the observatori

Myanmar - Finale

2010-01-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Leaving Inle Lake was difficult. Not only because we wanted more time to explore, but because we knew that the next stop was Yangon; a place in which we had already fruitlessly turned almost every stone in search of inspiration. There was just one more thing to see in Yangon, the Shwe Dagon temple. The main attraction. The ‘dessert’ that our tour organizer had saved for last.

Out front, we were treated to an impromptu hooligan caneball match, which was an exciting distraction.

Indeed, the temple was interesting, even to a non-Buddhist. The sheer goldness of it was hard to ignore. But, after Bagan and Inle Lake, it was hard to really appreciate its glory. I felt for our guide, who tried hard to make our tour exciting, knowing full well that we had just come from a grand tour of the inland. And just when we thought the sightseeing was finished, we were invited to check out the Burmese nightlife. As you might expect, things are done a little differently here. We went to a place called Power Light, which fits somewhere along the spectrum between karaoke bar and strip club. Hired women come out and sing, sometimes also dancing (conservatively, of course…often in that grade 7 style). Men show their approval by buying things to decorate the ladies with – mostly garlands. Sometimes the garlands pile so high that it becomes awkward for the girl to sing or dance. It is possible to tell how popular a girl is by the quantity and quality of the garlands she is strutting by the end of her song. Not surprisingly, it turns out, many of the girls that become well endowed end up ‘working overtime’.

It was an interesting end to this crazy trip. This is a place of contradictions. Gold everywhere, and people living with nothing. Rule takers and rule breakers. Peace loving buddhists and an aggressive militant regime.

Apparently there are promises of an election sometime this year, though nobody seems to know when or if they will happen. This is a country ready for change. It seems that Aung San Suu Kyi’s virtual endorsement of travel in the region has begun to open things up. Elections might be a window for full fledged tourism in the near future, in which case, this place is about to undergo tremendous change. There are certainly signs that this could be positive for the people living here; however, I’m not sure they are ready for rapid change on that scale.

Water Village, Flaming Pink Tassles and One legged Fishermen

2010-01-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

This trip just keeps getting better. From Mandalay, we headed to Inle Lake, an outrageously beautiful body of water that is the setting for a number of traditional settlements. Starting with the market, we enjoyed an intimate look at the way in which the people in the region live. This beats any try-hard-city-slicker farmers market that I've ever seen. It's the real deal.

Even monks enjoy dvd's and music. Tasty...Though there is clearly a tourism industry here, it feels a less disturbed by it than, say, Bagan and Mandalay. Accessibility seems to be the key reason (it certainly isn't a matter of virtue). We had to take a one hour journey on a long boat to get to our lakeside hotel, which was another 45 minutes by boat from the 'main attraction'; an entire community built on the water. Stilted homes. Floating gardens.

The community depends heavily on fishing and, in fact, is known for its unique fishing style. The fisherman use one leg to paddle and steer the boat, meanwhile using both hands to handle the fishing net.
There are a few religious sites located in the village, including a temple that is home to a family of jumping cats. I hadn't realized that cats could be trained so well to do tricks.

A visit to another village, located nearby on the lakeside, made us wish that we had more time here. Hiking and trekking opportunities abound from here, but we were only able to enjoy a taste. There was a local fair taking place, which meant a lot of excitement and carnival-style games, including gambling (which is illegal). The main game here is like a giant manual slot machine (pictures werent allowed, otherwise I'd have a whole slideshow!). Three gigantic dice about the size of milk crates, resting on a flat board that is at a 60 degree angle, suspended by a long stick that is held by a person who releases the dice (one by one). It seems so primitive, yet even we (who have been to vegas) were captivated.

Our short hike took us past 1045 stupas on a hill. Had we not already been to Bagan, this might have been more interesting. It seems a shame that it is so easy to start to take these impressive things for granted. Then again, by now, the things we are appreciating the most are the people and the way of life here. It just seems so peaceful. Like these kids playing in their island yard. It's hard to tell from the picture, but one of the kids is wearing gummy fangs. We were passing by in a boat and just wanted to jump out and play along. Looked like so much fun.

