2018 Birthday in S Korea - What's it like having a birthday away from family and close friends ?

Having the street food outside Siyeong City at - 3 deg C. 

Last year, I had the dubious honor of celebrating my birthday in Siyeong City Korea. I was on a business trip and my colleague and I went together with our customer to do  due diligence buy-off of the equipment at the factory just South East of Incheon city.

ETSP Korean Made Chamber 

Nov 27th 2018 

Our business partner, Paul Lee is the owner of the company ETSP and we went there on the company paid buy-off trip lasting 4 days and 3 nights. It was cold, and very fortunately, everything went according to plan. The customer was pretty happy with the equipment, and we had a faultless performance of the equipment.

26th Nov Korean BBQ 

When we arrived, we were a little bleary eyed from the red-eye flight (Asiana) but after several hours rest, we started work with much gusto at Paul's factory. He runs a lean operation and he is a brilliant engineer with much knowhow in chamber and refrigeration technology. Hence ETSP is his 'baby' since 2008 I believe.  

Skewered Meats Korean Style 

Some memorable highlights of the trip were, we went to the artificial island off Siyeong and walked a glass bottomed floor of the observation tower overlooking part of the Korean peninsula. Quite an experience.The Korean barbecue dishes were really good and our host made sure we all went home satisfied not only by the equipment performance, but also by the extra time spent building up good relations. 

Memorable Birthday Pix by the Conifer Tree 

Tuesday 27th Nov 2018 

On the Tuesday 27th, I celebrated my birthday incognito. All my school friends were wishing me a Happy 56th on Whatsapp, Facebook, Phone and FB Messanger and I was somewhere in Korea doing work. Did it feel strange ? Well normally as each year passes I like to cocoon myself from all the rest of the world and just reflect. Time is really moving fast, so I had better reach my goals while I still have the energy and health to do so.  

I am thankful, really. for a wonderful wife, 2 good sons, a support system of friends, relatives and a small business that I can truly be accountable for. I believe my company can and does contribute to the betterment of the athletes in not only Singapore, but now Australia and Qatar, so our name is growing albeit at a decent pace. 

Rudy on the Glass Bottomed Bridge

        Just another day in the office. My family and I had celebrated my birthday a few days before during the weekend, so it was for me,  'business as usual'.