Rainy Sunday in Queensland

I am almost 64% of the way through the longest stretch of not seeing my wife and kids since Angel and I were married in 2000.  On November 7th, I boarded a plane at LAX after kissing my wife and kids goodbye.  They were headed home and I was headed, quite literally, to the other side of the world.  These are my stories.

First stop: Auckland

First, I must say that New Zealand is frigging awesome.  Even their airline is great.  My trans-Pacific journey first took me into Auckland, New Zealand where I was able to spend most of the day exploring the city before my early evening flight to Brisbane.  To set the tone of NZ, let’s just say that the extreme nature of this country is something that can’t be found anywhere else.  Example: The tallest structure in Auckland is the Sky Tower which is over 1000 feet tall.  In true kiwi style, you can jump off of it.  If that wasn’t enough, there is a casino at the bottom – sweet!  I am looking forward to my return trip to NZ after Christmas which will be my 3rd visit to the extreme island nation.

DESTINATION: BRISBANE

The reason for my excursion down under is work.  I am helping one of our clients configure our software to be used for coal seam gas exploration and production.  My office is the white building on the right side of this picture showing downtown Brisbane.

Brisbane is a great city with lots to see and do despite most locals seeming to think of it as the boring sibling of Syndey.  With the Brisbane river meandering through the city, there are several interesting bridges including the notable Story Bridge. The people here are all very friendly, with a laid back attitude that welcomes foreigners with genuine warmth.

Some of the things I have learned during my first 3 weeks here:

Aussies like to shorten everything with fluffy pluralizations - for example, sunglasses are sunnies, slot machines are pokies, and a stubby is a small bottle of beer Z is not “zee”, it is “zed”, and they pretty much never use it Asian food is everywhere, and so is Subway Rugby is separated into flavors of Union and League.  Union is the upscale sport with more financial backing, etc. and League is the slightly rougher working man’s version of the sport The grocery store will invariably be closed when you need it to be open koalas really do look like they are wasted all day long the most confusing part about driving on the left side of the road is that all of the stuff in the car is reversed including the turn signals and radio volume When it comes to cricket, the answer to the question of “Who’s winning?” is entirely more complicated than an American can comprehend Tipping is neither compulsory or expected in Brisbane – which is helpful since everything is more expensive than in Houston When it comes to food or drink, “hot” is Australian for tongue scalding – let is set for a minute, mate!

Brisbane is a great city for walking around, and has some really cool restaurants and bars as well.  As with any city, there are distinct neighborhoods that have their own culture and style.  So far, my favorite has been Fortitude Valley as it has the highest concentration of mountaineering outfitter stores, swanky clubs and bars, and restaurants that have something other than Chinese food.

Utah 'Boarding: Easy as 1-2-3

Arrival

Flying into the Salt Lake Valley is always an inspiring experience for me.  Lately, I have become less inclined to look out the window during flight due to the typical monotony and blandness of the topography on most flights.  Seeing the Wasatch jetting out from the expanse that was once the bed of Lake Bonneville is always a window-worthy event.

The peaks that I have scaled in the past stand firm with their majestic profiles watching over the residents below.  Lone Peak, Twin Peak, and Mount Olympus make the eastern skyline of Salt Lake City a memorable one.

This year's snowboarding expedition saw slope appearances by Clay, Cam, Keith, Gary, Camille, and Richie.  The weather was perfect, which made up for a bit less snow than we would have hoped, so all things considered the conditions were good.

Of course, no trip home would be complete without a rendezvous will all of my friends from Murray High School.  Tom & Ratty organized a gathering a The Point After to watch some UFC action and catch up on lost time.  It was great to see everyone, especially those I have only recently re-connected with.

February 1st: Snowbird

A 9:00am meeting at Mom's got us started on Super Bowl Sunday.  After some breakfast tacos and coffee, we loaded up the Durango and headed up Little Cottonwood Canyon.  For years, I have boasted about the proximity of Salt Lake to the ski resorts and that my Mom's place is only 20 minutes from Snowbird.  Even with Keith being late, we still made it on the lifts by 10am.  Thanks to Camille, we were able to hook up some extremely discounted passes and the day began perfectly.

Mineral Basin was tracked up and made for some choppy runs, but we still made a good day of it.  Most of the day was spent between Peruvian and Mineral Basin with one trip up the tram and a few runs beneath Gadzoom.