Our hotel was presenting a cultural show. One of the stars of the show was a giant pink deer - the sort that has two guys underneath it, operating the movement of the legs, body and head. This one was special because it could pick up a candle with its mouth and light it. Impressive. And then they brought out the fireworks. Given that we were dining in a wooden house on a lake, this gave me the same sort of uneasy feeling that I had a few years ago when Erik's uncle Gary was pouring gasoline on the fire at our campsite in Kananaskis. but we watched with interest anyway think that it might have been my North American. When he knocked one of the over and then tried to correct it with his foot, flaming pink tassles seemed inevitable. But, thankfully, they quickly got it under control.

We spent two nights here, but could have done more. Sunsets continue to inspire. The first night.

and then the second.

Mandalay and the Moustache Brothers

2010-01-05T19:16:00.000-08:00

We caught an early flight to Mandalay and arrived in time to watch 1000 monks having lunch at one of the larger monasteries in the city. And can you believe it, we saw yet another few friends from school. Seems that Burma is the place to be right now.

We visited a 1.2km long teak bridge that was built in 1849 and generally explored the area surrounding the city. The Royal Palace is in the middle of the city, surrounded by a moat and then a brick wall that is 2 metres thick and 2 kilometres long on each side. Sounds safe, but not so much. The palace itself has been rebuilt as the original was destroyed through a combination of fires and war. In any class, it's clear that protecting the palace, and the country, is now of paramount importance. The sign outside explains the 'people's desire'...

Another of the city's attractions is the Golden buddha. It gains 6 pounds per year on account of the gold leaf that people bring and press on to the statue. Must have more gold... Some monks approached us and asked if they could take a picture, which was kind of funny.

Our pursuit of the perfect sunset continued in Mandalay. This time we caught it from a temple on a hill overlooking the city.

We met up with two of the other INSEAD groups that are coincidentally here in Mandalay at the same time as us. Dinner was an adventure as we grabbed some local food at a restaurant whose menus made you want to take a shower after you touched them. Miraculously, none of us are feeling sick yet. (if you can't tell, I'm struggling a bit with the food here).

Then we it a comedy show put on by the infamous Moustache brothers. In 1996 after telling politically charged jokes about Myanmar generals at an Independence Day celebration at Aung San Suu Kyi's compound in Yangon, two of the performers were arrested and sentenced to seven years hard labour. After protest from the international community (Rob Reiner and Bill Maher), the two were released after 5 years.

They perform in the private and for foreigners only (our guide would not even drop us off at the place). For our show, the place was packed with about 16 people. Since the power supply is so unreliable, they have several back up solutions to provide light and sound. When one supply cuts out, a red light bulb flashes on, accompanied by an alarm. The first time this happened, I think that I just about had a heart attack.

As if we didn't have enough adventure for the night, the eight of us packed in/on a tiny blue mazda truck to get home. You'll note that there is not sitting room for 8.

Bagan part deux

2010-01-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

We were lucky to find someone today that was willing to talk about life here and learned an interesting fact that, in my opinion, is quite revealing in terms of the economic barriers to wealth creation in this country. The central bank has a history of implementing tactics such as making the 50,000 note (US$50 equivalent) illegal, on the justification that the only ones that hold them are corrupt officials. A great equalizer, I suppose, but doesn't inspire confidence in the currency. Perhaps that is one reason why trust and the bank system are two things that don't go together here. If we think that we have problems in North America, think again. People don't even use banks here.

There are other differences too. Like the Thanaka paste that people (mostly women) put on their faces. You'd be hard pressed to find a woman here without it. It's made from ground bark and applied to the cheeks to protect from the sun and also to look nice. To a westerner, it's a bit freaky at first. But, after a few days, we are basically used to it. Stopped to look at some wall paintings and ran into a few friends from school. That makes the fourth time I have come across someone that I know from school during this trip.

