2 posts tagged “2lmc”

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I fail to see how HSBC was started by a Scotsman

Apr 10, 2008
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Apparently HSBC was founded by a Scotsman, one Thomas Sutherland. I'd heard this years ago, and the nickname Home to Scottish Banking Clerks. See, I'm Scottish, and my thoughts upon arriving in Hong Kong were not, "you know what, I'll form a banking empire that will eventually grow to be huge, only to undo itself slightly with a misplaced acquisition of a US sub-prime lender shortly before sub-prime goes really wrong." No, my thoughts have been "it's too hot I'm melting". Which I think is the correct response a Scotsman arriving here would have. Shorts have been bought, jackets have been ditched.

HK is strange, but in a confusing with familiar reference points way. Japan (well Tokyo) was cool, and mental, but obviously not the West. I didn't stumble across Waitrose pasta on the shelves there, it didn't have 3 pin UK plug sockets and UK road signs (even the bizarre traffic merging one). All post colonial hangovers I know, but it makes what to make of it more difficult.

I had a visual analogy going on that it reminded me of a 2lmc bathroom one party. We liked putting lighting gels up to colour to house a bit and that party we turned that bathroom greeny/bluey. It wasn't white, but when you closed the door, it was near enough white that your mind tried to white-balance, but it couldn't and so you feel a bit ill. (I believe Richard Clamp ripped the gel out from the light not long after the party started.). In short, big changes are easier to deal with than changes which are almost, but not quite, within the realms of acceptability. The former you deal with, the latter play with your mind a little.

Right now, dinner.

(and yes, i'm well aware this post kind of contradicts my previous post...)

Today we took the wheels off the spool

Dec 21, 2007
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It funny, bitter and was the deranged ranting of 4+ geeks who just weren't quite cool enough to make it into the in crowd. Low grade brooker-esque bile for the interweb, because there clearly wasn't enough of that already. The things it caused were interesting, from meeting someone who worked in the same building as me, through to other way more complicated stuff.

As of today though, it's over. Without the front channel of living in the same house, the back channel never quite had as much point. I'm sad that we never did the whole afternoon music video medley, the MTV Sweep until we found the video or the music that liked was always fun.

As jerakeen said though, things should have arcs-arcs lead to closure.

2007 has been an interesting year, I've dealt with some things that have been hovering around for years. 2008 shaping up to be even moreso. As I've blogged about I'm going travelling and going freelance, expect a link to the required 'about work stuff' blog soon.

Until then, have a great christmas, new year et al, and good hunting for 2008.