speech and placed them below.

"On behalf of the office, thank you for hard-work, determination and effort this year

Office team have enjoyed working with you this year. And we have had a very successful year. We appreciate all the hard work you have put in
Sincerely wish everyone the best for there future -
Safe travels,

safe trip back to home countries.

Keep in touch

Thank you"

Half way through the first line she started to sniff, then her voice began to go higher and higher (like beaker from sesame street) and then she began to totally cry and could not read any further. All the 60 staff in the room were silent, they did not really know what to say or do, then she tried to talk again and began crying even more! At this point everyone clapped and tried to break the tension, only for her to try again and fail. It was emotional and at the same time quite awkward, but memorable all the same.

Saturday afternoon the company organized a leaving junk boat trip for all the staff. Here are a few pictures.

Out of the 256 islands that make up Hong Kong, we were quite lucky that the island that we visited was the exact same one that we were taken to on my first every junk boat trip in 2006.
The reason why I like this island is because it has a waterfall that you can climb up. Halfway up there are freshwater pools that you can swim in and look back out onto the sea. That this tumbling rainwater is probably polluted and from industrial mainland China somewhat negated that tropical feeling though.


On Saturday night I went out to the bar district in Lang Kwai Fong. I got considerably drunk and decided in the late hours of the morning that I should go shopping and purchase bread and cheese and make myself a toasty using my grill. I got back from the shops and proceeded to place the cheese directly on the grill and the bread on top of the cheese, at this point I realized I was still drunk and should probably go to bed.

bx