We stopped at a farm and watched how sesame and peanut oil being made the old fashioned way - with an ox and a gigantic morter and pestle.

At the same place, we also saw how palm wine is made - a two day home brew process using a distilling process that resembled the Liebig condenser that we made in grade school science class.

We saw a man on the street with an owl. Apparently they are easy to catch during the day since they are sleeping. (that's not hunting!). It seems that the main purpose of this is to get westerners to pay them money to release the owls. The main event of the day was a visit to a temple on top of a dormant volcano. We could drive most of the way to the top, bu then climbed over 700 steps to reach the top. Normally this would be a piece of cake, but these particular stairs were infested with mangey and aggressive monkeys. To make matters worse, the monkey-pee-covered-stairs were apparently part of the temple, which meant that we had to be barefoot as we climbed them.

Little monk kids fooling around.

There was a payphone in one part of the temple.

We also checked out a weaving factory/sweatshop. Hard to believe this stuff is still done by hand!

Another spectacular sunset. From the top of a temple.

From my hotel room.

Bagan

2010-01-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

The airport was abuzz for our 630am departure. Apparently this is what happens in a country in which you have a limited number of carriers and a limited number of airplanes. Start with first daylight, do your round, then repeat the circuit until it gets dark.

Our tickets didn't have our names or the time of departure on them, just a flight number. So, we waited patiently as men would come around with hand drawn cardboard signs indicating which flight was boarding. Rather informal, which is why we were not entirely surprised when Iris's luggage failed to make it off the plane with us. A detail that caused a bit of concern since it wasn't obvious that there was a system in place to i) locate, or ii) return the luggage.

We carried on with the tour of Bagan anyway. Our first stop was a monks graduation/celebration procession. The procession is accomplanied by music, which is played from an gigantic oldschool loud speaker.Essentially a three hour parade in which young children who have just finished the first stage of their monks studies are dressed up in fancy clothing and shown off to the town.

At first the costumes seem over the top. That is, until you see the temple. Apparently, gold is pretty popular here.

Next stop was the market, since we needed to pick up some ammenities for Iris in case her luggage didn't show up - and also since we were hungry. We found what we needed for Iris, and our appetites were taken care of (rather unconventionally) by walking through the meat market. If last nights experience at the market was shocking, today really put that into perspective. Look closely and you will see dead fish baking in the sun, next to red meat covered in flies, next to dead chickens baking in the sun.

The winner was the dead rats covered in flies. I bent down to take a closer look, thinking that my eyes might be deceiving me. When I got in nice and close a swarm of flies flew off the carcass, causing me to panic (to everyone's amusement).

The market is full of neat things to see. Like this old lady smoking a stogie.

Walking around, we eventually bumped into a guy (seemingly randomly) who advised us that Iris's luggage had been found - in Mandalay. I have no idea how he found us - our decision to stop at the market was spontaneous. It did make us feel a bit as though our activities were being monitored. Or at least it was not difficult to find us, if someone wanted to.

Our hotel on a river that is lined on either side with beautiful sandy beaches. Where the sand ends, agriculture begins. It's stunning. The place will be ruined in a matter of years as the tourism industry expands and destroys the landscape.

No tour is complete without a trip to a temple.

And there are plenty around here to see. There are literally thousands of temples, pagodas and other religious structures here. It's crazy.These two little monks aren't as cute as they look. They asked me to take a picture, then insisted that I pay them. It kind of took away from the 'innocent and holy' image that I like to associate with monks.

We visited a Lacquerware workshop, which was interesting. Lacquerware is an extremely labour intensive process that turns bamboo-based structures into something that is more durable (but not as durable as, say, plastic) and attractive. Interesting to look at; however, it doesn't strike me as the type of industry that will get this country into the next stage of development. Too many superior substitutes are available. We climbed up one of the highest pagodas for a view of the sunset. I think I might have taken about 50 pictures, it was so incredible. But I will share just one. Afterward, we went to the night market. It was too far to walk, so we took a taxi. In Bagan that means a horse cart. Seriously. A place stuck in time.