I wouldn't be doing the picture above justice if I didn't mention that Keith completely ate it about 2 seconds after this photo was snapped.  Trying to strike a pose, he lost his balance and fell over onto the concrete surrounding the conveyor belt that was taking us through the tunnel to Mineral Basin.  Of course, standing back up in a situation like this is nearly impossible.  Whether it was the tired quads or hysterical laughter, Keith couldn't seem to make it back onto his feet.  After narrowly escaping a certain ankle injury to either Keith or myself, he threw down a reverse ninja roll and hopped back onto the conveyor belt.  It will be impossible to ever ride through that tunnel again without a chuckle.

February 2nd: Powder Mountain

Of all of the times I have been on the slopes in Utah, There are still a few resorts I have never ascended: Snow Basin, Wolf Creek, Sundance, and Brian Head remain on the list but Powder Mountain is now a patch I can rightfully sew onto my backpack.

Richie was our guide as we sped around the mountain in perfect conditions.  Despite the lack of recent snow, the resort's name is definitely not a misnomer.  We were able to skiff through more of the gnar at PM than any other day of the trip.

Since a helicopter crashed earlier that morning, I recommended to Keith that we re-think our heli-boarding plans.  The sno-cats seemed a much better idea, and at $12 a run you can't beat it.  The power was phenomenal and well worth the wait to get on the cat.

Over a foot of lightly tracked powder was waiting to meet us on the north facing slope where the cat dropped us off.  Powder was found, and it was good.  After a good day on the slopes, it was off to Richie's for some home brew.  We stopped at Carlos & Harley's on the way out for some grub and to check out the local Eden speakeasy.

February 3rd: The Canyons

By the third day on the slopes, I was in shock that my legs were still holding up.  We leisurely made our way out of the NewPark Resort hotel and made our way over the The Canyons - largest ski field in Utah.  We were once again hindered by the lack of fresh snow, but were able to ski probably the most miles of any of the days on the slopes.  With just Cam, Clay, and I and no lift lines we were able to make some pretty good tracks around the mountain.

Once again, we were able to hook up some sweet ticket deals, paying less than $50 a person.  Due to the prevalence of flat areas at the Canyons, I became quite proficient at using one of Clay's ski poles to keep up my speed.

Final Thoughts

Luckily I have an awesome wife that lets me dedicate a few days to snowboarding while she holds down the fort at home.  As infrequently as I get to hit the slopes these days, it is very important for me to not lose touch entirely with the experience of snowboarding.  I do so love her for many reasons, and this is just another one.

Additionally, I am fortunate to be on the brink of a brand new era of snowsports as the kids are now getting old enough to enjoy the mountains and learn to ski.  Jackson and Emily are already excited about learning to ski - hopefully this Christmas!

Also, I am extremely lucky to have such a great Mom that took care of us from arrival to departure.  A guy couldn't hope for a better Mom, and I am so grateful for everything she did for us this trip, and for everything she has always done for me.

I am certain that this will be just the first in a number of boarding excursions, you in on the next one???

 

See a full album of pictures (with geo-location) here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/grant.coburn/Yewtaah?authkey=colyY_K_Vpc&feat=directlink#

Anyone want to buy my SUV?

NINJA HAULER: 2005 Nissan Xterra - $12900

OK, let me start off by saying this Xterra is only available for purchase by the manliest of men (or women). My friend, if it was possible for a vehicle to sprout chest hair and a five o'clock shadow, this Nissan would look like Tom Selleck. It is just that manly.

It was never intended to drive to the mall so you can pick up that adorable shirt at Abercrombie & Fitch that you had your eye on. It wasn't meant to transport you to yoga class or Linens & Things. No, that's what your Prius is for. If that's the kind of car you're looking for, then just do us all a favor and stop reading right now. I mean it. Just stop.

This car was engineered by 3rd degree ninja super-warriors in the highest mountains of Japan to serve the needs of the man that cheats death on a daily basis. They didn't even consider superfluous nancy boy amenities like navigation systems (real men don't get lost), heated leather seats (a real man doesn't let anything warm his butt), or On Star (real men don't even know what the hell On Star is).

