I Love It When A Plan Comes Together!…

October 17, 2005

I am very califragalistically chuffed to tell you that Operation Hanh has been a complete success - I have blagged, harried, hustled and stomped my way into persuading those that make choices on such matters to give her the job of Logistics manager in the new official Vietnam set up my companies going ahead with.

Assuming her current backward-stone-age-numpty-fuckwit-company does not provide too many obstacles to her leaving, she’ll start in November - she’ll get a decent wage, pension, medical, insurance and a stable solid career for the future - plus they’ll hire someone to fill in for her when she takes maternity from Feb next year (this was the huge sticking point).

Sure, I felt guilty about how things ended up with me leaving last year - that it coulda worked out if I’d stepped up earlier - that she ended up in a shitty situation in life because we didn’t make the break when the break was there to make. After a while I talked myself into the sensible way of looking at things - that in the end, the time was not right and it wasn’t my fault things turned out the way they did with her arranged marriage and pregnancy etc - culture clash, her family, herself - all larger factors than me being hesitant to jump off a cliff and see if we could fly - such decisions cannot be made lightly - you must know that there is a fair chance you will take flight, otherwise it’s a long way down.

But still I could see how unhappy she was and wanted to do what I could to help her - and this was the only way - and it all turned out golden.

That they are now changing the Vietnam office to an official set up, rather than working with a rep company, is a testament to what Tri and I set up there three years ago - the business has developed to a level that means this is the next step. If I leave this earth tomorrow then that office will be my mini legacy - although I suppose if I had not existed there would be less of Vietnams poisonous crap masquerading as tea in the worlds cuppa’s.

Now the office will be in good hands with my friend Duong running the show assisted by his hiring of Hanh - she’s a fine trader, knows her tea, good knowledge of logistics and has excellent contacts - her translation skills are the best I encountered in Vietnam - she is perfect for the job - I don’t know why I had to try so hard to persuade people - would of thought it was obvious - but yeah, hire someone and then a couple of months later they chip off to have a kid doesn’t look right on balance sheets at head office I guess - that kind of thinking is what runs shows all over the place - rather than the fact that secure stable jobs like these in such parts of Asia are gold dust - that you really make a difference to peoples lives with every financial decision that relates to business in countries with high levels of poverty and low social support standards - that it’s not like she will have the chance of similar elsewhere one day.

My friend and partner in crime, Tri, will not be part of the new set up - effectively Hanh’s position is possible because he chooses to leave rather than work under one of his fellow countrymen - to whom he would probably end up teaching most of what he knows rather than learn from, yet still have the lower position and wage - I agree with him in the end - although sad to see all he learned about tea will not go on to mean too much in his next job - it’s like I taught him how to be a Jedi and now he’s giving it all up for a life of dusting crops.

Spo | October 17, 2005