Yangon

2010-01-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

After leaving Erik in the Bangkok airport, I headed straight to boarding my flight to Yangon, Myanmar. Every country in the region seems to have its own quirks in the immigration system. This was no exception. The visa process begins with a minimum two week processing time that involves 'sending the application by courier to the Ministry of Tourism, which is 300km away'. Even with my stack of paperwork in hand, I was unable to avoid a two hour hang-up with customs officials.

As it's not possible to get local currency before entering the country and bank machines are non-existent here, we had to make arrangements for foreign exchange after our arrival. We sat down for tea and 'our local banker' whips out a stack of cash of the size you might expect to see in a James Bond movie. The exchange rate is something like 1000 Kyat to 1 US dollar, and the common denomination is 1000 Kyat and exchanges are done on a minimum transaction of US$100. Translation, leave your wallet at home, you're going to need a bag to carry your money here.

Our guide attributed his excellent English to Nicolas Cage, whose movies had been a source of hours of entertainment and education about American culture. I want you to think about the consequences of that for a moment. During his explanation of religious beliefs, he explained that 'what you think about before you die will determine how things happen in your next life'. So, he explained, he will plan to think about America before he dies because many beautiful people in America. Hate to break it to you, but I'm not sure that the people you see in Nicolas Cage movies are the best proxy for the American population.

After ticking the boxes for the usual tourist stops, we took a bicycle taxi down to the water for sunset and watched the locals flying kites. Then we headed to chinatown for dinner and checked out the market. Clearly, there are different notions about how to handle meat in this country. Impossible to capture it in a picture, but perhaps as effective, I will share with you a question that Ani posed to me in the market...'Is that a CAT on the meat?'. Nuf said.

Bangkok

2010-01-02T07:19:00.000-08:00

The journey from Phnom Penh to Bangkok took only 70 minutes, but it feels like we just teleported to another dimension. All of the luxuries of a western city (proper toilets), combined with constant reminders that 'oh yeah, you're in asia' (knock off street vendors).

From our hotel room balcony, Erik spotted a sweet pool/patio on the roof top of the building next to us. When it turned out to actually be OUR pool, it almost made us forget that our room was five floors above the most popular bar in Kosahn.

To fulfill our culture quota, Erik and I checked out a temple at the national palace. It was a good reminder that attitudes around 'personal space', 'line-up etiquette', and 'safety' differ in this part of the world.

side note: there are a disproportionately high number of white dudes with asian girlfriends here. just an observation.

We were feeling adventurous with dinner and checked out an asian grill. Although the it was novel to cook your own food, it seemed a little impractical to have half of your meat stick to the grill. It wasn't until we were down to the last few pieces that we realized the white stuff that we had been saving for last was fat, not fish, and that it was meant to be cooked first. Rookie mistake.

For the finale, Erik took me to see Avatar in 3D. Although I love movies, I haven't been to the theatre since we went to see the Lord of the Rings. The fact that the story line is predictable and the movie is 2 hours 45 minutes long is entirely compensated for by the intense visual experience and the good company.

The End of the Road

2010-01-01T01:18:00.000-08:00

Heading south from Phnom Penh and the Killing Fields, Erik and I continued our discovery of the Cambodian countryside. Takeo, then Kep, then Kampot, then Sihanoukville. Each with a slightly different flavour.

We passed 5 weddings getting to Takeo. Weddings here are invariably decorated pink, orange and yellow, with Khmer music blasting over speakers that must come from the drive-thru-window-speaker factory. Tables are arranged under a tent on the 'side of the road' (on the road). Beside the entrance is a picture of the bride and groom dressed and posing like they might be royalty.

Kep was our first stop at the beach. Seems to be where the 'have's' go to play. Neither Erik nor I are particularly fond of actually going into the ocean, but the sound of the waves, combined with the reduced mosquito population make it a pleasant spot to unwind. We stayed at a beautiful little boutique hotel that had only a handful rooms - colonial stone architecture, combined with a little bit of 70s style add-ons. An infinity pool. A few hammocks. And some peace and quiet. It wasn't uniquely Khmer, but it was the sort of place that makes you want to work hard so that you can afford to stay there longer. If I could do it again, another night there would be time well spent.

