Trip to Hanoi

On Monday (23rd August 2010), I left home at about 0745 for the airport and flew in to Hanoi, Vietnam for work. There is a new project here which we had just secured.

The flight was about 2 and half hours. Landed in Hanoi at approx 1.10pm and coincidently I met my colleague which is from Singapore in the luggage collection area. So we both then met with a local engineer here and we went straight to the customer's factory. On the way there, the skies turn grey fast and upon us reaching the customer's industrial area - Noi Bai Industrial Park, the rain started and couple with strong winds. It is some kind of storm brewing and it lasted for about 1.5 hours.

After the rain, I went to the plant with the local engineer here and did our survey and we discussed some of the works to be done here. At about 3.30pm, we left the customer's site and checked in to our hotel - Boss Hotel. The room was acceptable and I was placed on the 4th floor - room 401 and my window overlooked the main street.

My colleague with his team proceeded to the conference room to have their own discussions, but I went straight to my room to start working on my e-mails. There were 45 mails waiting for me in the mail box.

Then, the local engineer took us to a shop nearby where they serve local food. It seems this shop was popular for glutinous rice. The bowl of rice came with fried eggs and some kind of fish cake. There is also come simple condiment, cucumber marinated in vinegar. It was simple and nice.

Then, the local engineer left for home while me and my colleague from Singapore took a walk along a lake. Lake seems to be something popular here in Hanoi. It seems on 1st of October 2010, Hanoi will celebrate 1,000 years of founding and all hotels were fully booked for the period of 15 days.

After the walk, we came back and rested.

This morning - 24th August 2010 (Tuesday), I started my day at 0730 with breakfast with my colleague at the hotel restaurant. Then, at 0830, the local engineer again came with the driver to pick us up to drive our way to meet the suppliers. The first supplier has a big setup here in Hanoi. I doubt they will be interested in doing this 'small' project for us.

The meeting lasted for about an hour before we drove to a 2nd supplier's office. From the meeting, it looks to me these 2nd supplier is more interested to do this project with us. They showed their interest and went through the scope of supply very throughly. The meeting lasted for about 2 hours and by the time we finish, it was already close to lunch time.

Again, our local engineer took us to a local shop. This shop is some kind of a economic rice shop I find back home. We ordered a few dishes - namely chicken, soup, local vegetable, some of the shop's specialties.

After lunch we proceeded to another FRP supplier's place and this visit was brief as this owner seems to be doing the job half heartedly. I am not at all impress with this supplier. To my surprise, this owner actually works as a security officer and have 3 stars on his shoulder as he was on his duty uniform when he met us.

After this visit, as we were on our way back to the hotel, I suggested to my colleagues we go get some coffee and the local engineer took us a coffee shop. I had my cuppa espresso - local coffee bean. The moment I drank, the butter taste was overwhelmingly thick in the mouth. I enjoyed it a lot. Then, just opposite to this coffee shop, there is a shop that sells the coffee powder. I bought some arabica coffee beans grind into powder to bring back with me.

I just got back from dinner with my Singaporean colleague. We took a cab to the restaurant. Unfortunately, the cab driver was not honest. The meter clearly showed VND24,000, he insisted that he wanted VND200,000!!! No joke man. Both of us got down from the cab and went straight to the restaurant and seek the restaurant staff to sort it out with the cab driver. We ended up paying VND40,000. I learn a new trick. If you are in trouble with the cab, go to the restaurant that you plan to dine and get them to help you.

Dinner was nice and simple. We had chicken with sticky / glutinous rice, bitter gourd stir fried with eggs, deep fried bean curd with pepper and my colleague order a beef wrap. Unfortunately, I do not eat beef, hence, he have it all for himself. The price is also quite reasonable. Two of us dine with one beer each, the dinner cost us VND233,000 = approx USD12. I took the restaurant card so that next time I am here, I know where I can eat. Of course, there were lots of place to eat around Vietnam, and I am not a fuzzy eater, so its not going to be a major issue with me.

