Posted 1:45 AM by Andy
It's a slow afternoon as my manager is away on sick leave, so let me quickly rehash some random thoughts.

Work. I'm formulating a strategy deck to enhance our Community product offerings. Currently our discussion boards are flimsy in functionality. Our VP is questioning the direction of the enhancements so I'm preparing a couple proposals to present to him. Our new CTO is very involved so I've had to rescope a previous loyalty program for our top buyers. A big part of my job is communicating with all the constituents. It exasperates me sometimes to have to come in for early-morning conference calls in order for developers in the US to understand the requirements on projects. They would discussing nitty-gritty details like database fields while I babysit on the phone to ensure they implement features correctly. With some of the projects that we are developing locally, project managers from the US would call and ask about support requirements. I'd end up explaining we will take care of it ourselves. With some of the server relocation requests, I wonder if headquarters thinks we are a renegade business unit.

Respect. A recent episode brought to the fore my temperament and perhaps sheds light even deeper onto my psyche. I played ball a few weeks ago at SMIC on the outdoor courts. There was one kid who was a good player who was lighting everybody up as I waited my turn. Of course, I matched up against him to slow him down. He would make hard drives into the lane and use his off-arm to push off. Playing my usual tenacious defense, I would hold ground and either contest his shot or swipe for the ball. He called a couple fouls on me and I gave him the ball but I could tell he was getting frustrated. He stole the ball a couple times from me as I made my cross-over move. The atmosphere became more heated as the competition ramped up. On one inbounds play, I checked the ball to him from the top of the key. He rolled the ball away from me at a 45-degree angle to my left. I ran and fetched the ball and checked it again to him. He rolled the ball behind me again at a 45-degree angle to my right. At that point, I became livid for the first time in a long time. I chucked the ball hard at his face from about 10 feet away. He deflected it at the last second. Half the guys on the court tried to calm me down as the other half watched in stunned silence. I yelled at him, “Check the ball to me. I'm right here.” At issue was the fact he was trying to punk me. “I know you can pass better than that.” I told him in no uncertain terms. He was surprised at my vehemence and the wrath of my fury. The game continued after that but he became noticeably tamer. I hit the game-winning jumpshot over him which is the sweetest revenge. What upset me and caused me to erupt was the way he disrespected me. For all intents and purposes, I am known and respected by half of the folks within SMIC and certainly by the guys that regularly play ball. To attempt a ruse like that on me is unacceptable. Later from old highlights of NBA fights, I realized when a battle of will and ego occurs, sometimes things turn ugly. That was crazy as I was ready to take him out.

Social Life. I will have to move again for the second time this year. The main issue is I live too far away from the subway line. The morning commute varies from half an hour to an hour depending on traffic and weather conditions. My roommate is also relocating so that forces my hand. I need to check out a couple places, one near Dongchang station in Pudong and another one near my office in People's Square. Both apartments will double my current rental costs, but it's worth the reduction in stress and time savings. About 15 people attended my house party, with some playing Apples to Apples. In between pouring drinking and mingling with my guests, I won a poker tournament against my buddies. They joked about how I indirectly charged a fee for my party. Most of the friends that came were expats. Male-male ratio was about 2 to 1. I will have to rectify those imbalances in the future. I saw Justin from St. Louis recently scoping out opportunities to work in Shanghai. Another guy Jonmichael is here who I’ll look to connect with since he is Greg W's buddy.

Expat Packages. I know I should not envy other people's deals, but I noticed the glaring disparity in our lifestyles recently when I visited Mason's pad at the Portman. He works for the US consulate so the housing is comped, and he drives around in a Lexus sedan. This guy is like what, 27? It’s nice to be a government bureaucrat I guess. We watched a music video of Namie Amuro (? Not sure about the spelling.) I also asked Tim W about his plans to start his own hip-hop record label. The market is still too immature at this stage, saturated with pop and teen idol-type singers.

Almost time to watch a play with Angel tonight.