Business AND Pleasure in Asia

Last Updated: February 5, 2016 by Paul

After traveling to crappy Texas every week for work, I finally got rewarded when I was asked to travel to Asia to run a series of management interviews for my client. It was a last-minute decision and was a tight trip, squeezed between the Bain offsite in San Diego (I raced back from it, swapped over my bags, and went straight back to the airport), another week in Austin, and New Consultant Training in Montreal. On the plus side I was able to score a first class ticket on my fave airline, Singapore Airlines, which was a fantastic experience!

First class Singapore Airlines = awesome!!! Personal service, pyjamas, more legroom than you could ever need, and a bed complete with bedsheet and duvet!

After a stopover in Hong Kong I arrived in Singapore feeling quite refreshed. I checked into the hotel and met up with fellow Bainee Alex, who’d flown over on a different airline. We’d timed our flights so that we’d have Sunday to explore Singapore (and get over jetlag).

One of the more fascinating sights we saw was a Buddhist temple.

After Monday at the client site we met up with the other half of our team, went for a few drinks (typical!) and a great dinner out.

(L) Raffles by night. (R) Singapore Slings all round!

After just a couple of days in Singapore, Alex and I flew north up to the island of Penang off the coast of mainland Malaysia.

(L) Chinese theatre on the streets of Georgetown. (R) A very dodgy bar.

(L) Cramped taxi. (R) Sleepy consultants.

With all the work done for the week, and Alex jetting off to Ireland for the next leg of his trip, I had a free day on Penang to go sightseeing. I caught a taxi up to Georgetown, rented a motorbike (bit of tradition by now whenever I find myself on an island) and went off to experience some of the island’s sights, sounds and tastes.

The quaint colonial streets of Georgetown.