Furthermore, I have a local engineer here which can take care of it. We travel around with a company employed driver with car, so transportation is not an issue.

Tomorrow morning, there will be another customer's visit at 0930 and after that we will work from our hotel. On Thursday, we have scheduled 2 suppliers visit to site to show them the scope of work and I am leaving back home on Friday for my long weekend. 27th August 2010 (Friday) its a public holiday in Malaysia, and so is 31st August 2010 - Malaysia Independence Day (Tuesday). So I took the Monday off as a replacement leave.

So now, here I am in the hotel reading Malaysia newspaper and watching TV and of course writing this blog. I am sure that's the same thing I am going to do tomorrow night as well....

Trip to Philippines

On Sunday (15th August 2010) evening, I boarded took a flight to the Philippines and as soon as I landed in Manila, I have a connecting flight to another island call Bacolod.

I was lucky that in Manila, I have a very good friend who came to the Manila Terminal 1 airport and gave me a ride to to the Terminal 3 for my connecting flight.

The flight from Manila to Bacolod is approx an hour. When I landed in Bacolod, another colleague of mine pick me up from the airport and took me to the hotel which is approx 30 minutes away, distance of approx 25km. There I met up with the sales person in-charge and we all had dinner together at the hotel.

Bacolod is a small town, where the main industry there is sugar production and it seem this town itself supplies for approx 90% of the sugar used in the whole of Philippines. The appointment with the factory facility manager was scheduled at approx 9am the next day.

The room suppose to have internet WIFI connection, unfortunately, for whatsoever reasons, it did not work from the room, hence, I have to go down to the lobby to use the facility.

On the second day, (16th August 2010), after the meeting, my colleague took me to the air line agency and try to change my ticket, unfortunately, the airline they booked is a budget airline, hence, no changes is allowed. I was initially schedule to fly out from Bacolod on Tuesday noon and tried to change it to the same day itself, since the meeting ended earlier and scheduled.

So I have no option but to issue another ticket for the return flight from Bacolod to Manila.

On that evening after arriving in Manila, my colleague booked me into a hotel which is quite near to the office. The flight from Bacolod was delayed for 20 minutes circling above Manila city as it seems the air traffic was busy.

Upon checking into the hotel in Manila, only I realize that I have accidentally left a collar T-Shirt in the hotel in Bacolod. I immediately called the hotel there and they found the T-shirt. I was kinda relieve as I can ask my colleague to collect it from the hotel and have it couriered back to me.

Went out for dinner with this colleague of mine, we went for Mediterranean food. I had the lamb stew which was good. Enjoyed it a lot.

This morning, this colleague took me to our production facility near Laguna to inspect some parts which they ordered from oversea and they are not able to make the head and tail of it. So I did my best to have the unit explained to them and hopefully they are able to use it now.

The boss of our Philippines office was really polite, he knew I had came into the Philippines to assist his team, he insisted that we have lunch together. We went for Japanese food which was good.

Now, I am sitting here in the airport, using the free WIFI to update this blog while waiting to board on my plane back which is schedule to board at 1800 hrs and leave 30 minutes later. I am expected to touch down at 10pm in Malaysia.

Overall, it was a good and fruitful trip.

Shift to new office

Over the year, my company had expended and the existing office is not able to cope to give a workstation to everyone.

Therefore, about 3 months ago, they rented a new office block, which all regional staff have to move. The new office have 10 managers room + 1 conference room. On the outside, they have put up 21 working cubical for the executives and engineers.

This new office is not very far from the current office, merely behind the existing one. In this new office, it seems the internet cable installed was the high speed cable, hence the internet access is faster.

Suppose to move the office on Tuesday (3rd of August 2010), unfortunately, the office chair did not arrived in time, hence, only today all of us moved and started working from this new office. However, even today the manager's chair yet to be delivered, hence, we are all using the meeting room chair for the time being.

