Adventures in HK Pt 2

Day 3 in Hong Kong started bright and early. After a hearty breakfast of fried chicken nuggets (which I swear looked like the ones from McDonalds!) hash browns and chow mein, the team took a shuttle to the HKCEC, which was the state-of-the-art convention center where the Watch and Clock fair was being held. We made it in time for the opening ceremony which was really cool to be a part of.

(Photo: Breakfast Hong Kong style)

There were a lot of high rollers present, which made sense considering this was the number one watch and clock convention in the world, but most of them seemed like stuck up snobs in suit and ties. It felt good to be more casual, with our custom made Noble Timepieces polos. We may have not been in dress slacks and penny loafers but our swag was on point. "I feel like being different is exactly what we need to be in order to succeed in this industry," Westley said.

(Photo: L to R: Wes, Steven, Aris, Vince and Rick at the HK fair)

To say that there was a lot to see would be an understatement. When you have 3 floors and over 700 venders to shift through, you know you're in for a long day. But we stayed focused and came up with a game plan to tour the convention in sections over the course of a few days.

(Photo: Rooftop at our Hotel)

Once we got back to the hotel after a long day of negotiating, the team was ready to regroup and head back out to experience some more of the Hong Kong night life. What better way to cap off the night than by making a visit to the "Highest Bar in the World?" The bar was called Ozone and it was at the Ritz Carlton. After taking an elevator 118 floors, we entered into the cosmopolitan lounge and enjoyed a drink with an amazing view. It was full of people and even had a guy that I'm convinced was George Lucas. It could have been the dragon fruit cocktail mixed with a little vertigo, but I'm gonna stick to my story. The night ended with a couple of girls stopping us at the elevator and asking if I was a hip hop artist. We all laughed, then we realized they were serious.

(Photo: The amazing View from the Ozone Bar)

Day 4 began around the same time for myself, but somehow Westley and Rick found enough energy to wake up at 6 in the morning and hit the gym atop our hotel. Had I known they were giving out free energy drinks just to sign in I probably would have joined them. Once we got the morning started it was back to the convention to follow up with some promising vendors and also take part in some pre-scheduled meetings. It was a long and grueling process but we are confident that the end result is going to be something worth the effort.

Once back at the hotel we found out that all drinks at our bar were 2-for-1 so we parked it there for a while and pre-gamed for the night to come, which in Hong Kong was "ladies night". Now, don't get the wrong idea. We weren't out to be promiscuous or anything, but when you're in a country that designates a day of the week for partying then it would be a crime not to do what the locals do: party.

We found ourselves in the infamous Wan Chai, which is like party central for the locals. There were so many bars and clubs lined up next to each other that it was hard to focus. It felt like we were in the middle of a contest between who could play their dub step the loudest. There was so much bass thundering down the streets I could barely hear myself think. It was perfect. Not to mention you could drink out on the streets like in Vegas. The major difference between the bars out in Hong Kong as opposed to the ones in LA, are on Wednesday nights its ladies night, which means that all girls drink for free. All night. Yes. Free drinks all night.

(Photo: The infamous Wan Chai)

In the short time we spent enjoying the scenery, we saw a couple of fights, a girl pass out and face plant on the floor, someone almost get hit by a cab, and a mass of people flooding the streets in drunken bliss. It was like watching a scene from World War Z. Some exchange students mistook me for whom they called "The American Bully" and wanted to take pictures with me. It wasn't until later that I found out it was because they thought I was Suge Knight. Wow. What a way to end the night...but the journey continues. Stay tuned for the conclusion of our Adventures in Hong Kong.