Private Tour Number 1214 of 2,324 on March 24th 2015

**Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong for 52 years - I know the place.**
**I have personally completed 2,300+ Private Experiences (over 6,000+ guests) since April 2011 and I am considered one of the finest Private Tour Guides in Asia.**

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Learn more | The day I did a Private Tour of Hong Kong with a famous Princess

Learn more | The day I shook hands with an alleged Triad boss on a Tour

The day I was given a Challenge Coin by an US Navy Admiral

Private Tour Number 1214 of 2,324 on March 24th 2015

I was a pioneer of Private Tours of Hong Kong, putting up my website in 2010 and doing my first tour in April of 2011, I completed 2,324 private tours of Hong Kong before Covid in January 2020 destroyed my business as Hong Kong was literally closed to tourists for 3 years.

I do have some amazing memories of my time as a Private Tour Guide not least of which was the day I did a tour with a famous Princess on August 22nd 2012 and then another one when I shook hands with a famous alleged Hong Kong Gangster | Mob Boss | Triad Leader at an Iconic Temple in Hong Kong.

…… and then there was the day I was given a Challenge Coin by a US Navy Admiral in Hong Kong and to this day it remains one of my most prized possessions.

**American Navy Admirals Gift to Jamie - A Challenge Coin**

Learn more | The Amazing History of the Challenge Coin

What is a Challenge Coin?

Challenge coins are small, medallion-like tokens, often adorned with the emblem or insignia of the presenting organization. Challenge coins serve as a symbol of membership, belonging, and camaraderie, forging a strong bond among those who possess them. Additionally, they are used to acknowledge an individual's achievements, dedication, or exemplary service, and serve as a tangible reminder of the appreciation and respect of their peers and superiors.

Receiving a challenge coin is a great honor, as it signifies that the recipient has played a special role, making a significant impact on their peers and the organization as a whole.

Today, challenge coins are used across all branches of the US military, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. They have become an integral part of military culture and tradition, with each unit creating their unique coins featuring their insignia, motto, or other elements that represent their identity and values. The tradition has not only spread throughout the military but has also been adopted by other organizations such as police, fire departments, and even academic institutions such as Fork Union Military Academy.

Please do click on the link above for a detailed history of the whole and frankly amazing Challenge Coin Culture.

So in order to protect privacy and such I will not name the Admiral who gave me the coin, to say it was an honour was the understatement of the century.

It was March 24th 2015 and the Admiral had booked a 3 hour night tour for himself, his wife and 2 daughters, they had been to Hong Kong previously but always felt they needed to know more about Hong Kong. The Admiral was just a couple of years younger than me but I was in awe of his responsibilities and just how many ships he had under his command.

Once I got past the hero worship, well he was just a super nice guy with a lovely, lovely family and our 3 hour tour stretched to 4 hours, I felt I could have spent days with them but for them it was literally a 2 day trip, they would have booked me for a full day tour but I already had an 8 hour tour booking, so it was a long day and they were happy to get me even if it was for 4 hours!

I always had the knack of being able to talk to anyone and for me it was a thrill to talk with a real live admiral but also see the family side to him, what an experience.

For the record I did tours with many serving members of quite a few branches of the US Armed Forces and for me (brought up on Tom Clancy novels) it was just a thrill.

Below is just a partial list of my private tour guests and their rather diverse occupations, I completed 2,324 Private Tours of Hong Kong in just 9 years with almost 60% of these private tours being 6 - 8 hours long and the ability to talk to so many wonderful people from all walks of life is a gift I acquired, I had over 6,000 guests, not bad for one person!

I have done private tours with so many wonderful people who have the following diverse occupations:-

A REAL Princess, Very close relatives of a US President!, One Star Admiral of the US 7th Fleet, Nuclear Missile Operations Officer (Missileer) for the USAF, Plumbers, Postman, Supplier of ALL frozen burger pattie’s to McDonalds, Nuclear Sub Commanders, Farmers, Chip Shop Owner, Teachers, Pulitzer Prize Award Winning Journalists, Photocopier Repair Guys, Lawyers, Rocket Scientists, Movie Producers, Consul Generals, Police Officers, Homicide Detectives, Travel Agents, House Keepers, Linguists, Retired and Serving CIA Officers, Fighter Pilots, Army and Navy Guys, Socialites, Students, Judges, Journalists, Software Geeks, Nuclear Power Plant Inspectors, Surgeons, Doctors, Forensic Pathologists, Nurses, Coroners, Venture Capitalists, Hospice Directors, Town Planners, Accountants, Psychiatrists, Nuclear Physicists, Professional Athletes, Ferry Captains, Commercial Pilots, Airline Crew, Social Workers, Veterinarians, Musicians, Theme Park Executives, Professional Photographers, College Professors, Gaming Geeks, Inland Revenue Tax Officials, American Airforce B 52 Bomber Pilot, Senior Engineer / Ballistic Missiles, Bodyguards, Beer Salesmen, Park Rangers, Scuba Diving Instructors, Popcorn Machines Makers, Coastguard Officers, Firemen, Structural Geologists, Veterinarians, Architects, Surveyors, Hooters Waitress, Dentists, Ski Instructors, Civil Engineers, Air Traffic Controllers, Electricians, Top Law Professor's at major US Universities, Librarians, Steel Guys, Economists, Homemakers, Novelists, Book Publishers, Currency Traders, Carpenters, a Rabbi, Boiler Maker, Strawberry Farmers, Food Bloggers, Morticians, Financial Advisers, Corporate Video Makers, Private Investigators, Bounty Hunters, Chiropractors, Air Traffic Controllers, Builders, Stonemasons, Botanists, Dog Sitters, Spy, Geneticists, Interpol Agents, Prison Food Suppliers, Radio Announcers, Military Cryptologists, Forklift Drivers, Locksmiths, Icecream maker, Pastry Chef, Baker, Zoo Keepers, Explosives Experts, DEA Agents, Coffee Traders, Diamond Buyers, Wedding Photographers, Google Guru's, Geologists, Professor of Medieval History, Navy Chef's, Camp Site Operators, Animal Embalmers, Telecomms Engineers, Helicopter Pilots, Oil Industry Divers, Navy Seals, Editor for USA Today, Landscape Gardeners, Mary Kay Super Agents, Hotel Owners, TV Actors, Optometrists, Gourmet Chef's, Acclaimed Plastic Surgeons, Barristers, Travel Bloggers, Politicians, Funeral Home Directors, Former Gang Member, Anthropologist, Children's Book Author, Geophysicist, Chicken Artist, Priest, Movie Makeup Artist, Expert Witness, Bail Bondsman, Opera Singer, Master Brewer, Child Prodigy, Debt Collector, Victoria Secrets Store Manager, Head of a major Charity, Celebrity TV Talking Heads (!), Fortune 500 CEO's, Corporate Trainer, Futures Trader, Waitress (quite a few) General Manager of a Worm Bait Company, Owner of a RV Dealership, Convenience Store Owner, Owner of an Amusement Game Manufacturer, Elephant Conservationists, Chemist, High School Students, Crematorium Operator, Concert Pianist, Vet from Honduras, Hair Stylist for a Funeral Home, Calendar Maker, Pedicab Operator, Poets, F16 Fighter Pilot USAF, Steve Jobs Doctor, Major US Democratic Politician, Big cheese Executives from HBO and CBS, Famous journalist and a Journalism Professor, former Secret Service Agent, Famous Rare Coin and Stamp Collector, Major Charitable Foundation Owner ... and some really, really senior people from J. P. Morgan, Starbucks, United Airlines, Boeing, Google and Microsoft.

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