This new office is located at the 4th floor of the building which is shared by other tenants. The parking is behind the office block, which is quite a distance to walk every morning and evening after work.

Because of this move, for the last 2 days, I have not visited the progress of the renovation. So, will make it a point tonight to go and have a look at it.

One week in Perth

On Monday 5th July 2010, I took a flight to Perth, Western Australia for business trip.

The flight left at about 10am and touches down in Perth at about 3pm. In which a colleague of mine was kind enough to pick me up from the airport. Having met him at about 4pm we did not go to the hotel but we went to a supplier's place to discuss some details of some work we wanted him to quote.

After the discussion, he took me to check into a hotel which is quite near to his house. This is one of the cheapest hotel I have stayed in Australia. It is only AUD99 per night and basic amenities are available there with heater and warm shower.

Then on Tuesday, we went for a customer's appointment and from there we drove down south of Perth to a place known as Bunbury. The drive was about 2.5 hours and on the way, we drop and made a sales call with another prospect before reaching our hotel about 3 hours later in Bunbury.

The hotel we checked in was known as "Lighthouse Hotel" due to the fact that it had a light house near to it as it was near a sea side.

On Wednesday morning, as schedule we visited a customer which have 2 dairy factories in Bunbury area. The first visit was good, we manage to achieve what we intended to. However, on the 2nd factory, we were very annoyed with the Electrical Supervisor which held us up for more than 1.5 hours just to make us wait for him and for simple task, instead of just picking up the phone for clarifications, he made us wait for him to browse through his e-mails and note book pages after pages trying to find the information for us. He did not manage to find it after the ordeal and ended up having to call the person in-charge as well. He could have saved us the 1 hour or so of waiting time for it.

However, the positive thing that happened was we manage to meet their General Manager and happens that the CEO of the company was also inside the GM's room having discussion when we requested to meet. At least a consolation.

We drove our way back from Bunbury to Perth again and initially of planning to reach sometime at 3pm, we ended up reaching at about 5.30pm instead.

On Thursday morning, there was an early flight for us to catch from Perth to Kalgoorlie, which is about 600km east of Perth. My colleague was suppose to pick me up from the hotel and together we will go the air port. The flight is at 0620am and we were suppose to meet up at 0500. However, my colleague overslept and we were very close to missing the flight. The airline lady was kind enough to allow us to check in, but because we were late, our luggage did not come through when we arrived in Kalgoorlie.

Since we knew the reason is late check in, we were not too worried and allowed it to come in via the next flight which will arrive at 1pm. We proceeded to the customer's meeting and the meeting ended only at about 5pm before we called the airport to confirm the luggage had arrived and we went to the airport to collect it. What a relieve when I saw my bag coming through the door as if the luggage did not come through, I would not have any cloths to change for the whole night and worse is we are going to leave Kalgoorlie the next day.

Today, our flight from Kalgoorlie was suppose to be at 1.50pm and arrive in Perth at 2.50pm, leaving me with adequate time to check-in to my connecting flight back to Malaysia.

However, due to some reason, the flight was delayed by 30 minutes and hence, I missed the connecting flight back. I have to book and pay for another different flight back which instead of me reaching at 10pm in Malaysia, but at 10pm, I had just left my colleague's house to the Perth airport.

Good thing the have seats available for this flight and I have to transit in Singapore instead of getting a direct flight.

Anyway, the whole week was good. Manage to confirm an official order and the customer did told us that he will send across their company's Terms & Conditions of purchase to us for review and approval before we seal the contract.

Well, now here I am sitting down in Perth International Airport, using the WiFi posting on this blog and the time now its 1215am on the 10th of July 2010.

I will touch down in Malaysia in 0930 hrs in the morning.

What a week!!

Trip to Singapore

Yesterday (28th June 2010 - Monday) I took a flight to Singapore for a working assignment. My company participated in the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) exhibition held here in Suntec City.

