A Chance to Inspire

I recently concluded a month-long sabbatical which allowed me to completely disconnect from the day-to-day grind of work. This precious time away, which was five years in the making, also provided a rare opportunity to slow down, take stock in what I truly value, and reacquaint myself with the good people in my life that have helped shape who I am today. There is no doubt about it, and I would be the first to admit, that I am truly fortunate in the places that I get to visit and the people, culture, and customs that I am able to observe and learn about. But this sabbatical was not about traipsing off to some distant foreign land, but rather it was about the act of coming home and reaffirming the roots that are so important to me and from which I take great pride and inspiration.

Over the years, I've certainly benefited from the many teachers, classmates, coaches, teammates, colleagues, and friends that I have rubbed shoulders with and who have pushed and inspired me. Yet I often wonder about the younger generation back in my home country. Who is inspiring them, who is moving the bar higher, who is opening their eyes to the broader world which we all now share and are directly tied to more than ever before? I seriously worry about the capacity and capability of my country to maintain and grow the prosperity that has been so dutifully cobbled together by the hard work, industriousness, creativity, and tenacity of America's earlier generations. I am not necessarily picking on today's young Americans but rather I am directly targeting the specific conditions that erode any nation's aspirations for greatness, which are Complacency, Entitlement, & Self Absorption.

Complacency:
When did "good enough" ever stir the passions of an organization, an industry, or a nation? The answer is never. Market forces reward the innovator and value creator and in turn punish the bloated and conceited. You can debate the appropriateness of the financial bail-out for two of America's most storied auto companies, but how many wake-up calls does a person, an organization, or an industry deserve in order to get the message? These companies have been here before in the early 80s when Japan was kicking their Detroit posteriors. What was learned from that experience? Fast forward 20 years later and they continue to crank out cars that neither inspire us to dream nor meet or exceed the new benchmarks established by the competition.

Entitlement:
When did it become a Right for your kids to live better than you did? The answer is never. Improvements, progress, and prosperity are earned; not paid for on financial lay-away plans or horrific IOUs. We do nothing positive by placating to our kids' never-ending Want List. Our children are reflections of what they themselves see around them, and right now they see their parents and their country strapped with debt in an attempt to provide the American Dream for every man, woman, and child. The point is that the American Dream has never been about amassing "things" or providing a certain level of living standard. Instead, it has always been about taking bold chances and maximizing the unique opportunities that exist here to fulfill aspirations that are backed up by hard work, creativity, and innovativeness.

Self Absorption:
When did entertainment move from providing amusement to now becoming the lynch pin in our social fabric? Americans today find themselves in a fast-paced attention deficit creating environment where the night's Reality TV programing schedule, or celebrity worship, or the views of bickering and polarizing politicians have cannibalized and decayed our psyche into thinking that these are the things that matter.

I've painted above some real scary things that I have observed happening to my country while sitting half way around the world. I've also born witness to the speed at which other nations are racing to not just catch up with the US but also to surpass it. For a long time, I've wanted to sound the alert and voice these concerns to a group of American young people who are, in my belief, the best positioned to accept the challenge and respond positively. On my sabbatical, I finally got that chance.

My childhood friend, Stuart Foster, is a high school teacher. Stuart, or Stu as I have always called him, has teaching in his blood. His mother is a teacher as is his sister. Stu wasn't always an educator, as he started out professionally as a financial analyst but gave it all up to become a teacher. He takes it seriously and thank goodness he does. It is probably the most important job that any of us could have. Upon hearing that I would be back home in Oregon for the entire month, Stu reached out to me and asked if I would like to come into his Intro to Marketing class at Woodburn High School, to address the kids on core marketing concepts and strategies but more importantly to give them both global insight and perspective as well as to encourage and enlighten them on what can be achieved when you establish strong goals and lock in on ways to accomplish them.

I was really excited for this opportunity and like any good marketing guy, I assembled a presentation to help clearly illustrate my points that I wanted to leave with the class. This was no easy crowd by the way and I had a miserable time slot. I spoke to Stu's class during first period and on a Monday no less. It was early and the kids strolled into class yawning and were visibly tired. I had my work cut out for me.

My first step was to try and develop a degree of commonality with the class. They didn't know me and I didn't know them. The composition of the class was made up of 90% Latinos, 8% Russians, and 2% Anglos, which to me was quintessential America, a land that draws its heritage and success from its ethnic diversity. All these kids were Oregonians in my book and so was I. I went to high school myself less than 20 miles down the road from where we were standing, so I wanted to show them that a kid from Oregon can make it out in the world and so could they.

I took them on a not-so-short journey that had taken me from a high school student in West Linn, Oregon, to a college graduate at Oregon State University, to studying business at the feet of one of our greatest management minds, Peter Drucker, to joining the tech industry at one of the world's fastest growing PC companies, to working for the world's largest microprocessor company on three different continents (North America, Europe, and now Asia). The lesson was simple. I had a goal in mind and each individual step brought me closer and closer to meeting my objective. It wasn't so much about the stamps in my passport, which don't get me wrong have been some of the most rewarding experiences in my life, but it has more so been about the choices we are presented and more importantly the choices we create for ourselves that make the difference along the pathway that will guide us.

I then transitioned to an activity that required the class to be broken up into groups. Each group was given a different target customer profile and was asked to create a marketing program that would be tailored for that specific audience. Each team prepared their ideas and then reported out to the class. There were some real creative ideas which gave me hope and affirmed that these kids had the potential that I was looking for. I then showed them a short video that demonstrated how this activity played out in real life so that they could see how classroom theory really does have applicability in the real world.

As I moved to the last area of my discussion, I wanted to shock the class into the cold yet honest reality that I see from my vantage point living overseas. Nothing is guaranteed or certain. Dominant economies are based upon knowledge not commodities and this knowledge can now be sourced virtually from anywhere in the world. So the question was... Are You Ready?

I gazed into the eyes of this group of students before me. They were not much different than me when I was 18 years old. I want each and every one of them to succeed in career and in life. What I left them with were things I thought they could start doing right now to help set themselves up for success no matter what obstacles may get tossed in their way. Earning their college degree is going to have to be essential but from there, they have the opportunity to develop a sense of life-long learning which I think is so critical. I also wanted to compel them to become more globally aware. The US often times become insular and inward focused and I believe these kids can do a much better job of learning and reaching out with all the technology that is available today and get engaged with what life is like elsewhere. Lastly, I wanted the kids to develop a true sense of accountability and throw off the victimistic attitudes that so often plagues and demoralizes young minds. If you don't like your situation, then change it. Don't blame others for your circumstance but rise up and take positive actions to break out and change things for the better. In this vain, I once again referred back to my graduate business school professor Peter Drucker for his sage advice. Peter famously said,

"The best way to predict the future... is to create it!"

In the days that followed my presentation to the class, I received thoughtful emails of thanks from many of the students. I'm pretty sure Stu had asked them to write the notes, but I could tell from the varied responses that he didn't tell them what to write.

"I just wanted to thank you for taking time off from your busy and exciting life to enlighten a class of high school seniors about the in depth world of marketing. I appreciated that you didn't just talk about sticking to the confines of the U.S., you talked about how marketing ( in order to be successful) needs to expand throughout the world."

"I'm very interested in how you managed to travel the world, and get paid for it."

"Thank you for coming to our class yesterday and sharing your life story with us. Your experience helped influence me for my future in computer engineering, and opened my eyes to the world around me."

"Knowing that you were able to achieve your dream of working in Asia makes me think that if i work hard i can achieve my dreams as well."

"i just wanted to thank you for coming in yesterday and sharing your journey to success with us. it made me enthusiastic about my goals and also taught me to be patient as well. i will take your advise and look into how your game plan played out."

"i want to thank you for your speech yesterday. it was very informative and interesting. and it was waaaaaaaay better than doing class work. ha-ha!"

Having this opportunity to reach out and work with some young American students was one of the most rewarding experiences during my sabbatical. I feel like the kids really took to heart what I was trying to say. Even though the emails were nice, and at times made me break out with a grin, if just one of these kids takes a big leap and changes their situation for the better, than it will have been worth it.

I'll finish by leaving off with the closing slide that I gave to the students. I hope these kids will become strong, globally aware and compassionate, innovative, and ambitious leaders in whatever they set out to achieve. I've got renewed faith that if they do, America just may have deposited a few more coins into that piggy bank of continued growth and prosperity.

5 Years in Singapore

Today marks the date five years ago when I touched down in Singapore and began my life overseas in Asia. As I scrolled back over all the posts from my blog over that time period, I came across the one-year entry and again the two-year entry commemorating these milestones in groupings of 365 days. Time has certainly marched on and I cannot believe that five years have elapsed. It got me wondering what has transpired.

Within that five year span:

A high school senior has now graduated from college

A US President completed a term in office & a new one has been elected

The S&P 500 Stock Market Index declided 12%

Ronald Reagan & Gerald Ford passed away

2 Olympics have been held

The Oregon State Beavers Baseball Team won 2 back-to-back College World Series

Iraq held free elections twice

Social networking has reconnected millions & squandered hours of productivty

Friends have got married, had kids, changed jobs, received degrees, & been promoted

I have had 4 different jobs, 6 different bosses, and visited 13 different Asian countries... one of which (Singapore) has offered me citizenship

Change is constant and it happens with or without us and with no regard as to what continent or time zone we find ourselves. When it's all been summed up, the changes and the experiences in these past five years have been phenominal. Amazing places, people, flavors, aromas, sites, sounds, cultures, and laughter. Hopefully it didn't take the entire five years to learn that... We are all more alike then the perceived differences that are often used to define us.

Happy Anniversary from your Global Vagabond

Back to Basics - With a Twist

2009 was officially the year when everyone collectively jumped on the "Green" bandwagon. I personally think it's great that being more efficient, productive, and cleaner; while finding alternative sources of energy are now considered cool and mainstream. What I do love about this new green penchant is that people are rediscovering that tried and true methods are actually beneficial to the cause, such as the simple act of using a bicycle as an alternative or even primary means to transportation. On a recent trip to Taiwan, I found that the city of Taipei is taking bicycle transportation well into the 21st century.

At strategic locations all over central Taipei, Community Bike Centers have been established. At these locations, people can use smart cards which assist in the nominal financial transaction of renting a community bike. The transaction takes place at a free standing Kiosk which instructs the rider each step of the way. From here, the rider walks to any number of community bikes that are awaiting to be placed into service. The rider then swipes their smart card across the Sensor Device which operates as both a locking system for bike security and to register the bike to the specific rider. Only after the transaction is registered, is the locking mechanism automatically engaged and the rider is then free to take the bike and set out on their journey.

Once the rider is done with their bike, they can simply return it to any of the many Community Bike Centers that are all over town, swipe their smart card to calculate hours used and deduct the charge, inventory the bike at its new location, and safely lock the bike for its next use. It's a new take on an old and trusted method of transportation and is meant to encourage community bike riding in urban areas to help reduce traffic, improve air quality, as well as enhance physical fitness.

Taiwan has a wonderful bicycle culture and is the home of the bicycle manufacturer Giant. Many Taipei residents enjoy the city's bicycle connector paths which connect riders from the dense urban core to outlying suburban and scenic areas. It's great to see this country lead the way in bringing technology to something like urban bicycle transportation. I sure hope other countries can follow Taiwan's efforts.

Singapore Stop-Over

I can count on one hand the number of friends who have had both the flexibility in precious time and money to be able to swing by Singapore during my tenure here in the Lion City. But when a friend is able to align those variables and stop in for a visit, it is always a very good thing. My friend Caroline is part of the esteemed Munich Crew that many have read about in some of my earliest blog posts. Just over a year ago, Caroline resigned from her job, sold her house and car, and ventured off to see the world. Her travels eventually landed her in New Zealand where she worked different jobs to keep the cash flow positive. After close to a year in Kiwi Land, Caroline decided it was time to re-visit friends and family back in the UK. Singapore was the perfect transit hub to pause and take a breather during this marathon journey. It was Caroline's first visit to an Asian country and yours truly was her guide.

Contrary to popular opinion, there is quite a few things to do on our little island nation. To start things off, we attended a performance of CATS the Musical, which holds the title of the longest running play on Broadway. Well, we weren't in the Big Apple, but Singapore's Durians (the local nickname for the Performing Arts building because of their prickly fruit appearance and fortunately not their smell) were the perfect substitute. Neither Caroline nor myself had actually seen the show before, so we were both quite anxious to see what all the fuss was about.

The cast did a great job and their furry costumes and feline antics added to the appeal. The songs were catchy and I knew this to be true because I caught myself whistling them later that day long after the performance had ended. There was no time to cat-nap after the performance because the next stop on the itinerary was just a whisker away.

The Singapore Flyer is one of the newest iconic structures to appear upon the city's ever evolving skyline. It currently ranks as the tallest Ferris Wheel in the world, even taller than the famous London Eye. One round trip revolution on the observatory wheel takes 20 minutes to complete and some incredible views can be had along the way. Peering out one side of the glass-enclosed viewing pod, one can see the new Marina Barrage, which is one of Singapore's most ambitious national projects to date. The project attempts to aid in the nation's quest for water independence and sustainability so that Singapore no longer has to purchase water reserves from their foreign neighbors. How it works is that the Barrage acts as a physical barrier between Marina Bay and the South China Sea, which is the busiest shipping lane in the world and resides on the other side of the Barrage. With Marina Bay now sealed off from the sea a massive reservoir has now been created. As rain water falls into the bay, over an extended period of time, this reservoir will convert from salt water to fresh and provide the nation with a new source of precious H2O. The Barrage's unique design allows its walls to tilt and release water from the bay back into the sea when water levels rise because of heavy rains caused by seasonal storms, which helps protect against unwanted flooding.

Looking out on the other side of the viewing pod, you can look down on Marina Bay, the Central Business District, and the Esplanade Performing Arts Center (look for the Durians), which combine to create Singapore's modern skyline. But like a shark who will drown if it stops swimming, Singapore must always keep building and developing its skyline and business and tourist attractions. With a new special kind of cash-rich tourist in mind, development is well underway for a massive casino along Marina Bay which is scheduled to open in 2010. Formally known as an Integrated Resort by the government, the owner of the famous Sands Casino is building the Marina Bay Sands Resort that will hopefully attract gamblers from across Southeast Asia and maybe even nibble at the heels of both Macau and Vegas.

Caroline's visit not only allowed me to catch up with a good friend but also gave me a worthy excuse to look in on some of the normally more touristy sites around Singapore that I've tended to gloss over after having lived here for close to five years. It's always nice to see a place all over again through the fresh eyes of someone who has yet to become deafened and blinded to the amazing wonders that we often take for granted. And to my friends out there who have yet to visit my little island home that dots the South China Sea, please plan a trip and let me be your honored guide.

Boom not Gloom in Bangladesh

The global economy is struggling in what looks to be a race to the bottom. The financial crisis in the US is rippling across the globe, as the world's largest consumer market puts on its collective brakes, while the industries and countries who supply these consumables scramble to insulate themselves from the impending storm. I made my first trip to Bangladesh as the global market was in the grips of what could only be described as: Fear.

Having gained independence from Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh today finds itself trying to establish new industries that can provide employment opportunities and move the nation up the value chain from its traditional agricultural based society. The recently democratically elected government knows that attracting foreign investment and accelerating GDP growth will take 21st Century skill development and stronger utilization of technology. The newly elected Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, captured the imagination of voters, during an election that saw her and her party sweep into office, with her vision of a Digital Bangladesh. My goal in coming here was to see how we could be a part of accelerating and making this vision a reality.

My colleagues and I took a trip three hours outside of the capital city of Dhaka to see the promise that is held within the aspiring spirit of one such young Bangladeshi, who is using access to technology and information to enhance the lives of his local community while also growing his own business. In what started as a simple iCafe, the young man has become a part of a franchise opportunity called i-Hut that provides him Internet connectivity, support, content, but also regular business management trainings so he can learn and adapt his business offerings to appeal to more users in his community while enhancing his revenue stream.

His once tiny iCafe has now transformed into a mult-service Telecenter which has expanded to take over two neighboring shop locations. The young man was also extremely proud to take me directly upstairs from his current location to show me an existing local library, which today is sparsely populated with old, dusty, and out of date books. Our young business owner will be converting this space into a digital learning lab, where his company will offer distance learning capabilities to locals from the community, allowing them to access courses taught by instructors hundreds of miles away. This is not charity but rather a money-earning going concern. People from the community are willing to pay nominal amounts for such services.

Our young business owner has even expanded into new business opportunities which are not generally well known. I am sure many of you who use the web for various transactions have come across this image above, which asks you to re-type certain words that appear on your screen for verification purposes. Well did you know that there are actually human beings that type these words, called a Captcha, so that you and I can complete our transactions? Because Captchas take human data entry, a small fee can be obtained by people who enter these Captchas for inclusion in the transaction process. Our young entrepreneur saw that he could hire people from his local community to perform this data entry task. He pays them a small commission based upon how many Captchas they enter, and he receives payment from organizations such as Yahoo who utilize the Captcha service. It was great to see the Help Wanted sign posted for Online Jobs which was providing extra spending money for those in the community.

The dire economic challenges that are now facing the world bring a tremendous amount of gloom and doom to our daily discussion. We often forget that in times like these we should resist the urge to ignore our risk-taking for entrepreneurism. Those who are bold in the face of crisis generally come out on top when the fearsome clouds eventually part and the sun shines down brightly once again. It is stories and experiences such as this one in Bangladesh which are encouraging and reinforce that the human desire to aspire can be nurtured and channeled for positive outcomes for the individual, the community, the nation, and even the global economy.

Getting the Band Back Together

17 years is a long time, even in Dog Years. But 17 years was exactly the amount of time that had passed since many of my high school friends and I had crossed paths back on graduation night in 1991. Back on that special evening, we all dawned caps and gowns and zoned off as boring speakers reminded us that for all that we had accomplished in our short 18 years of life back then, that the real adventure was just beginning. For most of us, we just wanted to grab our diplomas and head out to the Senior Party. Looking back now, those stiff and nameless speakers were definitely onto something. Even though my friends and I had been separated by so many years, time zones, and continents; we each had an adventure to share, a path that had been chosen, and stories accumulated.

Chalk up another kudo to technology innovation, for if it was not for the recent advent of Social Networking, none of my friends and I probably would have exhausted the effort to track one another down. But with Facebook gaining popularity, reconnecting, at least on a virtual level, was just a click away. Virtual was good but I figured the guys and I could do one better. I joked with all of them, via email, as I began to organize a Meet-Up. I started by saying,

"I know it is rather Old School and extremely 20th Century, but what do you guys think about setting aside the mouse and keyboard and actually meeting up?"

The guys responded with a fury and said they were on-board and encouraged me to put it together. The timing was perfect, as I was coming home to the US and everyone was still around from the recent holidays.

We decided to meet up at a place called Grand Central Bowl. which during our day was a dumpy, smelly, run-down bowling alley. Today however, this place has risen like a phoenix from the ashes and has transformed into the hippest watering hole in Portland. Guys started showing up one-by-one and the years between us were slipping away with each passing minute and with each raised glass. We shared stories of where we all ventured to after high school, talked about families, kids, and impending new arrivals. We even talked about classic characters, personalities, teachers, and of course hot chicks from back in the day.

Some of us had grown taller since graduation, some grew a bit side-ways, while some had lost hair, and others were just sporting their hair in new places. What was great for me personally, was that none of these guys had changed their core being. They were the same guys that had been brought up by hard working parents, had pulled together and sweated on the athletic field or court together, and had always put the team ahead of themselves. It was fantastic to still hear each of them speak in this manner and see the glimmer in their eye when they shared a moment about their kids and families.

Even though the Meet-Up was fun and a big success, there were still a few guys I hadn't seen or who couldn't make it. My friends, Mike and Jamin, were two guys I had just recently got back in touch with and it worked out great that during another business trip back to the US, I was able to grab lunch with these two and reconnect. Mike always had the sharpest wit back in school and we had volumes of inside jokes we had created over the years. As we broke bread around the lunch table, it made our sides hurt from laughing as we reminded each other of one-liners or pranks we had played. Jamin and I had continued our friendship past high school when the two of us were reunited as roomates while in college. I swear Jamin spent 90% of that year we were roomates sporting a velvetine robe, which we referred to as a "smoking jacket" in order to try and class it up a bit.

None of us wanted that lunch reunion to end. I kept asking Mike if he needed to go back to work. He just grinned and said no one was going to care, as his boss was out of the office today. A classic response from the same guy that coined the phrase during a miserable summer job back in high school,

"I'm not going to call in sick... I'm going to call in quit!"

As Mike, Jamin, and I headed out to the parking lot after what had turned into a three-hour lunch, we joked that if we were back in high school we would have surely burned rubber out of the parking lot. I smiled and pointed to my rental car, which just happed to be a Ford Mustang. As I belted into my seat and pulled to the corner of the intersection, I waited until Mike and Jamin were behind me. As the light turned green, I hammered the gas pedal to the floor and smoked the rear tires of the Mustang leaving a blue-ish fog in my wake. I got the big "thumbs-up" from Mike and Jamin and knew that the kid in all of us was still alive and well.

Reconnecting was the best thing that has happened to me in quite sometime. I've spent a lot of my time creating new memories and new adventures, but sometimes it's a lot of fun to take stock in where you've been and more importantly where you are from. Old friends help remind you of that, they keep you honest to yourself and to your values, and they also inspire you with what kind of great men they've all turned out to be.

Going Full-Circle in Hong Kong

Sometimes it's really rewarding to check back in on someone you've met previously on your travels and see how life is treating them. Some of you may recall my interactions several months ago with Jimmie, the friendly and enthusiastic manager of the Fatburger restaurant at the massive Venetian resort in Macau. Seeing a Fatburger restaurant, like I did back in Macau, had me yearning for the tastes of home. That's why recently when I was peering out through the window of a city bus in Hong Kong and saw the recognizable Fatburger brand as we continued to cruise down the street, I knew I had to find my way back.

Later that same evening, I was cozying up on a counter seat watching my burger being prepared at the newest Fatburger restaurant here in Hong Kong, which had only been open for seven days. The staff was buzzing about trying to keep the flow of food running as more and more ecstatic and reminiscent customers, hungry for that familiar southern California taste, came flooding through the front doors.

I noticed two western-looking staff members helping the local crew with their cooking and burger-building techniques. One of the guys spotted my Portland Beavers T-shirt that I was wearing and asked if I was from Portland. Sometimes the world really is so very small. The guy's name was Jake and upon seeing my T-shirt and learning that I was actually indeed from Portland, let out a big hearty laugh and said that he also was from Portland as well. After speaking for a few minutes, we came to know that we each had grown up not more than five miles from each other.

Jake and his boss, who were in Hong Kong to help with the launch of the new store, have what I consider to be exciting and enviable jobs. These two guys fly around the world helping new franchisee operators open up new Fatburger restaurants. In fact, they both were leaving on a flight that night which was taking them to Dubai where they were going to open up the first Fatburger in the Middle East. Talk about "hearts and minds"... now you can add stomachs!

I asked both Jake and his boss if they knew the Fatburger manager up in Macau named Jimmie. I told them that Jimmie was wonderfully enthusiastic and had all the characteristics of someone you would want leading a team. They told me that my assessment of Jimmie was spot-on and that actually Fatburger had recently promoted Jimmie to become the Regional Manager of all the Fatburger locations in China, which included the original Macau store, Beijing, and now Hong Kong. It was fantastic news to my ears and I was really happy for Jimmie. I told both Jake and his boss to tell Jimmie hello for me and congratulate him again on the big promotion. I couldn't think of a person who deserved it more.

Sometimes, your experiences and interactions with people during your travels do come full-circle. Hearing about Jimmie's success was one of those rare situations, yet it was one that left me feeling good and satisfied inside... just like the feeling you get after eating a delicious Fatburger.

Cross Roads in Cambodia

Few Westerners have heard of the Khmer Civilization. The Khmer established themselves as one of the world's most innovative, advanced, and sprawling cultures which dominated and heavily influenced present day Southeast Asia for close to a thousand years. The Khmer Civilization spawned from what we know today as Cambodia, and its capital and spiritual center was located at Ankor Wat, near present day Siem Reap. Cambodians are rightfully proud of their cultural history and as ancestors and caretakers of past glory that placed Cambodia at the center of the Southeast Asian world.

Modern times have not been as glorious for Cambodians, having lived under the boot of French colonialism, and then later as a geographical door mat where proponents of both Capitalism and Communism wiped their feet while playing out their chess moves for ideological supremacy, leaving Cambodian citizens to bare the brunt of lying in the midst of the high-stakes cross fire. Cambodia remains to this day one of the most bombed countries in history, having tallied more TNT within its borders than all of what was used in World War II during the Allied campaign over Europe.

Most despicable was the vacuum of power and leadership created by these external struggles which presented the opportunity for Communist radicals, who were hell bent on creating a Marxist paradise within Cambodia, to seize power and send the nation to the utter brink of existence. Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge regime decimated the entire country from 1974-79. Educated in France, where he became infatuated with Marxist and Leninist ideals, he returned to Cambodia with his like-minded band and lived in the rural countryside awaiting the precise moment to spring their plan into action. Once power was seized in the after-glow of the end of the Vietnam War, massive relocation efforts were put into place by the Khmer Rouge. People living in the cities were transported hundreds of kilometers away to rural countrysides to begin their new life as modest and benevolent farmers. It didn't matter if people had no previous farming skills. They were forced to surrender all of their worldly assets (cars, houses, investments, clothes) and to move to the rural areas to begin a tortuous life of physical toil and eventual starvation.

Cities such as Phenom Penh, which was once known as the Paris of the Far East, were virtually empty of life due to the forced rural relocations. Scholars, government officials, journalists, ethnic minorities, even a few foreigners from western countries, were rounded up as suspected traitors and capitalist sympathizers and imprisoned and soon thereafter viciously tortured and executed. Tuol Sleng Prison, a converted high school, was operated by the Khmer Rouge's feared S-21 division. According to the Khmer Rouge's own ghoulish documentation, Tuol Sleng became hell on earth for over 10,500 prisoners in just four years of operation. Few if any of these prisoners lived to tell of their experience. Those who survived the torture of Tuol Sleng were eventually transported to places such as Choeung Ek, site of the ominous "Killing Fields".

On my trip to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, a sickening silence hung over all who walked the ground of these thousands of tortured souls. Depressions in the earth marked the spots where prisoners were ordered to dig their own graves before receiving either a fatal gunshot or blow to the head by a hammer or blunt farming implement. I could still see pieces of clothing half buried in the dirt. As I walked along a narrow trail, I spotted what first looked to be some loose gravel. Upon closer inspection it was apparent that what I had actually come across were human teeth.

The Khmer Rouge did not rest by taking away just a single member of a family who was suspected of being a traitor to the communist revolution, but would also imprison and eventually murder the person's spouse and most shockingly their children as well. It is estimated that Cambodia lost over 50% of its population to executions and starvation during this five-year time period. The Khmer Rouge shut the borders with neighboring nations and Cambodia turned dark as the blinds were pulled down on the outside world so as not to witness some of the most sinister acts of genocide ever known to man.

Contrast these recent horrors with the fresh opportunity to slowly build Cambodia back up from the ashes left behind from the Khmer Rouge, and you bare witness to a country filled with promise and potential. Although I had been to Cambodia twice before, first dating back to 1999, this trip represented my first ever visit to the capital of Phenom Penh. Unlike my other two trips, this time I was representing my company and was there to explore opportunities to develop business in a way that could also help spur on local economic development through the use of computing technology. My co-worker and friend Frank, who had traveled all the way from the US, and I visited with several officials representing different ministries within the government. None of the government officials that we met shied away from the country's economic deficiencies or infrastructural challenges and all appeared clearly focused on how to turn things around. The officials that we met were open to idea sharing and hearing about examples we had captured from other countries. There was an obvious desire to learn and apply solutions in a manner that could quickly help Cambodia climb out of its current situation.

Frank and I were able to tour a local learning lab that our company had sponsored which focused on providing teachers and educators in Cambodia with new skills on how to incorporate the use of computing within their teaching methods to help deliver high-impact education to Cambodian children. Education remains one of the fundamental building blocks to help establish competencies that can be used to create economic development. And with over 50% of Cambodia's 14 million population under the age of 25, it makes sense for the government to have a strong focus on education.

One of the true joys on this trip was getting to know Rada, my local co-worker in Cambodia. Rada has been with my company since 2005 and to this day remains the only in-country staff that we have in Cambodia. Rada is not only a ground-breaker and first-mover within the business community there, but more importantly he sees himself as an agent of change that can help improve things for the better in his native land. Rada's personal story runs the gamut from tragedy all the way to true-grit inspiration.

Rada was nine years old when the Khmer Rouge snatched power. His family had their personal land and assets absconded and were sent 250 kilometers away to the rural countryside with nothing of their own to begin farming the arid land to grow rice for the revolution. Brutal and back-breaking work followed along with starvation. Rada explained that they were just happy that their father was allowed to live which was highly unlikely for the time given his previous status as a former government official. At age 13, Rada and his family escaped over the border to Thailand and lived in a refugee camp there for close to a year. The family survived by selling noodles within the camp and bartering for whatever they could.

Rada and his family were then granted immigration to America and began sowing the seeds of a new beginning. For the next 13 years Rada learned to speak English and attended school, while he and his family took on the immigrant work ethic to build a business and a better life in their new adopted home. His family opened a restaurant and later an Asian grocery store, and as Rada explained, every free moment he had outside of school was spent in the family business. Rada went on to university and then after graduating worked for large corporations. Then at a certain point, Rada reached a cross road in his life. One path had him on a comfortable and stable path remaining in the US, the other presented him with an opportunity to return to his homeland and apply his skills towards the re-birth of Cambodia. In 1994, Rada took the harder path and returned to Phenom Penh.

Rada is equally passionate about his love for Cambodia and the opportunities that he had in the US. He is embodying the new spirit that this nation needs to begin the move towards economic growth and sustainability. He believes in his calling and is investing his own money in local businesses. Some of his overseas family members wondered why he would return, but Rada would have it no other way. Rada met his own cross road and chose a path less traveled. I only hope that Cambodia, having faced the bloody challenges of the past and the economic decay that ensued, now finds itself on the right path. Things are definitely looking up. Roads have been built, Hydro-electric dams are being planned, sub-marine fiber optic cable is being laid, and the country just recently discovered oil reserves within its borders. Last but not least, the country has people like Rada who see their own path uniquely interlaced with the homeland pride and energy that it will take in these important next steps.

