Uniting a Global Housing Community is one of CIH's aims. This year is no exception and for the next few weeks I'm busy representing CIH and meeting our many friends on the other side of the world. In this first diary update I give you a flavour of what I've been up to.Hong Kong - Arrived yesterday a little world weary and jet lagged after an 11 hour flight. It was actually a pretty good flight but sleeping on a plane during the day is not my strongest attribute. I arrived the day before things kicked off here so I at least get one night to recover before we start the cycle of meetings. In fact I have a message to meet Mr Poon Yuen Fong (Sanford) Chairman of CIH Asian Pacific tonight at 7pm when I am their guest at dinner. CIH Scotland Director, Alan Ferguson, will also be joining us so we can discuss our schedule and in particular the local issues that I will need to build into my formal address at tomorrow's joint Hong Kong Institute and CIH Asian Pacific Annual Dinner. It is not too bad for me but poor Alan only lands at 5.15 pm and has to get to the hotel and out again by 7.00pm - bet he doesn't arrive until coffee!
Beijing - It has been 'full on' since we got here just over two and a half weeks ago. We have had one day off duty which we used to visit the highlights of Hong Kong and do the tourist bit. We were in Hong Kong for three days starting with my speech at CIH Asian Pacific Annual Dinner. We've visited projects, met government officials, heads of large organisations - first here in Hong Kong, before flying to Beijing and landing in a blizzard and a temperature of minus three degrees. We froze our way around Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, several Government offices, housing projects and housing organisations before visiting a blooming big wall that stretched across mountain tops as far as you could see - talk about a planned maintenance programme.
Wuhan to Macau and back again - We flew on to Shanghai, then Suzhou, followed by Wuhan University where I delivered a presentation that was translated into Mandarin to a classroom of students (who I later discovered could speak perfect English). We then returned to Hong Kong with a side visit to Macau - exhausting but would not have missed it for the world!On to Australia - CIH Asian Pacific are so thoughtful and hospitable it makes the whole experience unforgettable. The whole thrust of their strategy is to develop and grow their business, a task I am keen to use the presidential visit to help deliver. Their position in the Asian Pacific is complex and I will be keen to continue the dialogue with them and CIH as to how their business plan will develop. Well that's it for now, next time it is G'day Melbourne!
