I'm on my final day on my round-the-world sojourn. I'm sticking to me weekly updates routine and I'm a day early this week compare to a day late last week so it all balances out!
Last week I spent 3 days in Seoul of which I wrote about two. On Wednesday I visited a national cancer centre I was fortunate enough to meet a prominent oncologist of whom my company is collaborating. As I work in research, physicians don't expect a sales pitch from me so I do find that physicians are generally welcoming as it gives them a chance to discuss their research. As always, I try to live an extraordinary life and to improve the outlook of those around me. I organised a 'photo-shoot' with the physician and study coordinator which I believe they enjoyed and made them feel appreciated!
After some careful planning I took my long-haul suitcase with me to the hospital and at the end of the day took a taxi directly to the airport. It turned out to be approximately half way between my hotel and the airport so it made sense. Like Japan, a taxi trip from the CBD/downtown in Seoul can be an expensive exercise. The alternative 'airport limousine bus' is a good alternative for about 15 bucks.
The flight with Asiana from Seoul to Shanghai was a smooth and pleasant 2 hours. The flight was only about two thirds full so I had the luxury of two empty seats next to me. I watched 2 episodes of "Elementary" with Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu which was easy watching. I powered through some emails on the iPhone while offline all batched and ready to send when I logged into the hotel wifi.
Shanghai airport immigration was smooth and efficient and I quickly got a taxi, probably older than me, to the Shanghai Hilton. The check-in staff were friendly and upgraded me to a deluxe room on a high floor for no apparent reason - no complaints!
The 2 days at the office in Shanghai were busy in working through my email backlog with success , a few meetings, a 1:1 with my boss and a team-building lunch of fresh freshwater crabs which is a special occasion in China.
Today I have most of the day spare in Shanghai so I'm writing my blog post one day early and then will walk around the peaceful gardens opposite the hotel and will explore some of the lane ways in the area. Although Christmas is just around the corner back home, buying gifts from the western malls makes no sense and the prices are comparable if not more expensive than back home in Oz. I'd prefer to take the day by chance and see what I find. Perhaps I'll see something to buy as a gift for my family. If not, Godiva chocolate at the airport is always well received by my wife and a little toy for my son is always exciting for him.
It's been a great two weeks of travelling around the world on business. I always enjoy connecting with team-mates, locals in the general public and other fellow global workers. I had a chance to catch up on my long queue of podcasts stacking up on my iPhone plus a few books that I picked up on my Kindle app. I think I'm currently reading 5 books on my Kindle app which is probably one risk of not carrying physical books which tends to limit the number of books you carry in hand baggage!
Regarding fitness, the gym schedule has taken a hit but I know that I'll return to routine back in Australia. My nagging shoulder injury continues to remind me I need to do some remedial work on it and book in with my sports physician to finally get it fixed after 12+ months.
The next post will be written from the "war room" (home office) in Australia.
Last week I spent 3 days in Seoul of which I wrote about two. On Wednesday I visited a national cancer centre I was fortunate enough to meet a prominent oncologist of whom my company is collaborating. As I work in research, physicians don't expect a sales pitch from me so I do find that physicians are generally welcoming as it gives them a chance to discuss their research. As always, I try to live an extraordinary life and to improve the outlook of those around me. I organised a 'photo-shoot' with the physician and study coordinator which I believe they enjoyed and made them feel appreciated!
After some careful planning I took my long-haul suitcase with me to the hospital and at the end of the day took a taxi directly to the airport. It turned out to be approximately half way between my hotel and the airport so it made sense. Like Japan, a taxi trip from the CBD/downtown in Seoul can be an expensive exercise. The alternative 'airport limousine bus' is a good alternative for about 15 bucks.
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| From the taxi - en route to Seoul Incheon Airport |
The flight with Asiana from Seoul to Shanghai was a smooth and pleasant 2 hours. The flight was only about two thirds full so I had the luxury of two empty seats next to me. I watched 2 episodes of "Elementary" with Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu which was easy watching. I powered through some emails on the iPhone while offline all batched and ready to send when I logged into the hotel wifi.
Shanghai airport immigration was smooth and efficient and I quickly got a taxi, probably older than me, to the Shanghai Hilton. The check-in staff were friendly and upgraded me to a deluxe room on a high floor for no apparent reason - no complaints!
The 2 days at the office in Shanghai were busy in working through my email backlog with success , a few meetings, a 1:1 with my boss and a team-building lunch of fresh freshwater crabs which is a special occasion in China.
Today I have most of the day spare in Shanghai so I'm writing my blog post one day early and then will walk around the peaceful gardens opposite the hotel and will explore some of the lane ways in the area. Although Christmas is just around the corner back home, buying gifts from the western malls makes no sense and the prices are comparable if not more expensive than back home in Oz. I'd prefer to take the day by chance and see what I find. Perhaps I'll see something to buy as a gift for my family. If not, Godiva chocolate at the airport is always well received by my wife and a little toy for my son is always exciting for him.
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| Hairy Crab season in China! |
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| Ready to go! |
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| Lunch! |
It's been a great two weeks of travelling around the world on business. I always enjoy connecting with team-mates, locals in the general public and other fellow global workers. I had a chance to catch up on my long queue of podcasts stacking up on my iPhone plus a few books that I picked up on my Kindle app. I think I'm currently reading 5 books on my Kindle app which is probably one risk of not carrying physical books which tends to limit the number of books you carry in hand baggage!
Regarding fitness, the gym schedule has taken a hit but I know that I'll return to routine back in Australia. My nagging shoulder injury continues to remind me I need to do some remedial work on it and book in with my sports physician to finally get it fixed after 12+ months.
The next post will be written from the "war room" (home office) in Australia.
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