Thankful.

For the first time in literally a month, I woke up on a Saturday(-like) morning in my own bed without a suitcase to pack nor a plane to whisk me away someplace exotic like Mumbai [please say silent prayer for Mumbai], Hong Kong, Seoul, or Sitka. The adventure of a lazy day at home brought me as much joy in its anticipation as has being able to see the world.

I read the paper, enjoyed home-brewed coffee, did two crossword puzzles, talked to my family, watched football, cleaned up the fallen leaves that had buried my patio oasis, dug out the Christmas decorations (discovered old treasures in the process!), watched RENT: The Movie -- the second time with commentary, put up my beautiful tree, and enjoyed online banter with friends.

I am thankful. Thankful for having some down time. Thankful for having had an amazing year of travel adventures and the best memories of the trips captured here. Thankful that you're along for the ride with me.

Happy Thanksgiving, Avid Reader!
And Happy Holidays to come!

AlaskAdventures!

What a weekend! Save the zuking, I couldn't have scripted a more awesome weekend with old friends. As I sit here trying to find words that will become this post, I'm caught in a mode of reminiscence and celebration. Seriously, Avid Reader, what a weekend.

Meagan and I enjoyed yet another amazing meal at Ludvig's on Saturday night. Tucked into a two-top alongside the window, we easily swept through two baskets of Colette's fresh-baked potato bread and enjoyed listening in on the date going on beside us. "Help me remember this color (pointing to the wall). I love this color. It's kind of like flan. Do you know what flan is? It's kind of a caramel-y... gel."

A killer Caesar, Ludvig's famous chowder, seafood pasta, and wood-finished salmon later, we capped the night with creme brulee and a surprising post-close dance party with the staff. Andy, Stephanie, Joe and Cedar joined Colette, Meagan and I in jamming to 80s hits and signing at the top of our lungs. We relived our Pendleton days with the Western Swing and impressed the locals with a fall pyramid. Yes, you heard it here first, I joined the PHS Class of '90 head cheerleaders in a fall pyramid right smack in the heart of Sitka, Alaska. It was my first, but you wouldn't have known it!

Sadly, not long after the cheer of all cheers did the night taper off... and the flu taper on. I hit an odd wall at the end of the night and thought jet lag was rearing its ugly head. Fast-forward through most of Sunday spent in bed, on the floor, on the couch, but with my dear friends the entire time. Sadly, this meant that we didn't get to go hiking or experience more of Sitka itself, but we did get to maximize pajama time and time spent with one another. Definitely a win.

We also got to spend the evening with two of Colette's friends: Ellen and Jason. Ellen is an independent filmmaker and gave us a sneak peek at her latest project, "Eating Alaska", a documentary about eating locally, food sustainability, and what happens when a vegetarian marries a hunter and moves to Alaska. Serious and hilarious at the same time, it was a such a treat to get a private screening with the filmmaker and star herself! Thanks Ellen!

And later in the evening, we convinced Jason to come by to hang out. And by 'hang out' I mean the night turned into an impromptu talent show whereby we all enjoyed lip syncing, singing karaoke, and dancing up a storm! Colette & Meagan owned 'Take a Chance on Me' while Jason & I inspired with 'You are Loved (Don't Give Up)'. We all had individual performances on top of group medleys and before long, we realized it was morning, we hadn't showered all day, I had't puked in about four hours, and we had one of the most fun nights altogether. As my father asked me to share, "I love those kids", it was exactly what I felt throughout the evening as we had a night so similar to those we had growing up: good, clean (OK, mostly clean!), organic fun.

Monday morning came way too fast and Meagan and I had to say goodbye to Colette and leave Sitka. But not without more Palin impresions and long farewells to our friend from the North.



Looking back, I can only smile and feel like Mike: I love you kids!

Sick Leave

Avid Reader, I am ILL. I caught something Saturday night and spent Sunday out of sorts. I'm home now from Sitka, but will have to post photos and stories later as I'm heading straight to bed in an attempt to recover. Kudos to Colette & Meagan for their kindness while I was one with the Porcelain Throne for most of the weekend. Thanks friends!

North! North to Alaska!

Go North -- the rush is ON!

Indeed, Avid Reader, the rush is on to Ludvig's Bistro in Sitka, Alaska! My dear friend Colette Nelson opened an amazing restaurant in this seaside town and I'm here enjoying a long weekend altogether with Colette and my friend Meagan Elliot.

