strategist

photos of me/with friends who have had a great impact on my life. i hope to see some of them again when our paths cross. i wish them all well and hope they always reach for the stars and realise their dreams.

One of my oldest friends, "White Guy". During my visit to Canada, I made a short stop in Vancouver and "WG" got on his canoe and made the journey from Nanaimo across the dangerous waters separating the "Island" from the continent of decadence. He brought a lovely woman with him - "B". (Side note: I sure hope WG doesn't scream at me for posting his photos online.)

People who have had the biggest impact on my life. Each snapshot represents a perfect moment in my life. I hope to see all my friends again one day. If given a chance, I would do it all again - no question about it. No hesitations. My life journey has taken me from my hometown of Regina, Canada, to Osaka, to Tokushima, and to Tokyo. Each person and each city has left a mark on my life.

Wonderful colleagues always make work go much faster and more enjoyable!

my home away from home on the canadian prairies. japan has been my home for the past 12+ years. each new journey is chronicled in my photo album. each picture is worth more than a thousand words. each with its own memory and story to tell.

I spent two wonderful years in Tokushima, Japan. The summer months are wonderful as the city puts on a fabulous festival, "The Awa-Odori", (The Awa Dance), that attracts people from all over the country. The motto of the dance is simple: A fool dances, A fool watches, Why not dance with us and be a fool! If you ever get a chance to see and dance at the festival, you should. It is a wonderful time and you will never forget it. The dance festival occurs in the month of August during the O-bon Holiday period; usually in the period of the 13th to the 15th.

Interview with Sting to talk about his new album, Sacred Love. The interview was held in Shinjuku, Tokyo on 30 October 2003. Sting is highly articulate and a wonderful person to interview. He is passionate about his music and his work to help make the world a better place for everyone. While the interview was quite short, I felt like I had personally known Commander Sting for years. Why am I referring Sting as 'Commander Sting'? At the beginning I asked Sting how I should address him as he has been awarded the CBE by Queen Elizabeth. He thought 'Commander' would be fine. So as the Commander requested, I addressed him as 'Commander'. (All rights reserved.)

April 29: Greenery Day I spent the day in Minami Ozawa at an outlet shopping centre. I had a great time running into each store to see what special deals they were offering to some of the thousands of shoppers there. While shopping I could not help but think I was in Honolulu doing some shopping. This is my first outlet mall I have visited since my arrival in Japan. I hope to hit another outlet mall in Yokohama at the weekend.

Enjoying the company of others is very much a celebration that lives in our hearts and minds for eternity. Each party brings together new friends and old friends. So many new memories to share with others.

My collection of eBay items and photos. I am an avid collector of Snoopy goods and eBay Live! products. I have full sets of trading cards given out to attendees at the conventions. I was lucky to attend the 2003 convention in Orlando, Florida and got to meet Pierre, Meg and Griff. I had the opportunity of speaking with Meg twice at last year's convention. She is very much a people person who enjoys talking to the regular folk. I have never seen a company CEO spend so much time and effort in talking with people. After seeing first hand how eBay works with its buyers and sellers, I now understand why the company is a leader in the world of e-commerce.

either you love business travel or you hate it: i love it! Had a chance to meet up with the gang at eBay in Orlando. It was nice meeting Pierre and Meg. Gosh, those two are like 'rock stars' - I sure got caught up in the hype!!!

Dido: life for rent - Performance for special fans, press, Record Label, promoters and others. Wonderful acoustic guitar set held at Tatou Tokyo in Roppongi on 30 October 2003. Dido sang as Vinnie played the acoustic guitar. She sang several songs and told the audience some funny stories. I really like her story about loving to fly. Now, why would anyone love to fly? Dido does some of her song writing on planes. Interesting, don't you think???

Roppongi Hills is a very interesting place to visit and work. The Mori Tower is a very practical office building. With many floors with commercial tenants, workers never had to travel far to see a dentist or physician. What I enjoyed the most about working at Roppongi Hills was the 'activity of night life' in the zone no matter what time I left the office building. If you have never been to Roppongi, do try to visit. It is a 24x7 neighbourhood.

The face of the Middle Kingdom is changing. I suspect that within the next 10 years, the old China that we know today, will no longer be there in the future. I expect a much more stronger economy with heavy influences spreading from Hong Kong into the mainland. I am not sure what the country will look like in 25 years but, I expect it to become quite western and more open to western influence and ideas. Hopefully, more people will visit the country in a more free world. It has been some 10 years since I last set foot inside of Hong Kong. I never thought I would ever return to the former British Colony in a post-1997 world. I was happy to see the former colony still vibrant and busy. It is like nothing has changed with the 'handover'. Hong Kong Island still looks very much like a bustling place. Visiting Mainland China was an adventure for me. Again, I never thought I would ever set foot in China. Shanghai is a very nice city to visit. I sure wish I had had more time during this most recent business excursion into the Middle Kingdom. Perhaps, on my next trip to the country, I can spend more time looking around and seeing how 'western' and 'open' the country has become.

Photos taken during my trips abroad. I hope these photos wil help to remind me of how wonderful and different the world truly is. Embrace such differences and always be open to new cultures and new experiences.

Christmas party with dear friends...