Perpetual Motion

A shark must constantly keep swimming or it will drown. I honestly think all of us are in that same catch 22 as the shark. We have to keep moving or we will cease to exist. Things in my life are seemingly in constant motion. Whether it be business travel, or friends dropping by for a visit, or celebrating milestones of life with those we care about. I don't think I would have it any other way. This state of motion keeps life interesting and dynamic.

Those of you who read this blog (and I hope there are a few of you still out there) probably remember my friend Keith from our times together in Munich, Germany. We also usually get to catch up during our annual sales and marketing conference held annually in the US. But recently, Keith paid his first ever visit to Asia and I couldn't wait to be his host.

We first met up in Beijing for several days of business meetings, but the evenings were always free for introducing Keith to new cuisine and local attractions. My co-worker here in Singapore, James, was also in Beijing on business, so it made for a fun group. After a spicy meal of Sichuan Food, it was off to the next adventure.

Even though the photo on the right looks like three American Guys settling in for a night of sitcoms during Must See TV Night on NBC, the reality is that we were preparing for a Chinese Massage. After an initial foot massage, we then had to change into some interesting lounge wear that made us look like orderlies in an emergency room. Our legs, shoulders, and back were kneaded and pulverized over and over. Sounds painful and at times it was, but most of the time it was relaxing.

Keith and I went on to Hong Kong to spend the weekend. Hong Kong was having their annual Rugby Seven's Tournament, which is the biggest international rugby event on the Asian continent. But you can imagine that two blokes from the US probably weren't that keen on rugby. The reality was that the Seven's Tournament turns the whole city into a festive spirit for the entire weekend, similar to Mardi Gras or Carnival. The streets in the evening, especially along Lan Kwai Fong, were a wash with westerners from Australia and the UK. You don't normally need to give these folks excuses to drink, but the Seven's Tournament is a pretty good excuse if that.

Now I normally don't gloat when it comes to business trips. Asia is full of big cities with sometimes stifling heat, confusing airports, and taxi drivers who love to share their anguish rather than finding your destination. But on some rare occasions, I really get to go to a nice relaxing and out-of-the-way destination. A few weeks ago, I departed Beijing for a direct flight to the southern Chinese island of Hainan.

Hainan is know as "The Hawaii of China", so I figured it was going to be pretty good, and luckily I was not disappointed. My company partner event lasted for two days, but I had my Sunday free to enjoy the amazingly aqua blue waters and white sand beaches. Hainan, which is only less than an hour's flying time from Hong Kong, is attracting some of the finest international resorts to open up shop there as well.

The Marriott, Sheraton, and Hilton all had neighboring locations, and these places captured the tropical island spirit in each and every detail. Our dinner banquet for our event had an amazing location and the staff was tremendous. So, in keeping with tradition, there will be no gloating from me. Instead just take in the photos or better yet; come visit Hainan for yourself.

Blogs have received the reputation for getting news out to the masses faster than traditional main-stream media. So in keeping with that tradition, my Blog has the exclusive scoop on a new arrival.

William Kintaro Beasley, came into the world at 6.5lbs and 19.4 inches long to the happy and proud first-time parents of my friends Traci and James Beasley. You guys will recognize the big baby posing with them in this photo, which was actually taken on my birthday. I hope to soon see some photos from James and Traci that were taken on William's birthday. Congratulations to the newest power trio in Singapore.

So as you can see, change is constant. We deal with this change in our own ways, but I think most of us thrive on it. And sometimes, that change brings a new life into the world; which causes us all to stop for just a few precious moments and focus on what is truly important.