Jet lag & acronyms!

This sums up today's major challenges!

I thought I was doing well last night... at about midnight I was feeling tired, tried to read a few pages of my book, but had to give up and go to sleep. When I woke up (wide awake!) I optimistically turned to my alarm clock... only to discover that it was only 1am!!! I didn't really sleep much after that... not until about 6.30 which gave me 30 minutes before my alarm went off... aaarrrgghhh! Anyway, I managed to find my way to work (more of that in a moment) and struggled through the day. I was nearly overtaken by tiredness at around 4.30/5 pm... but managed to keep awake... just!

The other challenge was acronyms! Never having worked in financial markets before means I'm having to learn all the products pretty much from scratch - so I'm beginning to learn a whole new language (and it isn't Cantonese...). I'm learning to differentiate a RMBS from a CDO and an ABS from a CLO!

The journey to work was quite different! I've used various modes of transport to go to work in the past... bus, train, plane, car, tram, bike (many many years ago), even once by boat... but today was the first day that I traveled to work by escalator! There are a whole series of escalators that take you from the Soho area down to the Central area. Until 11am the escalator goes down the hill... and then it's reversed to take you back up!



I did take my camera to the office today... but left the battery in its charger... But here's some nightime shots from my apartment window instead!

Touch down!

Well I've arrived!

Here's me leaving home (and also the home of RBS!)...



And here's what greets you when you arrive in HK!!! You simply can't escape!



The flight was reasonably comfortable - I managed to sleep for about 7 hours and woke up just in time for breakfast (although shouldn't that have been lunch given it was 1 o'clock in the afternoon).

I'm now checked into my apartment - which will do me fine... photos to come! I was met at Hong Kong station by Jon, one of the guy's from the audit team - it was good to see a familiar face as I'd met him at the GIA conference in Brighton a few weeks ago.

I've unpacked (or more accurately emptied my suitcases on to the bed) and am contemplating going out for some food before going to bed - it's already 7.30pm here!

First day in the office tomorrow - if I can wake up!

We have lift off... well not quite!

I'm currently meant to be in the air en route to Hong Kong - but alas, a mixture of bad weather at Heathrow, emergency runway repairs at Edinburgh (where I've spent most of today!) and the inevitable incompetence of BA (5 staff on duty to cope with 250 customers having to rearrange flights...) have meant that I've had to postpone until tomorrow.

At one point I stood in a queue for 30 minutes that didn't move an inch... I had to suppress a wry smile when the guy next to me, realising that I worked for RBS, suggested that I should ask "that megalomaniac Fred Goodwin" if I could borrow his private jet...

So I'm now scheduled to arrive on Wednesday... I'll let you know when (if!) I arrive.

p.s. If you want to e-mail can I suggest you use my RBS address as the autoforward for my btinternet address seems to do strange things to the formatting...

All systems go...

My flights are now booked and authorised... and I have accommodation sorted out... So it looks like I'm actually going on Monday!

It was quite strange saying farewell to everyone at Gogarburn this afternoon. I wouldn't go as far as saying I was emotional (!) - but you can't spend 2+ years doing a fairly intense job working with a great team of people - and not in some way be affected by the process of moving on. I think that going to other side of the world's not a bad way of making a clean break!

There has been a slight change to my plans... I had been planning to base myself in Hong Kong for the full three months and travel to the various locations that required auditing. The way the audit plan is working out means that after 3 weeks in Hong Kong I'll need to head off to Singapore for 2 weeks and then straight on to Tokyo for 2 weeks. There's little point taking out a 3 months lease on an apartment for it to be empty for a month (it would be a very expensive wardrobe!). So I'll spend the first three weeks in the apartment - then move out when I travel to Singapore and Tokyo... and then work out what I'm doing after that!

The apartment block (for those of you who know Hong Kong) is in Soho on Hollywood Road and is called Como Como. It's apparently within walking distance of the office (but the cab fare is only £1...).

It's the Chinese New Year just after I arrive - which I'm told means a few days of public holiday :-) I'm also in Hong Kong during the Hong Kong Sevens - and hoping to get tickets!! So not a bad time of year to be there...

Making plans

I'm just finishing up in Sir Fred's office at RBS and finalising plans to go to Hong Kong for the next three months on attachment with the bank's internal audit department.

I'm hoping to leave on Monday (28th January) but as yet have no flights or accommodation booked! I'll keep you posted re developments...

When I'm in Hong Kong, I'll be involved in auditing the bank's financial markets and wealth management functions. There are RBS offices all over the Asia Pacific region and I'm hoping to get to visit quite a few different places. The RBS Asia Pacific website shows where I might end up...

RBS Hong Kong is based on the 30th floor of the AIG Tower which I'm told has great views over Hong Kong harbour :-)