Wrapping up

One of my nocturnal pleasures when I am away from my wife—this is not going where you think it is—is listening to podcasts in bed without earphones. Mrs. Watson insists I wear them and then complains I don’t answer her when she speaks. Last night, courtesy of a BBC podcast, Laurie Taylor’s “Thinking Allowed,” I heard this joke: “What do you get if you cross a sociologist with a member of the Mafia? An offer you can’t understand.” Well, I laughed.

Despite Mrs. Smith choosing the restaurant—and she chose well—I remain solvent. I had the pleasure of meeting her niece Julia Lee, an architect who studied in the United Kingdom, works in Hong Kong but is returning soon to the UK to complete a master’s degree. Her inspiration for becoming an architect was the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), and we discussed our favourite features of this iconic building, designed by UK architect Sir Norman Foster. Until the construction of Beijing airport—also designed by Foster—HKIA was the single largest enclosed space in the world.

Graeme Smith, Yours Truly, Julia Lee, and Maggie Smith.

Final days of large conferences are always strange. Many people have gone, the exhibitors have all packed up, and the buzz has settled down to a barely audible hum. I always feel sorry for final plenary speakers, but Stephanie L. Ferguson, PhD, RN, FAAN, nailed it in her well-attended and lively closing keynote: “The quest for excellence in international nursing research.” Director of the Leadership for Change Programme at the International Council of Nurses in Geneva, Switzerland, Stephanie is also a consultant for the World Health Organization and a member of GAPFON, the Global Advisory Panel on the Future of Nursing I mentioned earlier.

So folks, that’s it for “POSTMARK: Hong Kong.” It’s been my pleasure and privilege to have been asked to do this, and I thank Jim Mattson, editor of Reflections on Nursing Leadership, and Jane Palmer, the magazine’s assistant editor, for servicing the entries so efficiently. I’ve enjoyed the conference, and I look forward to attending again. I leave Hong Kong tonight (Monday), but it’s only four days until I’m back.

If you haven't taken the Star Ferry across Hong Kong harbour,
you must. Click photo to view YouTube video I shot.

Normal service will be resumed in my “Hanging smart” blog, and the next entry will be from Sydney, Australia. Finally, I’ll bet you’re all wondering if it rained at 0830 this morning. It didn’t.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. Comments are moderated. Those that promote products or services will not be posted.