Flew in with the 1450 hrs budget airline and checked into a nice hotel in just behind Orchard Road. Due to most of the hotels are full, the office had booked me into the Executive Room in which I get to enjoy the Executive Lounge, get free internet access and also breakfast and evening tea inclusive in the package.

Checked in the hotel at about 5pm, then at about 6.30pm, my ex-housemates back in Liverpool came over and we went for dinner and drinks together to catch up. Both of the doctors are working here. It is kinda a nice feeling meeting and catching up on their latest updates.

Today (29th June 2010 - Tuesday) after breakfast, I had a tele-con together with my direct manager from 9.30am until about 10am. Then, I left for Suntec City for the exhibition. I was suppose to be the exhibitor together with some other colleagues. The exhibition starts from 9am until 5.30pm.

I myself took a long walk and visiting other exhibitor's booth the learn the latest technology on the offer in the water treatment industry.

Spend the whole day in at the exhibition center and had lunch with my fellow colleagues and after the exhibition, we went for some drinks and dinner before reaching back the hotel at 8pm.

Took my shower and then went to Marina Bay Sands Casino. No, I didn't even spend a single cents gambling, just a visit to see the environment and setup they have. Drinks are free flowing there where soft drinks, coffee and tea and bottled water are served unlimitedly to everyone in the casino, regardless if you are gambling or not.

Just got back and now the TV is showing the live world cup game between Paraguay vs. Japan and later at 2.30am, Spain will play against Portugal. I hope I can keep awake to watch the match.

Day 9 in Whyalla

Today (15th June 2010 - Tuesday) is my 2nd day in Whyalla, but the 9th day of this trip.

Had breakfast in this hotel as another colleague of mine is coming to pick me up at 8am. Had poached eggs on toast and some mushroom and a flat white coffee.

As schedule, the colleague of mine came at 8am. She took me to the steel mill and got me induced to the safety induction there to allow me to go into site.

Spend the whole day at site looking at various water circuits and also did a presentation to the customer who are championing this water recycling initiatives at the mill.

This colleague of mine was kind enough to buy me packed lunch from the popular burger franchise. She got me a tortilla wrapped with crispy fried chicken with salad and mayonnaise of course with some French fries and a large carbonated drinks.

Worked all the way until about 6pm before leaving site to head back to hotel. Ordered from the restaurant in the motor inn again. This time, I got myself a seafood chowder soup and also chicken stir fried noodles in soy sauce. The soup was good, but the noodles was a bit too salty.

Tomorrow I will be flying out from here back to Sydney in the evening with late arrival.

Guess tonight I will again sleep with World Cup soccer in middle of the play.

Day 8 in Whyalla

Today (14th June 2010 - Monday) I took an early flight from Adelaide to Whyalla. The flight was via a Saab 340 3 seater per row turbo propeller plane.

The flight took about 45 minutes. Landed in Whyalla and a colleague of mine came and pick me up from the airport. Not difficult for him to pick me out from the crowd. I am the only Asian in the flight and in the airport.

He first took me to give me a preview of the steel mill that I will working on tomorrow. He showed me the various sites / factories where different process takes place. Then, he took me round a scenic drive where you can get to see the town below.

Checked into the hotel after that at about 11am. As he drove near the hotel, he showed me a botanic garden next to the motor inn. Then, he told me there is a couple of kangaroos locked in the cage at the park. I was delighted and just after checking in, I went to look for the kangaroos and true enough, after so many trip here to Australia, I finally get to see real kangaroos in front of my very own eyes.

After taking a few photos of the kangaroos, I walk along the beach behind the garden and then stopped at a cafe there to have my lunch - good old fish and chips with a glass of flat white coffee.

After lunch, I came back to the hotel and started working on a couple of New Zealand's prospect until evening.

Then, ordered a room service for dinner, had lamb with lots of vegetable. Very unique and tasty too. Called it a day after half way watching the World Cup.

Tomorrow will be a long long day. Will be at the site the whole day to investigate if we are able to make the difference by looking into water recycling potential in the steel mill.

Stay tuned... more to come..