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'. 

Mr Karl Heinz Hehl ; it was a privilege to have known you

Meetings were tough as nails, but the bond of friendship was real 

From Left (seated) : Karl Heinz Hehl, Mrs Angelika Bausch(Head of Sales); Fred Schweitzer (Reg Sales Manager)
(behind) : N. Kannan (QRA Malaysia Manager), yours truly, Rene (Zellweger!) (Asia Pac), Dieter Haus (Sales Director)

I heard the sad news that the former Managing Director of Weiss Umwelttechnik Mr. Karl Heinz Hehl had passed away on 17th October Thursday. He was 75 (I believe). 

My good friend and mentor Frank Rigley sent the sad news by email yesterday and I am posting this picture of us after having a tough meeting at the Weiss Headquarters in Giessen Germany, I believe in 2009.

Mr. Hehl retired in 2010 and his position was then passed on to Mr. Niedermeyer ;

My company had their services terminated by the Weiss group in 2012.

I am forever grateful and privileged to have known Karl Heinz as both a strict boss and also as a friend who was a warm hearted man and loved a schnapps or two (or more).... 

He visited Singapore with his family on several occasions the last being in 2004 / 05 for the New Year's day celebrations. I will never forget that occasion, as he treated all the local agents' families to a nice dinner at the Esplanade and watched the countdown together.. Ahh the sweet memories.

When will we meet again ? ...wherever whenever.... old friend.....  

Carpe Diem. 

Why is the Community Center having an Octoberfest party ?

I am increasingly baffled by the attempts by the Community Center to 'reach out' to the general public at our Tanglin Community Center. It is true that we have an interntional population in Singapore, particularly in Tanglin or especially estates near the City Center, but I have noticed that the 'want' to celebrate the festive occasions like Thanksgiving, Halloween, Octoberfest which once were totally alien to our culture is somewhat baffling.

Community events are normally subsidised by the People's Association and annual dinners with the objective of giving out awards to deserving sports and interest group leaders I fully support. Octoberfest ?  What next ? Japanese emperor birthday ? Martin Luther King day ?  

We are a South East ASIAN country (yes) with increasing international connections and premanent residents but to ape and follow alien activities in the name of community bonding ?  I am all for the private clubs, restaurants, sports bars and the like to do the 'oom pah pah' and ape the Germans to eat pork knuckle and drink Bavarian beer, but the local community centre should first and formost promote the harmony of its residents like the common exercise and interest groups - my karate club, the rumba dance and band sessions are 3 of the clubs which are affected by this Sunday's event.   

What is Octoberfest ? 

Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest, annual festival in Munich, Germany, held over a two-week period and ending on the first Sunday in October. The festival originated on October 12, 1810, in celebration of the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria, who later became King Louis I, to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.

So what gives ?? 

Eliud Kipchoge smashes 2 hour mark in the 42.194 km Marathon ! Sensational !

As a full marathoner (10 and counting), I am so pleased and proud that the elite Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge has broken the 2 hour mark for the once thought inpossible pacing and speed standard in the marathon.

So pleased that a human being with the talent and the hard work that all his and his coaches efforts have paid off and so proud that I am one of the marathon community blessed to see history in making.

Mind over matter ! Yes. I am inspired to train to run another 10 more marathons before I finally give it (the goals) a rest ! 




 

The Majesty of Madrid

Staying Lean and Resilient

Push forward with all my might 

With so many uncertainities in the world right now, from the Trade War between the 2 major economic superpowers, to the incursion by Turkish troops into Syria and the civil unrest in HK taking a turn for the worst four months on, what can a small entity like my company do ?

Well, take stock of the situation, stay ultra lean, collect receivables quickly and look for new openings in the regional and world economy to navigate and make some inroads. It is not a pretty sight when all indicators (yield curve, purchasing manager's index, and flat resale prices for example) show very alarming trends but I must be resilient, or the future will be messy.

Chasing all potentials, learning new courses in cybersecurity and big data, I am trying to reinvent my relevancy in this tough times.

Carpe Diem. 

The Champs have been Vanquished ; there is a New Kid in Town !

                          Adama Traore's outstretched arm and finger pointing jubilantly

  with a dejected Man City goalkeeper Ederson on the ground.   

The evolution of Adama Traore from highest paid winger for Wolves in mid 2018, then a much criticised player who didn't fit in for long stretches of time.On Sunday, he capped an ever improving presence in the first team with a brace (2) of world class goals. 

The brilliant coach / manager Nuno identified his unique talents, and after 1 long year of struggle, ridicule from the fair weathered fans (me included), Adama Traore comes up with 2 gems of goals against the current English Champions at their home ground, no less.

Almost the entire team played magnificently, except for Saiss who limped off with a calf injury only after 19 minutes of play but truth be told, Adama spoke of how hard he and the rest of the team trained, day in day out, flying for European competition, and slogging the hard work, team strategy and efforts finally paid off most handsomely in the form of beating the current English Champions, Man City at their home stadium the Etihad Stadium by 2 -0.

No team has beaten City at home for almost 1 year, and Wolves had not done this feat, the last time being in 1984, when I was in University 35 years ago !

Added to that Man City have been absolutely lethal in front of goal, scoring 27 goals in 7 games at home, thats an average of 3.8 or almost 4 goals per game at home ! To deny them a single goal, that is the brilliance and hard stopping efforts of the magnificent Conner Coady and his defence comprising of Wily Boly, Ryan Bennett, Roman Saiss, Jonny and Traore. Traore was later switched to the winger role once Matt Doherty came on.   

A big thank you to the entire team including the backroom 'boys' who take all the credit for this unforgettable win which will be remembered for decades to come :


1. Patricio    8 >   Honorable Mention ; pulled off several world class saves, 

2. Coady     8.5 > Superb all afternoon, not a single foot or header wrong
3. Boly        8.5  > Another top defence play 
4. Saiss      7.5   Bennett  8.5
5. Vinagre  7.5   Jonny     8
6. Doherty  8
7. Neves    7.5
8. Moutinho 8 > Robbed the ball back for the first and instrumental for second goal. 
9. Dendonker 8
10.Cutrone    8
11. Jiminez    9 > Excellent shielding of ball and dribble past Otamendi like child's play
12. Traore     9.5 > MOTM ; kept Sterling at bay whole afternoon, and 2 excellent strikes          made him the talk of England this week and next. 

Coach Nuno   10 - Planned and Executed Gameplan to Perfection ; The Tactical Boss ! 

Backroom Boys 9.5  Credit to all 

A big salute to all the heros from Coach Nuno Esperito Santos, his backroom staff (6), the ball boys, the masseurs, the cleaning crew, the bosses at Fosun, the MD and the entire team must take the praise from this fair weathered Fan who sincerely hopes to pin his dreams on this Team of the Future  !!!