Houston – 2008

June 23, 2008 at 4:15 pm

May is a month full of travelling, but I think after my trip to US, there’ll be no more travels, and I’ll be home bound, at least for work.

I was in Houston for a 2 weeks training with 5 other colleagues from this region, for a company who’s very concern about cost, my manager must have fought real hard for us; and it’s economy class all the way, such class!

Mom2Ashley and I flew off on May 24th (Saturday), a good night sleep at Changi, and then it’s our 24hrs flight to Houston (*shudder* just thinking about the flight). Luckily we got good seats (thanks to my SIA friend), and on the 2nd part of the flight, the plane was quite empty and we could have a row of seat each to ourselves.

We transitted at Moscow. Where instructions were barked out, and every body looked so serious and unfriendly.
Moscow Airport

4 movies, and a few interupted short sleeps, and many meals later, we reached Houston at the wee hour on Sunday night; collected our car (with GPS, Always Never Lost, of course), went straight to the hotel, washed up and slept (or at least try to).

Monday 26th May was Memorial Day in US. Unlike my other colleagues who went sight seeing around Houston, Mom2Ashley, myself and another Hong Kong colleague drove up to San Marcos, 3hrs away, in the morning, just so we can do some serious shopping in Prime Outlet (rated as 3rd best place to shop in the world by some TV channel) and Tanger Outlet which are side by side each other.

It was worth the trip, especially with the Memorial Day sales on. Gap dresses were going for ~USD10, Osh Kosh had 50% and Coach had 25% discount store wide, etc etc.

Some of the brands in this outlet which are normally not available in other US outlets (at least those in Calirfornia which I’d visited).
Prime Outlet San Marcos

Credit : Mom2Ahsley

I got the girls a few dresses, tops and pants, and got myself a handbag (not from Coach though). Check out our combined loot in the trunk!
Shopping bags in our trunk

Credit : Mom2Ahsley

We headed back to Houston contented, happy, and knackered. Dinner was just along the highway, some good old Texan BBQ.

Joel's Bar-B-Q

Tuesday was the start of the training. The office is no Google Office, but it’s probably our company nicest office complex. With tall big trees every where, feel as though we’re in a park; so green, so much glass and light.

One of the cafeterias.
One of the cafeterias

Link bridges link up all the office buildings.
One of the link bridges that connect office buildings

Buildings are built among tall trees.
Buidlings

Training was good. You finally realised that the knowledge that you have, is no worse than the so called expert (but we learnt it the hard way by doing a lot of self reading). 😛

No food pix you realised? I’m not impressed with Texas food at all (Sorry Simple American). A lot of Mexican restaurants, Asian food is so so (think Sichuan spicy chicken == Tobasco sauce chicken), Italian food is mediocre. Simple American said steaks are really good, but since I don’t take beef, I can’t vouch for that. I love the pre-pack sushi from the office though!

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