Taiwan Typhoon

Living in Asia, we hear about typhoons each year around this time of year. I honestly never actually knew the difference between a typhoon, a hurricane, and a cyclone until I looked it up and learned that they are all essentially the same thing; it is rather where geographically in the world this type of storm occurs that determines which name it goes by. I had ominous timing as I arrived into Taipei, Taiwan, last weekend only to discover that the year's most powerful typhoon of the year was bearing down on the island nation.



Typhoon Jangmi, as it was called, was classified as a Super Typhoon and ranked as a Class 4 on the typhoon intensity scale, with winds clocking over 220 miles per hour. It reached landfall on the central eastern coast of Taiwan and caused flooding and landslides. By the time Jangmi reached where I was in Taipei, it was early Sunday afternoon, and the storm had lost a tiny bit of its ferocious bite, as it tracked over land moving northward. People in Taiwan are used to typhoons which batter the island each season, so it was no surprise when the city sprung into early action to batten down the hatches and prepare for the worst.

Inside where I was staying on the 19th floor, the wind howled with intensity and shook the window panes. These were not intermittent gusts, but rather sustained winds that blew for approximately three hours without interruption. The winds were accompanied by never-ending rain that pelted structures like bullets fired from a Gatling gun. Looking across a forested hillside from the window, I could see sheets of rain literally blowing sideways from the force of the winds. Palm trees flopped about in the wind like helpless rag dolls tethered only by their roots.

Monday morning, the winds had ceased and Jangmi had moved off to sea moving towards the mainland of China. The Taipei city government had cancelled office hours for the day as a safety precaution. There was no major damage to the city, as advance preparation and experience had proven successful once again. The rain never ceased on the day, but at least the cyclonic winds had moved on.

As I pondered the fact that I had now lived through a few earthquakes, a volcanic eruption, a tornado, an airport shooting, and now my first typhoon, I felt pretty lucky. Lucky that all had turned out for the best in all of these situations. I am not currently looking to add any more to my list outlined above, but at least this one came with a free day off which acted as a silver lining to an otherwise unique example of how Mother Nature can wield her strength.

48 Years of Frustration Vanquished

No one can really understand how much an entire country can want just one thing so badly. But after 48 years without an Olympic medal, Singapore has craved this moment for generations. Today, my co-workers gathered in our office pantry to watch the Singapore Women's Table Tennis Team earn a medal birth by defeating South Korea in the semi-finals and the video shows the winning moment and reaction. This win gave Singapore a Gold Medal match with China and guarantees the country no worse than a Silver Medal. The 48 year old drought is over. Stand Up Singapore... and CHEER!

Milestone: 5 years & 100th post

Today is a milestone in several ways. On one hand, today is the 5th anniversary of beginning this blog. On the other hand, this specific post that I am creating now at this moment represents the blog's 100th entry. And if I had more than two hands, the third would mark the special occasion of when my overseas life really all began back in August of 2005 when I prepared to ship off to Munich, Germany.

Five years, 100 posts, more than 34 countries visited, countless experiences and amusing tales amassed, and numerous friendships formed around the world. The blog has been a constant for me and at times an albatross. Writing, unfortunately and a surprise to many, is a painful process for me. Yet I have tried to stay disciplined and at least make an entry per month. To be honest, in the early days it was not hard to craft up new entries, as things were so new and unfamiliar. Today, I must admit, that it becomes tougher and tougher to document things that I think would be interesting to both myself and others. I do write for myself to document this fantastic time in my life but I also write for others. My biggest dread is that my entries become stale, humorless, and uninspiring. My biggest thrill is to share these times with all of you who read or even stumble onto this blog by accident.

Over these five years, I've received emails from random people in Iran, Sweden, Thailand, Israel, Australia, and many others who for one reason or another found themselves staring at my blog. Each of these people went an additional step further to send an email. Most were simply providing encouraging words to keep it up, others asked questions on a specific place, some asked for permission and rights to my photos (several were used in the opening scenes of a humorous and fun online expose on Shanghai... I even got my name mentioned in the closing credits), and one person even asked for the formula to the secret of my success (seriously!).

I've had a lot of fun with the blog over the years. It's one part torture, one part therapy. I look forward to continuing to document and share what I am observing, and I hope that it will always provide a perspective, a laugh, a thought, a smile, and just maybe an inspiration.

Your Global Vagabond

Baseball, Mom, and Apple Pie

There is nothing more American than the 4th of July. American Independence Day has woven its thread into the fabric of our being and has grabbed a prestigious position within the cultural idiom which is used to describe something as being uniquely American,

"That is as American as Baseball, Mom, Apple Pie, and the 4th of July."

It is odd for me to think that for something that has so much positive connotations and recollections for me as the 4th of July, that I would have let this important date slide by with relatively little fan fair for the past four years here in Singapore. In fact, if you were to reflect back to my first 4th of July in Singapore, you will find that I was feverish to pull in memories of the people, food, and fun that always surrounded this important time.

This year, the 4th was back to its rightful place as being an event and a destination. Thanks to my friend Linda, our resident social planner and conduit that pulls us all together in the name of fun, a group of us got together and took part in the Independence Day activities held in Sembawang, Singapore, which is sponsored by the local chapter of the American Association. I was literally giddy with excitement leading up to the event. So much in fact, that I refused to eat the entire day so that I would have plenty of room for traditional 4th of July Food which I had been craving. Upon arrival at the park where the event was hosted, we were greeted with a friendly, "Hello Folks, hope you enjoy the festivities", by an American Association volunteer. The whole thing felt like a Wall-Mart moment but it was endearing and heartfelt and put me in a comfortable mood that I was among friends.

After getting through the main gates, Tilden and I met some very famous Americans, in an even stiffer condition than usual. The two political parties' overseas chapters were helping Americans register to vote absentee in the upcoming election. The continuous din of the election coverage reaches us here in Singapore and most people are shocked to learn that we don't actually vote until November.

Politics aside, this was an event that brought together close to 5,000 people. My taste buds were rewarded by food tents that had been set up for local restaurants that were serving up hot dogs, hamburgers, barbecue briskit, pizza, kababs, ice cream, beer, and margaritas. You may be shocked, and slightly sick to your stomach, to know that I had at least one of each of those items just mentioned while I was celebrating. There was even a live band cranking out classic Rock & Roll tunes while people who had laid out towels and blankets across the grass swayed and danced to the beat. It was fun to watch little kids, who most likely were not born in the US, get to experience a real 4th of July. And that was the whole point. The 4th of July belongs to everyone no matter what piece of soil you find yourself treading upon.


The evening wrapped up with an amazing firework display. The shells were exploding so close the ground that you really felt the concussion of each blast, while your eyes took in the palate of shimmering colors. There were "oohs and ahhs" from the crowd voicing their approval along the way, and when the grand finale occurred sending up multiple shells skyward with a machine gun-like staccato, I found myself cheering out loud.

Soon the display was over while the smell of gun powder still lingered in the air. The celebration had drawn to a close yet the smile on my face remained. Living overseas, you often try your best to soak in the culture of others, yet that should never stand in your way of celebrating and being proud of your own. This had been the 4th of July for which I was searching: surrounded by the comfort food of home, great friends, fantastic music, and 5,000 strangers, who no matter what their nationality or origin, on this specific night were all sons and daughters of the Red, White, and Blue.

Spring Fever

After four years living in a tropical country, where seasons ebb from either 1) Hot or 2) Hot with rain, I found myself craving the rebirth and renewal that comes with the Spring time. The fields of my parents' home in Oregon presented the perfect environment to indulge my senses and sensibilities in this craving. My parents now live on the farm that has been in my family for over 100 years. Growing up, this was the home of my grandparents where I spent numerous summers and times of great joy. It is a different place now that they are both gone, yet the land remains, and with it so lives on the fond memories that were made there.

My parents and I decided to have a picnic while I was back home. The scenic drive along the way revealed snow-capped Mount Hood and wildflowers in full bloom. Being outside was a blessing, as the air was warm and dry, without the ever-present humidity that I have become accustomed to back in Singapore. Mom had stocked the picnic basket with fried chicken, baked beans, chips, fruit and vegetables, and cold drinks. We set up our feast on the banks of the reservoir and watched holiday boaters troll around. The drive home had me sporting the sunroof wide open, as I had forgot about the longer days during this time of year. The sun stays out past 9:00 and provides for ample time to bask in its rays.

Because of the longer hours of day light, I still had time to take a stroll once arriving back home from the picnic. I set out on foot to take in the rapture of the colorful yellow fields of mustard that were in full swing. I stumbled across three horses that were in the midst of playing around in a nearby pond. At first they didn't see me and continued to horse around in the water, but soon the gig was up and I was spotted. The horses seemed to take on a new demeanor as if to say... please don't tell anyone about our games. Their secret was safe with me, as they had provided another great memory of a warm and rewarding day in the sun back on the farm that was far away from Singapore yet closer to home than I had seemingly been in ages.

From Tropical Island to the Great White North

There are times in each of our lives when drastic change is the only thing that can shake out the cobwebs, reboot the system, and clear the slate from the status quo and mundane routines that we sometimes find ourselves. My close friend, Kevin, is embarking on a journey that will indeed challenge his will, his perceptions, and most definitely his comfort zone. Over six years ago, Kevin initiated the process of applying for immigration status to Canada. In a matter of days, his six year paper chase will be over, but his new life will just be beginning.

For over five years, Kevin and I have built our friendship. It started when Kevin was first hired by my company within our Singapore office and was asked to make a business trip to the US to meet his global teammates. I happened to be based in the US at that time and remember meeting this Asian guy whose accent had the strange lilt of one you might expect to hear in Ireland. Kevin soon corrected me and told me he was Singaporean (Man, was I way off). Little did I know it at the time, but I would later see Kevin again many months down the line when I myself was the strange foreigner just touching down into my new Singaporean home.

Kevin has been my savior and mentor on so many occasions since moving to Singapore. He acted as my cultural and business ambassador as I came up-to-speed with my surroundings and my new job after arriving in Asia. I quickly learned through observation that Kevin is a consummate professional from a business perspective that can formulate trust and partnerships that benefit both parties. I also learned and benefited from Kevin's commitment and loyalty to friendship that has endeared him to many. And of course let's not forget that Kevin is my crooning cohort, who has helped me bring the house down on many a nights while singing Frank Sinatra standards at Karaoke clubs across the region. I'm not the only one that has shared fond, fun, and sometimes embarrassing moments with Kevin; so in order to properly celebrate two momentous occasions at the same time, I decided to throw Kevin an evening with his friends to commemorate not only his 40th birthday, but also his send off to Canada.

It was a great evening of good food, drinks, and friends that came together to send off our man out into the reaches of the Great White North. Kevin is making a huge undertaking by immigrating to Canada. He goes there without an established network of friends, no business contacts, no place to live, and no job. All of these things will have to be created by Kevin upon touching down in Vancouver. These kind of uncertainties would paralyze most people, and I know Kevin himself is apprehensive at times about what this roll of the dice may deliver, but I am confident in Kevin's ability to thrive and conquer his fears and win over the hearts and friendships of those he will soon encounter, just as he has done with so many on this side of the ocean.

The girls made one last valiant effort to persuade Kevin (oh so subtly) to stay in Singapore with them, but the bags have been packed, the tickets have been bought, and the future is on the horizon. All engines are set ahead at full on Kevin's new life chapter as he leaves his diminutive and tropical island home of Singapore behind and looks to thaw out the frozen uncharted tundra of challenges and awaiting opportunities that are in store for him in Canada. Good Luck, eh!

A Taste of Sabbatical

A sabbatical is a chance to get away from it all, collect your thoughts, explore new places and ideas, and think deeply about what your life should be like once you return. My co-worker and friend, Mark, was currently enjoying this benefit that is offered by our company to US-stationed employees. They get a two month paid sabbatical for each seven years of service. I too was once logging my years towards a sabbatical when I was working in the US, but as mentioned previously, sabbatical benefits are for US-based employees only; so when I moved to Asia, my sabbatical stop watch clicked off. I've pretty much washed away from my mind the notion that I will ever get my own sabbatical. So what to do, you might ask, about this great injustice? The best thing that I could think of was to live vicariously through my friend Mark's sabbatical, just as many have told me that they enjoy living through my words and adventures here on this blog. Mark had decided that several weeks of his two month sabbatical would be spent in Asia, and he knew just who to come calling on to get some tips on where to go and what to see. Mark asked if I wanted to come along and join him on his trip. Of course I could not take off for such a long period, but I could take a long weekend and discover along with Mark a place I had never been before.

Mark spent a week in Singapore and the nearby Indonesian island of Bintan. He did so along with his daughter, Shannon, who was interested in the possibilities of a summer internship in Southeast Asia, and thought this trip with her dad would be a great way to see this unique part of the world. Seeing Mark with his daughter was a remarkable vision for me. I, and most of my colleagues who know Mark, often joke that he lives, breathes, and eats work on virtually a 24 hour basis. Yet the sabbatical was doing its job. It was taking Mark away from work, giving him an opportunity to decompress and most importantly from my vantage point, allowing him to take pleasure in being a very proud and loving father.

Mark had booked several days at the recently opened Venetian Casino and Resort in Macau. This mega-resort is of course the Asian sister of the famous Venetian that is located on the Las Vegas Strip. The only difference is that the Asian version is about two-thirds larger and has become the new benchmark amongst the explosive western style casino expansion that has helped Macau claim the recent distinction of overtaking Las Vegas as the #1 gaming revenue generating casino location in the world.

I had never been to Macau before and had the impression that this once former colonial outpost of Portugal and now part of China, was nothing more than a grimy and dirty place where people went to gamble. In actuality, it still was a place for people to go gamble, however western style casinos now had introduced fan fair, entertainment value, and prestige elements to Macau; giving it a gleam and sparkle that it had never had previously. An interesting observation however, was that western influence wasn't always so quick to be adopted by Asian guests. For example, the Venetian had a myriad of up-scale and high-end retail shops touting some of the most exclusive brand names in fashion and accessories; however virtually all of these shops were consistently empty because Asian guests come to casinos with one express purpose in mind, and that is to gamble (not shop).

Mark and I are not big gamblers. We really just wanted to come to Macau to see what all the fuss was about and to spend some down time catching up. The one great thing about Mark, is that he can strike up a conversation with anyone no matter what situation or cultural background. Such was the case when Mark and I indulged our craving for American fast food one afternoon by dropping into the Venetian's food court. Proudly situated there was the first asian store of the American West Coast hamburger institution known as Fatburger. Mark quickly struck up a conversation with the manager of the store, an enthusiastic young man named Jimmie, who simply oozed excitement and passion for what he was doing. Mark and I couldn't help but be inspired by Jimmie as we listened to his story of being raised in mainland China, having the chance to study and work in Europe, and then getting a chance to manage Fatburger's very first store in Asia.

Jimmie didn't see his role as solely a job but was rather a firm believer in the product and saw great growth options for the business as mainland Chinese begin to develop taste and interest in western style food. He went on to explain his own personal management and leadership style that he uses with his young staff to inspire them to first understand the uniquely American culture of Fatburger and how it should be operated, and secondly to take pride in their individual work while ensuring that it blends well with the entire team's effort. Mark and I glanced over at each other several times during our conversation with Jimmie. He was exactly the type of person we would love to have working for us and we were sure he was going to be wildly successful. He offered Mark and I free coffee and french fries and urged many times to get our feedback on the food's quality and taste, since he knew that we were familiar with the American Fatburger. Jimmie invited us to come back and chat with him throughout our stay at the Venetian, which we did many times. Meeting people like Jimmie really make me buzz with energy. They are hungry, driven, and enthusiastic in their approach and outlook on life. Mark and I knew that if we were to drop back in on Jimmie in 10 years, he will surely be the owner or CEO of a large hospitality company.

The future is bright and endless for people like Jimmie. Mark and I realized after meeting him that he actually taught us a lesson in the process. Being passionate about what you are doing is essential. Your internal enthusiasm transcends everything that you do and others feel your energy and either follow you or want to be a part of what you are working on. Sabbatical is definitely a time to reflect but it is also a time to be inspired. Although my small taste of a sabbatical, thanks to Mark, was brief; it did allow me to reflect on my planned path. I should never look to settle and take what is handed out or what comes easy if that option doesn't move me in my gut. I am using that approach today and striving to make choices that lead me to either be energized or scared, or both. Sometimes a small taste can ignite the hunger within. Anyone up for the next course?

The Ides of March

March got off to a nice start, as it was my birthday on the 11th. I was joined by close friends at a Brazilian restaurant to celebrate the occasion. My friends chipped in and got me a chocolate birthday cake, which just happens to be my favorite. I made a quick wish before blowing out my candles. Thank goodness they only had a few candles and not the traditional one for each year; otherwise we could have started a forest fire.

The Easter Holiday in Singapore quickly approached and was upon us before we could make well thought out plans. My friend Kevin called me one week before our holiday and said he thought it would be fun to go to Vietnam and visit our friend Chau one last time before she headed off to Scotland to start her new life with her husband. Chau has been such a good friend of Kevin and me and has been instrumental to the both of us in learning and discovering her home country. She was married back in October of 2007 and will soon be heading overseas to the UK to begin a new chapter in her life. But before she did, Kevin and I headed to Saigon for a fun-filled holiday weekend.

One of the best things about visiting Vietnam is the chance to indulge in the delicious food and this trip was no exception. Kevin was excited to go back to a restaurant that Chau had introduced us to previously. Surrounding the perimeter of the restaurant grounds stands little cooking stations that prepare delights from each unique region of Vietnam. Customers can place their orders with the waiters at their tables and then the waiters take a regional tour around to these different stations to place your order and later to fetch your food. It's a great experience and one that is not to be missed.

Chau suggested that we take a tour down the Mekong Delta, one of Asia's greatest river systems, and also the location of Chau's home town and where she spent the first 18 years of her life growing up before her family moved to Saigon. I was surprised to see such infrastructure development taking place there. The bridge (above), although not yet complete, will be a massive structure that should aid in making transportation more efficient and easier in the region.

At one point, we switched from our larger boat and shifted across to much smaller canoes, which were ideal for navigating the small tributaries of the Mekong. As we slinked along quietly between large ferns, palms, and reeds of bamboo; all you could hear was the paddle of our driver sloshing back and forth and propelling us down the stream. After a long day on the Mekong, we worked up quite and appetite and there is no better place to satisfy your hunger than in Vietnam.

I always feel like a bull in a china shop when I am in Vietnam. Most things are so small in comparison to my height and build. Eating at road-side restaurant can feel somewhat like playing with doll house furniture as one pulls up a small stool along side an even smaller table. But for what one suffers in back pain leaning over the much smaller confines, you make up for in sheer happiness for your taste buds. I got up close and personal with a bowl of spicy noodles. I've yet to have a bad meal in Vietnam. The flavors are pretty diverse and most items seem pretty light and dare I say... healthy. Kevin and I usually let Chau act as our guide on these culinary excursions. In fact, without Chau we would not have experienced so much of this great country.

Whether we are goofing around in the back seat of a cab (see photo) making a human Banh My (Vietnamese for Sandwich), or cracking jokes at a local coffee shop, or teasing each other; the three of us have had some great times. Chau is about to turn the page on her own new chapter and will be leaving her homeland to join her husband in Edinburgh, Scotland. We wish her all the best and look forward to using all the means at our disposal to keep in touch to help minimize the distance and remain good friends.

Pampered Day of Recovery

Over the last several days of trekking through ankle-deep mud, scaling up and down unforgiving inclines and descents, and fighting off packs of vicious dogs at night, my co-workers have assembled reputations as being real tough guys. Well now it's time to blow the cover off this persona and reveal that even tough guys need a day of pampering. We were all tired, sore, and had been suffering in some form or fashion over the last week. Having our shower and chance to change into clean clothes back in Sapa was nice, but the guys were looking forward to our day in Hanoi even more. We'd been talking about the idea of after completing the race, spending a half-day in Hanoi enjoying the simple pleasures of a visit to a spa.

I was anticipating a nice long body massage, but when we all stepped into the waiting lounge of the spa and were presented with a menu of options; it was only a matter of time before the friendly counter ladies were up-selling their way into our wallets. We had no strength or will to refute them and in all honesty, their packages of treatments sounded so good that we were helpless to refuse. Real tough guys, eh? Cornered by five feet tall little ladies, these brutes were powerless.

Each of our packages consisted of a full 90 minute body massage, facial treatment, foot massage, and then our choice of either a manicure/pedicure combo or a headwash and styling. Leighton, Kim, and I went for the headwash option but we were amazed that Bernd and Tilden were so quick to jump up for the manicure/pedicure option. Something tells me that these two guys were no strangers to this service.

My body massage was good, but I was unsure about what would transpire during my facial treatment, as I had never had one before. There was lots of hot towels involved as well as a special machine that the therapist used to lightly mist hot steam into the pores on my face. There was a series of creames added to my face and then removed, and honestly during one of the hot towel placements over my face, I drifted off to sleep and don't remember anything else. Leighton said he heard me snoring at one point.

After completing the body massage and facial, it was time for the hour-long foot massage. This was heavenly because the staff also served us lunch during this portion of our treatment. The foot massage attempted to work out the 250KMs that the guys had logged with each and every step. There were no discussions of mud, food reserves, or race strategy at this point. We were all enjoying the moment and the sound of silence in the room told me that each person had been mentally transported to a more relaxing and forgiving place. Leighton, Kim, and I then moved to the final stage in our spa visit, which was a headwash and styling. I am not sure what sort of creatures may have dropped out of our scalps after six days on the muddy trail and camping outdoors for close to a week, but needless to say we were all much cleaner, happier, and more presentable after this trip to the spa.

Tilden and Bernd decided to opt out of the headwash and instead dive head long into a manicure and pedicure. It was truly a sight to behold having their large hands attended to by ladies whose own hands were virtually half the size. Tilden and Bernd appeared way too comfortable with the proceedings and we were pretty sure that they must partake in this activity on a fairly regular basis, which gained a lot of ribbing from the rest of us. We settled our bill at the spa and walked over to a nearby cafe for a coffee and snack. Apparently all that spa treatment is hard work and tends to make a fellow hungry.

We reflected briefly on what the last week had been like and what we had seen and accomplished. It had truly been a Life Experience and one none of us will forget. Each of us, rather competing or contributing in other ways, had faced their own form of adversity during the week but each had overcome and had made it to the finish. I am reminded of the words from one of the volunteers for this race who had physically competed in six other endurance races of this nature. He told me that completing these kind of races is only 20% physical and 80% mental. You can train and train you body, but if you don't have mental toughness you won't succeed. He continued by saying something that transcends these kind of races and also applies to achieving success in life in general. "Be cognisant of your goal and keep putting one foot in front of the other"

Stage 5 - The Finish

The sun, which had been hiding from sight virtually the entire race, made its inaugural visit on the 5th and final stage of the race. It was a gorgeous day as the competitors completed the shortest of all the stages (13KM) and made the final push into the town square of Sapa. It was the crowning achievement not only for the competitors who would be completing their 250KM journey, but also for the staff and volunteers who had been such a vital part in making this race not only possible but also memorable. The final day was a celebration for all.

The final day started out with a staggered start, with the fastest and strongest competitors starting in the last wave. This allowed the general field of competitors to finish at roughly close intervals to one another. My co-worker Leighton was actually the first competitor to cross the finish line on the final stage. It was a huge accomplishment for Leighton, not only because it was his first adventure endurance race but also because he was racing on what he found out only later after an MRI exam back in Singapore, was a ripped calf muscle that he had injured on the 3rd stage.

Tilden and Kim crossed the finish line together in a magical moment captured below. For Tilden it brought relief and a sense of accomplishment in proving those who had doubted his fortitude wrong. For Kim, the most experienced member of our team who had previously completed the Sahara race, it was a sense of pride and honor as he unfurled the flag of Okinawa -- the birthplace of his wife.


The Finish Line was a festive spot that had gathered the interest and curiosity of locals and passers-bye. Dancers and music entertained the gathered crowds and huge rounds of cheers and applause met each racer as they marched across the line. Pewter medallions were slung over the necks of each finishing competitor and ice cold cans of coke and beer were available and hastily and cheerily chugged down by parched racers.

What the racers and all of the volunteers and staffers were really craving was the hot showers that awaited everyone after the finish line. The organizers of the race had arranged with a local resort in Sapa, The Victoria, to allow all of us to use their spa facilities in order to have a hot shower and a chance to change into clean clothes. This represented the first time in five days that any of us had been able to take a shower or change out of our clothes. I personally relished my time in the shower as I felt the film and the filth of five days on the trail delightfully come off of me and head down the drain. The simple act of shaving my scraggly beard which had emerged over the course of the race was a pure godsend. Washing my hair, which I had disguised carefully under a baseball cap almost the entire race, felt like a re-birth in many ways.

We all emerged looking a bit more human after the showers and change of clothes. Some jokingly said that they did not recognize many of their fellow competitors because we had all got use to seeing each other at our grubby worst. The sun and the end of the race had brought out our sunny dispositions, but the sun had also revealed the amazingly beautiful town of Sapa as well. The clouds had hidden this tranquil setting from our view the entire race, but on the last day, we were reminded why Sapa was often times called the Swiss Alps of Vietnam.

The race had come to a close and we have been left with an amazing list of memories. I would wager that very few would list the 250KMs as their biggest memory however. For me, it was about getting to know the people: my own teammates outside our traditional work environment, fellow racers and volunteers, and most importantly the local people who had been some of the most gracious and hospitable hosts one could ever hope to imagine. There was also a sense that our presence had left the region a little bit better and brighter than before. Our partnership efforts and the utilization of cutting edge technology to bring the Internet to this rural outpost, as well as the PC donation that would hopefully empower young minds with tools they could use to unlock the wonders of the world faster than ever before were two such programs that I was so very proud of which to be a part. These friendships and memories will surely go down in all of our minds as some of the most unique and special experiences of our lives.

Stage 4 - Connecting Cultures

Today's stage was less about logging additional miles on mud-clogged trails in the quest for drawing that many steps closer to finishing the 250 KM journey, and was instead more about a small rural community celebrating what they have achieved and where they hope to be going next. Stage 4 ended in the town of Ta Van, Vietnam, a small village that is home to 700 people who primarily work amongst the terraced rice paddys of the Sapa Valley. But on this special day, the town swelled in size to several thousand as local ethnic tribes from around the valley (and some funny looking and very muddy foreigners) gathered in Ta Van for one of their biggest festivals of the year. Lastly, it was also the day that Ta Van looked ahead and made a big leap forward by utilizing technology as an investment in the community's future growth and prosperity.

Making your way to the festival grounds required ingenuity, skill, and a bit of balance to traverse the chilly waters of the river, but most found the make-shift bamboo bridge an acceptable choice. Approaching the gathering crowds you could sense the excitement. People chatted away in an array of ethnic dialects, music could be heard off in the distance, and colorful accessories were on full display to commemorate the day. Young families picked out their fortunes from a dazzling palate of colored notes hanging from a tree. Inpromptu markets were springing up to sell special desserts and treats, some of which looked strikingly similar to colored easter eggs.



Ta Van was a sea of color. The ethnic tribes dawn their traditional clothes on most days but everyone was looking their best and brightest for the festival. The most vivid colors were to be seen at the dance competition. Dance Teams from each representative ethnic group, and one from a local village just across the border from neighboring China, was invited to perform.

Bright colored sashes and ornamental flowers accentuated the flowing movements of each of the teams' routines. Some teams incorporated live horns and drums into their performance to the delight of the onlooking crowd. This festival, rich in tradition, pays tribute to the past and celebrates the present. What followed later in the afternoon set the stage for Ta Van's future.

For the last 10 months, the rural and isolated community of Ta Van has been utilizing one of the most advanced technologies currently available. Ta Van is one of the first places in the world to be a pilot site for Wi-MAX technology, which brings broadband Internet connectivity wirelessly without the need for fiber optic cables. To explain Wi-MAX, it is easier to think of it as Wi-Fi on steroids, whereas a person today using Wi-Fi in their local Starbucks can enjoy wireless connectivity within a range of about 300 feet, but with Wi-MAX the coverage area can stretch to several kilometers and is perfect for outlying areas where wire or cable infrastructure is absent or infeasible. In the photo above, you can see a satelite receiver dish, which is pulling down broadband from an orbiting satellite in outer space. That broadband Internet access is then parsed over the entire village of Ta Van via Wi-MAX, so that everyone in the community has continuous access to the Internet at anytime, anywhere, and without wires.

Local villagers of Ta Van are using the Internet to connect them to the rest of the world. The traditional pillars of the community are now connected. The provincial government office now has ways to link more effectively with the capital in Hanoi as well as to the people of Ta Van. The school is connected and teachers are using the web to research and create content to improve and enliven their lesson plans. The healthcare clinic uses the Internet to help research appropriate medications and help with introductory diagnosis, since there is not always a certified doctor on-site. Farmers are using the Web to check on spot prices for their crops and to see upcoming weather forecasts which will help them plan. Guest House operators in Ta Van are using their connectivity to entice tourists to come visit their beautiful village, while access to email, blogs, and photo uploads are attractive features for travelers and help convince these tourists to stay longer in Ta Van, thus helping the local economy.



The next step in Ta Van's evolution in the use of technology to invest in its future took place on this very special day. I was honored to say a few words during the donation of 10 Classmate PCs for the school in Ta Van and was joined by the Mayor of Ta Van and representatives of the major ethnic people that make Ta Van so special. The Mayor and I had met several times over the course of last year and even though he can speak no English and my vocabulary of Vietnamese words is extremely limited, we always have an ability to understand each other. He is a progressive man who strives to give the people of his village a chance to grow. He's been so delighted with how his people have taken to using the Internet and believe that now giving the local children a chance to have their own durable PCs will open up even more opportunities for them. He understands that it is Ta Van's youth that are the future of his town and he was equally grateful and excited by how these systems can be put to positive use by the kids.