We encountered our first 'hills' of the trip as we made our way to Sihanoukville. All hills here are marked with signs; even some that might qualify as false flats in Canada. I suppose these are helpful when you are driving an ox-drawn carriage that doesn't have any brakes to speak of, but they are totally useless to bikes, motos and cars.

Our last day full day here was in Sihanoukville - the end of the road. It was scheduled to be a rest day, after almost two weeks of riding. Erik convinced the guide to take us out for one more spin.

I feel like we could spend some more time here easily. Packing the bikes up just felt a bit premature. But, there is real life for both of us to get back to, eventually.

Next stop is Bangkok for a few nights, then we go our separate ways for another couple of months.
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The Spirit of Christmas

2009-12-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

When I told a friend of mine that we were coming to Cambodia for Christmas, he joked 'what better way to say Happy Birthday Jesus than to visit Angkor Wat'.

As it turns out, the highlight of Christmas Eve Day was a visit to the S-21 prison; a high school that was converted to a prison/torture compound during the Khmer Rouge regime. We followed that up on Christmas Day with a visit to the killing fields at Cheong Ek, where something like 20,000 of the S-21 prisoners were brought for execution and disposal.

Though the peasant-based agrarian communist movement lasted less than four years, the Khmer Rouge continued to be a lethal nuisance for 20 years after its fall. Wiping out intellectuals, women, children and enough men to bring a population of 8 million to be comprised of approximately 64 percent women. This country has been through a lot.

Being that I am not Christian, the original meaning of Christmas has little significance to me. I associate its true meaning as being more than a birthday; something related to a message of love and non-violence. In that regard, I think we found a fine way to recognize the occasion.

Merry Christmas from Cambodia.
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A Different Kind of Tourism

2009-12-26T20:25:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I'm embarrassed to be a westerner. When I visit places like Koh Phi Phi, Bali, Cabo San Lucas, etc. It seems a shame that the impression we leave of western culture is that we like to be loud, drink-till-we-puke, and buy tacky souvenirs. Could we leave a worse impression? I was reminded tonight that the answer is yes.

Erik and I arrived in Phnom Penh this afternoon, marking our return to urban Cambodia and the return to a heavier flow of tourism. A different kind of tourism. The kind marked by solo male 'tourists'.

The sex trade itself is something that I have never fully understood, but I realize that it is one of civilization's oldest professions and that scientists have recently shown that even monkeys will engage in forms of prostitution. But in civilized society, the service itself seems something that should not be exchanged for money, unless it is entirely voluntary. For this reason, I can get my head around Heidi Fleiss style prostitution, in which buyer and seller engage in trade on fair terms (i.e. neither party is compelled to trade as a consequence of some other factor). But situations in which buyer and seller are on completely unequal economic terms (for example, the seller's alternative is extreme poverty) and the service involves something of this nature, does not qualify as trade.

People come here to do something that they can't do at home. More specifically, to do something that they wouldn't admit to with their friends or family (isn't that the basic rule to know if what you are doing is right or wrong?). Sex tourists are filth. And this is the impression that the western world leaves in Phnom Penh? Really unfortunate.
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I Should Have Been an Ice Cream Truck Driver

2009-12-26T18:55:00.000-08:00

Our discovery of Cambodia started in Siem Reap, a small town whose raison d'etre seems to be serving the masses who come here to see the infamous Angkor Wat. There's a reason this has become a mandatory stop on the 'ancient ruin' circuit; the abundance of fine stone carving and gigantic stone architecture is mind boggling. Impressive as it is, the excitement doesn't stop with Angkor Wat. There is a seemingly endless list of Angkor era temples and ruins (many of which have recently been cleared of land mines) available for your viewing pleasure (sans the crowd).

