Hong Kong Ham

Finally, more than three months after the launch of our pilot issue, we have put the first issue of our new magazine to bed. It’ll be out on February 23, ready for the hundreds — nay, tens — of eager marketers awaiting its arrival.

Last week was a busy week concentrating almost solely on getting the damn thing finished — not a light task, considering our editorial team consists of two (plus freelancers). Apart from the patchy freelancers, we do our own subbing, editing, proofing (three slightly different things), re-writing, and correcting. Those final few stages drag on agonisingly long, and after every go-over with a fine-tooth comb, there are still, inexplicably, more errors to find. The copy becomes more boring, the work more laborious, with every read. But it has to be done. And today we got it done good and proper. It’s off to the printers, and out of our hair.

I was interested, then, to come across a draft of something I intended to post after we finished our pilot issue back in November. It’s a recap of how my subsequent week unfolded. Let’s call it an over-indulgent and totally uncalled-for self-diarising. What’s interesting to note (to me), is that I was so much more active in that week than I’m going to be in this week. Probably. So far, my plans generally consist of precisely what I’ve done tonight: lie on the couch and watch Deadwood (best TV series of all time?). I must say, though, I made a pretty grood (great and good) curry-thing for dinner. And I put a fancy new header on my blog. Ain’t I smart?

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Thursday, November 10

My editor and I put the final touches on the launch issue of our new magazine — a trade publication on digital marketing in Asia Pacific. Of course, ‘final touches’ really means proofreading the entire 70-page issue one more time and finding 97 errors per page. I celebrate by going home from at 10:30pm (a dream early finish compared to the two magazines I’d previously worked on) and slumping on the couch with one (1) cold beer in front of Little Britain.

Friday, November 11

Return to the office to find more errors in our thrice-proofread magazine. Send it off to the printers without wanting to look any closer. Celebrate later with a toast to the magazine, along with other toasts to celebrate the Republicans losing the Senate and the House, and Rumsfeld’s departure. End the night at Underground, where I pick up the CD of another new favourite: electro duo Snoblind, whose poorly chosen name and frumpy T-shirts are more than compensated for by video projections of cool satellite images of Hong Kong, nicked from the city’s planning department, where the two musos work.

Saturday, November 12

Malaysian noodles, New Zealand ice cream, and then a delicious seafood dinner on Lamma island, where a bunch of friends and I attend DickStock — a free mini music fest in some dude’s backyard. Cheap beer. Meet a Kiwi who worked at the same orchard as I did in Alexandra.

Sunday, November 13

My girlfriend (extremely hungover) and I (clean as a whistle) meet a Canadian friend (somewhat hungover) to go hiking on Lantau Island. Hangovers and laziness preclude exercise, so we take a bus to a beach, eat avocado sandwiches, and go swimming. Not bad for late autumn.

Monday, November 14

Work very quiet since launch of magazine. Go to swanky Isole bar, overlooking Hong Kong from the IFC for an ad agency’s 10th birthday party. Drink: two orange juices, one red wine. Eat: barely anything, aside from skewered fruit. Very disappointing. Slink off to see preview screening of Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. Enjoy blood and cleavage — I mean, carnage. Not so disappointing.

Tuesday, November 15

Work still very quiet. Can’t figure out how to make it louder. Go to Hong Kong launch of Blackberry Pearl in fancy Lumiere restaurant overlooking the city from the IFC. Meet vice-president dude, but fail to conjure genuine enthusiasm. Retreat to corner to suck on alcohol-free colada. Stare blankly at sales guy telling me how wonderful the device — which I still don’t know how to use — is. Be disappointed at more crappy finger food.

Wednesday, November 16

Potato and spinach curry (with naan) at lunch is day highlight. Awards evening at some fancy bar that doesn’t overlook Hong Kong serves up more sub-par finger food (Hong Kong, what are you doing?) and good red wine. A night of self-congratulation for ad agencies — which really just means an excuse to get drunk.