Is anybody out there?

GP has been taking a self imposed break from the blogosphere, after the unwelcome discovery of her blog. You know who you are, and if you are reading this I would prefer that you weren't. But then, that's the rule with blogging - you have to put stuff out there and cannot control who comes across it. So tentatively, back into the fray, on the pitch and playing and all those other cliches...

On a more serious note, it does make me think about how inadvertantly exposing the web can be. Solipsistically, one can type away thinking that what gets sent out there disappears into nothingness, where as in fact it's available to all sorts of punters (I was surprised to see someone from the Ministry of Finance in Dubai reading the other day). The part that surprised me was that anyone with an ounce of computer literacy can track URLs (I don't believe the bollocks about finding this from a google search - even people who know me can't do that!)

So - motto for today, anyone who's thinking of sharing intimacies, posting semi nude photos or launching a major confessional, just think twice. GP isn't watching you, but you don't know who is........

Young man - are you listening to me?

Well, maybe not listening, but certainly observing and watching. Now this - from an 18 year old in the UK

hi, did we chat before? i think u are lovely. could we chat? sorry if i contacted u before. i am attracted to ladies older than me so i hope u dont mind our age difference even if its only chatting

Well, should I? See what happens?? Get arrested and deported for unseemly behaviour????

Money don't get everything it's true....

Aside from requests for me to enhance people'e Zhongwen, I get the odd other interesting offers. Take this:

ATTENTION..

I am Mr.Akwa Bob.,An Auditing & Accounting Manager at the Foreign Remittance Department of BANQUE DU TOGO- (BT),LOME-TOGO .During my auditing/accounting closing services duties of the year financial report to our bank, I discovered a dormant account datas with a figure amount of Seven Million and Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($7.200,000USD)Only belonging to a foreigner named; Mr. Kurt kahle from Germany,a deceased customer of our bank who was involved and died in an Plane Crash event:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm.

The said fund is now ready for re-transfer to a foreign account whose owner will be portrayed as the beneficiary next of kin to the late man. Since we got information about his death,No body has ever come up to claim the fund deposit.From the BCC report,we learnt that all his supposed next of kin died alongside with him at the plane crash. Upon the receipt of this discovery,I personally decided to make this business proposal for you to stand as the next of kin to the Deceased account fund to re-transfer into your bank account for your country.

And Our banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed after NINE years, the fund will be transferred into the bank treasury for the Government Ultilization.The request of foreigner as next of kin in this dealing is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a Burkinabe cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner account OK!.. I therefore solicit and ask for your assistance to come forward as the next of kin to the account under my banking experience directive.Note 40% {$2.880,000 U.S.D}will be for you in respect your account provision for the claim and assistance in transfer exercise, while 60% {$4.320,000 U.S.D}would be for me.Note,We have to maintain the confidentiality and secrecy involved.

l am looking forward to your urgent reply.
Yours faithfully,

Mr.Akwa Bob.

Who, I ask myself in bemusement, falls for this shite?? If I had the time I'd love to study the psychology of gullability....

another one bites the dust...

the latest on the dating trail:

hi
i am forigner live in SZ at hua qiang bei
i am looking for a sex partner and someone who can enhance my Zhongwen, i am fluent in English also.

please let me know if you are interristed...

zai jian!!

Do I want my Zhongwen enhanced?? Could I even perform this act for someone else??? The mind boggles....

Love is on my mind...

Well, just woken up after an exhausting night spent acting out an elaborate 3 way fantasy with two hot stud muffins. Not entirely sure how I'll get the massage oil stains off the sheets and we may have done some strutural damage to the ceiling with the hoist but worth it...

or

Just woke up after a fun night, met some nice people but no sparks. Extracated myself from the bar after beeing pawed over by an overly keen Icelander, talked to a nice but harrassed divorcee about the challenges of raising kids in HK, did do my bit of getting out there and trying but no dice....

As an aside I did meet a really nice guy on Friday, we chatted and flirted all night, and even if nothing comes of it at least it reassures me that men like this exist in HK.

On Thursday I watched Revolutionary Road, which brought memories of previous failed relationships flooding back to me. The depiction of the slow, choking death of love/lust/whatever was all too real, and reminded me again of the truth that it's better to be honestly single.

Happy VD one and all x

Money, money, money, it's so funny, in a rich man's world....

Buyer beware!

One of the defining qualities of HK is its sheer accessibility - there's none of the mucking around of commuting to get in the way of doing stuff, and there's an awful lot of stuff to do here. Hence a lot of people run around like blue arsed flies. cramming their days full, truly human doings rather than beings.

Anyhow, for me this has meant pitching up to lots of talks and lectures. Being a bit of a nerd I enjoy learning new stuff. The longer I stay here though, the more my bullshit detector goes off and filters out some of the true crap that people have the cheek to peddle.

Which leads me to a salutory tale. I was invited to an "exclusive" breakfast, hosted by the XL foundation which markets itself as a social entrepreneurial organisation. Their founder is the charismatic, dishy Roger Hamilton. After an, admittedly nice, breakfast, Roger stood up to gave his spiel, which rapidly deteriorated into the crudest sales pitch for XL. I left early.

Imagine my surpirse to find that he's back in town, speaking at this event. A quick google search reveals that he's now banned in Singapore, but somehow not in HK. Needless to say, if you've been invited then I wouldn't bother.

Apologies for lack of smut and gossip - however, I am off to a Valentine's Day party tonight so you never know :-)

Home, home on the range......

An acquaintance of mine in HK is a property agent. As you can imagine, this isn't a pretty profession to be part of right now. I went along to a couple of events where expensive properties are sold off plan to eager, cash rich Asian buyers. I am now very glad that a voice of reason and caution got in the way and prevented me from ever, ever investing in them.

I saw her recently, looking slightly ashen faced and drawn. Funnily enough buyers are defaulting left, right and centre on these properties (or more accurately, the option to buy a completed property at some time in the future...) as they don't have the readies to fund it. In turn the developers are threatening to sue. She's stuck in the middle. Fun and games.

Anyhow, given this background I was astounded when this piece of marketing puff turned up in my inbox today. Do they not, I ask myself, read them before they get sent out? Would this be the same Australia that has been ravaged by a toxic combo of fires, droughts, rains and god knows what else? Who in their right minds would be in for investing of a piece of this right now??? Answers on a comment please...