Texan Lands - Sun, Oil, Mulah and the Cowboys..

I think my previous entry's angst may make me seem like a sexist. But you gotta admit.
I hear many more chi ko stories than happy auntie stories.

Sorry guys, it is still a double standard world.

haha..

Nevertheless, I need to finish off my stories in Uncle Sam's land.

I finished the trip in Texas. Well, it's a cowboy land you may say.
It is also home to most of the oil giants - Exxon, Caltex, Chevron..
Also home to numerous other Fortune 500 companies.

Like MEMC and P&G..


But best of all, home to the live band capital of the world - Austin.

Our first stop was Dallas, better known for its sitcom, Dallas is the financial hub in Texas, it has since merged with FortWorth to be a megapolitan, namely Dallas-Fort Worth, no price for guessing correctly. Megapolitan is the new term for mega cities, move aside metropolis!


We stayed at Sheraton 5 mins walk from The Galleria shopping centre. Huge. So we ended up there almost every day, between the aisles SAKS fifth Avenue, A&F and Forever 21 which is btw freaking cheap there. But in between shopping, we manage to squeeze time to do some work.
We visited several land developments in Dallas Fort Worth.

This particular one, I have a stake in it too!

Me and my colleagues - in front of Brookside 2 project- half hour from DFW downtown.

Likely planned for mixed use - residential/commercial, it shall return me 100% profit the next 4 yrs.


Check out the highways in Dallas though. 12 storeys high!! And still expanding.

But the better part of Texas,...

is the food!!!

TEXMEX baby!!

Good food, good crowd. Good stuff!

Good Times!

That spicy looking chicken wings? Really good!

We went for TexMex and we were adorned by the most premium tequilas in the house.

If you think that good tequilas are yellow, you think wrong..

It's the Silver one that rocks the boat.
Smooth as silk and lethal as hell.

Definitely got me very happy after just 2 shots.

After dinner, we went to W Hotel for its roof top bar.

Bird's eye view, here I come..

Dallas downtown baby! The view from the top..

A bit blur haha

And here's on the palate, complete with strawberry and champagne and Belvedere RedBull, courtesy of Walton US counterpart. Thank you!

So that marked the end of a very long night. I think after Ghost Bar I blacked out..

When I woke up it was glaring morning, with me and a ghastly looking face.

I had to carry my hangover accross the counties as we drove the bus down to Austin and San Marcos..






















Brrr.. here starts the bus journey again.. Welcome to Austin!

Brrrrr.. the houses in Austin are nice, comfy and huge though
We are in Austin to look at a few more land projects that Walton's planning team is doing.

Here's the busy junction at San Marcos, lucky no jam.. unlike Singapore where everyday, sure must have at least one accident along one of the expressways one. If don't have, it's like miracle.

Cabella's & HEB! Nice big department stores.. I realise all the commercial ad residential projects in States take up so much land.. You see how much car park space for just one store...I think from cashier to my car I can do a marathon liao.

Because they build sideways..
But I think good for us la..prime land is limited in supply yet in demand.. So you do the math/econs.

Here's a 5 star hotel development minutes away from Walton's project - Martindale. Walton is expanding the Martindale community near San Marcos by at least two folds.
Apparently this area is quite hot, niece of a client of mine, lives in this area and she herself is developing hotels around San Marcos. Lots of visitors, tourists and internal immigrants.

But the best part is yet to come! Just 5 mins from Martindale..

SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The Prime Outlet at San Marcos is voted the #3 best shopping place in the world. I couldn't agree more!!

I spent from 3 pm to 9 pm, swiping cards and had a little panic moment when I had to call Mr Gan to extend my credit card limit because of emergency!

My last stop was the VS outlet.. I think my boss was calling me on the phone at 9pm as I almost missed the bus.. But I couldn't leave!!! $10 for 5 VS knickers.. who's not buying???

Men just don't get it!

Our Austin nights are the most cultured. Rainy blurry night, road side quessadillas and boutique blues bar laced the long dandy stretch of 6th Street.

Very talented musicians are everywhere in Austin, this is the live band capital of the world. Kelly Clarkson is Texan, you know that right? =)

We went to Nuno's along 6th Street and this band is more talented than 5 best bands in Singapore put together.

Utterly creative, out of the box, harmonious and very hilariously entertaining.

I even bought their CD of Original Songs!


It was the most original thing I bought in US. It's playing in my car now. Very sexy, Very blues, very Texas.


I told Gan that one day, I'd like to live in Austin. Get my alcohol and blues fix down 6th street everyday and go for Quessadillas for supper.



My hats off to the cowboys!