Labuan a year later

I was in this plant a year ago doing operation and maintenance training to the client's operation team. I visited the plant with our project management consultant and wrote something about social etiquette. It was just before I left to Kansas.

I went back again earlier this week to do a performance test on the product, after it has been operated for a year. I am happy for carrying out the test with the help of Mr. Experience.

The test went well, and we had one extra day before coming back. It was meant for contingency, we took that day and visited Labuan a little. Of course, I received phone calls from Mr. Porche, and had to cut the lazy day short to return to hotel checking some emails from him.

Mr. Experience spent longer time in Labuan while the product was being constructed, he knew the place pretty well. He brought me to this restaurant and we enjoyed some pretty good seafood by the sea. Don't imagine great settings, as it is also next to the wet market. It is not a place for ambiance.

There was a black cat with yellow stripes, that meow at our table from the beginning to the end of our meal. It even raised its paw to pad my thigh and my chair, to show that "hey, I am calling you to give me some food."

It didn't go away despite having a few rather large treats from us. It came back the next day when we returned as well. Darn cat.

Labuan is pretty small, most of the people work for the few plants there. You can see people walking around the city center with colourful coveralls, including myself.

Anyway, I am back home now.

Exit, escape

My career with this company, in its local office has come to a bottleneck.
I am more interested in product development, but there isn't an option here. I even offered to be in the project management role, but there just don't have any other choices. There isn't anything going on here, unless I were transferred to other offices outside of this country. But I can't leave this country for a long period of time anymore.

I was given an easy exit, but I guess it doesn't matter where I go, the result would be similar.

The South East Asia market houses mainly sales offices from various multinational corporations. Most of them don't have a proper (if ever) technical team here. It is always good to have a technical person in the local team, but it would only bore the technical person to death, as the technical supports are pretty trivial -- mainly generated from the sales person who refuses to understand the product and to take the responsibilities for owning up their promises to the clients. More importantly, it is because the technical teams here couldn't make the decisions for the product specials requested by the clients.

Some advised me to start my own business, but growing up in a business household, I am very reluctant to get into a business.

I don't know what am I doing here... I need to escape from this life.