The smiles of the children are all beautiful and touch you in so many ways. The racers, volunteers, and media that have been a part of this race over the last several days have all experienced it. These smiles contain the unfiltered and unrestrained joys of the moment, and yet they also act as a window into the aspirations and dreams that all kids must have. Over the course of this endurance event thus far, the racers have taken joy in being able to stay connected to loved ones and family via the Internet; drawing inspiration, motivation, and encouragement from each human interaction that is contained within the digital bits and bites. No one thought they would be able to have this access in the rural outposts of northern-most Vietnam but through technology and partnerships, we've been able to make that happen. It has been a surprise for most to learn that the agriculture-based community of Ta Van also has benefited from having access, and has been doing so for the last 10 months. What has been learned here is that "Being Connected" is not an expectation or privilege solely of citizens of prosperous developed nations, but is rather a basic and intrinsic human desire that is shared amonst every single one of us. Connecting cultures surely enriches us all.

Stage 3 - Shorter yet Tougher

Stage 3 was the shortest so far at just over 30 KMs. The race organizers had modified the course layout today after several racers took wrong turns the previous day. There were still incredible inclines but the organizers told all the participants in a pre-stage meeting that some of the most challenging climbs had been taken out. This was actually no small consolation because the revised course was still incredibly challenging and as usual... covered in Sapa's horrendous mud.

Leighton and Kim continued to have strong personal efforts, with Kim reaching base camp first this afternoon. Both racers have seen enough mud to last them a lifetime. Each seemed to cherrish a shorter course that got them back to camp early enough so they could rest during the late afternoon and evening.

Tilden is continuing to prove his doubters wrong and is still in the race after completing the 3rd Stage. He was the second from the last to arrive but his placement is not his concern, rather focusing on finishing is his personal goal. Unfortunately, Tilden's good fortune of having no blisters during the first two stages has evaporated and he arrived into base camp with new blisters on his toes, most likely caused from the severe and muddy declines that places most of his body weight on his toes.


What made this evening so special was that rather than sleeping in tents, as we had done the previous four nights, tonight we are staying as guests of local villagers. Many of the villagers in our small town supplement their farming income by offering Home-Stays to tourists. Tonight all of us are enjoying sleeping in a traditional house on stilts, with four wooden walls, a roof, and most importantly a soft matress to cushion the tender bones of many of the competitors. Day break tends to come early during this race, so most have bunked-in for the night. The next stage will take us to the small village of Ta Van, where they are having one of their largest festivals of the year tomorrow. Should be a nice treat after a hellish run.

Stage 2 - Mud Fest

One would think that 105 KMs in the First Stage would be hard enough, but no one truly knew how hard 51 KMs could be during the 2nd Stage when most of that distance was to be spent slogging it through ankle-deep mud. The mud was everywhere and it sapped the strength of the racers as they slipped, slid, and stumbled up and down sheer inclines covered in the thick, sticky, and unforgiving substance. In some portions of the course, racers frustrated by the mud decided if you can beat it, then join it. They would literally sit down on the muddy trail and slide down to the bottom. Many racers use walking poles, which helped, but the mud was relentless and even caused those using poles to stumble and fall. Going down hill was the worst as every step ran the risk of slipping and falling, or worse potentially causing an injury.

Local villagers probably found our distaste and distain for the mud humorous, since they have dealt with it for centuries. The Sapa Valley, where the race takes place, is home to eight different ethnic tribes and many of them have gathered along side the course to witness this most unusual gathering of funny looking foreigners wearing the most outlandish outfits. Some of the more famous tribes are the Black Hmong, the Red Daos, and the Tays. Each ethnic tribe has settled amidst the Sapa Valley at different points in history and in different locations. The life is harsh and filled with intense physical agricultural labor maintaining a seemingly endless labrynth of terraced fields of rice, corn, and other crops. Even though the work is tough, the reward seems to be a blessing to live within one of the most beautiful places on earth.

The children of Sapa Valley seem to be everywhere and their delightful smiles and curiosity are inspiring to all of us. Many of the racers and support staff are greeted with waves and shouts of "hello, hello" from the kids. One of the Racing the Planet staffers took time at one of the race checkpoints to teach a group of young girls how to count to 5 in English. One of their favorite activities is to reluctantly and shyly have their photo taken and then rush towards you to see the result in the camera's preview display. This scene has repeated itself numerous times and always brings laughter and delight.



My co-workers battled the mud and displayed remarkable resolve. Kim, the most experienced on the team, took a stumble and slashed the skin on his leg almost completely off. The medical team at one of the checkpoints applied some liquid stiches to keep things together. Leighton had the best performance on the day for the team and ended up running the last segment of the 51 KM stage. He told me later in Base Camp that the reason he decided to run was that he wanted to hurry up and get to camp before nightfall. The running seemed to loosen up his tender right knee which has been nagging him throughout the race. The final member of the team, Tilden, refused to quit and his resolve has impressed us all. Tilden finally arrived to Base Camp at around 9PM, just over 13 hours after he started the stage.

Racers spent the evening sipping tea and getting warm around the fire in Base Camp and tried their best to scrape the mud from their tired and fatigued bodies. Many were tring to scrub the mud from their memories as well, but in Sapa during this time of year, the mud is always there and waiting. Stage 3 awaits and attitudes have to be adjusted to now concentrate on the challenge ahead, put the pain and frustration of the day behind them, and to rally their energy and mental edge to keep one foot constantly in front of the other.

Stage 1 - The Race is On

The 250 KM journey for 51 racers started yesterday morning at 8AM. Racers started the morning huddled around a huge fire for warmth in the chilly mountain air. This first stage would be the most arduous of the race, as it totalled 105 KMs and would have most racers competiting all day and most of the night without rest. Just before the race began, local villagers from Si Ma Cai performed music and dance in what appeared to be a cheerful send-off. The dancers smiled and grabbed the hands of many racers and encouraged them to join in on the fun.

My co-workers, Tilden, Leighton, and Kim joined together for one quick photo before launching into their attack on Stage One. What the team soon encountered was sloppy rain-soaked trails that contained endless patches of mud that acted like glue when racers' feet sank into its depths. Walking poles became almost a necessity in order to gain balance and leverage against the mud. Checkpoints were set up along the way in roughly 15 KM increments and offered racers a quick salvation where they could re-fill water bottles, consult medical staff on-site, and prepare for the next 15K.

I was riding along on the day with NBC Sports, one of America's major sports networks, who is here to capture each day of the competition. During the ride, I had time to chat with the NBC camera-man. I showed him my Flip Video camera and some of the videos I had been capturing. He was genuinely impressed with this pocket technology and thought my footage was good. Always nice to get approval from a professional and I've been trying to watch him closely and learn.

The weather is a constant antagonist in this area and it takes no mercy on anyone. One of the scariest scenes took place at 1AM on the day the race began when a jeep, containing 5 local Vietnamese porters that were assisting with the race, went over a steep bank in heavy and dense fog. They all sustained numerous lascerations and broken ribs and are now recovering in a nearby hospital. This was a painful reminder that Mother Nature is always present and we must do our best to stay on our toes.

My co-workers, along with many of the competitors, pushed on checkpoint after checkpoint clear through the night. Racers used headlamps to illuminate their path in the pitch black night. As if the race was not tough enough, Leighton and Kim encountered 4-legged challenges in the form of angry dogs. The dogs litterally chased the two for over 20 KMs and both sustained bites.

Both Leighton and Kim arrived into Base Camp this morning thoroughly exhausted from their 105 KM journey. Remarkably both looked well besides some tender muscles and blistered feet. Tilden did not arrive until almost 33 hours after he started. His fortitude is truly amazing as he told me privately that he considered quiting at numerous times during the stage. Quiting ended up not happening on this day, and Tilden walked into Base Camp with his patented smile. He was exhausted and sore but his feet were amazingly dry and without blisters -- a real rarity with this group of racers.

The longest stage is now in the history books, and my friends are most importantly still healthy and alive, and they are equally still in the race. 105 KMs are now at their backs, but the next stage is rumored to be extremely technical and challenging. Best of luck to all of the racers as we follow them and cheer them onto the end.

Over Night Train to Lao Cai

I am honored to be a part of Racing the Planet, an extreme endurance race that spans 25oKMs over the course of five days. This year's race takes place throughout the lush terraced rice fields of northern Vietnam. Although I am not competing in the race myself, I am supporting three of my co-workers who are. My main responsibilities will be to document via photos, video, and podcast interviews of how technology is connecting people. Not only will the racers be connected to the Internet via a satelite downlink at each stage in the race but also the rural villagers themselves have enjoyed Internet access for over 10 months, thanks to a pilot program established by my company. It is these stories from the villagers themselves that I look the most forward to capturing.

The first step in preparing for the race was to begin making the journey from Hanoi, Vietnam, via an 8-hour over-night train to Lao Cai, which is in the extreme northern reaches of Vietnam. Lao Cai is so far north that directly across a small river lies the border with China. This northern most province is currently experiencing the coldest winter in over 40 years -- a new challenge for all of us who are taking part in Racing the Planet.

I boarded the train with three fellow volunteers as well as my co-worker Sean. The train compartments were cramped but comfortable and we enjoyed hopping from each others’ cabin to sit down and share stories of travel. Before the train pulled away from the station in Hanoi, Eric was able to purchase a 6-pack of beer from a platform vendor, ensuring that we had some rousingly good stories and also making us sleepy so we could drift off even while the train rocked back and forth.

I'm now looking forward to the start of this race on Monday and getting a chance to meet some truly fascinating individuals both from around the world and here in Vietnam. Stay tuned and check in throughout the race and see how things progress as we Race the Planet.

Vegas Baby, Vegas!

The beginning of the new year always means that our annual sales conference is right around the corner. This year, we had the added dimension of a change in venue from our previous three years to help add a little zest to our yearly gathering. Las Vegas was the place and meeting up with old friends and co-workers, mixed in with the sights and sounds of Vegas, was the name of the game. Our company completely rented out the entire Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas for 3 nights in order to host the over 5,000 worldwide employees who make the annual trip to attend the conference. This year, there were multiple distractions of slot machines, gaming tables, and sports books to potentially reel in a conference attendee on their way to an all important company training session. For most however, the sales conference no matter where the location, always allows for friends to reconnect and catch up and this year was no different.

Meeting up with Dave (at right) at the sales conference is always something to look forward to. This guy lives and breathes fun and when you turn him loose in Vegas, things only get better. Dave and I met when I first started at my company back in Oregon almost eight years ago. He is a local Oregon Kid, just like me, and grew up in the relatively same suburban surroundings as me. We've shared a lot of laughs over the years and haven't let the distance of where we both live get in the way. A few years ago, I was lucky enough to be able to host Dave when he came to Singapore on a business trip and we had a great time as always.

The sales conference also provided an opportunity for my team to get together face-to-face, which is not something that occurs too often, given that we are spread out across six major Southeast Asian countries. I am so proud of the accomplishments our team made during the year. Nobody anticipated much from us, as we are an emerging market region. But we successfully proved the cynics wrong and by the end of the year, we had claimed the prestigious position as having achieved the highest revenue results in Asia. The little team from Southeast Asia, made up of members from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Philippines, had beat out the traditional heavy weights of India, Korea, and Australia. The Southeast Asia Team overcame huge challenges and perceptions of our capabilities and became #1. It was a lot of hard work and effort to get to this level and I am so proud of each and every member of my team.

Airbus 380

Little did I know when I booked my holiday vacation to Australia months in advance, that I would have the distinction of being one of the first to fly in the world's first commercial Airbus 380. The chance came actually at the end of my holiday on the return flight from Sydney to Singapore. In only its second full week in service, I was fortunate enough to climb on board Singapore Airlines' newest and proudest addition to their fleet, which just happens to be the world's largest commercial aircraft ever built.

When I first approached the A380 my initial thought was that it didn't seem as massive as I had expected. That notion was quickly abandoned when I saw a Boeing 777 taxi next to the A380, making the large-body 777 look like a small toy. Make no mistake about it, this is a gigantic aircraft. To give you some perspective, the total volume of the fuselage is 1,570 square meters, which is equal to a space that could hold 4.5 million tennis balls. The fuel tanks can hold up to 310,400 litres, which is the equivalent of 4.5 million Singapore Sling cocktails. The height of the A380's tail is the equivalent of 8 stories off the ground. Airports that will use the A380 have had to retro-fit their gates in order to accommodate this behemoth. In Sydney, we all boarded using two separate jetways. One for the Main Deck and another for the Upper Deck.

The A380 can hold upwards of 800 passengers at full capacity, but very few airlines will configure their class sections in this manner. Singapore Airlines (SQ), who has the exclusive rights to be the first and only airline currently to fly the A380, has configured theirs to hold 471 passengers and 18 crew. SQ has divided the massive double-decker in the following manner: The first 1/3 of the Main Deck is for First Class and the remaining 2/3 is for Economy Class. There is a spiral staircase at both the front and the back of the cabin that connects to the Upper Deck. Upstairs SQ has divided the first 2/3 for Business Class and the remaining 1/3 for another section of Economy. The cabin classes on SQ's A380 are simply amazing. I have long flown with SQ since arriving in Asia and they have done nothing to ever tarnish their global ranking as being the best airline in the world, and with their cabin class implementation of the new A380, it is an amazing step up in comfort and entertainment in every class.

First Class on SQ, or what they are calling "Suites", is the coupe de gras of luxury air travel. Passengers here enjoy a self-contained living space with a sliding door, 23 inch LCD screen, and the now famous fully flat lie-down bed that creates your own bedroom in the sky. Of course SQ pulls out all the stops with rose petals on the bedding, gourmet cuisine, and their trademark service. In case you were wondering, Yours Truly was not successful in my begging for an upgrade to First Class. I'll have to keep my Suites visit in my dreams for the time being, but not to worry as the other cabins are no slouch when it comes to new features.

Business Class brings you a tailored environment for work and relaxation. Integrated business software applications are included in the in-seat entertainment module, just in case you wanted to crank out one more slide presentation before you land. USB data ports to accommodate memory sticks allow for easy storage. But who really wants to work on a flight anyway? The big kicker here is the huge leather seat that could almost fit two skinny posteriors at one time. This coupled with a 15 inch LCD screen and loads of entertainment.

Last but not least is Economy Class. This is the section of which I am very familiar. It is configured in a 3-4-3 seat layout and leg room was comparable to a Boeing 777, yet better than a 747. My favorite part was the completely upgraded KrisWorld, which is the name for SQ's on-demand in-seat entertainment center. Countless movies, TV shows, and a seemingly endless music catalog, all available on-demand on an 11 inch LCD screen, had me fully engaged for most of the seven hour flight back to Singapore. Economy Class also is treated to normally Business Class features on the A380 as USB, network, and video ports are all integrated into the seatback for access.

What was the most astonishing thing for me about the A380 beyond its size and window dressing, was the quietness of the cabin, even at full take-off. You can just imagine how powerful those four Rolls Royce engines are to be able to lift the world's largest commercial aircraft off the ground. For passengers inside the A380 however, the take-off and subsequent flight is dramatically quieter than anything I have ever experienced. Engine technology as well as insulation and material design has produced a cabin that is functional and comfortable, even for 471 people.

Being one of the first to fly the A380, in only its second week in operation, will go down as a major lifetime experience for an airplane buff like me. I spend countless hours on these metallic birds traveling for business and even occasionally for pleasure. It was truly amazing to experience this engineering marvel first hand and to fly on the newest and biggest bird in the sky.

Cultural Convergence

Don't get me wrong; I love the differences in people, places, and cultures that I regularly encounter. It is great to observe or participate in a different perspective and approach because you learn a lot about yourself in the process. On the other hand, when I do go somewhere that shares a similar outlook culturally to my own, there is a wonderful sensation of familiarity and comfort. I came across this feeling on a recent trip to Manila.

Let's be clear right up front that Filipinos have a very proud and rich tradition and culture that is indeed unique and special, yet it is today's similarities with that of the US that caused me to jot down some thoughts. The cultural convergence in my belief starts with the close friendship our two nations have had for many generations. It was uncanny how everyone I met upon discovering that I was from the US commented that they either have a family member or a close friend that lives in America. Filipinos are also the most mobile people in Asia when it comes to immigrating or working overseas. Income that is generated overseas by Filipinos is measured in the billions of dollars annually and makes up a significant portion of the nation's GDP as hard earned paychecks are sent to loved ones back home.

Sitting in an outdoor cafe in Makati's famous Greenbelt Mall feels like virtually the same experience one would find doing the same thing in Southern California. The weather, surroundings, the service orientation, and the fact that well-spoken English permeates conversations all lead to this sense of familiarity. Of course Makati is by no stretch of the imagination representative of everyday Philippines or even Manila for that matter, but the experience that one picks up here fools the mind into thinking it is somewhere recognizable.

I also had to chuckle at the common love for Fast Food, as represented by the only Wendy's Hamburgers that I have ever seen in Asia or the presence and popularity of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. The existence of these type of establishments don't always help the waistlines of people from either country but seeing them again brought comfort. What is unique is that Filipinos don't simply copy and paste these traditional American icons into their national canvass, but they adapt and improve upon them with their own unique stylings and taste. This is represented by the Fast Food chain known as Jollibee, which is famous for being the only domestic market fast food establishment globally that beats McDonalds in annual units and revenue. And Jollibee is not stopping with their home domestic market. They have again beat McDonalds and Burger King to the punch by being the first hamburger chain to open up in Saigon, Vietnam, which is fast becoming an explosive new market as people there begin craving for more international tastes.

As the photo above documents, I too enjoyed a unique local take on a tried and true staple of American consumerism: The Upscale Mall. Rather than merely perusing the luxury name brands of your typical mall, in Makati there are upscale promotions with live bands, free champagne, and no guest list. My co-worker and I, fresh out of our last business meeting of the day, couldn't resist a side trip through the mall in order to join the festivities and swig down some liquid libations.

For me, the Philippines is a great place to re-charge my cultural memory banks. The similarities bring comfort while the unique twists and local flair make it fun and special.

Return of the Burn

Burning Man, the infamous and quasi paganistic celebration held in the Nevada desert each year, was first wonderfully re-created on the sandy beaches of Bintan, Indonesia, by a group of us Singaporean transplants back in 2005. Our burning man back then, although small in stature, rekindled the fun energy of the real event back in the US. It also helped solidify friendships for a group of fun-loving people that still exists to this day.

After missing the event in 2006, remnants of the group that first kicked off Bintan Burning Man in '05 decided it was high time to build "the man" one more time and set him ablaze under the canopy of stars and isolated beach that has now become our backdrop for this festive get-together. We welcomed new participants this year and raised our glasses to those of us who had traveled on. Burning Man is a cycle, just like life, and in a way that is what we are celebrating... the continuation of this cycle, but also pausing to recognize the significance of those things and those people around us who make it special.

The Great One Arrives

A simple text message buzzed into my phone. With the brief note came the news that we had been waiting for: my friends, Minnie and Gene, had finally become proud parents. Jakkarin Justin Moran definitely didn't want to get to his party late. In fact, he actually showed up early by a few weeks. But not to worry. Jakkarin in Thai language can be translated to mean The Great One and he showed his strength and determination that bestows his name and is a very happy and healthy baby.

I was so fortunate to have been in Bangkok when Justin made his trip back home with Minnie and Gene from the hospital. It didn't take long for Justin to become the rightful center of attention. Grandpa, Grandma, friends, and Uncles (Both biological and one not so biological from Singapore) began arriving to welcome Minnie and Gene's new bundle of joy. It was a lot of activity for a little guy but he took it in stride and brought smiles to the faces of everyone he encountered.

Minnie may have started to feel out numbered by having three guys in the house. Gene and I were already envisioning how popular little Justin will someday be with the ladies, given his good looks. If he is anything like his mom, he will be a tireless and tender provider. Minnie has shown a reserve of energy I thought was only available to superheros in her efforts to take care of Justin. She has to wake up every three hours, around the clock, to take care, feed, change, and bathe the little Great One. Gene is getting into the act by helping with the feeding and changing, but there are just some tasks that he is not biologically equipped to handle. But that doesn't stop his endless beaming and sense of pride that I see in him as he either interacts with Justin or simply talks about him in passing conversation. Daddy-hood, although unfamiliar and challenging, seems to be very well suited for Gene.

Minnie is chronicling Justin's milestones through photos and video on her website. Check it out to see how the new Thai Trio is doing: http://salinrat.multiply.com

Memorable Mui Ne

It was time for a weekend with friends. Business trips had run their course, the weekend was beckoning, Saigon was its normal bustling self, and the beach resort town of Mui Ne (mOO-NAY) was a mere 4-hour drive away. My friend Kevin was making his inaugural first flight to Vietnam to meet me and my local friend Chau was taking a much deserved break from the stress of planning her wedding, which will take place in October this year. The three of us needed to get away from what had become a vicious cycle of work and planning, so we put our sights on Mui Ne and didn't look back.

Inspired by the movie Easy Rider, Kevin and I ventured out on a much smaller scale and rented motor bikes while we were in Mui Ne. I am not sure which one of us was playing the role of Peter Fonda or Dennis Hopper, but you can trust that absolutely no one was scared of seeing these two motor bike marauders meander down main street. The resort that Chau booked for us was brand new and had only been open for six months. Each of us had our own plush bungalow with rich hard wood floors, rattan furniture, spacious surroundings, and a sea view. Just across the street were little seafood restaurants owned and operated by locals who prepared fresh catches of the day.

One of the great things about Vietnam is the food. It is so light, healthy, and of course tasty. Now a restaurant in Vietnam can be housed in a fancy French-inspired colonial shop house or it can be any patch of sidewalk where you can throw out some folding tables and stools. Chau took us to the later example and we loved every bite. Chau showed Kevin and me the finer points of how to create the perfect Vietnamese rice paper roll (see photo). There were plenty of delectable sauces to tempt the palate as well. Now Vietnamese are known for their relatively small physical stature, so the stools and tables they use reminded me of what a small girl from a Western country might use as Dollhouse Furniture. With our knees firmly planted under our chin, Kevin and I pulled up a seat alongside the locals and dug into one of the tastiest meals that we had on this trip. It was good fun and definitely worth the back ache.

As with most weekend getaways, eventually you have to come back to reality. In our case, Kevin and I had to head back to the airport in Saigon in preparations for departing back to Singapore. But before we did, we took a pit stop at one of the hundreds of local Vietnamese coffeeshops in Saigon. Vietnam is a country where you will never find a Starbucks because their local take on this global beverage is just so good that Starbucks would be out of business in a week. Vietnamese coffee is extremely strong and potent. The rich grounds are placed into a brewcup filtering device that is placed right over the top of your glass. You can actually see the filtered coffee enter the glass at your table. Most common is to have the coffee served over ice along with sweet condensed milk. When stirred together, this concoction is a tasty pick-me-up that always hits the spot when I visit Vietnam. The three of us were able to briefly relax at the coffee shop and reflect upon a relaxing weekend. The next day would bring back the familiar efforts of work and planning, but not just yet. There was still coffee to drink and laughs to share.

Rejuvenating Return

My trips to the US come few and far between nowadays. There is the annual sales conference usually in the February time frame and of course Christmas, but that is usually it... until recently.

Now I may have been the 3rd choice on the depth chart to attend a meeting that was being held in California, but at least it was a chance to leap over the Pacific and spend some time with family and friends after my work was done. It was a special treat because it was unexpected and it was an occurrence that allowed me to re-charge my batteries, take a brief time-out, and reconnect with people who are important to me.

I spent a holiday weekend in Portland, as the US was celebrating Memorial Day. It was a good time to visit as everyone was in a good mood heading into a rare 3-day weekend. My friend Keiko, was nice enough to allow me to crash in her guest room, to the dismay of her cat who had been using it as the place where his litter box was kept. Keiko and I were able to drop by a couple of old haunts and enjoy good drink and good food, and not to mention catch up with each other.

I was able to surprise my friend Kevin, with the help of his wife Rose of course. I rang Rose up on the phone and initially shocked her when I told her I was in town. She said that Kevin and her had dinner reservations tonight and that I was welcome to join. I told her not to tell Kevin I would come so that we could surprise him. When I did walk into the restaurant Kevin told Rose, that guy over there looks a lot like David. When I approached the table the gag was up and Kevin met me with a big grin and a firm handshake. We caught up on local sports and the goings on with each others' lives. We then moved on to have dessert at my favorite place in Northwest Portland. My taste buds were happy to reconnect with familiar friends as well.

I took an entire week off to spend with my parents at the family farm. We used the time together to take some nice drives and do some sightseeing as the beautiful Oregon weather began welcoming the Summer season. One drive had us heading for the mountains named 3 Sisters. We found this amazingly beautiful yet isolated lake that was high in the mountains and fed from melting snow. All three of us actually had to hike around and over what was left of the previous Winter's snow which was melting day by day. The air was so fresh and clean and you could smell the scent of the trees in the air. I really missed this sensation. As we returned back down from the lake we could gaze across an endless sea of trees which stretched up to snow capped mountains.

Dad and I took one day together and headed for Smith Rock. This famous area formed from volcanic eruptions and natural wind & water erosion over countless centuries, has created an amazing spectacle for the eye and also one of America's premier rock climbing destinations. I took a hike deep within the canyon and walked along the riverbanks looking up at these cathedrals of stone.

One of the pleasures of being back was to celebrate a special anniversary. My beloved Pick-up Truck was 40 years old this year. Originally bought by my Grandpa, this truck has many sentimental memories for me. My Grandpa use to take me for rides in the truck when I was a little boy. He would typically ask me if I wanted to go for a "bumpity ride in the pick up", which was always met with a triumphant yes by me. I would ride in the passenger seat next to my Grandpa as he would grind the gears of the 4-speed manual through the wheat fields of the farm. The truck would toss and turn as we would hit rock hollows and stumps, but the endless shaking would only mean more laughter and fun for me and Grandpa. During the return ride back home he would let me sit in the open bed of the truck, where I could feel the wind hit my face.

Grandpa left me this old farm truck and when I was in high school, I saved my money and was able to take it into the body shop to remove all the old dents and scrapes and bring the truck back to life again. I kept the original green color, which was unique for its day. The old farm truck was re-born into a classic and has been close to me to this very day. It has always been sad that it is usually stuck in the barn and is rarely driven. So when I was home this time, I had some repairs done on the old truck and brought it back to life and into driving condition once again. From there I washed it up and put a new coat of wax on the old 1967 GMC. As you can see by the photos, it looks brand new again. Not bad for a 40 year old!

My unexpected trip home was rejuvenating. It was so fun to catch up with friends and spend time with my parents. It was also great to take in the scenic beauty of my home state as well as bring out the beauty once again of an old and trusted friend. Look forward to seeing everyone again during the Christmas Season.

The Forces of Friendship

The bonds that bind friends together is truly an amazing force. Although time and distance may separate friends from each other, the power of friendship has almost a supernatural way of either speeding up the clock to make up for lost time spent apart or traveling at the speed of light to close any time zone or distance gap that may exist. I was lucky to have my friend Frank drop by Singapore recently on business and it was a fun and hilarious experience to get caught up with each other and recount our many adventures that we had been apart of in the past.

Even though both Frank and I work for the same company and are both Americans, we only first met each other when we were each stationed in Munich, Germany. Frank and I literally arrived into Munich a few days apart of each other, along with another close friend Keith. For those who have followed my Blog from its inception, you will recall that it was this experience in Germany which gave me the beginnings of my online musings. Frank was a big part of my Munich experience, but he has also always been a true friend who has bestowed upon me wisdom and experience that has helped to shape my career and attitudes.

Of course there will always be the stories Frank and I will tell again and again about Oktoberfest, German efficiency, and endless characters that we encountered in the office and on our travels; but I think the added factor of having some serious moments when we compared notes on life, its meaning, and our unique role within it has been some of the most lasting conversations of our friendship.

What many people have learned (some the hard way) about Frank is that he is a master with PhotoShop. The guy alwas has a camera and is ready at the helm to document the moment, no mater how shameless it may be. And if reality is not funny enough for Frank, he will open up PhotoShop and add his own artistic and comedic flair to ensure side-splitting laughter. One such element of Frank's efforts took place just after I had departed from Munich and went back to the US. Frank, Keith, and I were often together experiencing as much of Germany as we could together. But after I left Munich, there were only two of the orginal three castmembers. Frank likes to tell the story of how both he and Keith were having a teriffic day on the slopes in the German Alps one weekend. Upon taking a break to reflect on the day, they both said that the only thing that would make the day better was if David was here to join in on the fun. Since reality didn't allow me to be with them, Frank and PhotoShop soon took over to allow me, if only virtually, to be there with them on the slopes. The YouTube video below captures that day perfectly. Turn up your speakers and let it rip and see if you can spot my appearance with the guys!


Frank will always be a part of my Munich Crew. And I hope he will continue to remain a close friend as well. When he got back to the US, he dropped me an inspiring email about the wonderful opportunities that he saw for me in my role and within my region here in Southeast Asia. The words meant more to me because they came from Frank and I have found myself reflecting upon them whenever I am feeling frustrated or down. This is the kind of actions we expect from good friends and no factors of time nor distance will disrupt this powerful force known as friendship.

Witnessing Positive Change

Recently, I have had the fantastic opportunity to visit many Southeast Asian countries that I am now managing, to partake in launch activities for new programs and operations. First stop was in the Philippines, where I was fortunate enough to meet with the Secretary of the Department of Education (just left of me in the photo) in our joint efforts to promote improved education initiatives across the Philippines. Our two organizations share a passion for developing young people and it was great to see the private and public sector come together for a common and important cause.

We each gave speeches and also entertained questions during a session with the gathered press and media that was in attendance. I was then joined by our Country Manager for the Philippines (above), along with other partner representatives to sign a formal agreement that would commit resources to accomplishing our efforts together.

What was new for me was getting the opportunity to wear a traditional Filipino dress shirt called a Barong, which is a long-sleeve embroidered shirt made from Pineapple fibers. It can be worn in the Philippines for business meetings and is considered just as formal and appropriate as a western business suit and tie. The Barong is great and is a heck of a lot cooler than a stuffy old tie any day!