Meagan & I arrived -- bumpily -- last night to an awaiting Ludvig's Bistro van -- with keys inside, of course -- and whisked ourselves into Sitka and into the World o' Colette. We sat at the bar with magically refilled glasses of Prosecco and countless amazing dishes coming at us from the kitchen. We met Colette's team, experienced her reality, and felt right at home in the Bistro and her home directly above. Amazingly, Avid Reader, there was no need to catch up. Updates throughout the night were all that we needed to fill in the blanks of the past many years.

Today, we slept in, enjoyed conversation and coffee, and drove a bit around the town. We met "The Frog" -- Colette's sailboat -- and many of the resident eagles. We stopped at a fish hatchery and quickly enjoyed Totem Park before having to get Colette back to the restaurant for tonight's prep. Meagan and I enjoyed trapsing around downtown in local shops, including the local bookstore, as well as the Roman Orthodox Church and the Father's stories. I particularly enjoyed Meagan's inspired Sarah Palin voice all day long. It never gets old... well, now that she's no where near the Presidency does it ever get old. To be clear.

At times this afternoon, we also enjoyed conversing by song. And when I say song, I really mean any words sung to the tune of A-HA's 'Take On Me'. I'm sure that will relive itself throughout the weekend. Meagan is now upstairs showering as we prepare for another incredible meal downstairs in the restaurant. Me, well, I'm sharing adventures with you, Avid Reader, and look forward to sharing oh so many more from Sitka, Alassssska!

Me Time

Avid Reader, as you may know, I'm someone who needs Me Time. And by that I mean I need down time. I need time to relax and time to waste. I did that today and am already feeling somewhat renewed from the crazy past few weeks.

After a long morning nap and lounging in my room, I went to the nearby COEX Mall, caught lunch and Quantum of Solace. Um... awesome! What was also awesome was the fact that I was also able to select the exact seat I wanted in the theater! By the time I got through the ticket queue, I knew how many and where seats were left for the 3PM and 3:30PM showtimes. I opted for the latter and secured K-13 -- middle seat, ~3/4 of the way back (solo movie goers can score in this system!). Based on reserved seat and on the film, it was a win-win altogether!

After -- and given that the Korean Won is weak against the dollar -- I did my duty to spur the global economy. (I was in a mall afterall; what's a guy to do?) UNIQLO was present and I scored some warm inexpensively fashionable necessesities... it's supposed to be cold Tuesday & Wednesday. Such a strange trip to go from the 90s of India to the 30s of Korea. How was I supposed to have packed for this?!

And finally, I made a point of getting back to the hotel soon after my mall adventure to take advantage of this amazing room and its soaking tub. And, oh, did I ever! I assembled my relaxation tool kit: a good magazine, a favorite play list, an adult beverage; a steaming hot bath later, and I'm now ready for a great week in the Seoul office!

My Little Brother Ain't So Little.

Kevin Michael,

I tried to call to wish you a happy birthday on this, your actual day. I left a voice mail with Mom & Dad hoping they could relay wishes as well to let you know I was thinking about you from afar. I hope you had an awesome day, that family was near, and that you'll have good memories of your 32nd altogether. Just think... your favorite number is just around the corner!

Happy Birthday, Little Brother.

I Am Where I Am.

My last two journal entries:

Monday, November 10, 2008 10:14PM
I'm in INDIA!!

Saturday, November 15, 2008 5:32PM
I'm in HONG KONG!!

I'm enjoying an 8hr layover in Hong Kong as my delayed flight from India this morning caused me to miss my connection to Seoul here this afternoon. Unfortunately, my 2hr layover has now quadrupled and my plans to arrive in Seoul @ 9PM and have a full day to myself have become a midnight flight, and 5AM arrival in Korea. Oh well. I have a story to tell of being in three amazing Asian countries in the span of 24 hours.

Go Do Some Work!

Hello again! While I've not got a lot of story to tell, I have a couple of doozies after another long work day.

After work this evening, we ventured into more of the heart of Mumbai to a key shopping area such that Sarah and I could check out some of the local wares. After visiting a couple of shoe places, fabric stores, and jewelry shops, Shilpa, Malavika, Gautham, Sarah and I enjoyed an awesome local favorite restaurant, Out of the Blue. Fast forward fondue and several KingFisher and I am now back in my hotel room laughing at two specific experiences...

