Dear Friends,

It is week 50, Thursday December 13th and Project Cargo Weekly is here with its final online issue of the year 2018. I just returned from a long and strenuous trip to Asia, but it was filled with input, colours, music, some ninety-five meetings overall (speed dating at two network conferences) and much talking to shipowners, forwarders, brokers, realtors and restaurant owners - even night club hostesses!

As the saying goes, what happens on a business trip stays on a business trip.

In India, I was reminded of the growth of the country and also its diversity in culture, music and so on. For example, to get an idea of the variety of music from the various regions of the country, watch this video.

At the CLC Projects Network conference in Mumbai, there was a segment at the end of the business speeches introducing yoga and meditation. I never thought I had a body that could stretch and relax to that extent, but we all got some insight from Dr. Prakash Kalmadi (www.karehealth.com) on how to relieve our shipping-stressed brains from the constant criss-crossing of our thoughts. It was most helpful and I got a feeling that there is a world of health out there that would really benefit most of us busy and important business people. In Bangkok, I was reminded what a great city it is, with friendly people and excellent food. It's simply a crossroads of the whole world's peoples coming to and from Asia, all in one mega city.

Proceeding to Hong Kong, as I described in the newsletter last week I was late for a meeting in Guangzhou due to a heavy Wanchai night out. Thanks to the impeccable infrastructure of South China, I managed to get to the meeting with COSCO on time. The fast train made it from Hong Kong to Guangzhoudong station in one hour and ten minutes and in less than two and a half hours from my door (including time for immigration formalities), I was at the Starbucks outside COSCO Specialized Carriers head office, repairing with a triple espresso. That evening, I was off to Stockholm via Bangkok with Thai Airways and I watched The Godfather for the third time on the trip. What a movie that is. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino are unbeatable. Returning from twenty to thirty five degrees to zero degrees and darkness is a bit of a downer, but then being greeted by the kids coming to the door when you arrive is priceless.

I am sure many of you have experienced this and as much as we are sometimes loathe to leave, we also appreciate returning. Travelling makes you understand how the world works, that is, if you do your best to interact with the locals. I have met foreigners in Asia who've lived there for years but never went out and experienced a thing. We sometimes must get out of our cocoons and comfort zones and meet people we don't know, frequent bars and restaurants that no one has told us about and generally just take in what we see locally. Why must we, especially us westerners, behave as judge and jury for how everyone else should live?

As mentioned it is our final issue this year, looking back, the year has been good, the development of Project Cargo Weekly has been excellent and we have received more and more expressions of interest in our online newsletter, principally because it's different. We are still not slaves to the advertisers but, having said that, I do have to remind you of our media kit for 2019 [see here]. Going forward we will continue to allow four banner ads in each issue guaranteeing exposure whilst reaching some 76,000 receivers worldwide. Videos can also be posted and they tend to be clicked more.

I have compiled a photo collage of pictures from my ten-day day trip to Thailand, India, Hong Kong and China and you will find it below.

We finish our newsletter without business and sector news this time - lets instead start to gear down and spend more time with our families.

On behalf of the two man team at Project Cargo Weekly online at www.projectcargo-weekly.com, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2019.

The first edition of 2019 will be on the 10th of January.

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