Next stop was Vietnam, were I was able to attend the ground-breaking ceremony for our new manufacturing facility that will be constructed over the next 18 months in a brand new business park outside of Saigon. In attendance were company executives, government officials from the Communist Party, as well as local leadership from Saigon to celebrate a facility that will help bring 3,000 new jobs to Vietnam's fast growing economic engine.

To help kick off the event, and ensure good fortune for the facility and the people who will work there, the gathering was entertained by a young troop of local dancers who performed a traditional Lion Dance.
Speeches were made and glasses were raised in mutual appreciation for the hard work on the behalf of all involved which made this facility a reality. Of course I had to get into the act of celebration while shamelessly posing with a group of gathered ladies wearing the traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai dress.

I am amazed each time I visit Vietnam of its rate of growth and steadily raising levels of prosperity. I first visited Vietnam as a tourist in 1999, and in just 8 short years I feel privileged to have had a front-row seat for its success and evolution. I am looking forward to being an active participant in its economy and in learning more about its rich culture and its many friendly people.

Last stop was Thailand, were I was able to meet up with the always-hospitable Thai Team. After a long day's work going over performance reviews for the team, it was time to celebrate and join in on a team dinner. It was heaven for me, since Thai food is my favorite cuisine. The waitresses kept bringing out more food to our tables in a never-ending supply chain of spicy goodness. One delectable delight was being able to sample tiger prawns that were as big as a small lobster. The local Thai team filled my stomach for sure, but as always they filled me up with their spirit which is full of joking, laughing, and openness.

I am truly blessed to have this opportunity to be a part of so many wonderful and ever-changing Southeast Asian countries. It brings a new found sense of pride to see how my efforts are impacting lives in a positive way. Little do the people in these countries know that they are impacting my life in a positive way as well with their graciousness, enthusiasm, and ambition to constantly improve. I look forward to joining with them on this journey.

I've Got the Blues

I have been truly lucky over the last few months to bare witness to two of the finest guitar playing bluesmen of all time. In mid January I was able to attend a concert by my all-time favorite guitarist, Eric Clapton, here in Singapore. Getting interested in Clapton's music when I was in high school opened up the wonderful world of Blues music to me. Clapton certainly didn't invent this distinct style of music, yet he has turned countless people like myself onto not only his own style and brand of blues, but has also religiously given credit and pointed back to the founders of this "Mother Music". Now they call Blues the Mother Music because it gave birth to two other original forms of classic American music: Jazz and Rock & Roll. If we never had the Blues, could you imagine a world without Rock & Roll or Jazz?

One of the people that Clapton always gives credit to for inspiring his own love of the Blues has been Buddy Guy. Clapton once said,

"He was for me what Elvis was probabaly for other people... My course was set and he was my pilot."

Well last night here in Singapore, I was able to place my evening's course into the very capable hands of Mr. Buddy Guy (photo above). He is a 5-time Grammy Award winner and a true legend that has inspired countless modern day guitar heroes such as Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and John Mayer.

Buddy is a consummate showman and entertainer, and last night was no exception. You can't just play the Blues, you have to feel them, and Buddy plays with all the emotion and energy that defies the fact that he is in his 70s. He was able to bring the crowd to a frothy frenzy with laser sharp guitar licks, then moments later sooth everyone's soul with soft and flowing arrangements backed by his amazing band.

You could sense that Buddy feels a responsibility to pass what he knows and loves onto others. He sees himself, and rightfully so, as a messenger of Blues music. He would have the band stop at several points in the show last night so he could talk and engage the crowd. He told the crowd that radio stations don't play much blues music, but that tonight he was going to take us on a musical journey that would reflect both his own influences as well as sample those individuals that he himself had touched over the years.

He played his classics like Mustang Sally and Damn Right I Got the Blues, but then he seamlessly transitioned into a funky and slowed down version of Cream's Strange Brew. He prefaced the Cream song by saying,

"Those British guys liked my music back then and they went back home and did their own versions of these great songs and later helped people eventually know who I was... And for that, I truly love them."

One of the best things about Buddy Guy is his connection with the audience. People naturally want to get close to Buddy and he in turn wants to get close to them. During the show, he took his guitar and walked off stage and directly into the crowd. While his band played on and while Buddy himself continued to sing and play, he walked through the rows and aisles of the auditorium in order to get closer to his fans. People were taking photos and reaching out to him and Buddy reached right back, even allowing some lucky fans to strum his guitar right during the song. He would then disappear out an exit and moments later emerge upstairs on the second level of the auditorium smiling, singing, playing, and connecting with the people who had come to hear him play.

Eventually the musical Blues journey began to come to a close and Buddy stood at the edge of the stage for over 10 minutes and signed autographs and shook hands with people. As the house lights of the auditorium came back up to indicate the end of the show, Buddy could be seen blowing kisses goodbye to the people who he genuinely enjoyed entertaining.

Most people around the world don't know Buddy Guy or the Blues, a music that he feels such an obligation to preserve and pass onto others. He has a great and noble challenge to spread the Blues to everyone, and I can't imagine a better messenger. Isn't it about time you got the Blues?

Festive February

February has brought many fun cultural and personal events. Happy Chinese New Year to everyone... Gong Xi Fa Cai. As we all celebrate welcoming the new year of the Pig, it was fantastic to have both Monday and Tuesday off from work, providing a rare four-day weekend. Most Chinese Singaporeans spent the holiday surrounding themselves with family. For the rest of us, it was a perfect time to relax and distance ourselves from work. I used my precious holiday weekend to hit the beach, go for a massive 10 kilometer hike, and take in a fantastic music concert.

Billed as the Good Vibrations Festival, it was held at historic Fort Canning Park and had a mass array of musical artists including headlining band the Beastie Boys. The Beasties rocked and funked the crowd into a frenzy until the wee morning hours. A big surprise for me was being able to hear the band Jurassic 5. These guys were a refreshing hip-hop ensemble from Los Angeles whose knack for finding and driving the groove was intense.

The month also began with my company's annual sales conference in Los Angeles. It is always fun to catch up with friends and former colleagues from around the world, as this event brings over 5,000 people from every geography in the world together at one time. Was nice to see my friends from Europe and the US. I was fortunate enough to be able to fly back to Oregon the weekend after the conference and catch up with even more friends back in Portland.

And since February includes Chinese New Year, and whereby most people gather around family at this special time, I too was able to see my parents while back in Oregon. It was a brief weekend stop, but was definitely well worth it. It is kind of fun to celebrate two New Years per year. Keeping the festive momentum going after Christmas is a nice touch. Looking forward to all the new opportunities this new year of the Pig will bring.

Noel in the Northwest

Coming home for Christmas is always important to me, and this year has been no different. Actually the Christmas season this year was a much anticipated sanctuary and oasis from what has been a very frustrating and trying year from a work perspective. Even with all of its trials and tribulations, the year ended on an up-beat note in early December just before I departed back to the US, when I was informed that I would be receiving a promotion and given the opportunity to take on a new role which I had been working extremely hard to get. This accomplishment felt like vindication for having survived the year and for having the staying power to make things work. It also seemed to validate my own efforts and confirm that at least a few people saw value and potential in what I was trying to accomplish. So I boarded the plane on my way back home with a definite spring in my step and a bode of confidence that the new year would be full of new beginnings.

Christmas break this year has included some fun side trips to some essential destinations within the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Most people I have found around the world know Seattle, Washington, as that place where Dr. Frasier Crane lived. I never have the heart to tell these folks that the hit show was actually filmed on a sound stage in Los Angeles. The real Seattle is far more interesting than the ever ubiquitous Starbucks which seem to be present on practically every one of its city blocks. Seattle is after all the birthplace of Starbucks, but they have run out of real estate I believe to build any more there.

Many people also know the Emerald City (Seattle's nickname) as the place where Tom Hanks spent many a sleepless nights, but for me Seattle means Pike Place Market with all of its local vendors and fish markets hawking their local treats and catches. There is nothing like crouching up to a counter seat at the Athenian Inn, one of the market's most famous seafood restaurants, and ordering up some piping hot Clam Chowder. Even Tom himself ate there while filming his famous movie. It is a treat to not be missed.

Seattle also means the Space Needle which is a remnant of the 1962 World's Fair. It has become the de-facto icon which immediately identifies the city amongst others and sends its skyline into the future. From atop the Space Needle you can take in the entire city, Elliot Bay, Lake Union, and on a clear day the over 15,000 foot peak of Mt. Rainier. The streets of Seattle are hilly and similar to those of San Francisco, but the place remains a great walking town. It was just before Christmas however, so the shops were bursting with holiday shoppers. It felt so magical to once again dawn a heavy coat and gloves and feel the crispness of the winter air. These are simple and seasonal Pacific Northwest pleasures taken for granted until one moves to the Asian tropics.

Back home to Oregon meant an opportunity to scrape the rust off of my snowboarding skills and head for the slopes of Mt. Hood, which is Oregon's tallest mountain. I was honestly worried if I would remember how to snowboard, as it had been close to three years since my last trip down the slopes, but to my relief snowboarding turned out to be like riding a bike, and everything came rushing back. The exhilarating feeling of whisking down the slopes was a completely different sensation than wakeboarding. During the time away from snowboarding, I forgot about the floating sensation that the sport gives you. The conditions were perfect, as a fresh coat of powdery new snow had fallen the night before and the sun was out in full force after numerous days without an appearance.

Looking down from the top of the slope, one could see the trees shimmering with their fresh coats of snow. The air was so fresh and clear, you could even see Oregon's second tallest peak, Mt. Jefferson, in the distance which was over 50 miles away. As I carved my board in and out with each turn, I was slowly putting all of the baggage of 2006 out of my mind and concentrating on nothing but the pure bliss of fresh powder and the wonderful scenery. Down at the end of the run, it was time to jump on the chair lift on your way back up to the top. From the chair lift, it looked like a winter wonderland. From your moving perch heading to the top, one felt as if they were on the roof-top of the world looking out for days.

Oregon is rich with diversity in its geography. From snowy mountain slopes, it is only a couple hours drive to the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. Heading in the opposite direction, one can find the expansive wheat fields of Central Oregon where my parents live, where the closest neighbor can be at least a mile away and the average town has a population of just over 400 people. In this part of the state, coyotes can be found, although not always alive when encountered upon by a local farmer who doesn't take kindly to the predator's penchant for feasting on livestock. Friendlier animals, like colorful ducks can be found taking advantage of a hearty meal to help them endure the chilly climate.

The holiday has shaped up to be a wonderful break away from the stress and strain of work. Reconnecting with friends, seeing family, and reorienting myself with places I had long taken for granted has been a great experience. I for one am excited to bring in 2007 with all of the promise and excitement that starting anew brings. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year.

Happy Birthday Mom

Now I know that here in Singapore it is October 28th, but thankfully time zones are a beautiful thing, and so therefore we can celebrate my Mom's birthday for more than 24 hours when we do so as a family. Me here in Singapore and her and my Dad back in Oregon, which is a mere 15 time zones away.

This specific October 27th comes as a special crowning achievement for my Mom. Indeed it marks another wonderful year, but it also serves as a book-end to an amazing journey that she and my Dad have just completed. The two of them have just concluded a tour through China over the last 15 days. A totally new country, new culture, surely new driving habits, but obviously a new experience that marked a dizzying number of firsts for my parents.

My Mom marks this special birthday having recently scaled the Great Wall of China, sipped the teas of Hangzhou, gazed upon the futuristic skyline of Shanghai, walked through Tianamen Square in Beijing, invaded the Forbidden City, floated by boat to the Summer Palace, rolled to the Temple of Heaven, and savored the dumplings of Dalian just to name a few. Not bad for a small-town girl from Maupin, Oregon, with a population of 412 people, which is just a tad different from the cities in China that usually average just about that same number of people on one city bus.

The photo above shows how we celebrated Mom's early birthday together as a family with a Chinese candle atop of a nice piece of dessert which we all shared. There was no traditional blowing out of this kind of candle without the risk of singeing one's eyebrows, so we all enjoyed the show of sparks until it was out. Once again a new experience, but one my Mom took in-stride and enjoyed as well.

So as the 27th of October winds to a close this day back in Oregon, I wanted to wish my Mom a very special birthday and tell her that I am so proud of all that she accomplished on her recent trip to China. Happy Birthday Mom!

Fish On!!!

Catch of the Day - 40kg (88lb) Sail fish

How do you break the monotony of the endless summer heat, the wear and tear of being a road warrior Monday through Friday, and a slave trapped within the concrete jungle? Answer: you get 4 of your co-workers together at 4AM in the morning with little sleep, but plenty of hopes of hooking into the big one, and drive 3.5 hours north from Singapore on a narrow and curvy road to the sleepy town of Rompin, Malaysia, to seek out and catch the elusive yet athletically beautiful Sail Fish. What follows is our Fish Story, but I promise that this one is all true.

No fishing trip would be complete without the gathering of a Motley Crew. Ours included Leighton, the Aussie who pulled this trip together; Jason, quick witted Brit based in Hong Kong; Cekiel, the American incarnation of a real Expat having lived in Argentina, Brazil, and now Singapore; Lonnie, an American living in Taipei who craved landing a trophy sport fish; and yours truly, your Blogopher and portal into this exciting trip.

Now being a fishing trip, one would expect hearing some real Whoppers or stretches of the truth, but we were fortunate to see by this road sign that in Rompin, Malaysia, B.S.-ing was allowed and maybe even encouraged. Having made the long trip on empty stomachs, we fueled up on strong coffee and Roti Prata and then headed to the docks to meet our awaiting boat. Once boarded, we motored out to the bait zone to catch live anchovies, since sail fish will not strike bait unless it is alive. This was our first chance to drop our lines into the water and even though we weren't hauling up monsters of the deep at this point, it was still good fun and a whole lot better than working in the office. Little did we know that on our first day on the water, bait fish would be the only thing we would catch, as the sail fish eluded us and sent us back to the docks unsatisfied and even more determined to reel in the big ones on our second and final day.

We retreated back to our hotel... and I do use that term very lightly. Its appearance from the outside did not give much semblance to the type of lodging facilities we all typically experienced on the road for work. But we happily found that outside appearances don't tell the whole story, as the inside was quite clean, had five beds, shower and toilet, and satellite TV. All we were missing was the minnie bar, but after a quick run to the local market for some frosty malted beverages, all was right with the world.

The next morning we all woke up with clarity and focus on our mission ahead. We pounded through our breakfast and couldn't wait to initiate our final day on the water in hopes of tangling with the sail fish. Leighton was the first one to hear his fishing reel scream as a sail fish bit the hook and then ran off like the wind. Leighton carefully set the drag tension on his reel not too tight or else the line would snap, but just enough so that the sail fish would begin to tire himself out. After 15 minutes of battle, Leighton brought the first sail fish of our adventure into the boat and posed with his catch. It is important to note that the sail fish are not gaffed by a hook to be brought up on board. After a lengthy fight, they are quite exhausted and can instead be hoisted up by the body and their long sword-like bill. After a short photo session, the fish are placed back in the water and released. Everyone who touches the sail fish wears gloves because the fish emits a natural secretion from its skin that is highly acidic and will cause a rash and burning sensation if exposed to human skin.

A mere 20 mins later, I hooked into my sail fish and the smile on my face said it all. Your natural reaction is to want to reel the fish in as fast as possible, but you must first allow the sail fish to run and tire himself out. My sail fish broke the surface of the sea and jumped clean out of the water as the two of us battled. We estimated that he took about 250 yards of line, which meant a lot of cranking for me to get the big fish back to the boat. You can watch the video of the final moments of this epic struggle between man and fish. My fish weighed in at 40kgs (88lbs) and would end up being the largest catch of the day. I was amazed at the fish's massive dorsal fin, which really does appear to look like the sail on an old Asian junk. As I held it in my arms, I could feel that it was pure muscle and an amazing creature.



We had several hours of downtime after my catch and it wasn't until early in the afternoon when we had a rare but exciting event occur: The Double Hook-Up. Both Lonnie and Jason had sail fish take their bait within seconds of each other. This created virtual chaos on the boat as both guys jockeyed for position and tried not to get their lines crossed.

After the excitement of the Double Hook-Up and the earlier catches by Leighton and me, the time had flown by on our final day. We headed back to Rompin with exciting tales to tell. We has one last triumphant dinner at the local Chinese restaurant and then piled into the van to make the journey south back to Singapore. This fishing trip was just what everyone needed. A chance to mix things up, change the environment, hang out with friends, do something out of the norm, and capture memorable moments to share with others. Now maybe the size of the guys' catch has expanded over time, but that is the nature of fish stories. They just keep getting better each time they are told.

Finally... I've been Shanghai-ed

It has always been a blind spot amongst my travel itineraries and a noticeable empty void representing one of the region's most famous cities. My shame for the past two years of travel across Asia was that I had never been to Shanghai. Well, now you can check that box off as well, as I recently had an opportunity to visit this storied place after years of anticipation.

Although I was only in Shanghai for just three days, I found it much more refreshing than Beijing. Perhaps it was because the city was new to me, after having trotted up to Beijing so many times. I honestly think however, it was because of Shanghai's unique mix of both Chinese and western influences. There is the obvious Chinese touches in the older architecture and obviously the people, language, and the culture. But there is also the European architecture that makes up the showpiece of Shanghai's waterfront area, which is called The Bund.

The older section of Shanghai preserves some of the last remains of the city's past. Once you are able to pry yourself away from the hawkers and souvenir vendors and the ubiquitous Starbucks, the streets begin to narrow and bend as you walk by amazingly ornate structures. The pathway eventually leads you to the entrance to one of the emperor of China's favorite gardens with its captivating water ponds, curved stone paths, and enchanted archways. One could easily get lost in this place, but that would not necessarily be such a bad fate, as the entire garden emits a sense of serenity and tranquilness far removed from the modern and growing city that is just outside the masonry walls.

What Shanghai is known for today is its moderness, its embrace of things both East and West, and the manic pace of change and growth. If one views the skyscrapers of Shanghai today, you would surely expect to see George Jetson racing about in his motorized space car. That was at least the sense I got when I first laid eyes on Shanghai's landmark radio tower structure.

But for all of its moderness, the famous Bund waterfront area still harkens back to its colonial roots, as the wide riverside walkway is flanked by European-built structures. Here, old-world European architecture stands as one virtual riverbank across from its space-aged brethren across the shore. For some strange reason, this time warp of architectural statements seems to work for Shanghai, as it is a poignant statement on the city's rich past as well as its promising future.

Shanghai is known the world over for its night life and although I did not have the time to fully vet this claim to fame, I will tell you that the city's night time halo of colorful lights is extremely impressive. Reminiscent of Hong Kong's illuminated extravaganza, Shanghai also lights up its famous skyline to the steady awes of on-lookers. And even as the roman candle-like skyscrapers get much of the attention, the people of Shanghai are quite proud of their use of neon in certain districts with fanciful illuminated and strobing signs that beckon the common consumer to purchase. Who said China didn't believe in capitalism?

Now with all of this pressure to grow and the utter feeling of urban-ness in Shanghai, I will have to give credit to the central city planners who have tried to create a sanctuary for city dwellers in the form of a massive city park, which is located on the Pudong side of the city. Century Park, which is still undergoing some final construction and manicuring like so many other places in China, is a huge sprawling enclave of nature amongst the ever-evolving city. New York's Central Park was obviously a benchmark for the Chinese while constructing this site, but Century Park is even bigger with bicycle rentals and miles of pathways to walk, run, or cycle. Not to mention actual streams and rivers where park goers can rent boats (either paddle or motorized) to cruise these tranquil man-made tributaries. This place was easily one of my favorite spots in Shanghai and should serve as a common retreat for weary office workers who grow tired of their concrete jungle surroundings.

I am so pleased that I finally got to visit Shanghai and I am anxiously looking forward to the time when I can visit again. Even though the city's future lies with how fast it can attract business and capital and promote new job opportunities for its citizens, the city will always be a captivating portal to the past where both East and West mixed in delicate balance with one another.

July Journeys

July proved to be fantastic for my frequent flyer account, but not as great for my posterior as I endured several long-haul trips this month that added up to 27,463 miles in the air. Leaving Singapore on July 5th, I flew non-stop to Newark, New Jersey, which is a solid 19-hour flight. Changing planes in Newark, I arrived in Raleigh, North Carolina, for a series of meetings. I left Raleigh on July 7th, and made my way back to Portland, Oregon, for a much deserved break so I could spend time with my parents and catch up with friends who I had not seen in a while. But the travel didn't stop there, as I departed Portland on July 16th bound for Los Angeles, where once again I boarded a flight for a non-stop flight to Singapore that would take approximately 16 hours. I arrived back into Singapore on July 18th at 4:30AM and worked from home for the entire day catching up on what I had missed. The last leg of my whirlwind tour began the very next day, as I departed for Saigon, Vietnam on July 19th, where I spent three days at a business conference before finally bringing my travel month to a close and returning to Singapore.

These cross-continent business trips can be tough, but it all ends up being worth while when I can see my family and friends back home. A picnic at Trillium Lake with Mount Hood gleaming in the background and Mom's good cooking on my plastic plate is the kind of combination that makes all those miles melt away and allows me to just soak in the moment.

Catching a Triple A baseball game with my friend Jonathan was so enjoyable after not being able to see a live baseball game in over two years. Catching up with friends like Morgan & Joe, Stacey, and Rose & Kevin was a delight as well. One of the challenges in coming back for a short visit is being able to see all the people you would really like to see. There were several that I was unable to see, but I am hoping that when I return again over the Christmas Holiday, I can see them all.

The last leg of my tour in Saigon, Vietnam, allowed me to do two things that I cherish, which is to see new places and be joined along the way by a close friend. Even though I had been to Saigon before, this time was unique because I was being joined at these series of business meetings that were taking place there by my friend Keith. As those of you who have followed this Blog from its inception, Keith and I first got a chance to know each other when we were two Americans who had just been based in Munich, Germany. Keith had just this Spring made his inaugural trip to Asia, and I was fortunate enough to show him around Beijing and Hong Kong, but this was his first ever trip to Vietnam.

The trip allowed Keith and I to catch up and actually work together more closely than we have ever before. As my job has recently taken on new responsibilities, Keith and I will be finding ourselves working very closely even though he will be in the US and I will be in Asia. This trip helped lay the foundation for our new working relationship, but there was never any doubt about our long-standing friendship that has now literally spanned the globe.

The three days of the conference were all business as Keith and I put our strategies in place, but luckily on Saturday we were able to get outside of the hotel and do a bit of exploring. We headed about 30 KMs from Saigon to the hamlet of Cu Chi which is famous for its network of underground tunnels that were dug and utilized by the Viet Cong to disrupt and plan attacks on the nearby American bases during the Vietnam War. Cu Chi also has the ominous distinction of being one of the most bombed areas in the world during the era of modern warfare.

The tunnels themselves are a virtual engineering feat, as meeting rooms, eating areas, and air shafts were dug with precision. But what is truly amazing is to see how very tiny and cramped these spaces underground really are. Most of the tunnels that tourists are shown have actually been enlarged, which boggled my mind because even after the so-called enlargement, they were still painfully small. For those who have claustrophobic tendencies, this was definitely not the place for you.

The Vietnamese are well known for being Asia's smallest and most diminutively sized people, but they also have been proven over thousands of years of history to be extremely resourceful and resilient. These factors surely helped the Viet Cong in the design and utilization of this underground labyrinth. We received a demonstration of how the entry points to the tunnel were camouflaged with tree leaves to protect there whereabouts just before the last man would squeeze himself in and bring the wooden lid over the top of the earthly entrance. Keith and I both went inside one of the tunnel passageways and were astonished how small, hot, and humid these places were. Our tunnel had been enlarged for tourists, but we still had to squat down on our haunches to waddle through the passage. For tourists' comfort, dimly lit lights marked the way through the tunnel, but Keith and I both wondered how one could navigate such a place without the benefit of such comforts. I was surprised to find the tunnels hot and humid, thinking that they would be more cool and cave-like since they were underground. I emerged from my tunnel tour a perpetual ball of sweat and relieved that I had come out alive from my subterranean experience.

The highlight of the visit to Cu Chi was the opportunity to fire real live rounds with some of the most famous military infantry weapons of the day. Keith and I bought 10 rounds of ammunition, at a cost of $13 US Dollars, to fire a real AK-47.(must download QuickTime from Apple.com to view) We figured we would never get too many opportunities like this to shoot with the famous Soviet rifle that had won over legions of converts across the globe.

Feeling like we needed to balance out our infantry weapon trial, we then decided to pony up another $13 US Dollars and buy 10 rounds each to fire a real M-16. The targets were set up approximately 200 yards away and were in the shape of tigers, as opposed thankfully to images of foreign soldiers.



The climax of our shooting gallery foray was the opportunity to fire a real fully automatic M-60 machine gun. These rounds were much more expensive, so Keith and I each purchased five rounds each. Turn up your speakers so you can hear the sounds.

I had to say goodbye to Keith on Saturday evening and head back to Singapore, while he continued on his own little extended exploration of Vietnam. Arriving back to Singapore brought to a close an amazingly hectic travel month where I was able to meet up with friends in both familiar and uncommon places around the world. These collections of memories and experiences make the drudgery of travel seem almost bearable. I now have the weekend to recoup, because come Monday the travel starts up again. We'll see what sort of new things I will encounter next. You can trust that I will share them with you all on this, my portal to the world.

College Baseball Champions

People All Across the Nation are now Beaver Believers

My college Alma Mater, Oregon State University, fought their guts out in the College Baseball World Series and came away with the most coveted prize. Coming from the brink of elimination a record six occasions, the Oregon State Beavers refused to die, refused to give up, refused to let their dream fade away.

I listened to the games via Internet radio and even though I was 15 time zones away; every drop of my support was with these guys. Here in Singapore, I have met three other friends who are Alumni of Oregon State (we might be the only three), so it was fantastic to keep each other updated on the team's run for glory. It brought great pride to our former school and it brought great pride to my home state of Oregon, as seemingly the entire state's population was willing, praying, and cheering the team onto victory.

They arrived back home to Oregon today to a hero's welcome, and rightfully so. These young men captured our imagination, proved that underdogs can still confound the critics, and most importantly taught all of us to never ever give up on our dreams. They seized their moment. What will you do with yours?

Check out this link to read more about these Proud Beavers.

2 Year Anniversary in Singapore

The Sun Rises on Another Day in Singapore

The days are clicking by at seemingly ever-increasing speeds. I myself cannot believe that two years have rolled by since first arriving to the island-nation republic of Singapore. I am making the bold assumption that the speedy pace that time has been flying by is in direct correlation to the fact that things are going well and that I am always seemingly busy. Surely if I was having a miserable time, I would be counting the days rather than wondering where they all went.

What follows is an amusing commentary that points to the period when a Western Ex-pat has finally achieved (or succommed to) peace with life in Singapore. Now not all of these things will make sense to those who have never been to Singapore, but for those of us who make our way here; I must say this compilation is truly classic. Enjoy!

You Know You've Been in Singapore Too Long When...

You've lost your sense of irony, sarcasm, and cynicism.

You don't know what's lame and what isn't anymore.

You think there's nothing wrong with putting chili sauce on everything you eat.

You wait for instructions from people in authority before doing anything. Always.

You join queues without knowing or caring what the queue is for.

You actually know what "queue" means.

You can type an SMS on your phone as quickly as you would if you had a regular keyboard.

Your idea of a good night out consists of having dinner at a hawker centre, drinking beer, and then going to another hawker centre and eating again.

You've lost your ability to criticize people in higher positions than you, even if they're wrong.

You accept that expressways here are cleaner than toilets rather than the other way around.

You would buy a $20 product you don't need if it's on sale for $10 just to save the money.

You think that corn and beans are dessert foods.

You have a high tolerance for nagging.

Most or all of these acronyms make sense to you: NUS; NTU; ERP; SDU; PAP;
MRT; LKY; GCT; PRC; TIBS; SBS; SMS; JB; JBJ; AMK; AYE; PIE; ECP; ISD; ISA;5 C's; CPF; CHIJMES; SPG; CWO.

You use too many acronyms when you talk, or you create new ones.

You think that nothing makes a girl or guy more attractive than to dress exactly like hundreds of thousands of other girls and guys who all dress exactly like girls and guys in malls.

You think that $100,000 is a reasonable price for a Toyota Corolla and $1,000,000 is a reasonable price for a bungalow, but $5 for a plate of fried noodles is a barbarous outrage.

You believe that not being able to get decent roti prata outside Singapore is enough to keep the best and the brightest people from leaving the country.

You see nothing wrong with forming committees of select elite people to deliberate and study ways to stimulate creativity and spontaneity.

You justify every argument with the phrase "in order for us to be competitive in the 21st century".

You think everything should be "topped up".

You believe that a lack of land is enough justification for the goverment to do what it wants.

You wear winter clothes indoors and summer clothes outdoors.

Durian fruit no longer stinks to you.

You like to have fun, but not too much fun, since you need to correctly gauge the amount of fun necessary to achieve the optimal result. Any more fun that that would bring shame to your family and your country.

You forgot what a city organized around a grid looks like.

In a country where people use smart cards for public transit, you have no problem with construction workers riding in the open backs of pickup trucks.

You think paying $50 for a bottle of booze that costs $15 at home is a bargain.

You're not confused by a street naming system that locates streets like Clementi Road, Clementi Street, Clementi Crescent, Clementi Lane, Clementi Drive, Clementi Way, and Clementi Avenues 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 all within walking distance of each other.

You get irritated if you don't see a sign telling you how long your wait's going to be for a bus, a train, or the expressway to take you where you want to go.

You think that no vegetable should ever be eaten raw for any reason. Except for cucumbers.

No matter what you're doing at the moment, you'd rather be shopping.

You forgot what chewing gum tastes like.

You say "handphone", not "cellphone" And you think there's no such thing as a handphone that's too thin.

You're not bothered by the fact that government cares whether you know how to use a toilet or urinal correctly.

You're sure that the best way to change social behaviour is through consistent and comprehensive government-sponsored campaigns that permeate as many aspects of daily life as possible. And when they don't work, you never speak of them again.

You think a bus is incomplete without a TV.

