Today was our LP Conference.  Woke up at the crack of dawn, and shoved bits of breakfast down my throat in between wrestling with my contacts and the hair straightener.  Got to the lift landing at 7.28am, thinking nobody would be up this early to hold up the elevators.  Couldn't have been more wrong.  It took me 10min to descend the 48 floors to the conference room.  By the time I arrived, people were already waiting for me to help them with their stuff.  Doesn't anybody sleep??

By noon time, I had loaded and tested so many videos and powerpoint presentations that I've lost track.  Thank God for Lynn who helped me keep track of it all!  As soon as I fixed all the last minute stuff, I would brief her and she'll completely take over.  That left me time to deal with the ridiculous AV guy we hired.

<In the midst of fixing last minute changes to a presentation, I found my slides moving on their own accord... ghost in my laptop??>
Me: *looking up & spotting the AV technician* Hey can you stop that??
AV dude:  They told me to test this clicker
Me:  Can't you see i'm working on this laptop?
AV dude:  I need to test this clicker!
Me:  Well, can't you wait?
AV dude:  They told me to do this now
Me:  *really pissed off now*  WHOSE TIME IS MORE IMPT?  YOURS OR MINE???
AV dude:  *slinks away*
Yes, when i get mad, language is no barrier!  *LOL*

Once things were underway, I decided to take a short break and run out to get some contact lens solution.  I miscalculated.  I totally forgot about the time it takes for modern technology to get me up 48 floors to get my purse, descend 55 floors to the mall, back up 55 floors to get drop off my stuff, and down 48 floors back to the conference room.  I'm officially sick of elevators!

I'm so totally out of it this year.  No mood to make small talk with the CEOs and LPs.  Instead, I stuck to Cynthia & Lynn from our Beijing office the whole time cos they made me laugh. 

Me:  Lynn dear, can you please help me oversee the presentation line-up?
Lynn:  Hmm... how are you going to repay me?
Me:  Umm... how about... i give you a kiss???!!
Lynn:  !!!  Err.... can you monetize that?
Me:  At what valuation?
Lynn:  Ummm... how much do YOU think it's worth?
Me:  Nah, i think my kiss is only of value to the recipient... doesn't work the other way around
Lynn:  Ok, then you've got to kiss me first and I'll tell you how much it's worth
Me:  Ahh... but then you'll already have accepted payment in return for helping me! 
WAHAHA!  Sorry, that's prob a VC joke.

Ok, it's late and i'm low on sleep.  But my point is, I'll miss the sense of camaraderie, the long heart-to-heart chats once we're gone.  In business, you sometimes have to make a decision between friendship and networking.  Oftentimes people choose the latter on the presumption that there will always be other time for friends.  I think that is short-sighted, because ultimately, it'll be your friends who will be there for you, not your business partners.  So this LP Conference, I choose to spend time with the people who matter to me.  Not because of my comfort zone, but because friends I can take with me when I leave, not strange business cards.

Am back in HK for work, and first item on my agenda - Check out the launch of the limited-edition Roberto Cavalli  collection at H&M!  I finally dragged my horribly jet-lagged self out of my hotel shower and found the Central store after a 20min trek.  The store wasn't opening for another 40min, and already there was a monster line outside. 

Stupid me forgot to bring my ipod, so I entertained myself by checking out HK street fashion.  Whether it was Central area, or just the immediate vicinity of H&M, the passing traffic was surprisingly chic and cool.  I've never really cared for HK fashion before... they mostly seemed kinda This Fashion-ish.  Nonetheless, at the very least, HK youths seem to have a sense of individuality in their dressing, and the courage to venture away from boring tees and jeans.

Halfway through my idle gazing, the girl next to me decided to light a fag.  Sucks.  I've forgotten how popular smoking still is in Asia.  Before she was done, a bunch of Indonesians behind decided to smoke too.  Lucky for them, I never learnt to cuss in Cantonese.  But I did eventually manage to strike up a "conversation" with Smokey Girl Next to Me. 

SGNTM:  What time does the store open?
Me:  10.30am  [Whoa! I can tell the time in Canto!]
SGNTM:  Omg!  I thought it opens at 10am!
Me:  Yeah... 
<Silence>
Me:  Is this the only store in HK?
SGNTM:  Yes
Me:  I thought there were 3?
SGNTM:  Huh??
Me:  [Counting in Canto in my mind...1-2-3]  3?
SGNTM:  Oh, the other stores are in Kowloon
Me:  [Isn't Kowloon just a few stops away by MTR??]  Is this the largest store in HK?
SGNTM:  Uh... I dunno
Me:  Why's everybody lining up here then?
SGNTM:  *looks at me like i'm stupid*  To get in!
Me:  Ah.  *Gives up!*

Pity.  My Cantonese has degenerated so far.  Either that, or smoking has adled her brains. 

Anyways, all the pain of standing in line in my heels [stupid me forgot to bring flats!] and trekking for 20min to the store, was totally worth it!!  The dresses were divine!  Gorgeous cuts, sexy flow, beautiful prints.  My only gripe is the material is not the smooth satiny silk that was pictured on the ad campaign, but a chiffon silk.  But they are still well made.  The rests of the separates were not my taste though.  Prices are definitely not cheap for H&M... the gold lame tube dress that was the replica of the one worn by Kate Hudson sold for HKD2990 (approx. USD399??!)!!  It amazed me that most of the limited-edition red carpet dresses were already gone by the time I left the store 45min later.  Crazy ebayers.  Can't complain though, considering some people camped outside for 5 hrs, and others got into fist fights, in NY.  http://racked.com/archives/2007/11/08/oh_roberto_fisticuffs_at_hm_he.php  THANK GOD i'm in HK!!!