The week is finally over. Most of the company brass has left town; my boss is gone tomorrow. I am satisfied; I accomplished what I needed to get done and maybe even a little bit more.

The highlight of the week was undoubtedly the resignation of the managing director of a key territory, someone who had been with the company for five years and, despite constantly delivering where it counted, was widely disliked because he insisted on being an individual, not playing politics and saying what was actually on his mind. People in the head office tended to refer to him as a “fuckwit” even as he continued to manage one of the few territories that consistently delivered above expectations.

We sat down and talked for about an hour. Our relationship had a rocky start five years ago and took about a year to get on an even keel. This year we’d actually started to be friends. The last time I’d seen him, he’d asked me, “so why does everyone in the home office hate me?” I said, “You don’t really need me to answer that, you already know,” and he laughed.

Even so, he surprised me last night when he said, “I always respect your insights. You’re smart and you say what’s on your mind which is why you won’t go far in this company.” (Okay, it’s my blog, I can have a wank here every now and then, no?)

They tried to stop him but he insisted on making a farewell speech. First he mentioned the previous president of the company and said, “every time I had to talk with him my eyes would look like those of a dead fish.” Then he mentioned the previous number 2 in the company and said, “we had a relationship that began with my middle finger.” He then launched into a personal story and, with several lawyers in the audience, was getting perilously close to a sexual harassment lawsuit. His boss got on stage and basically took the mike away from him before it could get really interesting and before he could circle back to insulting current management.

Moments like this are too few and too far between.

Tonight a very pleasant team dinner at Quarterdeck. Sitting there outside by the water, view partially blocked by barges, an almost-clear night and moderate temperatures, it was really relaxing. Watching the underwhelming light show that passes for a nightly tourist attraction, I was struck again by how HK has missed the potential of its waterfront as a true tourist attraction and a way to improve quality of life for its residents.

Following that, over to Bar 109, which was having a 2-for-1 special on mojitos. DJ Tiny Todd remembered last week, when he was playing “Across 110th Street,” I’d told him how the song put me in the mood for some Norman Whitfield, and tonight he brought out an extended remix he’d done on “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” followed by some Isaac Hayes and Barry White, then a whole lotta Motown before segueing into some late 70s funk.

Our group had thinned out and some were in the mood for something less laid back. I walked them over to Joe Bananas, stood inside looking around for 5 or 10 minutes, realized I had no reason to be there, said good night to all and made my way home.

Hongkie Town
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