Perpetual Motion

A shark must constantly keep swimming or it will drown. I honestly think all of us are in that same catch 22 as the shark. We have to keep moving or we will cease to exist. Things in my life are seemingly in constant motion. Whether it be business travel, or friends dropping by for a visit, or celebrating milestones of life with those we care about. I don't think I would have it any other way. This state of motion keeps life interesting and dynamic.

Those of you who read this blog (and I hope there are a few of you still out there) probably remember my friend Keith from our times together in Munich, Germany. We also usually get to catch up during our annual sales and marketing conference held annually in the US. But recently, Keith paid his first ever visit to Asia and I couldn't wait to be his host.

We first met up in Beijing for several days of business meetings, but the evenings were always free for introducing Keith to new cuisine and local attractions. My co-worker here in Singapore, James, was also in Beijing on business, so it made for a fun group. After a spicy meal of Sichuan Food, it was off to the next adventure.

Even though the photo on the right looks like three American Guys settling in for a night of sitcoms during Must See TV Night on NBC, the reality is that we were preparing for a Chinese Massage. After an initial foot massage, we then had to change into some interesting lounge wear that made us look like orderlies in an emergency room. Our legs, shoulders, and back were kneaded and pulverized over and over. Sounds painful and at times it was, but most of the time it was relaxing.

Keith and I went on to Hong Kong to spend the weekend. Hong Kong was having their annual Rugby Seven's Tournament, which is the biggest international rugby event on the Asian continent. But you can imagine that two blokes from the US probably weren't that keen on rugby. The reality was that the Seven's Tournament turns the whole city into a festive spirit for the entire weekend, similar to Mardi Gras or Carnival. The streets in the evening, especially along Lan Kwai Fong, were a wash with westerners from Australia and the UK. You don't normally need to give these folks excuses to drink, but the Seven's Tournament is a pretty good excuse if that.

Now I normally don't gloat when it comes to business trips. Asia is full of big cities with sometimes stifling heat, confusing airports, and taxi drivers who love to share their anguish rather than finding your destination. But on some rare occasions, I really get to go to a nice relaxing and out-of-the-way destination. A few weeks ago, I departed Beijing for a direct flight to the southern Chinese island of Hainan.

Hainan is know as "The Hawaii of China", so I figured it was going to be pretty good, and luckily I was not disappointed. My company partner event lasted for two days, but I had my Sunday free to enjoy the amazingly aqua blue waters and white sand beaches. Hainan, which is only less than an hour's flying time from Hong Kong, is attracting some of the finest international resorts to open up shop there as well.

The Marriott, Sheraton, and Hilton all had neighboring locations, and these places captured the tropical island spirit in each and every detail. Our dinner banquet for our event had an amazing location and the staff was tremendous. So, in keeping with tradition, there will be no gloating from me. Instead just take in the photos or better yet; come visit Hainan for yourself.

Blogs have received the reputation for getting news out to the masses faster than traditional main-stream media. So in keeping with that tradition, my Blog has the exclusive scoop on a new arrival.

William Kintaro Beasley, came into the world at 6.5lbs and 19.4 inches long to the happy and proud first-time parents of my friends Traci and James Beasley. You guys will recognize the big baby posing with them in this photo, which was actually taken on my birthday. I hope to soon see some photos from James and Traci that were taken on William's birthday. Congratulations to the newest power trio in Singapore.

So as you can see, change is constant. We deal with this change in our own ways, but I think most of us thrive on it. And sometimes, that change brings a new life into the world; which causes us all to stop for just a few precious moments and focus on what is truly important.

Ramblin Rose

Rose & I Relaxing in Bintan, Indonesia

2006 marks the 10th year that I have known my friend Rose. We both worked at the same company a decade ago, which was my first job after university. She has witnessed my entry into the business world and has always been a trusted friend throughout the years. The company where we worked had its share of characters, but thankfully I took away a few good learning experiences, but most importantly I made two life-long friends there in Rose and her husband Kevin. Kevin is a great guy and is also someone I can always count on. Kevin, Rose, and I were all single when we worked at the company together and we shared in numerous inside jokes and the mocking of our hopeless co-workers. Kevin was no match for Rose's charm and the two of them are now married with two young boys who keep their parents on their toes.

When Rose found out I was moving to Singapore, she immediately put the gears in motion to come out and visit. I have never seen anyone invest in so much advance planning for a trip, yet she eventually made it out to visit after a year and a half of saving, planning, and driving everyone else mad with her story of how she was going to go to Singapore. Kevin was selfless enough to encourage Rose to visit after seeing how much a trip like this would mean to her.

The first stop on Rose's Asian Adventure after arriving to Singapore was to hop the ferry to Bintan in Indonesia. It didn't take her long to assume the position most suitable for a beach weekend. As the sun slowly set and day turned into night, what better thing to do within your own little island paradise then to drink a Pina Colada from a carved pineapple complete with tiny umbrellas.

Two relaxing days in Bintan slipped away as quickly as the changing tides, yet Rose was left with a delightful taste of island getaway life. As we left our little bungalows (above), Rose could reflect on her experiences: Enjoying fresh seafood on a pier-front restaurant, taking a stroll along the soft sand beach, indulging in an afternoon massage, or even coming into a close encounter with a massive lizard. She surely found Bintan to be one of her new favorite spots.

Rose and I share the opinion that one's friends say a lot about you as an individual and your character. I have always appreciated Rose's opinions because firstly, I know she will always have one and secondly will never be afraid to share it. Rose has never been bashful, but as expected she stepped right in-synch with my small group of friends here in Singapore. She will surely return home to Oregon and use this photo with my friends, James and Eric, to make all the office girls jealous.

Singapore wouldn't be Singapore without chili Crab. All good hosts know that their out-of-town guests must experience this local delicacy, and I was no exception. We went down to Jumbo Seafood located in Clark Quay along the banks of the Singapore River to take part in the nightly feast of crustaceans. Rose was now ready for a full weekend in Singapore and catch some of the city's most notable landmarks.

The Botanical Garden is a must-see stop in Singapore and Rose was enamored with the place. I am not sure if it had something to do with Rose's name but she definitely had an affinity for flowers. I was usually the one playing the role of Tour Guide, but on our trip to the Botanical Garden it felt like Rose was dragging me around for a change.

Many who read these pages know that I am passionate about wakeboarding and seek to hit the waters every free weekend that I can muster. Well, Rose's trip was about introducing her to my world in Singapore, so wakeboarding was definitely in the cards. Rose did quite well on her first time wakeboarding and her patented smile never left her face... even when she was drinking salt water!

From the islands of Bintan and Singapore, Rose's final stop was to the enchanting Kingdom of Thailand. Touching down in Bangkok in the late afternoon provided us just enough time to check into our hotel rooms and then head out for a colorful evening at night. Bangkok is an amazing city with spicy cuisine, beautiful temples and some of the friendliest people in Asia, but at night the city takes on a whole new look. From atop of the State Tower is the bar called Sirocco which has one of the best views of Bangkok at night. Perched upon one of Bangkok's tallest buildings, you can gaze across the entire city and see this fanatic place laid out beneath you while you sip on cocktails.

By day, Rose was able to take in the Royal Palace and the numerous numbers of Thai cultural and religious symbols and artifacts. After several hours walking around the palace, it was time to relax and have an authentic Thai Massage at Wat Po, where there is a famous Thai Massage School that allows visitors to take part in the relaxing arts.

From Wat Po, we walked to the banks of the Chao Phraya River to catch a water taxi across to Wat Arun, which is one of the most unique temples in Thailand with its entire facade made with pieces of broken china arranged into fanciful mosaics. While perched upon Wat Arun, one can see the river which is teeming with energy and life as it is one of the main thoroughfares through the city for both commerce and tourists alike.

One of the great things about Thailand is its diversity of geography and activities that one can enjoy. After spending a few days in Bangkok, Rose and I headed to the beach-side town of Hua Hin, which is about a 3-hour car ride from Bangkok. This is a much more subdued place than the famous capital city, but the slower pace is much appreciated as you relax on the beach, sample wonderful local dishes, or watch life pass in front of you. Aside from beach enjoyment, Hua Hin is filled with cultural appreciation opportunities, whether that be viewing religious temples or taking in the breath-taking landscape that includes the nearby mountains of Burma.

Now Rose would be the first to admit that she is not one of the most graceful people, so I knew I was putting her through a tough test when we decided to go hiking along the mountain streams outside of Hua Hin. Hiking along the trees and vines of this tropical rain forest presented no real challenges, however the water-soaked rocks along the river itself proved to be Rose's literal down-fall. The photo (above) captures Rose just milli-seconds after she told me it was amazing that she hadn't fallen yet. As I heard the splash of water and the uproar of laughter from Rose, I snapped this photo which says it all. Needless to say, Rose's slip-up provided a great opportunity to cool off and enjoy the refreshing waters of the stream.

As Rose's trip came to a close it was wonderful to see a great and close friend see and explore new places right in front of me. It was also a unique experience for me to import a little of my background into my current world, as Rose proved to be a wonderful addition to my new world here in Asia. It was a beautiful thing to watch two of my worlds come together in a seamless fashion, and I am definitely sure Rose enjoyed the journey as well.

California Dreaming

The Sun Sets on Beautiful Malibu Beach

Another year had flown by and once again it was time for our annual sales and marketing conference in Southern California, which brought together over 5,000 world wide employees for training and stage-setting for the upcoming year. There was plenty of business to take care of during the conference, but some special fun was had before the event took place.

My Best Friend, Jared, lives in Los Angeles and once again played host to both me and my Singaporean Friend and co-worker, Kevin, for a few days before our conference commenced. After a 14-hour direct flight from Singapore to LA, both Kevin and I were ready to meet up with Jared and begin what was now becoming our annual pre-conference odyssey.

As was typical in our get-togethers, food was a staple that bonded the seams of friendship amongst us. Our first evening, after Jared picked us up at the airport, we drove to Gladstones Restaurant, located right on Malibu Beach. Not only did we partake in an array of fresh and nicely prepared seafood, but we were able to dine outside and take in one of the most amazing sunsets that I have seen in Southern California. It was the perfect setting for three friends to catch up and plan the next few days of fun.

One of the fun activities that Kevin looks forward to each year when coming to the U.S. is target shooting. As a former marksman in the Singaporean Army, and a current reservist, Kevin is well-trained around firearms. But given that most countries around the world, including Singapore, do not allow their citizens to own or possess firearms; the U.S. remains one of the last places where people like Kevin can enjoy the sport of target shooting.

We first enjoyed firing Jared's collection of .45 caliber pistols at the special shooting gallery of targets (both stationary and moving) that had been set up at the Gun Club just outside of L.A. There was even a Time Trial section where marksmen could time their ability to successfully shoot at five stationary targets. Safety is always the number one thing to keep in mind and all of us were required to wear safety glasses and ear protection.

After wrapping up at the Pistol Range, we then moved over to try our hand at Clay Pigeon, or Trap, Shooting. This involves using a 12-gauge shotgun to shoot at small circular disks made from clay that are thrown into the air at different angles and velocities. These disks, or clay pigeons as they are called, provide the perfect moving target that challenges the riflemen's skill. All three of us did quite well and were able to hit the majority of our clay pigeons. It was a fun evening and one we will not forget.

One of the most enjoyable and unique things that we were able to take part in was joining in on a very special event. We were all invited to a "Welcome Home" party for two U.S. servicemen who had just completed their tour of duty in Iraq. Joe, who is featured here with his specially prepared welcome back cake, is a U.S. Navy serviceman who was responsible for keeping the Persian Gulf waterways around Iraq secured. He was a strong yet reserved man who was proud of his fellow crew members and the job that they were doing overseas, but was in no way boastful or arrogant. He showed us some of his photos from Iraq as well as some actual former Iraqi currency that featured the profiled image of Saddam Hussein. He also shared some insight that what we all see reported on TV of the situation in Iraq is not necessarily what is happening on the ground. The news likes to report the rare extremes, he told us. But what you don't get to see, he went on to elaborate, is the hospitable, respectful, and genuinely carrying relationship that most Iraqi and U.S. servicemen have for each other.

The party was made up of people who are in the music and entertainment business, which is so very typical of most living in Los Angeles. But these folks were not aspirational in their hopes of making it big, because they already had. In the rank and file of the gathering was a TV Producer, Drew, who outside of work is just in love with his new Rickenbacker guitar. Music was the common theme that bound all of us together that evening.

































Nick (shown above), who was the host of the party but who is also an accomplished musician and writes the musical scores for countless TV shows, entertained us with song after song. Another partygoer, who is just getting ready to release his new album this summer, sang several of his new songs at the party for all of us to enjoy.

A truly great moment in the party was when John, one of the returning U.S. servicemen, joined in on the jam session that was taking place. He was quite good and was enjoying playing one of Nick's fantastic guitars from his exhaustive collection. When the song had ended, Nick asked John to turn the guitar over that he was playing and read the inscription. The inscription read: To John, from Nick... Hope you enjoy this guitar as much as I did

When the realization set in with John that Nick was actually giving him this guitar, his jaw dropped in astonishment. He was so thankful and was almost at a loss for words. Nick believed that it was the least he could do for someone who had risked his own life so that countless others could live free and feel safe.

It was fantastic catching up with my friend Jared. He provided so many fun opportunities for Kevin and me, not to mention letting us crash at his apartment. We made it up to him by taking him out to Ruths Chris Steakhouse, which is arguably one of the best places in America to enjoy a cut of U.S. Prime Cut Beef. The food, the fun, and the activities were all fantastic, but it was the conversation and the ability to pick up right where we had left off after not seeing each other for so long that provided the most joy.

Good friends never let distance or time get in the way. Jared and I have been best friends since we were three years old. We've been separated by continents, oceans, and time zones; but it has never impacted our friendship... and it surely never will.

Encore for Ankor Wat

Young Buddhist Monks at Ankor Wat

Even though I have traveled extensively throughout Asia and have lived in Southeast Asia for more than a year and half, I still had not visited one of the most amazing man-made structures which had captivated me for close to a decade. Ankor Wat, located near the town of Siem Reap in Cambodia, had a virtual lock on the top spot of my Must See List. Built by the Khemer Empire in the 12th century, these temple structures represent the craftsmanship and power of a vast civilization that covered what is today Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, & Indonesia. A few weeks ago, I left Singapore with my co-worker, James, and spent a weekend exploring this historical place.


Our local Cambodian tour guide was very interesting and informative, not to mention full of conspiracy theories as well. He took us to one of the perimeter gates of Ankor that included a bridge lined with images of the King that ruled during this period. The king's simple smile was adorned on many facades and imagery that we would encounter that weekend.


I had seen many ancient temple structures before in Thailand, but what was different about the temples at Ankor was their age and the survival of their sense of detail and ornateness. Exquisite reliefs were visible everywhere that detailed the Khemer's rule, their way of life, their allies, and their enemies. Entire wall surfaces were dedicated to the powerful people and images that assisted in the capture and re-telling of the history of the Khemer.


What was interesting to learn was that Ankor Wat itself is not merely a singular temple structure. Ankor, in Khemer language, means city and I truly felt that I was in the midst of this ancient metropolis. The famous image of Ankor Wat that catches our attention on TV and in books is just one of many temple structures that make up this sprawling complex. There is variety in these structures, as well as the people you may encounter there. In some areas, you may see young monks rushing from place to place, and in others you may see the elderly selling inscents for a small donation, and still in others you may hear the delightful local music played by a collective band of land mine victims who have suffered horrific physical injury but still have it within themselves to create lovely sounds.



























The people of Cambodia have born witness to the decline of their Khemer civilization, felt the boot of colonialization, and the heartless insanity of extermination. This has left many of them, including our tour guide, suspicious of certain foreign governments, especially the Vietnamese. Our guide believed that the Vietnamese had infiltrated the highest levels of the Cambodian government and were slowly robbing Cambodia of its resources as well as its chances at prosperity. He even noted that the $40 we paid for a weekend pass into Ankor Wat went directly to a company owned and operated by Vietnamese. I have no way of verifying one way or the other if my tour guide's fears were justified, but his life has been a rough one shaped by the fears of starvation and death, so his perceptions obviously run deep and true.


Happier and peaceful times were apparent in the architecture and reliefs of Ankor Wat. The ancient and wise kings of the day realized that it was often religion that drove a wedge between the people of the kingdom. Hence, in many of the structures within Ankor Wat, the temples celebrate both of the religions of the day. Hinduism and Buddhism were celebrated on equal footing preserving a lasting peace that lasted for several generations.


The lotus flower can be found in many places around Ankor Wat, whether it be in the artistic expressions or within the actual temple grounds themselves floating in the reflective ponds. The lotus is the true representation of renewal and a fresh start, as the bloom sprouts skyward in the early morning to later release its colorful flora, only to close back again in the evening.

Another amazing feature of some of the ancient temples of Ankor Wat is their association with the jungle that had long kept the site a secret for hundreds of years. Many of the temples had been reclaimed by the fast growing jungle which surrounds the area. Many had only been rediscovered during the French colonial period, when the jungle was peeled back to reveal the true gems which these structures most certainly are.

Some buildings however appeared to take on a hybrid look both representing carved stone and living trees all at the same time. Many trees, and their system of fast growing roots, have taken hold within the cracks and crevasses of the structures. This gives an almost alien looks as the roots contort and seemingly strangle the physical structure. It is also very destructive to the buildings themselves as the roots push up on foundational stones, causing the entire structure to become unstable or even topple over. Even within the suffocating presence of the tree roots, some carvings struggle for breath. One specific location featuring this unearthly combination of trees and stones was actually captured in the movie Tomb Raider, which starred Angelina Jolie.

The Khemer people built a civilization that often gets overlooked by historians who try to rank the individual importance and relevance of man's development. Modern day Cambodia is looking to recapture its once proud heritage while attempting to throw off its colonial yoke. Yet even as they outlasted the French, much bloodier times followed in the form of the Killing Fields of the Khemer Rouge. Even today, Cambodia ranks as the most mined country in the world and many signs and notices have been posted for locals to hand over any military equipment they may encounter.

These historical facts and struggles do not take away from my enjoyment of Ankor Wat in the least. It is one of the most impressive places that I have ever seen. The locals are rightfully proud of this place and even the UN has christened it a World Heritage Zone. There may come a time when people will not be allowed to come as close as I did to Ankor Wat. I am glad that my trip to see this place eventually came. It is truly one of those places that lives beyond the hype and the pomp and circumstance. If you let it, it will inspire you and make you think. Even if you don't, it will make you wonder.

For more photos of Ankor Wat, click on the link at the upper right hand side of the Blog that is entitled "Photo Archive". From here, you can scroll down until you see a list of over 75 photos from Ankor Wat. I hope you enjoy taking a look as much as I did capturing them.

Gong Xi Fa Chai - Happy New Year

Natalia, Alexei, James, Sharon, and I count down to Chinese New Year

I joined my friends last night for a wonderful dinner followed by drinks down on Singapore's Boat Quay area. It was Chinese New Years Eve last night, and we all decided to be part of the spectacle. I had never experienced Chinese New Year celebrations in Singapore and neither had my friends, so the stage was now set.

From Boat Quay, we walked down to Singapore's Chinatown, where seemingly the entire population of Singapore had gathered to ring in the Lunar New Year. Colorful lanterns beckoned good fortune, happiness, and wealth for the new year. Then at midnight, thousands of firecrackers were lit and exploded with the most thunderous noise I had ever heard. Fireworks continued skyward above the gathered crowd on the streets. The Chinese believe that the fireworks and their loud sound will frighten away evil spirits and preserve good fortune and luck for the new year.














It was fun to be a part of this annual tradition and hey... who can argue with two days worth of public holidays that will keep me from working on Monday and Tuesday!

Cheerished Christmas

Jonanthan, Tom, Josh, Tim, Michael, Dave, and Me -
Can you believe they let this questionable looking crew
work together?

It's Christmas Day and I have finally found a few minutes to drift back to the keyboard in order to update the blog. In the past month I have hosted my parents in Asia, where we journeyed to Phuket, Thailand; Hanoi, Vietnam; Singapore; and then finally wrapping up in Hong Kong. It was pure magic showing my parents these very unique and special places. Even though I had been to all of these destinations before, they seemed to take on a new appeal as I watched my parents discover them for the first time.

Now, I am in th midst of my Christmas Vacation back in the States, and it could not have come any sooner. I have felt the fatigue in my bones from work lately and desparately tried to keep my eyes on the waiting horizon which held for me my treasured vacation. Putting work on the shelf for an extended period of time is important and all together healthy I beleive. It has felt refreshing to not look or respond to email or have the phone in my ear... unless of course it has been to reconnect with old friends.

As the photo above proves, I have been able to meet some old friends and catch up on their lives. Jonathan, seated in the bottom left row in the photo, was responsible for pulling together a special Christmas Lunch for a few of us friends who had all originally worked in the same group together. Even though we don't always have the benefit of seeing each other on a regular basis, it was amazing how quickly we could start making fun of each other and lowering the bar of intellect in a manner of only minutes. Many in the group had stories of new arrivals (babies). I am not sure what is in the water back home in Oregon, but it sure seemed like a lot of my friends just had or were soon to have new kids.

I won't drudge on with any great detail from here on. Just know that I am enjoying my Christmas Holiday in the best way possible, which is by celebrating it with close family and friends. I hope all of you are cheerishing this special time of year in your own and unique ways. I am thinking of all of you and wishing you only the best in the upcoming year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Around the World in 3 Weeks

Sun Setting on Sentosa Island in Singapore

In the last three weeks I have literally circled the globe with a busy schedule of business trips that have tested my physical and mental endurance, given me opportunities to re-unite with old friends, and a chance to take stock in what I truly have for which to be thankful.

My travel began with a visit to the San Francisco Bay Area for a series of meetings, and as you can see by the previous post, the weather and scenery did not disappoint. The trip to the Bay Area also provided a chance to re-connect with some old friends as well. My friend Thinh, who has been my friend and co-worker for the last five years, met me during my stay in her brand new BMW Z4 convertible. She even offered for me to drive and for someone that never gets to drive too often when living back in Singapore, I jumped at the chance to put my foot on the floor of this fast and nimble roadster. We dropped the top of the convertible and headed up the famous Pacific Coast Highway, which winds its way up the California coastline. Along the way, we stopped at a scenic beach and took in some amazing views.

















One of the wildest sights we encountered on this day was a massive congregation of seagulls the likes of which I had never seen in one location. I told Thinh to go run through their midst and wake them up and was able to capture this amazing photo.













That same weekend, I was able to connect up with my friend Vanessa who just happened to be visiting relatives in the Bay Area.



Vanessa has been one of my friends since moving to Singapore, as she and I were both new transplants to the city at roughly the same time and were able to learn the ropes together. She has since left Singapore in early June and moved back to her native Taiwan. Vanessa had been doing some world traveling of her own since quitting her job back in Taiwan. She had recently completed a visit to France, Spain, and her old college stomping grounds in New York City. She was currently in the middle of a stay with her relatives in the Bay Area, so it was just by chance that the two of us were able to meet and grab a nice lunch to catch up.

Another good friend I was able to see before my meetings commenced was Jonathan, who had traveled down from Oregon to the Bay Area for a business meeting of his own. Jonathan writes a fantastic website dedicated to Portland, Oregon's Triple A minor league baseball team, the Portland Beavers. I encourage people interested in baseball and snappy writing to check it out. It was great to see Jonathan again face to face, opposed to our back and forth email snubs that we throw at each other just for fun. I look forward to seeing him, Nicole, and their ever-growing little one Alex when I return to Oregon for the upcoming Christmas Holiday.

Seeing three good friends before the onset of business meetings was great, but my face-to-face sessions for work were not so bad either. Our meeting was held in Santa Cruz, California, along the coast and we had a perfect venue for our worldwide gathering. It was great to see co-workers from the States and from Europe who I had worked with previously.

To break up the monotony of these all-day meetings, we took one afternoon off to enjoy some team building exercises which included a sand castle building contest. Our sand castle, above, looked pretty sad, but it was fun to get outdoors and enjoy something non-work related with our peers.

Two inspiring individuals were also on the beach that day. The gentleman on the right is the former director of my group who had battled back from two bouts of cancer just in 2005 alone. The man next to him is also a recent throat cancer survivor and as the photo shows, they share a special bond, not to mention being an inspiration to us all. I have learned recently of a few people that I know quite well who are facing their own battle against this enemy. Our thoughts, prayers, and strength are with them each and every day.

The weekend following our face-to-face event in Santa Cruz had me zipping quickly up north to Oregon for a brief weekend visit with my Mom and Dad. We decided to have Thanksgiving Dinner that weekend, since we would not be together on the actual date of the holiday. It was great being back home and having turkey, dressing, cranberries, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh corn, home-made zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie made things all the nicer as well.

From Portland, I then flew to Raleigh, North Carolina, for a few days of meetings. To get to Raleigh however is not a direct flight, and I was forced to transfer in Chicago. What started out as a one and half hour transfer stretched out to over five and half due to weather delays. I was lucky to make it out of Chicago as our jet was just minutes away from having to turn back to the gate as we had burned up so much fuel just by sitting on the tarmac.

From Raleigh, I then flew to Newark, New Jersey, for what was by then becoming a brief five hour lay-over until I could catch my Singapore Airlines flight back to Singapore. Now this flight from Newark to Singapore is very special because it is the longest non-stop direct flight in the world. At over 18.5 hours in the air, I really think they should give you some sort of medal or certification for having the aptitude, endurance, and adequate blood circulation to your extremities for being able to last through a flight like that. Touching down at 7AM on Saturday the 19th of November, I had approximately three and half days before my next trip, which was to take me to India.

Going to India is not the easiest task in its own right, but getting a visa so that you can start your journey there can be even more demanding. The Indian Embassy in Singapore requires a four-day turn around time for all visa requests. Now to be fair, I hadn't been in the same city for four days in the last month and half, so when I encountered this requirement I began to get nervous. To process a visa, you must surrender your passport to the embassy during the visa process. Well, I couldn't surrender my passport, because I needed to travel, and now I was being told that I could not travel unless I surrendered my passport. You can see how this circular chicken-and-egg scenario was spiraling out of control. What I needed was a Indian visa issued to me in one day, so that I could make my flights and be present for my presentation in both New Delhi and Mumbai. To do this, I had to run down to the Indian Embassy on Monday morning and camp out for a number which would then be called by an embassy official, who I would then plead my case. In the meantime, I had to secure two Invitation Letters from both my company and the partner company who had requested my attendance at these meetings. I also had to procure two photos of myself and complete the lengthy application form.

I arrived on Monday morning with all my paperwork in hand and waited, waited, and then waited some more for my number (16 - seemed low enough) to be called. When I was finally called, I explained my plight to the staff member, who then called over their supervisor to which I had to explain once more why they should break every regulation and guideline they had for processing visas. Because my paper work was in order, and that my presentation could not be delivered by anyone else but me, and maybe because I was very respectful and courteous to the embassy staff; I was given my visa in one day.

On Tuesday afternoon I made my way to India, but first had to fly to Kuala Lumpur (KL) , Malaysia, to make my connection. From KL, I had a non-stop flight to New Delhi, a city I had never visited before. Upon arriving in New Delhi's airport, I found my bag and walked towards the exit where I was to await for my car service transfer to the hotel. Only problem was, there was no one holding a little sign with my name on it at the meeting point. I called the hotel and the man at the other end of the line said he had no record of my reservation. Generally speaking, that is not a good sign. I then called up our travel agency's after-hours support center and explained the situation. They resolved things with the hotel and a representative with a car showed up in about an hour. I felt very thankful to have a room that night for sure.

After giving my presentation on Wednesday morning, I literally had to thank the audience and then run out the door to an awaiting car that was to take me to the domestic airport. I had practically no breathing room to catch my flight that was leaving for Mumbai (formally known as Bombay) at 2PM.

My presentation and meetings in Mumbai went quite well and I am constantly enamored with the Indian people's spirit and enthusiasm. I thought it was very appropriate that I spent the actual date of Thanksgiving in Mumbai, India. It is a city within a country of amazing disparities. A huge developing middle class and highly technical and proficient population, but also one that has some of the worst poverty in the world. You cannot help but to see both Indias when you step outside the confines of your hotel each day.

As I sat back in my hotel room in Mumbai, I paused to think of all the things I truly have to be thankful for. I may complain about long plane flights, delays, miscommunications, and corresponding frustrations. The reality is that the number of these items pales in comparison to the number of positive attributes I am allowed to live out and experience each day. These are the things I have to keep in mind when things look down. I only had to step outside onto the streets of Mumbai to have that reminder stare me right back in the face.

Mom and Dad will soon arrive into Singapore on the 30th of this month so there is not time to waste. We will begin a wonderful Asian trip together that has been created just for them. We will head to Phuket, Thailand; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Hong Kong before we all return back to Portland on December 16th to begin the Christmas season together.

This recent journey has now come full circle as I arrived back into Singapore this morning at 8AM after a red-eye overnight flight back from Mumbai. This three-week trip put me over the 100,000 mile marker for total travel this year in 2005, and I still have a month left to go. It is good to be back to my Singaporean home. I have covered a lot of ground in the last few weeks both figuratively, physically, and mentally. Seemingly like a shark that must continue to swim in order to survive, this demanding travel schedule and the perpetual motion that it creates has become more consistent than I probably would like. But the travel has brought me closer to friends both old and new, showed me situations and people I would not normaly encounter, and forced me to take a look at myself. I am looking forward to the end of this year, but oh what a year it really has been.

Slipping Away in San Francisco

I haven't posted a new entry in over a month due to an exhausting travel schedule. Currently, I am in the U.S. for a two week business trip. I decided to spend the weekend ahead of my business meetings getting reconnected with friends and with the beautiful Bay Area around San Francisco. I have posted one of my favorite photos from today's scenic drive. Feel free to click on the Photo Archive link on the upper right hand side of the Blog and scan the listing for photos entitled "San Francisco" in order to see more amazingly beautiful shots. I will update this section as more fun ensues. Stay tuned!

