OK, after the overwhelming response for Part 4.....
So there I am, married with my new bride by my side waiting in the immigration queue at Heathrow Terminal 3. After an X-Ray my wife was given the all clear and we stepped into the UK. Now I should explain I had been single for quite a few years, we went to the car park to collect the car. Have you ever tried loading an MR2 Convertable with a new brides belongings
. Luckily I had bought a rack that fits on to the boot lid. We still had to squeeze things around the cockpit of the car though.
At this time I was one of the founders of a new company developing a new technology based on a very effective biocide (Disinfectant) which killed most known bacteria, viruses etc but was so safe to humans you could drink it. I had been involved in a previous company using the same technology which floated on the UK stock exchange for £100m. Unfortunately, despite a number of promises I never received my shares.
Anyhow, the new company was owned by myself and another partner. We had managed to get a group of investors interested in the technology, however due to potential issues of IP rights it was agreed that my partner and I would hold shares through proxies, and would not be directors?
?? We had been working for around 1 year, developing the technology and were in a position to start the design process for the final manufactured product. Hence the reason for my trips to Malaysia over the last year.
Money had been a bit tight before I left to get married and two days before we had a board meeting where I specifically asked, are we still OK regarding the investment. A few days after my return I get a call saying that the investors where not going to put any more money in. They were in discussions with a major company in the UK and part of the deal would be that the second company would fund the company going forward. In the mean time I was expected to continue working for free
.
Alarm bells started ringing. As I was the "expert" on the technology I said I was not prepared to continue and pulled the plug. It turned out this group of investors were "somewhat suspect". For anyone in the know the was a case here in the UK concerning Nat West loaning large sums of monies to companies which then seemed to disappear. It turns out our "investors" were involved.
So there I am newly married and no job or money. My partner and I decided to continue developing the company. After a while we came across another adviser that claimed could get us investment. A deal was proposed through a US group and then we waited and waited. That deal fell through then we find one of the US potential partners was being investigated by the SEEC!
OK on to investor group 3. A group of Russians wanting to move money out of Russia. Anyone smell a rat? You know the old addage " If something seems to be too good to be true...." I was in dire straights financially and could go on no longer so I took what was one of the most difficult decisions in my life. I applied for bankruptcy.
It was as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. You will appreciate that all of this stress played havoc with the marriage causing all sort of problems. After the bankruptcy I managed to get a job with a US corporation but this only lasted for around 6 months. Then through and old friend of mine I got told of another vacancy. The salary was a lot lower than I was used too but, "beggars can't be choosers". What a nightmare. The company had so many problems, as a person with years of sales management and business experience I made numerous suggestions on how to turn the business around but it all fell on deaf ears. Make you wonder about people sometimes.
Back in September I contacted an old colleague (She wasn't old, just I'd know her a long time
). After a short discussion I said. "You know what my ideal job would be? Working for a company managing distributors in Asia and living in Malaysia!"
It turns out that one of the directors of the company was a friend of a Sales Director of a UK based subsidiary of a US corporation. It turns out that this company had been trying to find a manager for the Asia region. They said they were looking for someone allready resident in the region and had asked the recruitment agency if they could help. The said they usually only deal with UK based candidates but would give it a try. The agency told me it was a long shot. I was an ideal candidate as far as experience was concerned but wasn't living in the region.
Anyhow I managed to get an interview in November 2009. I left my job and was now unemployed again.
This was followed up with an interview at the UK company where I met all the key Managers. It seems they also had brought over someone from Singapore for interview. Again the interview went well and then ......nothing. In January I was asked if a would do a telephone interview with 4 of the VP's in the US. By this time I was the only one in the running. Again the interview went well and then........more nothing.
After 6 weeks I was asked if I could go to Pittcon (Major Lab Show in the US) for a final interview with the CEO. So there I was, nervous as hell, sat in a restaurant in Orlando on the 1st March 2010 in front of the CEO and a new VP. And then......nothing.After 4 weeks I eventually get told that the company is going to make me an offer but there are a number of issues that the lawyers need to check. God, how I hate lawyers. Especially American one. (No offense meant to any US members).
It is now over 6 weeks and I am still waiting for the offer. I am told that the contract is now in"Final Review" Whatever that means
??
So five years after getting married I am sat here at my computer, willing the email with the job offer to come through. Then its pack up everything and good bye Blighty. It hasn't been easy over this time. You will appreciate that any marriage suffers when the are financial strains. It doesn't help when the two people come from very different cultures.
At this time I'd like to take issue with whoever told me that Asian women are (Demure, subservient....etc)
As I said it has been up and down over the last few years. However there have been a number of great moments. I asked the wife if she had ever seen snow? "yes, we get it all the time in my city". I new here town was up in the mountains but?
Shortly after she came to the UK we had snow. I heard a scream from downstairs in the morning. I ran down stairs to find my wife looking out of the window at a garden full of snow. "What is that" she asked. "That is snow" I replied. It seems what she had in her town was frost.
Then there was the time we were at a friends house in Wales. It was just after Christmas and Roshan had offered to cook a lamb curry. She was looking a bit lost and my friend asked her what she was looking for.. "I don't know the English name.....ummm....errr.....onion trees". "Onion trees?". Turns out that she meant Spring Onions. Now in a certain part of Wales spring onions are forever known as onion trees
.
We have a new language known as Roshan English which is guaranteed to raise a smile.
So anyhow that brings you all up to date. From a holiday trip back in the 70's to today. Another day, sat in front of a laptop willing an email to come with a job contract.
Topic: Strong ties to Malaysia (Read 1192 times)
November 12, 2007, 11:02:47 PM