You know the score: a room full of Asia’s best bankers and powerful capital markets executives, esteemed captains of industry.
Of course, it wasn’t long before I spotted the belle of the ball, a glittering specimen standing by herself in the corner during pre-dinner cocktails.
Since TaiTai had chosen getting a manicure over being my plus one, and I was otherwise without female company, I went up and introduced myself.
Nodding gracefully, she whipped out her business card, which told me she was a senior leveraged finance banker with a Asian firm in Hong Kong.
Perfect, I thought. It was just the chance I needed to parlay my knowledge of leveraged finance and my legendary status in the Asian banking world.
So I waxed lyrical about the market, confident in the knowledge that by the end of the conversation she’d be eating out of my hands. And it seemed to be working, as she paid rapt attention and lit up every time I made a joke.
After a few minutes, I wrapped up my impassioned speech and waited for her to speak, since she hadn’t uttered a single word until then.
“Well,” I prodded, “What say you?”
She shook her head, smiled, and said in halting English, “Sorry, I… don’t understand.”
Seeing there was no more hope for our exchange, I gave her a polite nod, downed my glass of bubbly and bolted.