No, this brute comes with the things us testosterone-fueled super action junkies need. It has a 265 HP engine to outrun the cops. It's got special blood/gore resistant upholstery. It even has a first-aid kit in the back. You know what the first aid kit has in it? A pint of whiskey, a stitch-your-own-wound kit and a hunk of leather to bite down on when you're operating on yourself. The Xterra also has an automatic transmission so if you're being chased by Libyan terrorists, you'll still be able to shoot your machine gun out the window and drive at the same time. It's saved my bacon more than once.

It has room for you and the four hotties you picked up on the way to the gym to blast your pecs and hammer your glutes. There's atow hitch to pull your 50 caliber anti-Taliban, self cooling machine gun. I also just put in a new windshield to replace the one that got shot out by The Man.

My price on this bad boy is an incredibly low $12,900, but I'll entertain reasonable offers. And by reasonable, I mean don't walk up and tell me you'll give me $5,000 for it. That's liable to earn you a Burmese-roundhouse-sphincter-kick with a follow up three fingered eye-jab. Would it hurt? Hell yeah. Let's just say you won't be the prettiest guy at the Coldplay concert anymore.

There's only 69,000 miles on this four-wheeled hellcat from Planet Kickass. Trust me, it will outlive you and the offspring that will carry your name. It will live on as a monument to your machismo.
Now, go look in the mirror and tell me what you see. If it's a rugged, no holds barred, super brute he-man macho Chuck Norris stunt double, then contact me. I might be out hang-gliding or BASE jumping or just chilling with my ladies, but I'll get back to you. And when I do, we'll talk about a price over a nice glass of Schmidt while we listen to Johnny Cash.

To sweeten the deal a little, I'm throwing in this pair of MC Hammer pants for the man with rippling quads that can't fit into regular pants. Yeah, you heard me. FREE MC Hammer pants.
Rock on.

  

   

DISCLAIMER: As much as I wish I had written this, I did not.  This was an actual Craig's List entry from November 2008.

An Analogy for the Current Financial Crisis

Suppose for a moment that you were a well-to-do landowner in the old south.  You had a sprawling estate in the beautiful woods of... say... Georgia.  Your family was not too large, but big enough to efficiently operate the estate, although you needed to bring in lots of fuel and food from neighbors.  You have an appetite to consume that is far too great for self-sufficiency.

A hurricane has begun.  It is not safe to be outside, but luckily your house was built sturdy and should remain intact.

Father has been out hunting and using up much of the potable water, so supplies were low.  Not to mention the fact that father has pissed some neighbors off by poaching game on their land.

So you are hunkered down to ride out the storm.  You hope that you have enough water to make it through, but you aren't sure.  This storm is pretty impressive in scale and duration.

Then all of a sudden, the bottom falls out...

What!  Wally started a fire in the game room!  Damn, I knew that kid was up to no good.  I've told that incorrigible brat time and time again to stop playing with fire, but he never learns.  This is not the first time that Wally's antics have cost the whole family.

The fire has begun, and appears to have the potential to bring down the entire house if it isn't stopped.  This is the worst fire since the Great Fire of the previous century.

So, of course, the irresponsible Wally comes running to the cousins to ask them to pool all of their water together and throw it on the fire.   This will require that everyone in the household give up their precious, and much needed, water.

If you don't use your water to put out the fire, it will likely burn the whole house down - and then where will you be?  If you do use the water, who knows if it will even stop the fire?  You could then be stuck in the middle of a hurricane with no shelter and no water.  Even worse, your neighbors won't help you.  It doesn't matter that you help them all of the time.  They'll turn their back on you and watch you perish.  Their only regret will be that they don't get handouts anymore.

Uncle Pauly since he is a fire expert and knows exactly how much water it will take to stop the fire: 700 gallons.  Do we put all of the water on at once?  Where do we throw it?  Uncle Ben has some firefighting experience, and has studied fires like this in the past... but every fire is different.

700 gallons!  Damn you, Wally!

Making Lemonade...

So hurricane Ike is bearing down on us today, and after the preparations were made I thought it was time to have a little fun. I decided, as they say, to make lemonade out of lemons. Now, I have often complained that Houston has no gravity. In this sense, I mean that there are no hills in which one can generate speed on a bike, skateboard, or any other sort of personal craft. Today, we are getting plenty of wind from the pending hurricane so I thought I would take advantage of it.

