Joe in Vegas: when bloggers meet…
I like when the virtual world connects with the real world. This past week those worlds intertwined when I had the chance to meet Joe In Vegas. I had been on a ten day business trip in the US, which included a week in Las Vegas to attend a very well orchestrated Global Sales Conference for my company. The jam-packed conference agenda meant I had little time to enjoy Las Vegas other than meeting Joe.
Joe began following Tess’ blog about a year after the triplets’ birth. Every once in a while he’d hop over to my blog, too. However, Tess and my styles are very different. Tess is a much better writer, with a far better sense of humour, more often reflecting on the hilarity of our crazy world. Tess also writes regularly while I drift through droughts with only occasional showers of words. If my blog were a desert, Tess' blog is a tropical rainforest full of wonder, abundant colour and medicines that make you better.
My blog has a darker spirit reflecting conflict within me. Unknown to Joe, he’s encouraged me to be a brighter blogger – Joe once left a comment that my writing was too dark. I took it to heart and since then have tried to be more upbeat. Then I saw the quote on Joe’s blog: “Don't be offended by my stupid comments on your blog, I just wanted to let you know I was there and appreciate that you've written.” Regardless, thank you Joe for encouraging me to bring diversity and levity to my writing.
Joe and I met in the Venetian Hotel where I was staying, near where the hotel was making a "seasonal change to Chinese New Year. " (Their words – see rabbit above!) We walked to a French restaurant, Bouchon Bistro, in the sprawling Venetian complex. Suddenly it struck me that I was in Vegas: up until this point I’d walked from my hotel room to the conference deep in the hotel’s bowels. Walking to different parts of the complex blew my mind: Vegas really knows how to pour on stunning imagery. Once again, Joe opened my eyes to a different world. (At left: a canal inside The Venetian, complete with beautiful artificial sky.)
Joe is a wonderful gentleman, insightful with wisdom in his tone. We had a lovely discussion about life in general, why we blog, when we started blogging, living in the US and living in Hong Kong. Joe also met my father-in-law, Blake, which I had completely forgotten. If you read through Joe’s blog, one will find stories of Joe making toys – from scratch – for his grand-daughter, E. She is a lucky granddaughter. And I am a lucky person to have met Joe, too. Thank you, Joe, for taking the time to come to the Venetian, connecting the dots between the virtual and real worlds.
