So after a week filled with bad news for me, one final bit to end the week. Though I suppose in this case some would see it as good news.

See, a year ago, when I first got word that the company would be drastically scaling back in the region, I predicted that I would be gone at some point thereafter, and that’s proven to be true.

Why did I choose to stay? Well, first and foremost, because none of the opportunities that came my way were that interesting. And second, because I was hoping that when the time came for them to dump me, there would be a golden parachute, which has proven to be true.

I also correctly predicted who would replace me. Knowing which territories were shutting down, which were remaining, it was easy to predict which one of my staff would get the nod – someone already in one of those remaining territories, so they wouldn’t have to pay relocation costs. And someone whom they thought would be capable of doing my job – although I don’t believe he is.

The thing is – even though my last day is November 1st, this guy will be taking over my position on August 1st. “So what do I do for three months?” I asked my boss. “Um, er, uh, ah, help him out if he needs anything?” So you can tell they thought that through about as well as they think anything through in this company.

Of course, one way to look at it is to say that for three months I will continue to get paid and have nothing to do except fill out my time sheet on Monday mornings. And I probably don’t need to go into the office. Mobile phone, Blackberry, VPN – what little I have to do I can do just as easily from home or from Timbuktu as there. I can focus in on making plans, doing a job search or writing a business plan for a start-up, and I can do it all while sitting at home in my underwear and chain smoking.

But for reasons that I just can’t (or maybe don’t want to) put into words, the whole thing pisses me off. And since I can’t drink, the only thing I do when I’m pissed is I shop. A thousand bucks at City Super today on pata negra and cheeses and sun dried tomatoes and they even had ONE package of Hebrew National hot dogs. And next week if I’m still in a lousy mood I’ll probably pop for that Nikon lens.

Anyway ……..

Latest issue of BC Magazine is out. My latest column, a review of Neil Young’s Archives Volume 1 can be found here.

And my second feature article for the mag, a look back at the Beatles concerts in Hong Kong in 1964 combined with an interview with Uncle Ray is here.

The pic at the top of the article is mine, too. Here’s another shot from that evening at RTHK’s studios.

Hongkie Town
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