Inspirational Ibuki

Ibuki Makes his First Ever Trip to Singapore

You might say that my good friend Ibuki started it all. Fourteen years ago, in a university located in the small Oregon town of Corvallis, two 18-year old strangers from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds would meet for the first time. One was American and one was Japanese. One spoke English as his native tongue while the other was just learning as fast as he could. Both were alone and on their own for the first time, living in a college dormitory filled with unknowns. One was 100 miles from home, while the other was more than 5,000 from the place he called home. The differences in these two were striking, yet it was the commonalities that brought them together. As I reflect upon my long friendship with Ibuki that has lasted over the years, I realized that he was my very first international friend. I can honestly say that having had the opportunity to meet and befriend Ibuki inspired me to know more not only about his own Japanese history and customs, but also about those from other countries and regions as well. Today I look back and can count several friends from around the globe, yet it all started with Ibuki and our lasting friendship over the years brings me great pride.

What makes Ibuki great is that he is a risk-taker. Back when we were entering university, it would have been much easier for Ibuki to stay in the comfort and familiarity of his small Japanese exchange student group. But he realized that his English skills would eventually far out pace the others if he was to reach out and take the giant step of making friends with Americans. He was right.

I helped Ibuki with his English grammar, but we had more fun ordering classic American 60's music CD compilations over the phone. Ibuki had worked for a while back in Japan at an American themed 50s/60s diner and he was hooked on the music of that era since it was played repeatedly over the jukebox at his workplace. I was astounded by his knowledge of the songs and when he asked me to help him place an order over the phone with Time Life Music for their 50s/60s collection, I couldn't let him down.

Ibuki also seemed to get wrapped up into trouble, which seemingly endeared him to most American college-age males at the time. Some other rowdy residents at our dorm would launch ice cream cones out of Ibuki's 6th floor window towards unsuspecting pedestrians outside on the sidewalk. It didn't take too many of these icy episodes before Ibuki was met with a knock on his dorm room door by and Oregon State Trooper (Police Officer) asking him for an explanation.

Ibuki was also naturally curious about seemingly everything American. Whether it was music, style of dress, or the slang we all used; he just soaked it up like a sponge and we were all too ready to indulge him. But Ibuki gave back just as much as he took in and shared with me candid conversations about Japanese history, food, and culture. While visiting my family's home one Christmas time, he even prepared a traditional Japanese meal over at our neighbor's house so that we could all experience the unique tastes from his homeland.

After I graduated from university, Ibuki invited me to visit Japan. It was that trip in February of 1995 which marked my first ever visit to Asia. Ibuki drove me all over the country in the two weeks that I was there. We visited the ancient city of Nara with Japan's biggest Buddha statue, we saw the golden temple of Kyoto which had just been layered with a fresh coat of snow, we toured the famous castle at Jimeiji, the ground zero museum at Hiroshima, and hiked around Mt. Fuji and sampled fresh strawberries that were growing nearby. We rode the lightning fast Express "bullet" train and then, in a much slower experience, Ibuki let me drive his car which represented the first time I had ever driven a right-hand-drive car on what to me was the wrong side of the road. Everything was backwards to me as I slinked behind the wheel. As I pulled out into traffic I went to turn on the turn signal and instead engaged the windshield wipers because in Japan these two items are in reverse location on the steering wheel from where they normally reside for me in the States.

Another first was when Ibuki introduced me to sushi while I was in Japan. All of his friends watched with excited frenzy to see if my head would explode upon the first taste of raw fish. Needless to say, I loved it and have not looked back since. Lastly, Ibuki arranged for me to stay with a host family that were friends of his while we stayed in his hometown of Shizuoka. Even though these kind folks could speak little English, we had a great time together. Ibuki would come over in the evenings and help translate as the father of the house and I would talk about World War II history over a glass of sake. The mother was so kind and would make the nicest dishes, yet she had no western utensils for me, so I was forced to learn how to use chopsticks. I am so thankful for that lady because having to master the fine art of chopsticks kept me from starving that week and also proved to be a valuable skill I still utilize to this day.

Fast forward 14 years to the present and Ibuki and I are still close friends. We have each visited each other in our respective home countries a few times since university and the phone and email has allowed us to stay in touch. Always the non-conformist and risk-taker, Ibuki never did things the easy way. He was always sensitive to the fact that he was not able to finish his degree while we were together at university in the States. Ibuki was forced to return home to Japan before graduating and immediately entered the workforce. But true to his passion for knowledge and continuous learning, Ibuki applied and gained entry to an undergraduate university in Japan where he majored in business. He began to find economics very interesting and the prospects of continuing his education became extremely appealing. After receiving his undergraduate degree, he applied and was accepted to one of Japan's best private universities and is currently a PhD student in economics. He recently received acceptance from a university in Denmark for a 6-month economic research project that will help him complete his thesis. It was Ibuki's trip to Denmark that help re-unite us face to face in Singapore.


Ibuki was able to route his travel to Denmark through Singapore and extended his stay a few days to see me. It was great to see my close friend again and I tried my best to show him the highlights of Singapore and indulge his interest in trying as much of the local cuisine as possible.

He dug right into a spicy bowl of Laksa with beads of sweat pouring from his brow. "This is great", he would utter in between noisily slurping the noodles, which is a Japanese custom.

In my continuous self-imposed burden to be the perfect tour guide, I consistently gave Ibuki options on what to do and see in Singapore. He was very cordial in his response, but explained that all that he really wanted to do was hang out with me and catch up and that all the rest was nice, but that it really wasn't the focus of his trip.


What began over a decade and a half ago as two unsure 18 year olds embarking on a new chapter in their respective lives, continues to this day as a lasting friendship that has spanned oceans, continents, cultures, ethnicity, and obviously the passage of time. Ibuki opened that very first door and ushered me through to a larger world I might not have come to appreciate without his help. I am sure our own friendship will continue to last and in each new acquaintance and friend that I make around the world, a little credit goes to that kid from Japan who loved 60s music and American clothes.

Wakeboarding Weekends

James & Alexei Catch One Last Dry Moment

For the past three weekends in a row, I have been getting reconnected with wakeboarding; a watersport activity I first tried with my friend Matt in California in 1998 and one that I enjoyed immensely when I lived in Austin, Texas. Back in Austin, because of all the surrounding lakes, my co-workers and I use to hit the water after work and wakeboard until sundown, not to mention all day on the weekends. But that was six long years ago since I last jammed my feet into a pair of wakeboard bindings and jumped into the water. But I have recently rediscovered my passion for wakeboarding on a recent trip with friends to the Indonesian island of Bintan.


Bintan was a wonderful get-a-way from the hussle and bustle of city life. Plus it was so easy to get to as it is only a 45 minute ferry ride from Singapore. My friends and I stayed at a relaxed beach-side resort called Mana-Mana. Simple bungalows set back from the beach became our weekend villas, but the real excitement came down along the water, where we encountered some amazing and colorful sunsets.

























It was on this beach and this stretch of water that I rediscovered wakeboarding.


I was able to get up on the board on the first try, which put my earlier fears to rest. Maybe it really was like riding a bike -- that you never forget. I spent the first several minutes just getting comfortable on the board. Slowly, I started moving and cutting back and forth, and then finally made my way outside the boat's wake.


After a while, I started to get more confident and tried a little surfing action.




It was fun to go with a big group of people for the weekend in Bintan. We had meals together, took part in sports together, and even created our own tribute to the famous Burning Man Celebration that is held each year on a stretch of Nevada desert. Our group's Burning Man, although much smaller, was still a fun filled event with plenty of fire, glow sticks, and "Strass-aritas", the now epically famous version of the Margarita, yet more akin to jet fuel, prepared by our Bartender in Chief, Eric Strasser.















After returning home from Bintan, I wondered why we couldn't continue the wave of fun, or should I say wake of fun, that we had in Bintan around wakeboarding. Eric was able to find a wakeboard company that operated at the north end of Singapore Island and would be able to take us out on the weekends in their boat, as well as provide some much needed coaching on techniques and tips.

So I guess you can say that I am now fully addicted to wakeboarding, having gone three weekends in a row. I went out last Saturday with my friends James and Alexei. I was able to talk my Russian friend, Alexei, into joining me the last two weekends and now he is as addicted as I am. He will send me emails and phone text messages in the middle of the day asking if it is time to "JUMP", which is Alexei's short-hand for: Let's hit the water. James on the other hand is a novice, but was chastized into trying wakeboarding with us last Saturday. He had waterskied on the mighty Willamette River back home while growing up in Oregon, but this was his first try at wakeboarding. As you can see from the shots below, everyone did great and we are all marking our calendars for our next trip on the water.















Rediscovering activities with new people has opened the door to fun-filled weekends for me of late. Working long hours and living out of a suitcase during the weekdays can make you live and yearn for the weekends. I have been lucky enough of late to enjoy physically active weekends that have included wakeboarding, mountain biking, salsa dancing, and fun times together getting better acquainted with new and old friends alike. Feel free to check out the upper right hand side of the blog under the section entitled Links and click on "Photo Archive". From there you can click on the photos with file names entitled "Bintan" and "wakeboarding" to see more craziness.

I'll leave you all with a fun multi-media audio and image video clip montage I put together that brings all of our wakeboarding moments from last Saturday together with sight and sound. The video is about 1 megabyte and includes audio, so turn up your speakers if you dare.
Wakeboarding%20Saturday.wmv

30 Days Never Went So Fast

4 Weeks, 4 Countries, 1 Really Big Wall

The month of August is now safely tucked away into the history books and I, for one, am thankful. The month consisted of the busiest travel of my career as I visited Bangkok, Thailand; Beijing, China; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Seoul, Korea. I slept in my own apartment in Singapore just three days the entire month. Luckily, the month was not all airports, taxis, hotels, and conference rooms. Even in all the hustle and bustle there was still time to re-connect with friends and take in historical wonders who's longevity and scale of achievement makes a busy month seem insignificant.

I will update this section further when time permits, but in the meantime click on the "Photo Archive" section on the the right hand side of the page under Links. Search for photos with the header "China". This should give you a sneak peak at the images I was witnessing and I will fill in the details behind the photos as soon as time permits.

Happy Birthday Blog

The Blog has celebrated a recent milestone. For 2 years the blog has been serving as a portal into new places, faces, cultures, mishaps, misunderstandings, curiosities, and amazements. It has been a labor of love to try and capture what I am seeing and thinking and at times it has been a struggle to keep the content fresh knowing that some of you check in on a regular basis to see, at a minimum, if I am still alive. I hope that you are still reading this ongoing saga or am I simply testing the theory that if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one to hear it, then does it actually make a sound.

It is fun to share with you all and I hope that you come back on occasion to catch up on the goings on in my neck of the woods. Happy Birthday Blog!

The Russians Are Coming!

Re-Unification: David & Alexei Back Together Again

I knew things were going to be great when I walked into my cube on Monday, and on my white board were scrawled the etchings of my good Russian friend:

"You can run, but you can't hide... Russian Mafia is here"

For those of you who have kept up with the blog since its inception coming close to two years ago, you will remember Alexei. I have written many entries about our exploits while working together as teammates in Europe, whether it was cruising the Autobahn together at ludicrace speeds or taking a desert safari in the sand dunes of Dubai.

Now my friend has come to Singapore on a three-month assignment and I am excited to have him here. I am sure over the ensuing weeks and months we will be able to catch up and hopefully create some more fun times.

Revitalizing Visit Back Home

A Perfect 4th of July in Oregon

Its been a while since I've posted a new entry. Not for lack of content or amazingly beautiful images. I guess that so much was going on, I never took the time to hit the pause button to document a truly fantastic experience. I went back to the States in mid June for a combination of business and vacation. It was a magical blend of familiar faces and places viewed from a set of eyes that had not cast upon these fantastic creations in quite some time. The passage of time has given new perspective on things once taken for granted.

I started my trip back to the U.S. by enduring the longest single direct flight in the world. Singapore to New York direct in one 18.5 hour shot. As a marketing person, I should know better than to believe the hype that is placed on this route back in Singapore on numerous billboards. These billboards show an amazingly beautiful and elegant Singapore Airlines flight attendant (that part is true... they are beautiful and elegant), with her hair down living it up in the bright lights of New York City. Now here is where the marketing kicks in. I am now looking for the fine print on these billboards, because A) No one looks as fresh as a daisy as the flight attendant in that ad, especially after a 18.5 hour flight, and B) the flight doesn't land in New York City, but instead Newark, New Jersey, and C) (because I needed a C) Singapore Airline flight attendants never wear their hair down.

Man, did I feel ripped off when the wheels touched down in the rip-roaring city that never sleeps known as Newark. I was lucky enough to have my connecting flight to Raleigh, North Carolina, cancelled just so I could spend the night in this electrifying hotspot. I was kidding about the city that never sleeps bit. That is obviously Newark's more famous sister up the street, New York, because I couldn't even get a hamburger in the hotel restaurant after 11:00PM.

So I made it to Raleigh, North Carolina, the next day and had our face-to-face meetings at corporate headquarters of our partners. Then we all headed to the 2005 U.S. Open Golf Championships, which was being held an hour and a half away in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The drive was wonderful as all you could see was beautiful pine trees and wide open fields.

I was able to follow PGA golfer Phil Mickelson around for several holes on one of America's most famous courses, the illustrious Pinehurst #2. The pros were cursing this "Grand Ole Lady" all week as the scores by tour professionals soared right along with the temperatures.

On Friday, we took a break from watching golf and actually played a little ourselves. Keep in mind, that I had not played in over eight years, but to play on Pinehurst #8 was an opportunity I could not pass up... plus they let me drive the cart. For a guy that had not been able to drive for the past six months, that was a very big deal.

I left North Carolina and headed back to where it all began for me several moons ago... my home state of Oregon. There I would see my family, catch up with friends, and take part in American Independence Day festivities on the 4th of July. The weather was amazing my entire trip back in Oregon as the summer season was just kicking off.

Portland is known as the Rose City, so what better place to pay a visit than to Portland's International Rose Test Gardens. Roses have always been my favorite flower for their vivid colors and wonderful scent and the beautiful roses at the garden did not disappoint.












Catching up with friends was a big part of my trip back home. It was so nice to slide back into old routines with friends like listening to the live R&B music stylings of Mr. Andy Stokes at the Candle Light Lounge, or talking about sports again with my buddy Jonathan, who now has to share the remote with young up and coming prospect, Alex, who just turned six months old during my visit.



Good times were definitely in order when I met up with my friends Keiko and Thinh. Keiko now a bonified Portland hotspot aficionado, introduced Thinh and I to the Doug Fir Lounge which is one of the hottest night spots on the West Coast. Its hard to believe that you can take a 1970s Denny's restaurant and a vintage Travel Lodge motel and make it hip and cool, but that is exactly what these guys did. Man, why didn't I think of that?



Spending time with my parents was the best part of being home. We don't get to see each other that often now that we are half a world apart, but we are close and stay in regular contact. Being back for one of the biggest holidays of the year was very special. I stayed for several days up at the Farm in Central Oregon and took in some wonderful sunsets, and took in some wonderful home cooking as well.



























The 4th of July, which is American Independence Day, was a picture perfect day. My family has often celebrated this day by taking family picnics up in the scenic mountains. It was my vision to re-create this familiar gathering this year while I was home and luckily Mom and Dad, and even Mother Nature cooperated to deliver a post card back-drop to enjoy each other's company as well as some delicious food.



















It was a fantastic trip back to the U.S. that re-charged my batteries for the second half of the year. Friends and colleagues often hear me tout the simple qualities and scenic wonders of my state. Hopefully those that stroll across this entry will feel a little closer to the place that contains the many special people and breathtaking vistas that I like to simply call home.

Vivacious Vietnam

Influences of the Past, Thoughts on the Future

It has been nearly six years since my first and only visit to Vietnam in 1999. I had just finished grad school and was at the tail end of a two-month trip through Asia that was to celebrate my recent academic accomplishment and act as a milepost from which I would begin my new professional career. Vietnam was the last country on my exploration through Asia and it also presented the most mystery. I was joined on that final leg of my tour by my former girlfriend who had started her own journey in life back in Vietnam as an orphaned infant just as the North Vietnamese were closing in on Saigon in 1975.

That visit to Vietnam six years ago was two weeks of self-discovery, mysteries unveiled, and beauty revealed. It was a privilege to discover Vietnam through the eyes of a close friend who was seeing her birthplace for the very first time. Here was a woman who at that time had literally traveled so far in her young 26 year old life. She began as an orphaned Vietnamese infant who’s native country was ravaged by war and who’s city was the last outpost of democracy just as the shadow of communism looked to dim the lights on the hopes of millions. Through higher blessings and fate she was amongst the close to 3,000 Vietnamese children who were airlifted out of Saigon by a combined effort of American civilian and military volunteers just as the city was falling into the hands of the communist North Vietnamese Army, in what was to become known as Operation Babylift.

From war and despair she found herself newly adopted by a loving American family that raised the 1 ½ year old as their own. But this truly American Girl had a beginning, a culture, and a language which she was not familiar. A huge blind spot in her past from which she did not understand but yet by which she was so fascinated and curious. That trip in 1999 was an amazing experience and that is why I was so excited to make my first return trip back to Vietnam to see what had changed in the last six years, given that back then the entire country was just emerging from a 25 year malaise in which few remembered the persona of a country but rather solely its association with a war.

Present day Saigon was alive with vitality and opportunity as I began my 4-day business trip there. Construction cranes were visible at the airport adding a new terminal, which is a direct result of more regional airlines listing the city as a serviced destination. But as construction brought newness to the airport, bureaucracy ensured that one thing I recalled from my fist visit remained the same. Immigration was slow as ever. One slight change I noticed and heard discussed on this recent visit was that “overseas Vietnamese” or those who had fled Vietnam and were living in other countries, namely America, are now being welcomed back to the homeland with open and loving arms. Six years ago I knew of Vietnamese Americans who were scared or intimidated to go back for fear of being jailed or not let back out of the country. But today with Vietnam looking to re-mold itself as an emerging economy, overseas Vietnamese are seen as a catalyst that can come back with their dollars and invest in business development and property which spurs the creation of new jobs and an improved climate for business.

I found a new Saigon this time. Business appeared to be flourishing. Every street seemed to be jammed with small storefronts and shops. Amazingly adorable boutiques, which could easily fit in on NW 23rd Street in Portland, now line a long stretch of road near some of the international hotels. The sheer number of new hotels is another change in the city as well as the corresponding number of foreign tourists. Six years ago, I was an oddity that brought people out of their chairs to stare, but today I am one of a new wave who is coming to visit, do business, or invest.

Another sign of openness and progress, or the Apocalypse depending on your perspective, was the site of the fast food chain KFC. KFC is just one example of international brands from America, Japan, Europe, and Asia that dominate the line of sight in Saigon and are fighting for mindshare in this growing economy.

Quality of life has definitely changed for the better in the last six years for the local people. Traffic remains as before, but what is different is that rather than bicycles clogging up the roadway it is now motorbikes that take the honors. The number of cars on the road has increased as well, although still far outside the reach of almost all Vietnamese. Most intersections now have visibly new traffic signals and cross walk indicators, although I am not sure if the locals know when and where to obey them. One local expressed concern however on whether more cars is a good thing, given that Saigon’s roads are so narrow and small. “Something must be done to deal with anymore cars”, he exclaimed. Ah, the challenges of progress.

The Vietnamese people that I encountered remain curious, friendly, and full of hope. English language seems to be a bit more common in Saigon, but one of the most popular languages for young and business-minded Vietnamese to learn is Mandarin Chinese for obvious economical and geographical reasons.

I took a full day away from my business activities to see more of the city. I had a map and plenty of energy, so I struck out on my own. I found the heat not as oppressing thanks to the fact that it rains quite a bit more than what I have been experiencing in Singapore. The steady and predictable rains have a cooling effect which I love. Then again, it also could mean that I have become accustomed to tropical Southeast Asian weather as well.

You can still find French-inspired architecture in Saigon, although not as prevalent as in the capital city of Hanoi in the north. Buildings are brighter, cleaner, and in much better state of repair than what I recall from six years ago, which shows a great deal of pride and care on behalf of the locals. Along side the charm of colonial inspired buildings are the new structures that symbolize progress and promise. I was surprised to find a Catholic Church in the middle of the city that still draws numbers to its daily mass. Coming from Oregon, I have been called a tree-hugger a few times in my life, but I do love trees which are hard to find in most Asian cities. In Saigon however, the trees are numerous and grand and parks are sprinkled amongst cramped city streets.

There are certain reminders that Vietnam is still one of the world’s surviving communist countries. Propaganda posters are visible around the city and I have heard that these are more common in the South of Vietnam given its history and physical separation from the more entrenched party liners in the North. Ho Chi Minh, or Uncle Ho, as he is affectionately referred to by loyalists, remains as an omni-present feature in this city that now bears his name.

One of the best stories of my trip began not too far from a poster of Uncle Ho. I was walking down a tree lined street when suddenly a middle-aged Vietnamese man on a motor bike shouted at me as I approached on foot. “Are you American”, he asked. Was it that obvious I wondered? I told him that I was and his face lit up like a kid who just got a new puppy. He immediately whipped out a book that contained a collection of old photos.

“I have friends that were Americans, I served with Americans, I killed Viet Cong with Americans. I knew you were American when I saw you walking down the street. You are a friend of me”, he said.

As I paged through this gentleman’s book of memories of which he was obviously so proud, I saw pictures of him in the prime of his life wearing a navy uniform and others posing with American soldiers. Everyone wore smiles in those photos which captured happier times during a dark period that brought together people from completely opposite sides of the world to combat a common enemy.

I have spoke with American Vietnam War veterans back home, but never in my life had I encountered a Vietnamese one. Today, this man is a motorbike taxi driver trying to scrape by on what he can, but you would never know it by the smile he wore on his face. He offered to take me to a market where I could see local goods and food. When I asked how much he would charge, he replied by saying that I can pay him whatever I want. Now I enjoy walking and I am quite effective with a map, and I had turned down several other motorbike taxi drivers previously, but there was a kinship with this gentleman so I took him up on his offer for a ride.

As we drove down the narrow streets choked with other motorbikes, my guide spoke to me in broken English as best as he could. He asked if I had seen the War Remnants Museum. I told him that I had when I was first here six years ago.

“War Remnants Museum is lies”, he said.

This I knew from my own experience six years ago after viewing the propaganda that was being passed off as history within its walls. Its one-sided and demonist portrayal of American soldiers during the war years was enough to make your blood boil, but then you realize that the young generation in Vietnam knows little to nothing about the war and could honestly care less. The past is just that and everyone I encountered in Vietnam wanted to focus on the future because that is where opportunity lies.

We arrived at the market which was a 4-storey complex devoted to clothing, handicrafts, shoes, and food. I asked my guide if we could find a place that served Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup). He seemed delighted that I wanted to try some and quickly ushered me to a counter-style restaurant where I was tasting the real thing within minutes. I asked if he was hungry and he declined, but I bought him a cola which he seemed to appreciate. We sat together at the counter and smiled as I took in the scene of the market. When it came time to settle the tab I found that I did not have enough Vietnamese money. When I asked my guide if there was an ATM nearby he just laughed. ATMs were much more prevalent today but not in this neighborhood. I pulled out an American $20 bill and asked if I could use this. My guide sat up and said that there was a vendor nearby that could exchange it for me and that he would personally do it for me so that I could just sit and enjoy my food.

Now in almost every situation imaginable I would never give someone money who I had just met to go exchange for me, but there was a level of trust between the two of us and I just knew he was an honest guy. Sometimes you just get these feelings about people and you are delighted when these feelings turn out correct. My guide soon returned with not only the exact exchange in Vietnamese currency, but also a receipt documenting the rate. Every penny was accounted for and the rate was actually competitive, as I had checked that morning before leaving the hotel. My guide drove me back to the hotel and pointed out additional things of interest along the way. I gave him some money for his superb service that afternoon and he thanked me verbally as well as with the smile on his face.

I left Vietnam wanting to soon return and not let six years come between me and this promising place. There are few excuses now, given that Saigon is only 1:45 minute flight from Singapore and is serviced by multiple budget carriers. Six years seems like a long time to wait to go back to a place that was once a mystery but provided so much draw and allure. Six years is nothing for some people who have waited their entire lives to visit and connect even in a small way with the land, the people, and the culture of which they are connected if only by birth.

This month many are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Operation Babylift. Once known as babies of hope during times of great darkness, these now grown adults are returning to see where their lives all began. Based now upon my two visits to this country, they will surely leave feeling that the future for this place is brighter and that they were lucky to have gotten the experience to know a country as opposed to a distant and remnant battlefield.

What a Difference 365 Days Makes

Today is my one year anniversary since arriving in Singapore. The time has flown by at an incredible pace. In a year's time I have been fortunate enough to visit 10 different countries in Asia, many for the first time. I have also been lucky to make several acquaintances and even a handful of friendships with a collection of interesting, dynamic, and fun people.

When I look back on a year's time now spent in Asia, several things come to mind that have made this experience thus far fun, different, frustrating, and hilarious. I have made an attempt to summarize some of the situations that have personified my journey these last 365 days.

Days Away From Cholesterol Induced Comma
My good Singaporean friend and co-worker, Kevin, introduced me to Laksa my first weekend after arriving. Laksa is a shrimp and noodle soup with rich cocoanut broth that is just perfect with some chili sauce. I made the silly mistake of thinking that Laksa, since it was essentially a noodle soup, was something that was good for me. And since I had a Hawker Center not far from where I lived that served up this delectable concoction, I soon found myself eating Laksa around three times a week. When I proudly told Kevin about my tri-weekly Laksa routine, panic came across his face. He told me that I was going to kill myself at that rate and that because of Laksa's essential cocoanut milk base, that it had some of the highest cholesterol of any food imaginable. I should have known that anything that tastes this good would have to be bad for me.

"Can"... Not Necessarily What Contains Your Favorite Soft Drink
The word "can" is an affirmative agreement one gives in Singapore when asked to partake in an activity or request in the verbal short-hand language used by locals known as Singlish. Example: "Would you be able to make sure these papers are stapled together in time for today's meeting?" Reply: "Can" Translation: "Yeah, I'll get that done for you". Efficient people, efficient language.

.5 Nights
Number of nights in the last year I was able to sleep without running the air conditioner. I made it through half a night once without AC until springing from the midst of a peaceful slumber drenched with sweat. I have had the cool air flowing every single night since then.

Lanes? We Don't Need No Stinking Lanes
What is most frustrating for a car-loving driving fanatic American like myself is that in Singapore I don't drive. Singapore is the most expensive place in the world to own a car, so in the end I can't really justify the cost; especially when public transportation is so good. But I also spend a lot of time in taxis and my roadway observations could fill volumes within the Library of Congress. Most amusing is that those cute little stripes we normally see painted on the highway that designate the individual lanes on a road take on a new meaning here. In most of the world, the object is to drive between these lines so not to bump into your neighboring vehicle and crash into flames. In Singapore many drivers use these funny little lines on the road as guidelines on where to drive... meaning they drive on the stripes not in between them. Normally a trick reserved in the States for people who are way too drunk to legally be on the road, line riding appears to be a national past time here. Use of the horn is rare, you never see the Ole Bird make an appearance, and firearms are illegal so roadside shootings are out of the question. It makes it very difficult as you can see for a Type A and impatient American like me to sit back in his cab and see all this happen around him and not have any outlet. But then again, I do have a blog.

Give That Man a Microphone
Drunk, sober, business, or pleasure. Nothing quite says Asia like Karaoke. We can blame it on the Japanese who started this mess, but the act of singing along with your friends or business associates to the hits of today and yester-year is a social must. Unlike in the States where a bar might have Karaoke Night, there are stand-alone establishments dedicated to the tone deaf in Asia. Nicely appointed and private rooms await a grouping of friends who can select via a remote from thousands of hits which are then pumped over incredible sound systems with way too much reverb in order to distort your voice into actually sounding palatable. I have my favorites for sure now. Frank Sinatra is a must... Lady is a Tramp usually brings the house down. I am getting good at old Journey too. Steve Perry would cringe at my renditions of his sappy love songs. And what night would be complete without a rousing reprisal of Def Lepard's Pour Some Sugar On Me when your voice is totally shredded from straining to hit the high notes for the last two hours.

Only Place Where Being a White Guy on a Dance Floor is an Advantage
Now we White Guys take a lot of abuse for the vast majority of our ilk who couldn't carry a beat if it came with a handle. But if we haven't got rhythm, there is also another thing most of us don't have that keeps the yin and the yang in balance and that is that we have no pride either. We don't care how stupid we look on the dance floor and if given enough liquid encouragement we will attempt to show any lady in the vicinity how cool our moves are. Asian guys are too cool for that nonsense. They'd rather sip their drink and watch their girlfriends dance than risk looking dumb or out of step. The fact that White Guys try always scores big points, no matter how goofy we look. I have learned this from experience, having been anointed the best White Guy dancer in my salsa class. Now I won that honor admittedly because I was the only White Guy in the class, but still... you get the point.

Sleeping is Not a Hobby
As a single person in Singapore I have had the opportunity, dare I say the priveledge, of reviewing a few personal profiles on the local singles sites. You would be amazed how many girls list sleeping as a hobby or interest that they enjoy. Yep you guessed it, right along side shopping for shoes, coffee with girl friends, re-runs of Sex in the City, and walking hand-in-hand on the beach watching an amazing sunset is sleeping. People who list this fascinating hobby get the automatic delete from me, because the last thing I want is someone to break out into a narcoleptic attack right in the middle of delightful bowl of pasta and conversation all for the sake of pursuing their passion for snoozing.

Bicycle Riding is a Priveledge, Not a Right
In most developing countries, bicycle riding is a primary mode of transportation, but in Southeast Asia's most developed country, Singapore views bike riding as pure entertainment. I have observed it to be more of a blood sport. I am not sure if it is because most Singaporeans learn to ride bikes much later in life than in most places, but the number of bike wrecks I observe on a weekly basis at the nearby park from my apartment indicates there is something amiss. It is not uncommon to see people crash into stationary objects like trees or garbage cans, or see a couple on a tandem bike eat it on a perfectly flat and smoothly paved piece of bike path. The worst is head-on collisions that usually leave someone with a trip to the emergency room. Most of these accidents are not bestowed upon kids, but grown adults in their 20s or 30s who apparently have went their entire young lives without learning the processes of ride, crash, get up, try again while a youngster. The only problem is that they are learning in congested weekend parks and crowded bike paths. Everyone is a potential hazard. I prefer to ride in the late evenings or weekdays when it is safer.