1. When asked what I'd love to see tonight, I responded, "cows, elephants, and beautiful Indian clothes". Interestingly, the thought of cattle in the heart of the city of Mumbai made the India team chuckle. And here I thought the likelihood of seeing an elephant outside of a zoo had no greater chance than a Sarah Palin in an election! Cows in the middle of the street close enough to touch outside my car window? Check.

2. While shopping, there were more street vendors than I'll likely ever see again. Those with booths and those selling everything from nuts to puppets to handerchiefs to underwear. There were also a handful of beggars who would quietly shadow until I started to walk away... at which point the kids would appear in an attempt to try to win me over... holding even more kids. At one point, a boy started grabbing my shirt and my colleague Malavika quickly appeared to shoo the poor kid away by saying something in Hindi. "What did you say?", I asked. "What I tell all kids who are bothersome," she replied. "Go do some work."

Best. Brand. EVER.

Cheating Death and other Indian adventures

Good evening, Avid Reader. The clock just passed midnight on this fine evening and I write feeling lucky. And dramatic. In a nutshell, I cheated death.

Anywhere else in the world, this might actually be true.
In India, however, I would describe this action as... having cabbed.

After another long day of meetings (and presentations by me to a roomful of wonderfully chatty and engaged Indians), we ventured into a different part of Mumbai to enjoy authentic Indian cuisine. More on the dinner later. Let's focus on the fact that I'm alive to post this note.

Avid Reader, waiting in summer lines at Disneyland don't compare to the mass of traffic here. Crossing 520 @ rush hour? Piece of cake. Oh, and with a side of ice cream. And probably sprinkles, too. Traffic here is filled with huge "cargo busses" filled with people sitting, standing, hanging. Auto-rickshaws with people hanging on/in/from. Distances between cars that one couldn't floss. Horns of 'no worries, I'm right here' beeping here and there as normal as breathing. There's nothing like a lack of signals in rush hour traffic when the cabbie opts to turn through traffic and you're 100% convinced you're about to be t-boned. But like I said, anywhere else in the world and it would feel like cheating death. Here, it feels as natural as blinking and I'm not sure if I've acclimated or if there's something in the air that makes me perfectly NUTSO in the head. I'll claim the former, but will be flinching tomorrow again... or laughing along with Sarah at the fact that I'm not.

That said, I enjoyed an evening tonight with most of the Microsoft Advertising team (and Sales House partners) at an amazing Indian restaurant in the heart of the upscale area of Mumbai. Oddly, you'd see an Escada store on one side of the street with a shack home next door. Zoning might not be a strength of this city, but the food sure is! We enjoyed a number of tandoori dishes, breads and meat-in-sauce that makes my mouth water even now (or is that still the spices?). Oh, and I also enjoyed goat for the first time (braised dark meat above) and via a goat mutton sausage/thing -- you decide. It's always good to get some time over amazing meals and adult beverages with my partners; tonight was no exception. I passed my camera around to ensure I had a photo of everyone to boot; my Indian colleagues did not disappoint.

My energy is being wonderfully sapped by end of day here -- a good thing as I feel I'm giving it my all, being challenged, and presenting with passion. Good feedback so far, though I've asked Sarah for her honest Australia critique as the week ends! Relative to real-time feedback, I sure wish someone would have told me that the Indians "nod" their heads side to side when they agree with something (vs. up & down). It was only today that I felt I had a friendly audience!!

More jet lag recovery to do; tonight should be my final night of wackadoodle sleep and recovery! Another long day ahead tomorrow; I'm sure it will be a sweet one! Good night, Avid Reader!

India -- Days One & Two

Day One (& two) was a rather uneventful one here in Mumbai. I spent the first day with my wonderful Australian colleague Sarah Ward between the Microsoft office and here at the hotel.

Interestingly, when I called the concierge desk to ask how close the office is to the hotel, he told me that it was definitely walkable -- 10-15 minutes. When we went to leave the hotel, we were told, oh no, not walkable, and not in this heat. Granted, it was only in the high 80s yesterday (cool!), but the 15 minute cab ride ended up taking us through serious poverty. Photos from a moving vehicle can't speak to what we got to see. I will tell you that in all of the dust and metal and lack of resource was an odd beauty in the colors of India.

