I have been working at Coleman’s Raleigh office for the last 2 plus years, as a member of the Operations Team. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit our Hong Kong office through Coleman’s Point-to-Point program, which allows employees to travel to and work in another Coleman office for up to 1 week.
After a brief 15-hour flight, I made it to Hong Kong a bit jet lagged but ready to see what the giant metropolis had to offer. The Coleman office is located on Hong Kong Island in the Wan Chai district with a great view overlooking Victoria Harbour. It’s the most prime location in the entire city, walking distance to anything and everything you could need.
On my first day in the office, I enjoyed getting to meet everyone, especially my colleagues on the Operations team. They showed me the ropes and helped me get settled in for the next few days. Before I knew it, I was heading off to lunch with our Client Management team for some dim sum, which was like no other dim sum I have had before. The very first thing that came to the table was a blackish-looking century egg. While I was skittish to eat it at first, my colleagues egged me on (pun intended) and I eventually tried the tiniest bite. It wasn’t awful and simply tasted like marinated egg. The rest of the meal was incredible, and I’m proud to say I went out of my comfort zone.
After a few days of work, I had the rest of the week off to shop and see the sights of Hong Kong. If you are into shopping, which I am, Hong Kong is the place to be. They have malls everywhere, with every high-end designer and shop you can think of. If you are on a budget, you’re in luck because there are lots of street markets. In between shopping, I was able to see a few sights. Tops on my must-do list was taking a drive all the way to the top of Victoria Peak. There is nothing like standing on top of the 1,818-foot mountain looking over the entire city, harbor, and beyond. The other great view of the city is from the ferry that takes you across the harbor from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon on the mainland side. I went at night and saw how beautiful the skyscrapers are all lit up. Finally, another highlight was taking a bus ride over the mountain to Stanley Market. The market is small, but sitting on the water on a warm sunny day, eating incredible food is something I will never forget.
Luckily, I was able to extend my trip and traveled to Taipei, Taiwan for another week. While very different, I thoroughly enjoyed both places and it truly was a trip of a lifetime. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity that Coleman has given me, and will always remember the friendships forged with my colleagues on the other side of the world. I want to thank Coleman and the Hong Kong office for their hospitality. I’m coming back to Raleigh re-energized and ready to take on the new year!