cybrpunk.com

Why am I here?

That’s a very deep question. Luckily, I’m not that deep of a person.

So what am I doing here in Hong Kong? Well, I’ve been working for the same company for a few years now (which is an accomplishment in itself) and I had expressed an interest in moving to another office outside of St. Louis, MO. Truthfully I would have liked Seattle or Portland or Sacramento but those weren’t really likely given my job and the absolute lack of need for an IT person in those offices. But I also made no secret of my like of all things Japanese and Asian culture in general. So, when the guy who had been taking care of the Asia Pacific region decided that he’d had enough and was resigning, I got called into a few meetings.

My then current boss talked to me and told me the guy was quitting and that I would be considered for the position, if I had any interest. She also told me that they were looking to expand the position into a managerial role that would oversee and hire additional staff. I was stunned. I was actually speechless for about 4.5 seconds. Not only was I being considered to take over a regional position but also to step into a real management position as well. This is significant in that there really aren’t that many avenues for advancement in our department and it’s the type of position I’ve been working towards.

After those meetings, my then girlfriend and I flew to Hong Kong to check it out. Me to work in the office for three weeks and her on vacation (basically). It was May and it was hot. Miserably hot and humid. My least favorite weather condition. I met with the retiring person on his last day and then proceeded to be mired in tons of things I had no clue about. What I did see was a huge margin for improvement in the region and a way to help my career in a big way.

We came back home and started negotiating on a travel contract. I turned them down three times before I finally accepted. Then I proposed to my girlfriend to complicate things even more than they already were. Not only were we trying to sell and pack everything we’ve ever known, but we were trying to plan a small wedding as well. All in all everything worked out well. We sold two houses, three cars, a gazillion pieces of computer equipment and then got married in the Chinese Gardens at the Missouri Botanical Gardens with our immediate families and closest friends in attendance.

Then I left for Hong Kong to start my new job and to look for a new home leaving my new wife to pick up the pieces of finishing everything up back home before she could leave. She did an excellent job and I am proud of her to this day for everything she did to make things right back home.

And now I am the Director of IT for the Asia Pacific region with two people reporting to me. I may be hiring one more person this year as well. Not sure where yet but probably either in Hong Kong, Sydney or Singapore. I have a ton of things to do and still a lot of catch-up to be done. It’s been difficult and will probably get more difficult before it gets easier. Should be interesting either way.