Monthly Archives: July 2025

As any regular reader of this here blog will know, every year (besides years like 2020) on a Friday in the first half of July we celebrate the company’s birthday. This year, of course, was no exception. A full day – and night – of partying: big, varied, loud, fun… and this year – hurray! – lots of sun!

Yet again, the venue was our favorite Radisson Resort in Zavidovo – some 130km northwest of Moscow. And this year – as the title’s already let on – we had 3500 guests: a record!

Read on…

Macau. Where is it, and what is it? Does the name sound familiar? I guess many of you will say it’s somewhere in China, figures large in colonial history, has its fair share of shady neighborhoods, and more than its fair share of casinos. And… you’d be right! However, I was here for neither the history, the culture, nor the gambling – but for work: our Asia-Pacific partner conference – the last in our yearly ultramarathon of regional partner conferences.

Read on…

You can get to Hong Kong by car, train, or even by boat. But I have a strong feeling that most foreign (non-Chinese) tourists arrive in Hong Kong by air. And that means you inevitably pass by the Big Buddha statue installed on a hill opposite the airport. You can’t actually see the statue from the airport/road, but knowing it exists doesn’t require visual contact at all :)…

For many years I had a dream that one day, when leaving Hong Kong, I’d finally visit this wonderful sculpture. And every time I’d approach Hong Kong airport I’d look left toward the mountains and… regret not having enough time for a closer look. But I kept on dreaming, and finally, just recently, my dream came true…

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One of the must-dos here in Hong Kong is an evening boat cruise. Get ready, for here come a ton of photos. But first – I need to tell you about which boat to take…

If you just ride the regular ferry from Kowloon, you can catch some cool views. But if you hop on to one of the tourist boats and then spend two-and-a-half hours cruising back and forth along the strait between the islands – that’s a whole different story: much, much better.

Read on…

Hong Kong. Must-see – by everyone – obviously. However, from the sightseeing-tourist point of view, there isn’t actually all that much to do: in just two nice-weather days you can take a ferry ride and get up to the Peak, check out Hong Kong’s Big Buddha (more on that later), take an evening boat ride (more on that later too), and stroll along the promenade – and that’s basically it: you’re just about done; well, that is – if you or the party you’re with aren’t shopaholics. Oh – but if you want to see the “other side” to Hong Kong – the one away from the tourist traps and the famous skyscrapers and the large digital screens – that’s a bit diferent, and for that you need a really good local guide.

I’ve been to HK plenty of times: according to my photo archive, this was my 13^th trip. My first was way back in 2001, for a Virus Bulletin conference. (Woah: I thought Virus Bulletin was no more, but having just looked it up – turns out it’s still alive and kicking!) Wait – another mix-up: it wasn’t for the Virus Bulletin conference; it was for the AVAR conference.

Fast-forward to 2025, and Hong Kong’s Museum of Art made it clear all over again why there are so few tourist attractions in Hong Kong.

Read on…