It's All Up To You
Singapore gets the wrap around the region as being boring. I myself faced this conclusion for a brief time when I first moved here during the initial months. People say there is nothing to do but eat, shop, and watch movies here. I begged the question if those were not the core things that most people did in any other city around the world. After a certain point in my stay here I realized that Singapore was only going to become as boring as I allowed it to be. It was up to me to interject excitement and fun into this place and if I took a few others along for the ride with me, then all for the better. Singapore is definitely a place where you can carve out your own interests. Locals are willing to give it a go as well. They may not be the first to try, but if you form a small group of friends to normalize the activity, then you can find yourself enjoying a fun time and meeting and making new friends in the process. I have experienced that here in Singapore and I am so lucky to have the chance to live and work in such a place. It is a fantastic place within Asia to call home and a great hub from which to launch both business and personal travel to some of the most exotic places in the world. I have been blessed to have met some outstanding people along the way who have helped me learn and grow. I am now one year in to this new adventure and the fun does not appear to be letting up!

Clean Compulsion

We have all heard the claims that Singapore is the cleanest city in the world. I am here to tell you that it is indeed true. But some people in my office (with way too much time on their hands) have taken this "culture of clean" to excrutiatingly annoying new levels.

Since moving to the Singapore office, I have had to learn to adapt to the steady stream of emails that warn me of proper office ergonomics, lost jewelry in the ladies toilet, upcoming fire drills, schedule updates for air conditioning maintenance, surveys on how to improve the cracker selection in the employee breakroom, but the all-time winner of most annoying office program is the Mr. Clean Inspection.



From the description, you would half-way expect a smiling yet muscular bald man with a shimmering golden ear ring and a pressed white T-shirt to merrily walk from cube to cube and give each occupant a friendly wink. Not so my friends. In our office, this inspection takes on ominous tones with public shame hanging in the balance.

Each quarter some poor sap... err... Appointed Inspector has to walk around with clip board in hand and give each person's cube a Clean Rating. Some of the propaganda that accompanies this nonsense includes the following: "The Objectives is to ensure a Clean desk with a cubicle that is neat and tidy so that you can work more efficiently.". The program is under the guise of employee safety, but is laughable with quotes such as these: "Employees are expected to recognize and accept responsibility for safety including safety improvements like helping keep their place neat and clean, so as not to pose a danger to their co-workers."

If anyone is in jeopardy of compromised safety because I have five or six piles of paper scattered across my desk than surely Armageddon is soon approaching. Do you detect a bit of cynicism here? May be it is because when your cube is ranked as un-tidy you then are added to a list of other dirty pigs in the office who can't find their stapler for the reams of post-it notes that emblazon their desk. That list of those who have received the Scarlet Letter of shame is then emailed to everyone in the office.

Yours truly received a black mark last quarter and I am shooting for back-to-back honors. In my opinion, a busy desk (I prefer this word in lieu of messy) is the sign of a busy and productive mind. What may appear messy to one person, is another person's complex organizational masterpiece. I, for one, know exactly where everything is on my desk and can locate it in mili-seconds. This system has been disrupted numerous times however by the friendly cleaning crew at night, who takes it upon themselves to stack my documents into nice neat little piles in a corner of my desk that is least visually offensive. But when I return to my desk the next morning, I can't find a thing.

I am soon approaching my one year anniversary in Singapore and I feel like I am entitled to an occasional rant. Surely those who read this site with some consistency can probably point to more than just the occasional one. What continues to be fun and amusing are the differences. Office cleanliness is important here where in other places it is not. It is not right or wrong, but rather just different. I have fun with these things, because if you don't smile about it, you will surely go mad.

WE'RE BACK IN ACTION!!!

Did anyone notice recently that access to the Blog was down for the past week? If you were like me, you kept getting this ominous You are not authorized to view this site message.

Some of you might have thought that I had blocked you out. And surely some of you thought that I had finally followed through on my threat to post the "really good stuff" in a password protected section on the site.

Well, rest assured that none of this was true. My trusty friend, Matt, was able to solve the issue and roll back the active archive on the blog so that we can all view my mutterings once again.

I'd love to hear from those who are reading the site or checking in on a semi-regular basis. Feel free to click on the "comments" link and post a message sometime. I will try my best to keep the technical issues to a minimum, so that we can all continue to access and hopefully enjoy this blog. Welcome back!

Spring Evening in Beijing

Full Moon at Hoa Hai

Reflective Evening in Beijing's Hoa Hai District

Hip Hong Kong

Hong Kong Harbor at Night from a Hip New Bar


Mabel, Brenda, Mark, & Yours Truly Taking in the Scene


Dinner with Partners in Lan Kwai Fong

Krazy Korea

The Art of Social Bonding, Korean Style


Taking a Break for some ATV riding on Jeju Island


Jeju Island - Korea's Version of Hawaii

Bohemian Rhapsody in Singapore

Singapore Sunday: Eat, Joke, Laugh, Repeat

Not a bad weekend, if I had to assess the last few days. After a tough and frustrating week, I needed a good weekend to reinvigorate myself. The one small highlight of my mid-week was that on Wednesday I had my first Salsa dance class. I recently enrolled in a 8-week series of salsa dance lessons with two of my co-workers. We figured it would be fun, different, and a great way to meet new people.

The class was a blast and the hour flew by. We learned the fundamental steps of Salsa which began by the instructor playing some Salsa music and having us count out loud to the rhythm of the music. There are eight counts in Salsa and we all clapped and counted along to the music. Once we all learned the pattern of the Salsa rhythm, it was then time to engage our bodies and feet. Knowing how to count to the music was important because in Salsa you only move your feet on counts 1, 2, 3, and 5, 6, 7. On counts 4 and 8 your feet do not move.

We all were asked to find a spot where we could see ourselves along the room's large mirror and the music was then queued up for us to start moving our feet to the beat. Later we were asked to go find a partner, so it presented the first opportunity to meet some of our classmates. In this class there are 12 girls and 9 guys, so being a guy puts you in high demand. As we introduced ourselves we were instructed to break into the basic step pattern. It was hilarious as you could almost see people counting out the steps in their head and moving like robots. Our instructor stopped all of us and told us that Salsa is a partner dance, look into the eyes of your partner, not at your shoe laces! Everyone laughed a knowing chuckle and the mood lightened. Next week, we learn how to twill the girls, so it should be fun.

Friday night, I joined my friend Vanessa and two of her friends who were visiting from Taiwan. We met up for a seafood dinner and dined on Chillie Crab, which is a Singaporean hallmark. The restaurant was in the Geylang district of Singapore. Besides having some of the best tasting food on the island, Geylang is also known for being Singapore's red light district. I had forgotten this last piece of information until I arrived at the restaurant and was propositioned twice on the walk from the taxi to the entrance of the restaurant.

After filling our bellies on chillie crab, we headed down to Clark Quay for a drink at one of the newest and popular watering holes known as The Forbidden City. This fantastic looking bar is stylized with Chinese motifs but with a hip urban twist. A big fat cocktail menu is available and it makes a wonderful place to hang out and just soak up the atmosphere as you lounge with your friends on one of the traditional Chinese beds feeling quite like royalty.

On Saturday, I met up with my now former co-worker, Brenda, who is from Hong Kong. She was in Singapore for a group meeting with her new company. It is such a small world sometimes, because my friend Vanessa, mentioned above, also works for this company, yet the two of them had not met each other. Brenda has been such a great help to me since I have arrived in Asia. Beyond being a valued teammate when we were in the same group, she also was nice enough to show me around her hometown of Hong Kong when I was there several months ago on business. Now that she was in Singapore, it was my turn to play host.

We met up at Lau Pa Sat Hawker Center. Built in 1894, it is the largest Victorian cast iron structure left in South East Asia. Once a wet market, it is now a food center offering a wide variety of food such as chicken rice, kebabs, roast pork noodles, local desserts and an array of other delectables. Most of the stalls are open 24 hours a day and at night time, the street that runs along its perimeter is closed off to traffic providing a street fair environment where you can enjoy wonderful bar-b-q satays of chicken, beef, or lamb.

Later that evening, I joined my co-worker Josie for an evening of culture and art appreciation. We started off the night dining on some of the best tasting Italian food I had experienced in Singapore. Located in the Holland Village area of town is Michelangelo's which is known for its casual atmosphere and exhaustive wine list. Since Josie hails originally from Australia, I let her pick out a local Aussie sheraz that went quite nicely with our pasta dishes. From there, it was a short walk over to a brand new art gallery that opened up that is helping solidify Holland Village as the Bohemian cog of Singapore's art scene. The funny thing is however, that as with many things in Singapore, the government ordained Holland Village to take on this role. The minister of culture within the government mandated that a Bohemian center in Singapore would lend towards cultural expression and would help Singapore develop its own uniqueness. Outsiders often are amused that the government must mandate a formalized place to become a center for artistic expression, because usually these places will emerge on their own, but in fast-paced Singapore there is no time to wait. We need Singaporean Bohemia and we need it now!

The gallery was filled with paintings and sculpture and even some live performance art that was more amusing yet somehow frightening, then it was artistic. I guess I'm not sure if it is art when a bald man wearing a loin cloth paints himself gold, scrawls on a chalkboard "Art is Work, Work is Service, Service is Just", then balances the chalkboard on his chin while the sounds of Led Zeppelin's The Immigrant Song is blaring in the background. Then again, maybe I am just a closed minded, out-of-touch, anti-bohemian. Yeah, maybe not.

What was most impressive at the gallery opening was a live Flamenco dance performance from a Spanish master of the art. This guy was very intense about his dance as well as very short. He was about 5'4" and that was even while wearing his giant-heeled Flamenco boots, yet his diminutive stature did not take away from his passion. His rhythmic stomping and grace took the gathered crowd by storm. Even though his movements and facial expressions made me think that he was going to snap at any second and punch the living daylights out of me or another onlooker, he was good at what he did and it was interesting to observe. I spent most of my time however studying the Spanish Flamenco guitar player. He too was from Spain and was obviously classically trained. As a guitar player myself, I found his picking technique amazing and fluid and I was immediately in awe.

Today, I joined Vanessa, Brenda, and Kevin for a late lunch of chicken rice, which is the signature dish of Singapore. Lunch provided an opportunity for Brenda and Vanessa to finally meet each other since they now work for the same company. It was almost symbolic as Kevin and I passed the torch (represented by Brenda) to Vanessa. But the symbolism does not hold true because we will definitely be seeing Brenda again and will surely remain great friends, even if we no longer have the pleasure of working with her. We will leave that part up to Vanessa.

Food is a common denominator in Asia. It brings people together and is a strong part of the culture. In the States, eating is a simple act of satisfying hunger, but in Asia it is much more. Good food is a necessity and goes far beyond mere nourishment. Picking a great place to eat says a lot about you as a person, so it actually transcends the taste buds and moves into a character attribute. I feel no greater pressure here in Asia than when I am asked where should we eat. I'm not sure what a Coney Dog and cheese fries says about me other than hardened arteries, but you know... that is just the way I like it.

Re-United and It Feels So Good

Getting the Band Back Together in Los Angeles, California

Last month, I had the opportunity to return back to the States to take part in my company’s annual sales and marketing conference, which was being held in Los Angeles. Although I had just returned back to Singapore from a healthy Christmas holiday vacation back in my home country, the thought of jumping back on a plane for 14 ½ hours didn’t seem so bad. The reason being because I knew that at the conference I would be reunited with many friends and co-workers from both the States and Europe who I had not seen in quite some time.

My Singaporean co-worker and friend, Kevin, and I departed for Los Angeles from Singapore a few days before the conference was to convene. Kevin had never done much sightseeing around L.A. and since I had lived there for two years while I was attending graduate school, I made the perfect tour guide. Kevin had two requests: 1) indulge in American cuisine and 2) take part in things we wouldn’t normally do if we were in Singapore.

My best friend, Jared, who has lived in L.A. now for close to six years picked us both up at the airport. It was so great to see Jared, even though we had just seen each other a few weeks prior when we were both back home in Oregon visiting our families. Jared and I have been best friends since we were three years old, so we have the unique ability to pick right back up where we were as friends even after long periods of time between visits.

Driving down the congested 405 freeway in L.A. took on a reminiscent feel as Jared pumped up the volume of some classic blues music that we both enjoyed. Later on in the drive we switched the dial over to talk radio, where we listened to a political talk show. Finally I could discuss politics after being somewhat muted in Singapore where discussions rarely turned towards the subject. Jared and I ranted back and forth and probably scared poor Kevin to death, who was sitting in the back seat.

Jared had picked us up in his brand new Ford Crown Victoria. For those of you unfamiliar with the size and girth of this American piece of hardware, it is a throw-back to the “bigger is better” mantra that echoed through Detroit during the 1970s. The car was enormous and could sit six people comfortably… and that was just in the back seat! Its suspension was cushy and the car seemed to float down the road effortlessly at 85 miles per hour (145 KPH). Jared drove the vehicle hard and fast as he hammered the accelerator with his heavy foot.

We made it to our first stop of the evening which was Claim Jumper, an American institution for culinary gluttony on steroids. I prepared Kevin on the long flight over from Singapore regarding the monstrous portions that were famous at this establishment. We agreed to skip the final meal that was served on Singapore Airlines before we landed in L.A. just so we would be good and hungry and well-equipped to tackle a Claim Jumper-sized meal. When the food came to our table, each person’s plate was the size of a typical platter. Kevin couldn’t believe his eyes as the feasting began. Most patrons of Claim Jumper don’t walk out of the restaurant after a meal, but more or less waddle out the door as their legs try and keep up with the forward momentum of their enlarged and overly stuffed tummies. Kevin had ordered, at the prodding of Jared and me, a piece of dessert to take home with us to eat later in the evening after our dinner had settled. It was a piece of 6-layer chocolate cake called appropriately enough, “The Mother Load”. Later that night, it took 4 people: Jared, his roommate Rusty, Kevin, and me to polish off the last of the cake. I truly forgot how to eat like this and prayed that my stomach would forgive me in the morning.

The next day, we joined Jared on his lunch break and dined at another American institution: Fat Burger. The name says it all. Many folks that I have encountered overseas often believe that Americans love McDonalds. I usually try and explain that back in the States, if an American wants a good tasting hamburger, they rarely go to the famous Golden Arches. McDonalds serves more of a convenience niche than that of true flavor and enjoyment. For real burgers, Americans head to “mom & pop” locations or to regional establishments like Fat Burger. Kevin thoroughly enjoyed the fresh ingredients, and claimed that it gave the burger the best taste he had ever experienced. What soon became addictive however was the hand-scooped hard ice cream that went into Fat Burger’s milkshakes. I knew Kevin had caught the bug when he asked me two subsequent times during our stay in L.A. to head to the closest Fat Burger. Another satisfied customer!

That evening Jared had a special surprise in store for Kevin and me. He took us to an indoor shooting range to fire handguns. This entertainment option was right up Kevin’s alley, as he had served in the Singaporean Army and is still to this day an active army reservist. Kevin was a marksman when it came to fire arms during his military service, yet he never gets to practice his skills outside of field training in the reserves, since guns are illegal to possess and use in Singapore.

Jared let us use his own collection of handguns, which consisted of a couple of .45 caliber semi-automatic pistols. Even though I had fired rifles and shotguns throughout my life, it was the first time I had ever fired a handgun. At the firing range you shoot at paper targets with live ammunition, yet safety is always practiced with mandatory ear protection and eye glasses required. It was a unique experience and one that Kevin and I would never get to experience in Singapore or many other countries for that matter.

From the firing range we then headed for another taste of Americana: Bar-B-Q. Ribs USA was the location and Bar-B-Q heaven was our destination. It was a flavor I had personally been craving for a very long time and one that I have been unable to adequately find or replicate in Asia. The beef brisket was amazing and the sauce was tangy with just the right amount of spicy kick. Kevin and Jared enjoyed pork ribs which came with all the traditional side dishes of cornbread, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, and bar-b-qued baked beans.

The next morning, to complete our American “triple-threat” attack of the taste buds, we headed to Bobby’s Café for a traditional American Breakfast. Kevin couldn’t wait to dig into his hotcakes, hash browns, bacon, omelet, and toast. Jared joined into the act and I jumped in as well to add to the feeding frenzy.

That afternoon, Jared gave me the keys to his Crown Vic and Kevin and I headed out towards our conference, but first we made a pit stop in Santa Monica to soak up some Southern California atmosphere. We looked at some of the nearby shops and just hung around, and then headed out to Santa Monica Pier where we watched the waves roll onto the sandy beach while eating some freshly popped kettle corn. We were even lucky to catch a fantastic sunset. Our two days before the conference had come to an end, but we had a great time indulging in classic American dishes and even taking part in a few surprise activities. My biggest sense of pride was that my two friends, who each come from different continents and backgrounds, were able to gel so well and find common interests.

The conference has three main goals each year: 1) Rally the troops and get them excited, 2) discuss new strategy and directions for the upcoming year, and 3) provide a forum for employees to network (code word for party!) The remainder of this entry will focus exclusively on item #3.

Each evening of the conference, after having attended training classes all day along with executive keynote speeches, a different group within the company would host a party. Often times these get-togethers would take place in a hotel suite, but on some occasions all the stops were pulled out. The best party by far was held at the ESPNZone. This multi-functional establishment was rented out for the entire evening by the company and provided an array of activities throughout the evening. There was a full-service restaurant and bar on the main level, while upstairs was a massive arcade that contained video games, a bowling alley, air hockey tables, basketball shooting games, and live-motion baseball simulations. Later in the evening a live band played and many of us joined in to dance the night away.

The venue was great, but it was getting acquainted with old yet familiar friends and co-workers that made it even more special. Keith, who many of you read about during my time in Munich, attended the conference from Europe and the two of us had a blast catching up on lost time. I trust Keith’s advice and seek his opinion on many aspects on life and career. He and I are a lot alike, so I value his judgment immensely. Kristin (left) is my friend and counterpart in Europe. We are both on the same team and while I packed up and moved to Asia, she did the same; however she headed to Munich, Germany. Sharing time with Kristin and bouncing ideas off of each other was one of the most well-spent endeavors at the conference. Kevin and Jared hammed it up for the camera when I told them that they looked like a couple of gangsters. Black isn’t just for the fellas as Debbie proves when she joined the ranks of the Mafiosos. I even got to cross paths with the Big Boss while at the conference, as I joined the CEO for this photo op.

Meeting up with old friends was a common occurrence, yet all week I had struggled to find my Russian friend and former teammate while I was in Europe, Alexei. With thousands of people in attendance it is not too surprising when you don’t always see everyone that you plan. Fortunately, on the last day of the conference before everyone headed home, Alexei and I were able to join up and have lunch. Alexei is a noble confidant who showed me the real meaning of selflessness while we were in Europe. In a world full of ego maniacs, Alexei never positioned himself ahead of the team. Our personalities meshed perfectly and our joint results spoke for themselves. I miss his insight in Asia and hope that somehow some way we are able to join up again sometime.

Catching up with friends was not isolated to work colleagues. I was fortunate to have been able to briefly leave the conference for a few hours to have a nice steak dinner with my graduate school running mate, Matt. Matt deserves a great deal of thanks from all of us who read this blog. It was his idea almost two years ago for me to keep a running account of my travels and experiences before I headed off to Europe. Matt set me up with space on his server and acted as tech support for me in the early days until I got the hang of blogging using the software that he had discovered. Matt continues to be a great friend even though we don’t get to see each other that frequently. We are still able to jab at each other while playing fantasy basketball online with some other clowns that shall remain nameless, and he has personally and virtually met many of my friends over the years. Matt and I shared common interests and passions while in graduate school and together our ideas brought positive change to our program that still live on to this day. I am proud of the fact that Matt continues to help with the direction of our school, serving on its alumni board.

The conference eventually came to an end and for many a blood-shot eye the timing was perfect. A lot of positive direction and enthusiasm, very little sleep, and meeting friends and co-workers from around the world make this event special each year. As often is the case in my blog postings, it’s the people that make the experience. I was flying around on cloud nine for over two weeks after returning to Singapore. The halo effect of meeting my friends from around the world gave me new energy and momentum as I shoved off into a new year. For a moment, that week in Los Angeles brought together all the good people who have helped to shape my life over the last several years if not even longer. If you are actually a reflection of your friends, than I truly am blessed.

Returning the Favor

Minnie and Gene Enjoying the Weekend in Singapore

My friends Minnie and Gene have often hosted me in Bangkok since I arrived in Asia more than eight months ago. This weekend it was my turn to play guide and entertain my friends who decided to come to Singapore for a long awaited visit.

After arriving Friday evening and checking into the Marriot, Minnie and Gene met up with me for some food, sightseeing, and always enjoyable conversation. Since Orchard Road was closed down for the festive Chingay Parade, which brings an end to Chinese New Year celebrations in Singapore, we decided to take the subway to Clarke Quay. Gene and Minnie left it to me to choose a favorite restaurant, so I half-heartedly threatened to take them to a Thai place. Thinking that Gene was probably missing some western food, I decided upon Café Iguana, which is a favorite Mexican place of mine that sits right on the banks of the Singapore River and provides an excellent venue for people watching as well as Chimichangas.

Since all the outdoor tables were booked for another hour, we decided to cozy up to the bar and order a pitcher of Margaritas and a plate of nachos to share. Time flew by as we caught up on each other’s lives. We were soon seated at a primo table and were enjoying a nice change of pace from the typical Asian food we normally enjoy.

After dinner, we took a stroll down Clarke Quay and dared each other to try the bungee catapult ride that surely would have made us loose our dinner and then some. Bungee jumping was illegal in Singapore until July of 2003, so it is still a curiosity to on-lookers and thrill seekers alike. From there, we headed to Boat Quay for another drink at Harry’s Bar, where I have a VIP card that gets me discounted drinks. Harry’s sponsors my softball team, so my teammates and I enjoy a discount card that helps us “give back” our appreciation for their kindness in helping our team with our expenses.

To prove how small a country of 4.5 million people can sometimes be, on our way to Harry’s we ran into my co-worker Frederik and his wife Brenda who were entertaining some friends from Taiwan over beers. Brenda made me practice my Mandarin for her and her friends, which garnered a hardy laugh at my bumbling pronunciation. Guess, its back to the drawing board for more lessons.

Harry’s and the whole Boat Quay scene provided us additional chances for people watching and for Minnie to try her first inaugural Singapore Sling to fully initiate the weekend in Singapore. Although the service was poor, we enjoyed our time gazing upon the river and soaking up the evening breeze. From there, we walked down past the Fullerton Hotel, one of the fanciest hotels in Asia, and then on to the Mer-Lion which I have described in earlier postings.

Gene and Minnie had both been to Singapore before: Gene for just a day to get a work visa a couple of years ago and Minnie as a young girl. Both were thoroughly impressed with Singapore, its beauty, efficiency, tasty cuisine, shopping, and of course its renowned cleanliness.

On Sunday, we met up for Dim Sum in the morning to fuel up before heading down Orchard Road for some power-shopping. Minnie was the pro here, while Gene and I grabbed a cool liquid refreshment and a chat.

In the early evening, we grabbed a taxi from their hotel after checking out and headed out for my apartment. I gave them the nickel tour of my place and then we headed for the hawker center to fully indoctrinate them both in local Singaporean food. Gene snapped a quick photo of Minnie and me before we headed back to my place so they could grab their bags and head to the airport.

The time flew by, yet it was still fun to have close friends stop by for a visit. I think Gene and Minnie were enamored enough with Singapore to come back again for another visit and to fill up some more shopping bags. I told Gene that I appreciated his stimulus for the local Singapore economy via their purchases… now we can keep the streets clean for another day!

Through the Eyes of a Child

Fun Never Needs Translation

Saturday morning I awoke and had breakfast at my hotel before starting out again on my motor-bike and taking the long road north for two hours back to the base camp at Khao Lak. While polishing off the last of my scrambled eggs, I was taking humorous delight in watching an Austrian guest try to communicate his request to the Thai staff.

The Austrian was obviously not versed in Thai and was for the most part trying to communicate in what sounded like predominantly broken English. His version of English was totally lost however on the staff. The poor guy, knowing he was struggling to be understood, began to speak louder in what appeared to be an attempt to shout his way through the language barrier. When that didn’t work, he began to use hand motions and some weird form of pantomime. At that point the Thais appeared to stop trying to interpret what he was trying to say and simply seemed to sit back and enjoy the show.

This early morning interpretive skit by the Austrian is just one amusing example that any of us might attempt in order to be understood. We all have a natural yearning, and will take whatever means necessary, to communicate our wants, desires, feelings, and emotions. I sat back and wondered how our volunteer group would be able to communicate effectively with the young children of the refugee camp at Khao Lak that day. Would we be able to reach out and briefly touch the young ones who had witnessed first hand so much tragedy and terror? The language separation was just one small chasm to cross while the psychological trauma of the Tsunami might have closed these kids off from us even more.

I quickly found one of my teammates after arriving at base camp that morning. She was taking clothing items from a large pile and was ripping and cutting up the garments into long strips of fabric. She explained to me how the locals had received a ton of clothing donations which continued to pour in on an almost daily basis. Clothing was no longer the issue for the people as they now had an overabundance, but that did not seem to stem the flow from those who wanted to help and donate these items. Rather than throw the clothing away, the group found new uses for the items. We had learned that the children in the refugee camp did not have proper sleeping arrangements and many were sleeping on the floor of the temporary housing units that had been quickly erected. The long strips of clothing that both my teammate and I were now cutting was to be used as stuffing for make-shift mattresses that were being constructed, so that the young ones would have a softer and more comfortable night’s rest.

In the early afternoon the group piled into a mini-bus to visit the refugee camp. As we pulled off the main road and parked at the entrance to the camp, I was first amazed by the “tent city” that had taken root in one area of the camp. These tents appeared because of an overflow situation of not having enough temporary housing units available. The Thai military was working hard to construct these temporary housing units which would surely shrink the number of those who were holding up in tents.

The temporary housing units were no tropical bungalows however. They were erected quickly and with bare essential concerns to provide shelter and little more. I took a stroll through these new neighborhoods constructed of pieces of plywood and roof sheeting and was amazed to find people adapting to the situation. These units were hot, cramped, and dusty but people did not seem bitter. I passed one middle-aged Thai man that was occupying one of the units with his family and who upon seeing me said what surely was the only English word he knew, “Hello”. He then immediately outstretched his hand in greeting and placed a warm smile on his face. I couldn’t believe it. This man had lost his home and all his possessions and had reason to be saddened or even angry at his situation, but instead he was making due with his predicament and was welcoming me to his make-shift home.

Our work for the day took place in the children’s area, which was an oasis of fun for the kids amongst the tedium of the rest of the camp. Our volunteer team immediately broke into action and began setting up different stations around the area where the kids could partake in varying activities. Language was going to be a barrier to a certain extent, so our activities focused on universal forms of expression and communication.

We had one station set up for music. A universal communication medium, music provided an excellent venue for the kids to dance to the rhythms of a large drum we had brought to the camp. We played a fun game to the beat of the drum. Everyone would dance around in a large circle around the drum and when the drum beat stopped, everyone would have to freeze in whatever silly dance position they happened to be in at that second. The game brought lots of laughter and smiles.

In addition to the drum game, one of my teammates from Sweden had brought along a small ukulele (4-string guitar). I had sat down at the end of a make-shift stage and was helping one enthralled Thai youngster learn how to place his fingers on the frets in order to get the instrument to come to life. He was a quick study and was soon making his very one music. He was so delighted by his accomplishments and quickly dawned a smile that was immovable. He stayed close to me for the longest time. He was older than most of the other kids and seemed to enjoy the attention that was usually bestowed on the much smaller ones.

We had another station that was set up for art. Tables were set up to make fun creatures out of Play-Dough, while others were set up for water colors and drawing. The kids were very creative and contrary to popular assumptions, they were not drawing pictures of huge tidal waves with houses floating away in the water, but instead were drawing pictures that you would expect from youngsters. Rainbows, birds, smiling suns, trees, and ball games dominated the artwork on that day.

The final station we assembled that day was for sports. As with most countries throughout the world, football (soccer) is a passion of both young and old and in Thailand it is no different. So it was no surprise that we had plenty of turnouts for our football match. A dusty and dry scrap of land made for our pitch and we quickly set up some netting for our goals. Volley Ball was another game that was gaining good participation. Even in the early afternoon with all the tropical heat, the kids and the volunteers sweated it out and both groups loved every minute of it.

In another area of the camp children were designing screen print art that they were selling to tourists to help raise money for their families. This was not something that was initiated by our group, but was an excellent idea and something the kids seemed to enjoy doing. Their art was quite good too. I kept wondering if somehow we could get the kids’ work up on EBay to expose it to the masses, then they would surely start to develop a re-occurring revenue stream. The marketing mind sometimes never rests!

The Austrian guest at the beginning of this entry demonstrated that we as people will go to no end to communicate with one another. In spite of language deficiencies, our team was able to successfully communicate with the kids that day. Using fun as the universal platform it was much easier than any of us would have anticipated. Music, art, and athletics need no translation, and neither do smiles of joy.

As I climbed on my motor-bike that evening and prepared for the long ride back from camp to Patong, I felt good about what I had seen. Yes there was sadness in seeing the make-shift living conditions that people were being forced to endure, but more importantly there was an overriding sense of optimism that brought back faith of the human will to survive and build again. This optimism was not isolated to the kids in the camp either. As I traveled down the coast of Phuket the rebuilding was well underway and the spirit that helped fire this rebuilding was echoed, although sometimes in amusing English, to communicate the fact that Phuket is back.

Lots of people have been asking how they can help the people of Phuket and the other areas of Thailand. My answer, and those voiced by many locals, is to go and visit. Tourists are the backbone of the local economy and it will take tourists coming back to Phuket and the surrounding areas to re-ignite the incomes of so many. Even though one of the largest and most devastating natural disasters of anyone’s lifetime occurred on its shores, the people are working hard to welcome you back to their little slice of paradise. There are so many examples as to why this area of the world has been called “The Pearl of the Andaman Sea”. Take a look for yourself and come to your own decision when you visit.

