August 2008
7 posts
Trip Home and Final Thoughts
The flight home was long and uneventful. I did arrange to have a seat with no one around me, which made the trip more bearable. I did watch Forrest Gump (for the 40th time). I don’t know if I was just tired or missing my family extra, but I was more emotional than I had when watching it prior. I’m sure the flight attendents were wondering what was wrong with the big, weepy...
Tuesday in KL
Day 2 started off pretty much the same - but a lot more interaction. There were some great questions - very insightful and well-thought out. I called them “Gold Star” questions (I should have brought gold stars to hand out!) and this prompted even more questions and stories.
During the breaks, there was a lot more interaction between the attendees, as well as people approaching me...
Monday in KL
Monday was the first day of my two-day workshop on customer evangelism. I don’t really get nervous before these things, but I did want to be prepared - and on time. I met Grace and Stephie, the two people from UNI that had been coordinating the event and my trip. They were very gracious and professional. One thing that struck me was the huge custom-made sign (see photo in separate post)...
July 2008
12 posts
New post - “Lessons from Kuala Lumpur” - http://tinyurl.com/5ujk6q Observations on marketing, branding, and not sucking.
KL - Sunday
I ended up having a restless night - primarily from drinking so much water earlier in the day! I had been given the phone number for a family who is in our fellowship, but ended up not contacting them. I know that I would have been welcomed and felt right at home, but I was really feeling the wear and tear of the trip. A short version: I went back to sleep until about 10:00 am!
I went back to...
KL - Saturday
After relaxing for a bit, I decided to go exploring. Actually my first task was to find a store where I could buy a power adapter and a web cam. I headed off, going past street vendors selling watches, massage parlor hawkers, food vendors, etc. - a lot like Vegas!
I continued to notice the broad cultural mix, but was most fascinated by the Arabs. A common scene was a woman in a burka, with...
KL - My Hotel
I am staying at the Hotel Istana right downtown KL. It was selected for me by UNI and is where my workshop will be conducted.
It had a great first impression. A snappily dressed bell hop, a beautiful lobby, and a very friendly front desk staff. Everyone speaks understandable English; often with a bit of a British accent. The attention to service is noticeable; probably better than any place...
KL - The Drive from the Airport
The taxi ride from the airport to the hotel was uneventful. It was 90 RM (about $30 USD). I rode in a Proton, a Malaysia-manufactured car. The drivers side was on the left, as was the traffic pattern - remnants of Malaysia’s British past.
The airport is much further from downtown than I realized. It was about an hour ride. There was very light traffic and no speed markers. I am...
KL - The Airport
We landed about noon in KL.
I was amazed at how clean and nice the airport is - by far better than any US airport I’ve been in. The architecture was cool and the floors shined (shone?) like marble.
As suspected, I didn’t have any cell service here.
The video from the plane was an accurate protrayal of the process - again, that really helped with traveler anxiety.
I knew that...
KL - Part 2
This post is about my flight …
The Malaysia Air flight attendent team was incredible. I first noticed them as they gathered to get on the flight. The women attendants had beautiful long dresses in an exotic print of teal, green, and pink. Most were quite striking and gracious. They reminded me of geishas! Check out the front page of the airline’s site here. The men wore teal...
Kuala Lumpur - Part 1
I am in Kuala Lumpur (KL from here on out) to conduct a workshop for a global speaking/training company called UNI Strategic. This is a huge opportunity for what John, Sam, and I are trying to do with our “rock star” strategy.
Now that the background is out of the way, I thought I’d note some observations so far about the trip. Here is part I - waiting and take-off.
I had an...