The idea is simple. You duct tape 2 corners of a sheet to your roller blades and grab the other 2 with outstretched arms. Voila! You've made a human sail:



It would be nice if it worked a little better going forward, but you have to let the sail bow out like a boat sail. I guess the design needs a little work, but here you can see the test run:

Being back in Mumbai, India has been a satisfactory experience so fare on this, my second trip. I think I am finally getting used to everything here in India. The traffic doesn’t surprise me, and I pretty much expect (and get a kick out of) the constant inconsistencies in everything from food to security procedures. No hassle at the airport this time around since I just went right through the x-ray scanner that caused my dual-laptop dilemma last trip.

One thing that happened today would have probably been disturbing last trip, but I actually thought it was borderline on funny. A colleague and I went over to the cricket batting cages at the mall next door to try our hand at 3 overs that were surely pure comedy to the spectating locals. On our way back to the Tunga, we were literally accosted by the begging children that are so common here in Mumbai. Normally, their advances are relatively harmless with the occasional touching of your shoes or maybe your stomach. This time, however, a tour book poking out of my pocket set a horde of the kids into a frenzy. A small girl snatched the book from my pocket as I was mostly concentrating on protecting my wallet. As I plucked it out of her hands and held it high above my head, I found myself engulfed in throngs of children pulling and my shirt and arms in a manner that was far from comfortable. On small boy was clinging to my arm so tightly that his feet were completely off the ground! We scuffled back to the safety of the hotel literally dragging the horde along.

I was smiling and laughing, which probably provoked the situation even more as the kids now seemed to view this as some kind of make-the-stupid-American-uncomfortable game. They were smiling and laughing as well, which made the situation seem less threatening and rather comical. Luckily that Hindi shouts from the security guard at the gate of the hotel dispersed the beggars, and we had a good laugh as we assessed the damage to my poor Jazz Fest T-shirt. There were smudges of street grime everywhere, and several areas where the cotton remained in a distorted shape from the small clenching fingers. I truly wish that I could help them without exacerbating the problem, but tour guides and locals alike consistently say that donations to charity are the right way to contribute to the well being of the impoverished locals.

So now I sit 7 stories above the craziness below in my safe and cozy hotel room. It is tragically unfortunate that for those kids life is so unfair. I only hope that the prosperity that India is experiencing as a country can trickle down to all of the slums, ditches, and alleyways of the Maximum City.

Ode to Tiger Balm

Oh glorious Tiger Balm, not until this morning did I appreciate your powers. Many years ago, my brother had this weird little jar of stuff that he thought was pretty cool. I had no idea what it was, what it did, or where he had gotten it from. Usually stuff my bro had was pretty cool, so I trusted his track record on this stuff. Although I never really found out what it was for, it remained interesting. Since my childhood, Tiger Balm has hidden out somewhere in the distant shelves of my mind.

My mental inventory was recalled and the memory of Tiger Balm was blown free of it's dust a couple of weeks ago while still in Mumbai. As I was at the Big Bazaar, I noticed a huge display of different types of none other than the magical balm with the tiger moniker.

As you can tell by the product description, this stuff has a wide range of uses:

Tiger Balm Soft

The younger generation who loves aromatherapy will appreciate Tiger Balm Soft. This topical analgesic ointment with a light lavender fragrance and soft texture works fast and effectively to relieve headaches, stuffy nose, insect bites, itchiness, muscular aches and pains, sprains and flatulence.

Pack Size: 25gm and 50gm

Yes, they have finally come out with a topical product that cures flatulence. I am still trying to figure out how they back up their claims on this one. I have applied some this morning on my temples to battle a hangover headache, but so far there is no progress on the flatulence.

Bubble Boy Comes Home

So I didn't mention that everyone at work christened me "Bubble Boy" as I was clearly the biggest germophobe on the project. I always had sanitary wipes with me and went through a fair amount of hand sanitizer. My diet was also very restricted, with guidelines like the following:

• Only cooked food


• No cold cuts or cut fruit


• No water, ice, or frozen drinks like smoothies


• Limited amounts of fish and seafood


• Dry is always better than sloppy


• Limited amout of veggies with lots of crevices like broccoli

Despite being the but of many jokes, I was the only one on my team who didn't get sick. I would say that over the month I was in Mumbai, about 1/3 of the entire team had to miss at least one day of work because they were throwing up, throwing down, or both. Aside from some uneasiness from reading in the car on the way to work I was in pretty good shape.