I left for Singapore knowing that my time in Phuket was well-spent. In an effort to give some hope back to others who have been so kind to me on my visits over the years, I instead was again the beneficiary of the eternal optimism, can-do spirit, and warmth and hospitality of the Thai people. The victims of the Tsunami have suffered so much and we will never forget them; and we honor them with our will to endure and to thrive under any and all circumstances. May the only waves that kiss the shores of our friends be the ones that deliver colorful sea shells rather than those that have brought terror and destruction.

Finding a Home for Help

Fractured View of Paradise

Walking the streets of Patong Beach on my first full day in Phuket, I was approached by a pair of Hassidic Jews with long beards and wearing smiles. “Excuse me, are you Jewish”, one of them asked? My new eye glasses I was wearing must have given me a new look. After explaining that I was not, they asked me where I was from. Turns out they were both from New York and were here in Phuket raising money for a Jewish foundation for tsunami relief.

I told the two of my plight of finding it extremely difficult to find any organizations that could use physical volunteers and how I had come to Phuket for just that reason. I asked if their organization had any room for someone like me who wanted to help. Unfortunately they said that they were here just to raise money, but that yesterday they had taken a drive up north of Phuket and come across just such an organization that was looking for physical volunteers. They gave me the approximate location of their base camp and their website url: www.tsunamivolunteer.net

Friday morning I got up early, had breakfast, and rented a motor-bike which would be my trusty steed as I headed north to meet the folks at Tsunami Volunteer. I ducked inside an Internet café to check their website and confirm their location. They were located off of Phuket Island in the Thai province of Phang Nga. They were held up at the Khao Lak National Park. I really had no idea how far that was from Patong, but decided to make a go of it, given that there was definitely an organization that needed help.

Good thing I had lathered up with sun screen before heading out on the road. It was a classic Thai sunny day with beautiful blue sky and a few white puffy clouds. The roads were well maintained yet the ride was still dusty and long. As I headed north along the coast, I could see pockets of devastation, but more importantly I could see people working to re-build. Many beachside restaurants and bungalows were coming back to life in a race to be ready for the high-season tourists that would hopefully someday return.

My ride ended up taking two hours to complete and I covered over 120 KM (72 Miles for the Americans). I couldn’t feel my rear-end when I turned off the engine and stood up for the first time. I had easily spotted the Tsunami Volunteer sign at the entrance to the park. There were people building and painting furniture as I approached. I asked one of the guys if they needed some more help and he welcomed me and took me to a registration center. Computers were everywhere as many of the volunteers apparently had IT backgrounds and had rigged up a local area network. There was even a wireless hotspot, but my laptop was back in Patong. Besides, I wasn’t there to cruise the Internet.

I was given a name tag and a room for the night (free of charge) after being registered. Soon after, a young Canadian girl with a megaphone yelled out that if anyone was interested in planning the upcoming Children’s Day, to join her downstairs. I figured this was a good project to start with, so I joined in. There were people of all nationalities and age groups. Most were young and of the back-packer persuasion, but many were on vacation and wanted to do something to help. Many Thais were part of the ensemble as well and most served as translators and key organizers or facilitators.

Our small group’s mission for the early afternoon was to plan the next day’s children’s event at the nearby refugee camp for displaced villagers who had lost their homes in the Tsunami. Many of these kids had lost family members and some were completely orphaned. The goal of our events was to take their minds off of their recent traumatic memories and just have some good old fashioned fun.

After we had put our children’s day plans together and created some materials, we had the opportunity to visit a local hospital in the late afternoon where numerous people were being taken care of for injuries they had sustained in the tsunami. The drive from the base camp to the hospital was one that I will never forget. We drove through the village of Khao Lak, but it might as well have been called the moon because the landscape did not look of this earth.

The ground was scoured of plants, trees, and structures. Power polls and electric wires fell like dominos. The massive swell of water had destroyed a thriving Thai village whose inhabitants helped to staff some of the numerous resorts that lined the magnificent beach along the Andaman Sea. Of the remaining structures, many had severe damage to their roofs, which gave you an idea of just how high the water had reached.

Credit must be given to the quick action of the Thai military and their army corps of engineers. I traveled on numerous roads in the area that were constructed of brand new asphalt and had been re-painted. There was not a main artery road visible that had been left in decay. Tons of heavy equipment inclusive of bulldozers, backhoes, cement mixers, and heavy trucks were visible as the army was clearing away debris and piling it to be hauled away. An output of all this debris cause by the tsunami was a new market for recycled metal. I saw numerous locations were local Thais were gathering up the metal and bundling it for hopes of recycling it and cashing in on its value. Not a bad motivation to help get the area cleaned up fast and a perfect example of why Thailand was noted by the United Nations as having the most entrepreneurs per capita of any country in the world.

We finally arrived at the hospital and were ushered into a ward of patients by the attending nurse. Many in our group were not prepared for what they saw. The ward was filled with 13 patients with a ranging array of injuries. Many had broken or mangled bones, one lady had a skin graft, and one man was suffering from an amputation. Visible pins, screws, and splints were seen on one strong man. The patients were unsure why we were there and were not quite sure what to make of all these strange Farang (foreigners). I noticed that many in our volunteer group had looks of despair, sorrow, and pity on their faces after first gazing upon the patients. I pulled one girl aside and told her to quickly put a smile on her face because our group was acting as a mirror right now to what these people are feeling and we must come in and lighten the mood with our presence, not make it worse. As we started to interact with the patients, the tenseness in the air lifted. Smiles began to emerge on the faces of the patients and of our group. Our Thai participants were translating the extent of each patient’s injuries and circumstances and we took notes on immediate needs that each of them had while in the hospital.

The simple act of holding someone’s hand and smiling is something that needs no translation. I tried to communicate in my pathetic Thai to one lady that she had a Jai dee (good heart) and that she would get better soon. She squeezed my hand and smiled, so I think she understood. One patient was a favorite with the group because she could not stop smiling. She was only 22 years old and was originally from Burma and had moved to Thailand with her husband to find work. Even at this young age she was already a mother of three children and was fortunate that all of them were safe. She had a severely fractured right wrist that had been set with pins and screws, but you’d never know of her discomfort from the beaming smile that emanated across her face.

After talking with each patient we gathered into the hallway outside the ward and compared our notes. We each contributed some money so that each patient could have 500 Baht, but we were not done yet. We gathered into our mini-bus and headed to the local market to buy some more items so that we could compile care packages. Believe it or not, the most common request from the ladies was for bras and panties. Amazingly, the hospital did not provide these items and their own had been washed away in the tsunami waters. A group of the girls set in motion to help with these needs. We bought the men some terry cloth hand towels. These were perfect to soak in cold water and place over their faces and bodies to keep them cool, as the patients’ ward was an open-air structure with only fans to combat the stifling heat.

After returning to the hospital from the market, I was designated as the representative foreigner to go with the Thai group members back into the ward to distribute the care packages. The patient’s eyes were amazed to see us again and their smiles instantly returned to their faces with all the vigor that they had expressed earlier that afternoon. As we distributed the packages they thanked us and gave the Thai Wai, which is the closed handed greeting that looks similar to a praying motion. I returned their wai and held my hands high and close to my head, which denotes extreme respect. The respect was real as I was amazed by their fortitude and perseverance.

On the ride back to camp, we passed by a solemn reminder of the deadly impact of this disaster. We passed the local Wat (temple) for the village of Khao Lak. A steady stream of smoke was rising above the temple and we learned that the smoke has yet to stop since the wave hit on the 26th. The smoke is from the cremation of those that were lost in the tsunami. Even more heart-wrenching than the smoke was that in the parking area of the Wat, 15 semi trailers were stationed nearby. These trailers were refrigeration units and were being used to keep the remaining bodies cold as they awaited cremation. The sure scale of this sight was overwhelming as you start doing the math in your head of how many poor souls were lost.

We arrived back at camp and enjoyed dinner that night. Afterwards, we had a meeting to review the day and to set course for what we hoped to accomplish the next. After dinner, I headed up to my bungalow that I had been assigned. When I opened the door, I saw that five mattresses were on the floor and appeared to already be occupied. I went inside the bathroom to take a shower, but the camp had run out of water. Not knowing that I was going to have a place to stay when I set out that morning, I had not packed any clothes. The only items I had were the ones on my back. Since the group had obviously over-allocated people to rooms and since I had a room waiting for me back in Patong, I decided to head out on my motor-bike back from where I had come. The only problem was that it was 9:30PM and well after dark.

With the motivating factor of a clean shower and comfy bed spurring my on, I headed out on my journey. It was probably one of the most dangerous things I could have ever done. Driving in the daytime is scary in Thailand, but after dark is madness. I kept running the haunting statistic through my head that Thailand has the highest rate of traffic fatalities of any country, mostly because most accidents involve large trucks and smaller motor-bikes. There were no lights to illuminate the road in most areas and I was left with the headlight on my motor-bike that must have had all the power of a single candle. I kept a steady pace of about 70KPH (45MPH) and tried not to chew on the many bugs that were peppering my face as I streaked along. When I finally crossed over the bridge back onto the Island of Phuket, I breathed easier as the roads were wider and better illuminated. When I finally made it to my room in Patong, I sighed a hefty relief. I removed my helmet, glasses, and headed inside for my reward, which was a warm shower. I was dusty, dirty, tired, yet alive.

It was a good day, a long day, a rewarding day. I was happy to have finally found a group of others who thought and felt the need to participate as I did. That night I rested and geared up to make the journey again the very next morning.

Email From Phuket

Hi Mom,

Late last week, I learned that Friday, Jan 21st is a public holiday in Singapore. I decided this week, that I wanted to go to Phuket and see if there was anything I could do to help. Many people around the world have donated money and that is great, but Phuket is located in my region of the world and is only 1:20 from Singapore by plane. I spent over two hours on the phone on Tuesday trying to contact aid agencies to see how I can help. It was a very frustrating process. They all want you to donate money, but when it comes to donating your physical labor and presence, they don't know how to handle you. I called the Singapore Red Cross thinking they could refer me to their counterparts in Thailand. The lady told me that Thailand doesn't need anymore help, which I find hard to believe. I sent out numerous emails to heads of agencies and social groups, like the Rotary Chapter president of Phuket. All my emails went unanswered.

I went ahead and booked a flight for today (Thurs) and came anyway. Figured I could get here and see how best to help. I will go back Monday morning to Singapore.

So far I can't believe the progress that has been made in just shy of a month here. All the streets are re-opened in the large resort community where I am staying called Patong Beach. On my stroll along the beach front, many hotels and shop fronts have been severly damaged, but reconstruction is in full swing. A large percentage of places are even advertising that they are up and running and open for business. The scale of the clean-up along the beach road must have been daunting, as I can still see massive piles of debris and locals are cleaning up and sifting through the damage trying to salvage what they can.

The number of foreign tourists is way down as you would imagine. I was approached by two young Thai girls today who were part of a hotel promotion plan to have the tourists that are here, go back to their home countries and tell everyone that Phuket is open and wants their business. It is an interesting word-of-mouth campaign and quite original. The locals here can't have the tourists stay away for too long, as the bulk of the local economy depends on it.

Tomorrow I am going to rent a motor-bike and travel around the island. I have a list of the local beaches and towns here in Phuket that have been affected. Maybe I can help somehow.

I will call you and Dad tonight my time and tell you more. Hope you are doing well and I will talk to you soon.

Love,

David

Vacation You Didn't Want to End

Snowy Scene at the Farm Makes for a Real Winter Post Card

I've been back in Singapore just exactly one week since returning from my vacation back home to Oregon over the Christmas and New Years holidays. It was so great being back home to see family, friends, and co-workers after being away for almost 7 months. I was really worried that the winter weather was going to be a hard thing to re-adjust to, but I fell quickly back into the Northwest lifestyle and really enjoyed wearing coats, gloves, long-sleeve pullovers, and real cold weather clothing. I also loved being able to drive my car again. Funny how you never miss those things that you take for granted until you are deprived of them.

I spent several days of my holiday vacation at my parents' farm in Central Oregon. It made for a wonderful post card setting thanks to fresh snow that fell almost daily. I love snow anytime, but obviously this snow was special after spending more than half the year living less than 75 miles from the equator.

I enjoyed seeing my friends Jonathan, Nicole, Tim, and Jodi as we got together and had some warm soup and conversation. Little Ethan has gotten so much bigger and new arrival Alex is the center of attention. Was also able to hang out with Keiko and Marina. Keiko was able to hook me up with some more Dry Fit clothing from the employee store at Nike, which is perfect for the tropical climate of Singapore. Marina and I caught a couple of flicks and watched the season premier of Alias, which reaffirmed that I have missed out on absolutely nothing in almost 7 months without watching TV. My friends Rose and Kevin were the first that I called when I returned home. Thanks to Kevin for taking a day off so that we could go watch a movie together (er... scene investigation). Rose looked amazing as she has been training for her first walking marathon since I left for Singapore. She, Kevin, her mom, and the kids were going to fly to Orlando Florida for the big event. No matter what the final time, we are all very proud of you Rose and what you have been accomplishing! The two of them were also instrumental in re-acquainting my palette with American Food... Original Hotcake House and Red Robin for monstrous omelets and mile high mud pie respectively. Carmen and I had a fun holiday spending time together and her parents Mike and Vicky were especially nice to allow me to stay in their home and feed me on occasion as well. Last but not least my best friend Jared and his wonderful parents, who have always been my second mom and dad, were nice enough to put me up for several nights while I stayed in the Portland area. Never thought the "Global Vagabond" title of my blog would be so appropriate even when I was back home, but all my friends made me feel so very welcome. To all my Oregon friends... it was great to see you all again. I missed you all very much. Thanks for making my trip back a very special one.

Merry Christmas To All

Christmas is here! You can't say that you weren't warned. Some malls in Singapore had their Christmas decorations up before Halloween. Hopefully you've all managed to complete Santa's list for those very special people who brighten our lives on a regular basis.

Christmas has always been full of wonder and magic, but mostly it has been a time of togetherness. Though it can be stressful to journey far and wide to come back to those that really matter, the effort of getting there melts away when you see the delight on the faces of those you have not gazed upon in some time. Due to flight delays and missed connections, it took me over 28 hours to get back home to Portland from Singapore. Now that I am here with family and friends those 28 hours were nothing more than an investment that is now paying off ten fold.

The magic comes from the unexpected surprises that always seem to arise during this time of year. Such it is with the early arrival of Mr. Alexander Taylor-Williams, the new first born child of my friends Jonathan and Nicole. I guess the little guy didn't want to miss out on his first ever Christmas and who could blame him. This will surely make the Taylor-Williams household a magical place this holiday season and for many more to come.

Now the wonder of the season can often be found in many ways. For example: I wonder if I will ever step inside a shopping mall again, I wonder how I am going to eat that slice of pumpkin pie when I am already stuffed, I wonder if Notre Dame will stop playing football after this season's dismantling in the Insight Bowl from the Oregon State Beavers, I wonder if political correctness has run its course and we can once again celebrate and call Christmas by its true name without fear of offending the sensibilities and feelings of hyper-sensitive secular wet-blankets, I wonder if it will snow on Christmas Day (sorry my SE Asian friends -- if it happens where you are, we are all in trouble), I wonder if I will have the time to catch up with all my friends while I am back home in Oregon, I wonder if I can hit "shift-delete" on all my emails that I received while I was on vacation and have no one notice, I wonder if anyone reads my blog anymore, I wonder if I could bottle up the wonderful scent of a freshly-cut Christmas Tree and bring it back to my apartment in Singapore, I wonder what I will be doing on New Years, I wonder what 2005 might look like, I wonder... oh, how I wonder.

Wonder, magic, and togetherness. No Christmas is complete for me without them. I do hope that each and everyone of you reading this entry, and to all my friends and acquaintances from around the world, have a very Merry Christmas. And regardless of faith, ethnicity, nationality, or background... try your best to experience a little wonder, magic, and togetherness this time of year. Guarantee it will make you smile.

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!

A Special Time for Renewal

No better place to find blog inspiration than on the island of Bali

Hiatus, sabbatical, vacation, holiday are all words that describe the simple act of taking a little down time to invest in one’s self and the things that you most appreciate. For me, I am in the midst of this state of mind.

I am lucky enough to have my parents visiting from the States. It is their first ever journey to Asia and I have assembled some trips and activities that will hopefully ensure that their first trip to Asia will be a most memorable one. By the end of their 3 ½ week stay they will have seen Singapore, the Island of Bali, and Bangkok, Thailand.

The best part so far of my renewal was having my family here in Singapore with me on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving in most American families generally means getting together and celebrating our blessings through good food and each other. Getting together takes on a whole new meaning however when you are separated geographically by a few oceans and several thousand miles and time zones like our family.

Now my parents may disagree after an 18 ½ hour journey from Portland to Singapore (not including transfers and layovers), but I think getting everyone together was the easiest part. Getting the Thanksgiving dinner prepared this year was more of a challenge, and you will soon read why…

Singapore is admittedly a very western city by Asian standards. Completing the Thanksgiving shopping list can still present challenges. My Mom was pretty industrious and was successful in sneaking several containers of her favorite herbs and spices within her luggage in order to try and re-create the flavors of the holidays. We still had to find the main ingredients however, and I was worried with the recent outbreaks of Bird Flu that we may have difficulties finding a Turkey.

My local co-workers turned me onto a grocery store here in town that specialized in Western/Ex-Pat food and said I would easily be able to fulfill all my holiday needs. Jason’s, the name of the store, did not disappoint. It was like walking into a boutique grocery store back home. I was ecstatic when I walked over to the poultry section and saw frozen turkeys with the ButterBall brand stamped on the packaging. For those of you reading this blog from outside the States, Butterball is an American company that processes turkeys, so seeing this name was like a seal of approval from a trusted and recognized name. We then found corn, potatoes, string beans, and bread crumbs to be used in Mom’s famous turkey stuffing. But when it was time to find the perfect dessert for our festive holiday meal, there was a small challenge.

Typically, pumpkin pie is the traditional Thanksgiving dessert, but I almost laughed out load when I overheard my Mom ask a clerk at Jason’s for where they kept the frozen pies. The helpful clerk escorted my Mom over to the frozen food section where she stood in front of an array of… English Meat Pies! Not quite what my Mom had in mind, so we were temporarily foiled in completing our Turkey Day list. There would be other challenges in completing this special meal.

After work on Thanksgiving Day, I headed to the grocery store that is near my office in one last attempt to find a nice dessert for our family meal. I was so excited when I was able to find a frozen pumpkin pie. And to make it doubly nice, I also found a can of whipped cream to put the perfect topping on our pie. I piled into the cab with my bounty and headed home fully expecting to be proclaimed the Holiday Hero for completing our list. However when I burst through the door to my apartment I knew something had gone wrong.

My Mom was sitting in my chair with a look of despair on her face. There was also a noticeable lack of holiday aroma coming from the kitchen. Mom looked up and said that the oven in my apartment was broken and even after having several people from my unit inspect the situation, there was no way to get it to work, and hence no way to cook the turkey and all the trimmings. Thanksgiving dinner was off, after all the work, excitement, and expectation. I opened up my cell phone directory and punched up Pizza Hut, who I happened to have on speed-dial. We dined on pizza instead that night, disappointed but thankful that at least we were all together.

I didn’t give up on my Thanksgiving vision and was able to get the phone numbers of some oven repairmen from my local Singaporean friends. By the end of the evening I had secured a repairman to come out the next morning. I told him that his job was to help save Thanksgiving. Nothing like a little motivation to hopefully bring out someone’s best efforts.

The friendly repairman showed up, early no less, to help save our holiday. He was able to re-wire the circuitry that was blowing out the fuse each time we turned on the oven. I paid his modest service fee and invited him back for some turkey later on. Mom then swung into full gear and began to turn my kitchen into a Turkey Command Terminal. Dad and I knew best to stay out of her way when she got “in the zone”.

In the meantime, I phoned Tracie, my co-worker’s wife. Tracie’s husband, James, and I were one of the few Americans in the Singapore office. I knew that James was away in India on a week-long business trip and that Tracie would be in Singapore alone on Thanksgiving. I called her up and told her that my parents and I would love to have her join us. Tracie arrived with two bottles of wine and a set of four new wine glasses for me as a gift. She must have known that my normal dinner settings usually came from the House of Plastic.

My apartment never smelled so good, as turkey and all the other holiday ingredients filtered out of the kitchen. My humble dinning table was set with some of the finest food I had witnessed in my short six months in Singapore. I was surrounded by family and friends enjoying a meal that recaptured the flavors and feelings of the holidays. Although Thanksgiving had come one day late, we still came together as a family. We realized it was not so much about the physical date but rather the generous act of bringing together family and friends to share and celebrate. We all truly have so much for which to be thankful.

This is Why I Blog

Why do it? Why take time out of your busy life to weave together photos, words, and perspectives? In summary, why do you blog?

Maybe I myself did not really know the answer until I received an email today that made the whole thing worth while. As a people, as citizens of different nations, as believers and non-believers in varying ideologies we are different in our approach. But make no mistake that we are more alike and more the same than any of these subtle differences may indicate. If my blog has done anything, then it has shed light on the power of perspective. Not just my perspective, but the perspective of others who may have had a chance to look at things in a new or different way than before.

I recently received an email from someone who came across my dittherings here on the web and was nice enough to respond with their thoughts and reactions. Perceptions shaping perceptions in an honest, real, and positive way. This is why I Blog...

I can't resist to send you this e-mail after reading your blog at your skype profile just recently.

Very interesting indeed. I like what you have written there and most importantly the way you have written it makes me want to read it to the end. You have shown that u r an observant person and very much aware of your surroundings. I like that as well.

I never gave so much thoughts of you before this because to tell you the truth, Americans never appealed much to me during this time of turmoil in the Islamic countries. And most Americans hate muslims like an obsession. But i realised that i can't punish one person for the fault of others.

You have written well in your blog and i realised that you are not a bad person really. In fact an interesting person and an interesting life that you are leading. You managed to share what you have seen and experienced without prejudice to all your friends all over the world. That's a very nice thing to do. I hope i'm not wrong in judging you this way.

Well, that's it for now. I hope to read more of your adventures :)

The Magic of Soup

When you are feeling sick, helpless, and miserable you are likely to recall your own mother’s wise words of advice for times such as these.

“Get your rest, drink plenty of fluids, and try to eat some hot soup.”

Yes, that universal panacea, soup has some amazing powers all right. This past week when I was battling my own bug, I included soup into my arsenal to combat my own uncomfortable and aggravating symptoms. I had no idea however, how a simple bowl of soup could help cross the chasm of communication.

Feeling horrible yet already committed to an office-opening party by one of our partners on Friday night, I could feel it getting stronger. In between the meaningless chit-chat forced upon me by this work-like setting, I could feel the congestion starting to build in my nose. All through dinner, while listening to some British blow-hard compare his Palm Pilot feature-by-feature with the Pocket PC of his colleague, I came to accept what was soon becoming my reality: I was coming down with something. Feeling a little punchy because of the early onset of my symptoms, and also because I had truly reached my breaking point with Inspector Gadget sitting next to me, I barely thought twice when the fine English gent asked me what kind of gizmo I had. Reflexively I said to the group of people gathered at our table, “Holy Cow, are you still talking about your Palm Pilot? I thought that was the dinner topic from two courses ago.”

The local Singaporeans at my table erupted in laughter and the Englishman was left fumbling with his stylus. I excused myself from the fascinating conversation, said my thank you to the hosts, and went downstairs to hail a cab and head home to bed. That night’s sleep would be the last real uninterrupted sleep I would get for the next three days.

I awoke the next morning with a horrible sore throat which was caused from my nasal congestion forcing me to sleep with my mouth open. Because of the climate in Singapore, I have never been able to sleep a whole night without air conditioning, but AC is no friend of a sore throat. I spent the entire weekend in my apartment battling my bug with the age old triple-threat combination of rest, lots of fluids, and eating hot soup.

I got kind of tired eating the same soup I had in my kitchen all weekend, so I decided to head down to the local Hawker Center which is located within East Coast Park right across the street from my apartment. I decided to bring my Mandarin Chinese language book with me to help pass the time after eating and to study for my lesson which was due the following day at class.

Some of the local food vendors are beginning to know me now. I pay them patronage quite regularly and some are getting to know my order before I even open my mouth. There are the friendly brothers who own the drink stand who serve me up my Lemon Juice with a smile. There is the Curry Puff man who sells me one of his hand-rolled pastries filled with curry and potatoes which he makes from scratch throughout the day. There is the hard working Malay father and son team manning their bar-b-que, which serves up the best lamb satay you’ve ever tasted along with peanut sauce for dipping. That day, I was looking to add a new item to my culinary line up: soup.

I approached a new vendor who I had never visited previously which specialized in soup. He and his wife prepared all kinds of noodle soup with vegetables and pork. His menu had a photo of dumpling soup, which sounded especially good to me in my sickly condition. When it came time for me to place my order I stepped forward, pointed at the photo, and asked for a bowl of the dumpling soup.

The man jumped into action and swirled around his multiple containers of steamy broth kept piping hot via a gas burner. His ladle was like a magician’s wand as it effortlessly gathered spices and ingredients from other containers and added them to the steaming compartment. He then grabbed five hand-folded pork dumplings and plunged them into the hot water for steaming. His magic ladle never motionless, brought the soup’s contents together as one as he quickly served up my bowl of dumpling soup.

As I was digging in my pocket to pay the man, his eyes glanced down at my Mandarin book. As he took my money he questioned me in Chinese. I panicked briefly, as this was the first real-life question in Mandarin I had ever received outside the classroom. I slowly deciphered the words in his sentence and realized he was asking me, “Are you studying Chinese?”

Although I knew what he was asking, I could not think fast enough to answer him back appropriately. Not wanting the moment to drag on and for him to think that I was clueless to what he had just said, I answered back in English, “Yes, I am studying Chinese.”

“You need to speak more Chinese. It is good”

The man said in a thick Chinese accent. I pondered his comment and without much thought said smiling,

“OK, the next time I come to your stall I will place my order in Chinese.”

The man took on a broad smile and thanked me, in Mandarin no less (Xie xie), for my order and I left to enjoy his soup and battle the demons that sickened me.

I went into the office that Monday late in the day, after feeling sick and working from home in the morning. Truth be told, I only went in that day so I could take my Mandarin lesson.

I told my teacher about the experience I had the day before and that even though I could not answer right away, I was able to figure out what was being asked of me. My teacher was pleased that we were starting to develop enough of a functioning vocabulary to be dangerous.

I then told the teacher of my commitment to the Soup Man. I asked if she would please tell me how to place my order in Mandarin. She went to the board and wrote out the phrase and then we worked on pronunciation. I jotted the phrase down feverishly in my notebook for future reference and practice.

On Tuesday I broke down and went to the doctor. Things had not progressed, even with the soup, and I needed relief. I hadn’t had a solid night’s sleep in three days and I was a hollow representation of my normally healthy self. I walked into the clinic, which was on the main floor of our office tower. I approached the receptionist and asked for an appointment to see a doctor, fully expecting her to tell me that the doctor was booked up, but that she might be able to squeeze me in around 4:00. To my utter amazement, the receptionist told me to take a seat and the doctor would be with me soon. I had just gone in there to make an appointment and I had no idea I could actually see the doctor on-the-spot. I explained to the receptionist that I only had about 20 minutes before I had to get back to a meeting. She told me that was enough time and that I shouldn’t worry about being late for my meeting.

The doctor personally came out to the waiting area and greeted me, and invited me back into her large office, where I sat in a chair near her desk. She asked about my symptoms, listened to my chest, pressed her fingers firmly around my cheek bones and nose and asked if it was sore. It was. She diagnosed me as having a sinus infection and wrote out prescriptions for a battery of drugs that included an anti-biotic, antihistamine to dry out my watery eyes and runny nose, and an anti-inflammatory to reduce the swelling in my congested sinuses. It was over in a heartbeat. I then walked back outside to the waiting room, where one of the assistants filled the doctor’s prescription for me from the office’s own medicine stock, and then walked me through the procedures and frequencies for each medication. I was done from start to finish in 15 minutes and made it back just in time for my meeting.

I worked from home, as recommended by the doctor, for the rest of the week. Feeling hungry and wanting a change in scenery I decided to head to the Hawker Center. Before I left the apartment I grabbed my notebook from class.

As I walked through East Coast Park on my way to the Hawker Center I practiced the phrase in Mandarin again and again. I mumbled the words over and over to myself as I strided through the park. I was a little nervous because I didn’t want to mess up the phrase in front of the Soup Man. I wanted it to be perfect so that he could understand me.

I finally arrived at his stall and got in line. I practiced the phrase a few more times before it was my turn and then shut my book. The Soup Man’s wife had come out to take the customers’ orders and she smiled when she got to me remembering me from before. She asked me in English what I would like. I looked around and felt the eyes of two local Singaporeans staring at me probably because they wished that I would hurry up so that they could order. I waited another second until the Soup Man himself was now looking at me, and with that I opened my mouth and uttered,

“Wo yao yi wan shui jeao tang”

The Soup Man’s wife looked at me with endearment and turned to her husband as if to say, “Did you hear that?” The locals in line behind me smiled acknowledging that a foreigner was actually attempting to speak Mandarin. The Soup Man himself stared at me with his ever-swirling ladle,

“Louder! You must speak Louder!”

He said in English. I approached his gas cooker and repeated my phrase in a more confident tone: Wo yao yi wan shui jeao tang

The Soup Man smiled and then threw me a curve ball. He asked in Mandarin whether I wanted my dumpling soup with or without noodles. After a split second I responded,

“Bu yao mein.”

This meant without noodles. The Soup Man’s ladle stopped stirring for the first time that I had ever seen and with this pause a large smile came over his face. I had passed the test. He leaned in closer and pointed to my waiting bowl of dumpling soup. He had placed an extra dumpling inside the bowl than what would have normally been served.

My soup tasted better than ever that day. I was feeling better. Some may argue that it might have been the medications that were now bolstering my resistance to the bug, but I like to think it had a little something to do with the magical power of a very special bowl of soup, which was served up with a hint of friendship, a dash of cultural appreciation, and of course one extra dumpling!

India: Unsettling yet Captivating

I never thought I would go to India, nor did I have any desire to visit. However when opportunit