"Life on the Road"

I can't believe it has been over a month (almost two) since my last blog. I don't even know where to start with my writing, but I suppose I'll talk about what I've been doing most over the past month...traveling.

I can't imagine traveling around the world in better style than what Kraft has given me. I fly business class all over, stay in 5-star hotels, and have most of my expenses paid for. Singapore Airlines is like nothing I could have ever imagined from an airline. The food is unbelievable and the last two jets I've taken have provided business seats that actually recline to a bed. Free booze (although I rarely drink on planes) and the most attentive flight attendants ever make the experience a true pleasure.

I was in Australia three weeks ago for work, and though it's somewhat different from the US, the contrast is so minimal relative to what I've seen in other parts of Asia that it felt a bit like home. English is the primary, if only, language, and the weather was reminiscent of Minnesota spring. Beyond that, everything is modernized, a reality that I have found to be a rarity in my recent travels.

The work style of Australia is one that could be envied by anyone. Pretty standard hours and an emphasis on work/life balance means everyone is out of the office by 6pm. This is a stark contrast from China, where the people work very hard. During my week here (I am blogging this from a hotel in Beijing), I have been at the office until after 8pm and had a long presentation to lead at 7:30am on Thursday. Back to Australia though...

The most notable elements of Melbourne were a) their love for sports and b) their love for sports. I turned on the TV in the hotel to see about two channels of news, one of sitcoms and 30 of sports, primarily Cricket, Australian football, rugby, and soccer. I even watched basketball, although it wasn't very good. I actually became somewhat addicted to watching cricket...seems like a very interesting sport and one that was an obvious precursor to baseball.

On the weekend, I went to a bar/club called F4 with some work colleagues...I drank too much and stumbled slowly back to my hotel. The next day, I did what many Aussies do...walked by the river, jogged on the beach, had a nice Italian meal on St. Kilda's beach, and shopped down the Central Business District. I also toured their MCG Stadium, the biggest stadium in Melbourne (holds ~100,000 people). The one thing that sucked were all the flies. At first, I thought it was just me smelling like sh*t, but after observing the flapping of arms from others, I realized it was a city-wide problem. Usually I wouldn't complain about something like this, but it was so annoying that it actually got me pretty worked up.

Overall, I was not completely amazed by Australia, although it seems like a nice place. The city of Melbourne is roughly that of Minneapolis and the culture is typical-Australian laid back. It's not a place I'd spend a long vacation, but perhaps would be a suitable place to live.
Back to Singapore for a week, where I rocked out with my friends...more on that in another blog. Then to China...