After getting benched for a few years, I finally get my training stint.
The person who ran my outfit has never given me any career development opportunities.
Sad, but true.
So, in September, I scored a new gig.
I was seconded to the Content and Development department to set up the Asean unit.
One of the requirement was knowledge in video capture and editing.
And boy, was I in luck!
The first thing I did was to sign-up for an in-house training stint, which was denied by the section head in the old outfit.
My luck changed after reporting for the new unit. I was sent for more training.
This gig is abroad and it was a five-day multimedia workshop organized by the China Daily and Asia News Network in Bangkok, Thailand.
I look forward to the prospect of learning something new.
That said, the last time I was in Bangkok was seven years ago.
For this trip, I packed light.
I carry a Microsoft Surface 2 tablet, my trusty EOS-M, EF-M 11-22mm wide-angle zoom lens and the proven EF-M 55-200 medium telephoto zoom.
The additional gear that I had lugged around for this multimedia workshop (centres around capturing video) was my Rode Videomic Go.
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| Getting a ride to KLIA 2 |
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| At the terminal |
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| Arriving at Don Mueang international airport near Bangkok |
I met my co-worker at the departure lounge in KLIA 2.
The place was really a circus with people everywhere. I heard horror stories about checking-in, so, decided that it was best to get there early and go through all the formalities.
Michelle and I had lunch at home before heading off to the airport. I pet the kids on their heads, said my good-byes.
To cut cost, we travel on a budget airline.
So, that said, there's no comfort and everything else is on my own expense.
I was traveling on a tight budget.
On my wallet, there's about 3,500 baht for incidental expenses.
The currency fluctuation didn't help either. 100 baht is RM1.20, and the cost in Bangkok is higher than any other parts of Thailand.
I even had to share a room with my co-worker. So, having given it much thought, I'd roughed it out on the floor.
Blending in...
My first day in Bangkok was actually spent on catching up with what I have missed over the last seven years.
After settling in at the hotel in Soi 31 along Sukhumvit Road, I took a walk to the uptown area.
Went as far as Rama Road and decided to turn back to the hotel.
That's a decent 5.8km walk and good exercise. I don't plan to abandon my fitness regime even when I am away.
On the first night, one of the head-honcho of Nation TV hosted dinner at an italian restaurant.
I also met the coordinator of the training programme Claudia, a Dutch national attached to the China Daily as a Multimedia Curator.
We also met some participants from Vietnam who came for dinner.
The Nation guy was really generous and for the rest of the week, we had classes and another dinner reception in the middle of the week.
At the same time, I was coordinating a meet-up with some of my old Thai friends.
I even had to share a room with my co-worker. So, having given it much thought, I'd roughed it out on the floor.
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| Arriving in Bangkok |
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| Taking an evening walk |
My first day in Bangkok was actually spent on catching up with what I have missed over the last seven years.
After settling in at the hotel in Soi 31 along Sukhumvit Road, I took a walk to the uptown area.
Went as far as Rama Road and decided to turn back to the hotel.
That's a decent 5.8km walk and good exercise. I don't plan to abandon my fitness regime even when I am away.
On the first night, one of the head-honcho of Nation TV hosted dinner at an italian restaurant.
I also met the coordinator of the training programme Claudia, a Dutch national attached to the China Daily as a Multimedia Curator.
We also met some participants from Vietnam who came for dinner.
The Nation guy was really generous and for the rest of the week, we had classes and another dinner reception in the middle of the week.
At the same time, I was coordinating a meet-up with some of my old Thai friends.
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