For many people, this is the only Cambodia they will experience. That's a shame. Only once we hit the road on our bikes did we really get to see the country. Getting away from the sewage filled river that runs through Siem Reap, away from the dime-a-dozen Dr. Fish foot massage and other tourist gimmicks. Into the countryside, where people manage their rice paddies, drive ox-drawn carriages, and serve freshly processed sugar cane juice from a stand in their front yard.

The best part is that people are really, really excited to see you. Of course, it helps that the underlying assumption seems to be that, since we are white, we must be working for an NGO and helping their community in some way, like providing freshwater wells to households.

Naked and half-naked children alike drop what they are doing and come running toward the road yelling an enthusiastic 'Heeellloooo!'. Occasionally, this is followed by some more complex english phrases; 'What is My Name? or How are You Today?'. Adorable. I could really get used to this. Maybe I should have been an ice cream truck driver. Either that, or a Spice Girl.
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Kampuchea

2009-12-17T18:33:00.000-08:00

Erik arrives in Singapore tonight. It will be cool to finally show him where I live and go to school, but that's about all of the city he will see on this visit. We will be heading to Cambodia tomorrow evening for a two week bike trip.

Why Cambodia? Triangulating 1) Erik's time constraints and desire for some beach time with 2) my desire to see more of SE asia and 3) our joint love of bicycles, this is what I could pull together on in a relatively short time frame.

I know embarrassingly little about Cambodia. What I do know is that it has a long and rich history that has been marred by decades of civil disputes. Sandwiched between two more popular destinations, Vietnam and Thailand, my intuition tells me that its unlikely that we are going to discover a cultural void.

I'm looking forward to spending some time with Erik and learning more Kampuchea. I'm also looking forward to getting on the bike again. I haven't sat on a bike seat since the first weekend of August!

End of Period Party - First Goodbyes

2009-12-15T01:28:00.000-08:00

We are now through 2 of the 5 periods of the year. At this point, some students will now move to France for all or part of the remaining time at INSEAD, while others will remain here. I have decided to stay in Singapore until the end of February.

We have spent an intense 4 months together, in and out of class, getting to know each other and making some great friends. To celebrate these things and to say our goodbyes, we held a little party after our last exam. You know a night is going to be awesome when somebody shows up with an ice sculpture that says "AWESOME".

Another good indicator is when there is a pool. Always a good way to unwind.

whether you want to or not, that means that you are going to get in the pool.

whether you want to or not, that also means you have to say goodbye.

Goodbye friends. See you in France in March.

Singapore Marathon - 2009

2009-12-07T01:01:00.000-08:00

Emma suckered me into the Edinburgh marathon in May, but I have only myself to blame for this one. I signed up in July with the idea that I might take up running as a substitute for the cycling that I would not be able to do in Singapore. Indeed, the cycling scene in Singapore is not as good as that in Calgary, but my lifestyle over the past four months has not exactly been conducive to marathon training.

Now, I know that all athletes sandbag, but I've spent 9 of the last 12 weekends touring (without running shoes) other countries. Further, my weekday schedule has been squeezed as I attempt to keep up with intense course work that I am spreading over 5 days, instead of 7 (in order to accommodate my discovery of southeast asia). The icing on the cake has been my diet of deep fried asian cuisine, which is unavoidable on account of its convenience, cost and deliciousness.

But, not one to throw in the towel, I gave it a shot anyway. I was joined by one other student, (Robin), for the full marathon, and five friends (Samuele, Alysha, Samantha, Yan Yan and Prabhu) did the half marathon concurrently.

Due to my time constraints, as well as the oppressive heat, I my training was focused on shorter, higher speed runs. On balance, I think this is a good strategy for me to break out of my hobble pace. For the first half, I was on fire. Then the sun rose. The last half was not so pretty. I finished a bit faster than my Edinburgh time, 4:29:50, but in a lot more discomfort.