My computer is now reset to Central time, although my biological clock may take a while to catch up. I'll write some additional thoughts later, but now I need to go catch some sleep.

The Streets

...Our driver was stopped and all of the cars and motorcycles were still squeezing carefully by. I looked up to see why and noticed that we were at one of the few stop lights in Mumbai. Seriously, there can’t be more than a dozen stop lights in this city of 18+ millions. Anyhow, not only were these jokers all running the red light, but there were people running the red light on the wrong side of the street. It was like we were all in some sort of twisted auto-octagon for a final battle or something. I just clinched my seat and hoped we didn’t get killed driving through the intersection. Of course we are in an SUV and most people are on motorcycles, so I think we have the upper hand!

On a related note, there was an article in the paper today noting that there are 280 fatalities per day on the streets of India -- go figure!!!

Exporing Vashi

Sunday is the only day we are not working here, and this is the first Sunday that I opted out of the excursions to enjoy a true day of rest. This also gives me time to finally update my pictures and blogs. Things are pretty quiet around Vashi (neighborhood in Navi Mumbai) today, despite an email threat about bombs if the Pakistani cricket team didn’t leave India. Mumbai was on the list of cities noted in the threat, and I just got back from the train station. Yeah, I like to live on the edge :)

Co-worker Brandon Penksa and I took a stroll over to one of the 2 malls that are within a mile of our hotel. The mall we went to was interesting, although unimpressive. Only a handful of carts were open, and virtually all of the stores had metal doors pulled down. It was difficult to tell if there were any shops at all. The mall seemed eerily abandoned as the number of security guards and janitorial staff almost outnumbered the visitors. The malls here have an interesting perspective on security. There are security guards everywhere you turn, but they don’t really seem to secure anything. Metal detectors greet you at the entrance, and cameras are not allowed (still can’t figure that one out). As we were walking into the mall today, I forgot about my camera and set off the metal detector. As I apologetically looked at the security guard and reached for my pocket, he simply waved me off and let me walk into the mall before I could show him what metal I had on my person. Nice security!

Curry Turkey?

Wow, what a slacker. I can not believe it has been 13 days and I have not posted any comments to this blog. I guess I have some valid excuses since I have posted to my Quorum work team blog, and continue to take lots of pictures.

We had a Thanksgiving dinner of sorts last night, although we all still miss home pretty bad. Thoughts of all that succulent food… turkey… stuffing… pumpkin pie… ahhhh! The food here has character, and I am beginning to like and appreciate Indian food. However, I think the general care taken to prepare the food is much less than in the states so it in often underwhelming. Depending on where you go, they can do it up right. Our favorite restaurant in Navi Mumbai is called Chennab and it serves a mean fish (grouper, I think). The thing was almost as big as a turkey and we got two of ‘em!

Pictures of Thanksgiving

Tunga hotel is actually very nice. I am pleased to say that the scary reviews I read earlier were unfounded. Either that, or I have changed. On that note, I know that I definitely perceive things differently today than when I first arrived. My anti-bacterial gel only comes out a few times a day in particularly suspect conditions. I have begun to look past the mounds of trash and unfinished construction projects in the streets to look into the shops that line the streets.

The “radio shack” of Mumbai is a good example of something that shows how the Mumbai culture and economy differ from that we are used to in the United States. On our commute each day home from work we pass by a small electronic shop on the dirty, chaotic streets of Navi Mumbai. The shop has got to be less than 100 square feet, and almost every cubic foot is packed with wires, connectors, and other obscure electonic parts. Each night, this seems to be the happening spot as men gather to talk and socialize. This small vendor seems to have a spot decidedly more happening than radio shack in the states. I don't remember the last time I hung out at radio shack :)

Some Pictures

Although I don't have time to write much, I wanted to at least provide some recent pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/yewtaah/BuddhistCavesKhaneri

http://picasaweb.google.com/yewtaah/RelianceFirstDayOnTheJob

First Experiences in Mumbai

I envisioned that my first day in India was supposed to be laid back in order to let my body adjust to the time difference, but we were able to pack in quite an active day. Shortly after breakfast (which I slept through), we jumped into two cabs to check out the city. The crew was Dag, Santi, Natausha, Ross, Brandon, Bisrat, Jose, and I. We started with a trip out to the hanging gardens. We didn’t see anything hanging, but I think the name actually came from a religious group in the area that used to hang their dead in order to give them back to nature or something like that. We also so a Hindu temple and got to walk through some of the back alleys to get a feel for the local culture. After that we had a great lunch at the Taj hotel, and then finished off the day with some sightseeing at the Gateway to India.