Of course, we're staying at an amazing hotel and work in a beautiful glass tower in the heart of it all. It's a bipolar reality really. Part of our day yesterday was spent with one of Microsoft's global leaders at a meeting... at our hotel. As we waited for the India team to have a small team meeting, Sarah and I wandered the grounds of the hotel to take in the sights. This place is literally an oasis based on what's not 10 meters outside its walled world.

And not to keep calling out its distinction from the world around it, this hotel is stunning. It's FILLED with large art installations and architecture that harkens back to the grandeur of ancient Egypt in an odd way. And it has a dichotomy of style that makes every corner interesting -- from it's azure tile pools to ancient columns with replica paper mache lanterns (I'll try to get a photo).

All that said, nothing exciting to report to date other than the rides to/fro the office/hotel and the sites I've gotten to see daily. This includes cattle roaming next to the office, wood scaffolding -- or better, STICK scaffolding -- on new construction, sponge baths and "kitchens" at the sides of busy roads, and traffic congestion and road rules that belie any sort of common sense.

There are plans tomorrow evening to head into the heart of Mumbai to see the city and to experience the culture. For now it's been non-stop work (why I'm here aferall), but promises of culture to come!

Culture Shock

Greetings from India, Avid Reader! It's 2AM here in Mumbai; I'm now settled in to my hotel room after a day of serious travel. My dear friend Jesse Paulson picked me up at 10AM for what became two 10-hour flights to get me to this place at this time (it's now 12:30PM in Seattle, I believe). I'm exhausted.

And I'm also culture shocked. I figured Mumbai would be hot and crowded and a world completely different from what I know. (WARNING: significant generalization pending...) My expectations couldn't have been more off. Yes, Avid Reader, it's *that* much more different than I expected. Now, granted, I've only seen the arrivals queue at the airport and a 20-min. taxi ride to the hotel, but still. This is going to be a wacky week!

A couple of notes before I crash from being so tired (and the effects of a sleeping pill)...

Here I thought that arriving in Mumbai at midnight would mean a quiet evening at the airport. WRONG-O! There must have been 300-500 people waiting for arriving passengers; there were THRONGS of people holding signs for rides and others just waiting. Horns honking, parking "lots" all over the place -- filled with people sleeping in the road, beggars hoping to score a rupee, bikes, cabs, mayhem. It could have been any time of day -- it just happened to be dark and cool (82 degrees).

We drove through what looked like post-Apocalypic Aurora Avenuex10. What looked like abandoned apartment buildings and metal sheds were actually homes. More "homes" were simply blankets on the either side of the street.

While I completely trusted my cabbie, at one point after driving through what I could consider slums and taking a left hand turn into a scene from 'The Outsiders', I was nearly sure I was about to me taken somewhere dark where mysterious deaths are the norm. Instead, another left not 100 yards down the unlit road and VOILA -- this beacon of a hotel! Whereby we had to stop to have the car inspected by three bomb officials. Whereby I was greeted by a score of hotel staff, including the front desk clerk who walked me through the building, up the stairs, and to my room. Whereby I had to pass through a metal detector just to get in in the first place.

Avid Reader, this is crazy. Something I've never seen before... and I've only seen maybe an hour of it so far. I look forward to more stories to share... which will mean more adventures for me to have and tales to tell!

Koreans in Seattle!

It was a fun week as my Korean team visited Seattle for training this week (and next week for some). With days full of non-stop training, we were able to get a few breaks here and there for entertainment, including dinner Monday night at Seattle's The Pink Door and Happy Hour tonight with the legacy DRIVE folks at Temple Billiards!

Not only did the Koreans learn the ins and outs of the AdNetwork business, but they also got a few tips in the obstensible "quote/unquote" hand gestures as well as the many uses of the descriptor "crazy"... as in "Good morning, you Crazy Koreans" and "now THAT is crazy, as in not good crazy".

It was pretty awesome to see folks from DRIVE New and Old come together for a night on the town with the new Korea team, especially given that this week marked the 5th anniversary of DRIVE serving its first ad in 2003 (we enjoyed a reminiscing string with legacy AQNT leadership this morning in celebration of DRIVE's birthday).

And now I head off to introduce the business and provide additional training to the DRIVE folks in India! Yes, Avid Reader, I am off to Mumbai in under 12 hours and need to get packin'! Take care for now -- look for new posts from my Asian adventures here oh so very soon!

Two Words Heard 'Round the World...