Torch reaches summit of Everest

The Olympic torch has reached the highest point on earth at 9.18am Beijing time Thursday. Read about it
HERE
My disbelief posted earlier HERE has been put to rest.
What resolve. What tenacity. What a majestic dream!
Crazy bastards! I love it.

Hong Kong 2

Well, the food's nice. 

Wanton noodles, dim sum, beef noodles, siew choi, etc but what I really like about Hong Kong is the cosmopolitan composition of the people thronging the streets of Tsimshatsui and Wanchai. Young people with fire in their eyes and purpose in their stride as they commute to and from their work or meetings. Young men in their finely cut suits and ladies in the latest fashion of power suits. Ah...that's the vibrancy and energy that captivated me the first time I set foot in Hong Kong in 1987. I remembered how the sheer numbers of Chinese people on the streets overwhelmed me and how it made me feel so insignificant in the sea of Chinese faces that surrounded me. I had never seen so many Chinese in my life. Today with even more snazzy and stylish shopping malls, HK somehow hasn't changed at all. Kowloon is still the same, Mongkok is still teeming with night shoppers and foodies searching for bargains in the street markets. Langham Place deserves special mention as it is a specialty mall built for teens and ladies. The Hong Kong people have mellowed, the mini bus drivers are just as aggressive but more 'funny' rude. Taxi drivers are younger, less vocal but quick to make a fast buck if you're lax. But all in all, like most things in HK, public transportation work like clockwork. The very basic public amenity that gets people to work and back ensures optimum productivity. Some say it's because of the Chinese, I say it's good governance. That's why it will always remain a strong economic force in Asia.

Hong Kong

As the plane approach Chek Lap Kok for landing on Flight CX720, I fastened my seat belt , made my seat upright, sat back and pondered when I was last in this vibrant city. And it suddenly all came back to me as clear as day. In 2003, I was part of the Malaysian delegation of travel and hospitality trade that spearheaded a 'visit' to Hong Kong right in the middle of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome(SARS) Virus outbreak pandemic. It was a ballsy idea mooted by my Client, China Airlines who's bread and butter route was HK and Taiwan. So when the SARS outbreak hit the region, the travel and hospitality business took a big hit the city of Hong Kong was the hardest hit. Nobody was travelling, let alone travel to Hong Kong, the SARS outbreak area. But we Malaysians organised a plane load of travel agents and hoteliers and flew into a near empty Chek Lap Kok international airport. When we landed then, we were regarded as heroes, celebrities who were 'crazy' to come to Hong Kong during those times. The press and TV crew were there to receive and interview us, and later that night had the news, interviews telecast all over HK and the world. But they were also very touched that we landed to show the world that it was safe to go to Hong Kong. That trip ended a great success with many a deals made with our delegation and HKTA and it was much needed to jump start travel tourism in the region. That was the only time I saw Hong Kong a little less vibrant. But this time around, the airport was abuzz with human traffic. Lots and lots of them. The unbelievably long queues at the immigration counters were agonizing. Once cleared, the highly efficient airport delivered your baggage without a hitch and customs were unobstrusive and the whole airport was alive with activity. What vibrance. And this time around, my trip was a stop-over mainly for the food en route on my maiden trip to Shanghai for a business meeting.

#HongKong #SARS

Torch to go up Everest

I wonder if any other host nation in the history of the Olympics has shown more resolve, enthusiasm, grit and fanfare in hosting the games than China?
From the preparations of the games' venues, all of which state-of-the-art, architectural wonders are almost ready way ahead of time.
The city of Beijing looks set and spruced to showcase the new face of China to the world.
Last year when they announced it, I blogged about it in awe and disbelief. Read HERE

The Olympic torch which is making it's way around the globe amidst lots of political controversy surrounding Tibet, is now set to scale greater heights. The greatest in fact, as plans to bring the torch in a special contraption from Everest base camp (5,300M) to the summit of Mt. Everest which by the way is 8848M high!
The runners and television crew who will film this historic event to the summit LIVE (?) have been in training for over a year!
Talk about the signifying of China's rise as a superpower. You can't get more literal or higher than this.