Driving through Mumbai was a very eye-opening experience. The traffic is pretty heinous, and the lines on the roads don’t seem to mean anything to anybody. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, people, and even animals are all quite skilled at getting where they need to go. However, there doesn’t seem to be any systematic set of rules. The surprising thing is that somehow it still works. Not very well as the travel times around Mumbai are multiple times that of what one can expect in a US city. It is common to take over an hour to get from one place to another.

The general living conditions seem to be polarized in an extreme nature. Well maintained high-rise apartment buildings are scarce, but the real-estate prices are comparable to New York or any other high dollar city. Middle-range housing seems to be non-existent, leaving most Mumbaikars in poverty conditions.
The extreme end of the poverty is the shanty-towns and sidewalk huts that appear to represent the majority of housing. It is common to see a sidewalk area simply “claimed” by a family that throws up some corrugated steel walls or tarp roof and calls it home. The overall housing conditions here are drastically more challenging than anywhere I have been in Mexico (my only frame of reference).

Despite the hardships, moral seems very good. People are happy to spend their time playing cricket in the streets or forging crafts to sell in the markets. Since it is Diwali (biggest Indian holiday of the year), we saw many families creating strings of fragrant flowers similar to a Hawaiian lei that were in turn sold by street vendors. Other forms of work include construction, but not under any conditions that would pass mustard with OSHA. We saw three workers several stories up on questionable scaffolding made of bamboo. Seemingly unconcerned, they were quick to smile and wave to us down on the street.

Pictures from my first sojourn into the city

Video Clips:
Driving in Mumbai
Gateway to India

Trans-Atlantic

So I am now 4 hours and 41 minutes away from Mumbai and just about to fly over the Caspian Sea. I’ve got a whopping 4098 miles under my belt on this Continental flight with 2755 to go. It is a chilly -56 F outside, so I am glad they provide these cozy blankets on the plane. Speaking of the plane, it has made me really think about the interesting paradox I am in right now. I am sitting in business first class, and I have just about everything I could ever want at my disposal. Coffee – “Cream and Sugar with that?” Newspaper – New York Times, The Financial Times, The Times of India. Wine, beer, drinks, better food than most of the restaurants I usually eat at. And yet we’ve just picked up some speed to 604 mph, so my time in this luxurious comfort capsule is limited.

Let me post a disclaimer here: I have misconceptions about India. I think anything that is unfamiliar can not possibly be understood until it is experienced. However, I think it is important for me to be honest and open with my thoughts and experiences during this journey. So I am not pulling any punches here. If some of this offends you, I apologize in advance as that was not at all my intent.

As a guy who doesn’t eat food the day after the “best if used by” date on the package, I am a bit worried about the quality and cleanliness of the food that I’ll have access to once we arrive in Mumbai. This skepticism was only bolstered today as I read the reviews of the Tunga Regency hotel on TripAdvisor.com. Are you kidding me? This sounds like I am walking into prison conditions and right now I am deciding whether to have brie or gouda on my assortment of fine crackers. Good thing I packed some backup comfort food in my bag!

And thus the paradox -- Do I gorge myself now and see how long it will last? Is it a good time to start pacing myself for a long journey of minimalistic consumption? I dunno, but that little cream cheesy salmon/tuna appetizer was awesome!

About to Head Out

I am in Newark, New Jersey right now waiting for our flight to Mumbai. Natausha, Santi, and I are all taking advantage of the freebies at the Continental President's Club at the EWR airport. For reference, Houston's is nicer :)

Have to say I am a bit nervous about the journey at this point. It has certainly been on my mind for weeks, but right now it is very, very real... I'm not quite sure what to expect, but culture shock has been a phrase mentioned by many people familiar with India. I've got my camera and my digital pen (this blog) to document the whole experience, so I guess I am ready!

