All the world's a stage

This week, as my reading audience will know, I was in Korea. I was doing some presentations to clients etc etc. Now, I am far from the best presenter in the world but I have drooled on my tie through a fair few presentations in my time. I'd like to think I knew a good presentation when I saw one.

Unfortunately, what I saw was a dreadful presentation. One of my colleagues sat down for all his presentations. He read what was on the slides (a pet peeve). He mumbled quietly leading someone in the room to say "Can you speak up? I can't hear you over the sound of the projector fan". He delivered with a monotone. Oh dear, oh dear.

Likewise I was at an industry conference in March where the average presentation was dire. This actually cheered me up as the competition makes me, with my mediocre skills, actually look quite good in comparison.

I know a lot of people approach public speaking with fear and trepidation. My theory is that if you manage to turn up on time, don't faint or throw up in front of the audience and make it through the material, it's a win whatever else happens.

With expectations like that, you are almost certain to meet them.

Back in the saddle

Today was my first paddle since the Hong Kong Dragon Run.

http://www.thedragonrun.com.hk/

Went out on my surfski for a gentle paddle. It was nice to be out on the water after two weeks of the really nasty colds that have been going round Hong Kong.

Paddling is important to me because it brings some well needed balance to the hectic Urban lifestyle of central Hong Kong. Being out on the water, far from the maddening crowd (flocks of windsurfers notwithstanding) is very calming and I find the ocean endlessly fascinating.

Ice flow, nowhere to go....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IjGNJPNyzU

Thank you LottieP for showing me this

& whilst I am on the subject of food in Korea, the egg guy in the hotel totally dissed me today. I asked him for 2 eggs sunny side up and he totally didn't deliver. I was most peeved and felt moved to eat a piece of toast instead.

Weird food week

Been in Korea this week and it was a litany of weird food.

I had the chance to eat:
Shark Fin Soup (which I know my friend PoohBear will be upset about and, come to think of it, I'm pretty sure the shark was)
Sea slug.
Weevils (or they might have been silkworms, I'm not sure)

I was also suckered into eating the hottest green pepper by my Korean Friend who ate one first and showed no outward sign of discomfort. Holy Crap! That was hot.

On the other hand I had a very nice pot of fresh ginseng tea. That was really, really nice.

Kamsahamnida

Back to Honkers to continue my "Weight Gain 2000" Christmas eating program. You have to eat large to be large.

It's a mad world

It's a mad world

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZRib_aAQFQ

No, but seriously.......

What's in a word?

Well, quite a lot if it's the password you have forgotten.
I won't pretend that I haven't been blogging solely as a result of my inability to log on for the last few months. But it has been a contributing factor.

In order to maintain cosmic harmony, my success at getting into my blog has been counterbalanced by my abject failure to get into my online tax account.

There, in the ether, is a tax demand that will, most likely, chill my blood. So I can probably wait a few days for the bad news.

In the meantime, the balance of the universe is maintained.

Oh Solo Mio

Unthinkingly I agreed to go to Karaoke in Causeway Bay on Saturday. The evening was convivial, there were buckets of beer (literally) and lots of fun people to sing with.

The only things missing were the good songs. We would search through the meager English song selection, see an interesting artist and go to the song selection to be greeted with songs like

Horrible B side from 1993 you've never heard of

or

Sorry this well known song is being sung by the band "Bumfluff"

Very dispiriting.

The best part of the evening for me was singing arias in the corridor with my friend and it came to me in a flash of clarity that I don't actually need to go to a Karaoke bar to do that.