A Chara This is probably going to be the shortest newsletter we’ve ever sent out. (Why are you applauding?) That’s because as many of you may have noticed, July was a holiday month and basically nothing really happened, at least, not that we’d want to share. Which is a good thing and we hope you all had a chance to relax and enjoy yourselves. Well, this isn’t quite true. We did start the month with a fantastic event, Hong Kong's first-ever Irish-Mexican business networking event. |
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This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Mexico, which seemed like the perfect excuse to boost those diplomatic bonds with some Irish whiskey and beer, along with Mexican tequila and tacos. |
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Coming Up Hong Kong's ambitious SMEs are eager to expand globally, but many face complex challenges like foreign transactions, limited resources, and knowledge gaps, according to a recent Airwallex study. How can businesses turn these obstacles into opportunities? |
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| Speakers: | | Xen Chia | | Co-Founder | | Mymypanda |
| | Darren Fong | | Associate Director, Sales, SME & Growth | | Airwallex (Hong Kong) Ltd. |
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Join Airwallex, German Chamber of Commerce (HK), and the Irish Chamber of Commerce (HK) to discover the findings of the latest report, "Distinctive Paths to Unlocking Global Commerce". This exclusive event will provide insights into the challenges and strategies of overseas expansion and payment. You will also hear from a special panellist from MyMyPanda. With their unique China Cross-Border E-Commerce (CBEC) and bonded warehouse solution, they offer cost-efficient direct selling (B2C channel) for overseas products entering the Chinese market. MyMyPanda provides one-stop solution - supply chain management, customs clearance & tax, cross-border payment, social media marketing and livestream commerce - helping overseas brands streamline their entry into China. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to gain practical insights and forge the connections that could shape your global growth. · Advanced booking is required. · Seats are limited. Booking priority to members on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration Deadline: Friday, 22 August 2025 |
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Before we go, there is one other thing we’d like to mention. It doesn’t have any Irish connections, but it’s something we feel is worth marking. As we were writing this newsletter the news came that American astronaut Jim Lovell, commander of the Apollo 13 mission, had died at the age of 97. |
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Jim Lovell during suit-up 11 April 1970. Scan by Kipp Teague. Photo credit "NASA" Some readers may be old enough to have watched the Apollo missions on television, while others may be familiar with the Apollo 13 mission itself from the hit movie of the same name starring Tom Hanks as Lovell. The mission was supposed to be the third landing on the Moon, but just over two days in a major explosion in the command module created a near disaster for the spacecraft then 200,000 miles from Earth. In 1999 Lovell said in an interview there was a “hiss-bang” followed by the spacecraft rocking “back and forth,” adding rather laconically “And then, of course, things started to happen.” As the Command Module Odyssey lost power, the crew were forced to move to the Lunar Module (LM) Aquarius which had only been intended for two people. |
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Rear Admiral Donald C. Davis (USN), Recovery Task Force Commander, welcomes Fred Haise (left), Jack Swigert, and Jim Lovell aboard the U.S. Iwo Jima after their safe return to Earth. 17 April 1970. Scan by Kipp Teague. Photo credit "NASA" |
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Battling freezing cold, hunger and dehydration, Lovell and crewmates Jack Swigert and Fred Haise worked with mission control in Houston to come up with a series of ingenious solutions to bring the crippled spacecraft safely back to Earth in what Lovell later described as a “successful failure.” A failure because it didn’t achieve its mission, but “a great success in the ability of people to take an almost-certain catastrophe and turn it into a successful recovery.” One phrase from the mission has been made famous by the 1995 movie - "Houston, we have a problem" delivered by Tom Hanks in his role as Lovell. But actually this is a misquote. After the explosion in an oxygen tank and as hissing and other things were going on Swigert reported to Mission Control in Houston, "Okay, Houston ... we've had a problem here." When Houston asked him to repeat the message, Lovell actually replied with "Ah, Houston, we've had a problem here. We’ve had a Main B Bus Undervolt.” (We don’t know what that means, but it comes under the category of “Not a Good Thing.”) So there you have it and now you know what they actually said. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam (Go watch the movie if you haven't already it’s really good.) |
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P.S. if you’ve enjoyed reading this … Then why not join our Whatsapp group, providing members with an easy way to stay up to date on the latest news, events, and updates from the Chamber? |
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P.P.S. Oh, and one more thing… If you haven’t already, why not join us? The Irish Chamber can offer you the kind of support, advice and network you won’t get anywhere else. Sure, we understand you simply may not have time to go to events. But we offer far more than that. You know good business is about connections and opportunities, but without the first, you won’t get the second. Our members have a wealth of experience in a wide range of fields across international borders, all of which can help you save time, energy, and money. So join us, you know it makes sense. |
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The Irish Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kong Unit 1201 Heng Ngai Jewelry Centre, 4 How Yuen Street East, Hunghom, Kowloon |
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