Oh yeah, and I am re-reading Siddhartha to get in touch with my Om...

I think this article from earlier in the week says a lot about the state of India right now. The country is booming, and many Western businesses want to be a part of the action. Quorum is excited about the opportunity to work with Reliance Industries, the project for which I will be going to India next week...

---

from The Independent & The Independent on Sunday
3 November 2007 06:47 Home > News > Business > Business News

Ambani overtakes Gates to become world's richest man
By Andrew Buncombe in Delhi
Published: 30 October 2007

A record-breaking performance by India's stock markets has put the industrialist Mukesh Ambani at the top of a list of the world's richest people.

Buoyed by unprecedented inflows from US and European investors, the benchmark Mumbai Sensex stock index topped 20,000 for the first time yesterday – having almost doubled in value in the last two years.

One of the results of the surge in share prices has been a boost for Mr Ambani's Reliance Industries, a powerhouse of the country's industrial strength and its most valuable firm. Its excellent performance, along with that of two other of the group's companies, saw the net worth of its chairman and managing director rise to $63.2bn (£30.6bn) yesterday.

---

Read the rest:
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article3109959.ece

Hello, Mumbai

So a rather unexpected opportunity has come up at work and I will soon be headed for Mumbai, India. For those of you (like me a month ago) who have no idea what the city is like, it has been called the epitome of east meets west. There are almost 20 million people in Mumbai, and it is a coastal city situated on an island on the west side of the Indian subcontinent. Mumbai is about half-way between the bottom and top of India.

So I am not exactly sure what to expect, but I do plan to post my thoughts here on this personal blog. I do have many blogs for professional stuff, family stuff, etc. However, I expect this trip to be a culture shock and I am not quite sure what I will feel and experience when immersed in this foreign country.

I'll keep this blog updated with my thoughts, pictures, and stories...

How many blogs does a guy need?

Okay, I have officially gone overboard on the blogs. Since this one has personal crap that I think only a very, very small subset of people will care about, I have created a new blog that is dedicated to software development issues. Check it out at http://www.codeslammer.com

MS150 2007

Another year of riding my bike from Houston to Austin has passed. Day 1 was rough with as little training as I did, but day 2 was no problem. Partially because this was my first year not taking the challenge route through Bastrop and Buescher state parks.

Final Ride Notes:
Started at Katy Mills - 7:00am
Total distance - 159 miles
Average speed - 14.5
Max speed - 39.5
Weather was clear, good tailwind
Crossed finish line with James and Jessie

I Play Online Poker

Tonight I spent about an hour playing in an online poker tournament. For those of you who have never played, let me assure you that this is a legal activity (or at least the guy from the website told me that :)). I have played before, but it has been some time since I was actively playing online.

A friend from work let me play a $5 tournament at his house while we were waiting for some workers to finish cabinetry work in his kitchen. I had agreed to help him tile his kitchen floor since he taught me how to tile on my back patio. Eye for an eye. I had never played online poker before, but have always been an avid poker player. Home games, smarmy Lake Charles river boats, the Mirage poker room in Vegas... I was happy to play anywhere along the spectrum. However online was a new experience for me.

Back to the present: So I sat down at my computer after the kids had gone to bed for a quick 18 player hold 'em tournament. These types of tournaments magically take about 1 hour in almost every case. I won this one. This is mostly surprising becuase although I have a pretty good online tournament record, I was rusty. It has been years since I played online poker with any regularity.

The game was pretty tight, and I bobbled between the top 4 spots most of the game. And then the hand laid down that inspired me to write this blog entry. I was dealt an Ace and and 3. Resepectable cards to start out with, so I called. It was a pretty agressive betting match before the flop, which I was happy to see fall out as 3-A-3. I am so All In!

Are you kidding me! A full house on the flop... at this stage of the game! Unbelievable. You can see from the picture that the blinds were 600/1200 so we were pretty deep into the tournament. At this point, it was fighting for dollars since we knew we were all getting paid.

And then the 3 came on the river -- 4 of a kind -- with twenty four and a half thousand chips in the pot!

Yes, I won the tournament. A couple of hands came after this epic showdown, but they were merely procedural. This was one of the single most exciting hands of online poker I have played in the past 1 hour (which is how long it took me to turn my 6 dollars into 43). Not a bad hourly rate if you could do it consistently :)