Cyberport!

Today a bunch of my coworkers and I took a trip to Cyberport. This is where MERECL, the digital entertainment lab I am a part of is going to be headquartered. I took this picture today in the courtyard that also serves as the entrance to our office. The dude in the center of the pic is Nury Vitachi. In addition to being one of the people in charge of MERECL's creative IP development, he also has the distinction of being Hong Kong's best selling English language author. I will be working alongside him on creative IP. Luckily, he and I get along famously so far and I look very much forward to working with him!

While the photo of our courtyard entrance may not look it, it is on the 7th floor of the Cyberport. This next pic is the view that Nury is looking at. If you've ever been to Hong Kong, then you know it is jam packed with buildings and people everywhere. It is surreal to see this much open space and greenery in Hong Kong. The circus tents in the distance are for Cirque de Soleil's Quidam which debuts next month. Tickets start at $1,000 HKD which is $125 USD. That's almost twice as much as they start at in the US! The only other place that could be comparable to this area may be the newly opened Disneyland on Lantau island.

This third pic was taken within the office space which is still under construction. That's me walking through the piles of debris on the floor. The most striking thing about this picture to me is all the green out the window. It may be common in US industrial parks, but it's a rarity for office space in HK. Many HK people don't like Cyberport because it is so far from everything. But it's actually about a 25 to 35 minute bus ride from where I live. People in HK are a little spoiled by how convenient and efficient the public transportation is. Anyway, while I will continue to have an office at the university, I will spend a majority of my time here at the Cyberport. Personally, I love that I'll be working here away from the hustle and bustle of the highly condensed, people-heavy part of Hong Kong. I look forward to creating and producing many creative projects here!