Next up is Paris in April. Let me be on record that I'm going to do it differently this time. Serious goal: break 4 hours. It's gonna be hard, but hey, that's why. Plus, I've got some friends (Shawn and Claire) coming over to do it with me. Anyone else?

Koh Phi Phi, Thailand

2009-11-24T02:20:00.000-08:00

To be honest, I'm not really a beach person. But, if I'm going to spend a weekend at the beach, it might as well be the one where they filmed the movie 'The Beach'. Apparently there are a lot of others that feel the same way. So, what started out as a small group heading to the beach for the weekend, exploded into a group of 75. Two groups chartering private speed boats and another renting a yacht for the weekend. Long boats are essential transportation to take you from your hotel to dinner or to other parts of the island.
Without a doubt one of the most beautiful beach settings, there is a reason this place has become popular. Scuba and snorkeling opportunities galore, for those who can't sit still on the beach, like me. Unfortunately, its popularity has led to the emergence of a cancun-style party area in the main part of the island. It's possible to escape, but something to be mindful of if you are considering visiting the island. This is a shot where we ventured into the touristy area. We discovered a pair of panties on the beach, which set of a little mystery game. Yair isn't looking so innocent.

Brunei

2009-11-17T03:35:00.000-08:00

For my first trip to Borneo, I selected Brunei as the destination. The first country that I have been to where alcohol is prohibited, it was a nice break and offered a rather peaceful setting to catch up on some rest. It was also the first time that I have been on an airplane that was 'blessed' before it took off. Interesting weekend trip - not quite as exotic as it might sound - but a comfortable and safe feeling destination. Here are a few of the highlights.

Stilt communities and colourful houses, basically in the middle of town.on a hike in the national park. these were basically glorified stairs and pathways at the top of the trees. not really the safest feeling things I have been on. This indian guy kept wanting us to take pictures of him - it was hilarious.

the coolest mosque I have ever seen.
the most clothing I have ever worn in 40 degree heat. not comfortable!

The DASH

2009-11-13T03:16:00.000-08:00

What is the DASH? It is a race between INSEAD students...from our apartments to school, dressed in the wildest costumes that we can conceive of. I love my school.

Section A2!!

Only at INSEAD.

National Week Bids

2009-11-11T02:35:00.000-08:00

To celebrate our diversity, we host national weeks about once each month. The national weeks feature food, music, dancing and other cultural treasures from the featured nation or region. This autumn, we have enjoyed a Lebanese week and an Eastern European week and, before the year is out, we will have Desi week (India) and Africa Week. Twice per year, students vote which weeks they would like to have. Voting is decided after a short campaign that features student-made presentations by students from each of the countries/regions. This week, we hosted one such campaign/vote.

Britain and Spain, getting along.Israeli's do it religiously?Italians do it with nutellagermans do it with...a bell?
the french do it with a kiss?no comment
Possibly one of the most fun evenings during my time at INSEAD, it was a fantastic way to spend a night celebrating our diversity. Unfortunately, our NAFTA bid was unsuccessful; however, I'm looking forward to celebrating Dragon week (China & SEA), Latin America week, Vodka week (Russia, of course), Iberia week, Italy week, and Heart of Europe week (Germany, Switzerland, Sweden).

Sri Lanka

2009-11-06T06:54:00.001-08:00

With exams for the first period finished and a few days to spare before the second period kicks off, I joined a small group to travel to Sri Lanka for the 'long weekend'. Some were prior travel mates, some new. Even after 2 months and a handful of trips, I'm still getting to know people.

Such a shame to spend only a few days in this place - but I suppose it is better than not seeing it at all. Sri Lanka is absolutely amazing. Rich with culture and history, there is something for everyone. We saw 2000 year old temples, tea plantations, rescued elephants, wild monkeys. We went for a hike and went to the beach. We also went to an orphanage/school for victims of the tsunami and dropped off some school supplies. This last bit is something that I think I will do more regularly on my holidays.

Because the war ended just a short while ago, it was a fantastic time to go. Great infrastructure (hotels) at a reasonable price. Service was outstanding. Nobody got sick. What else could you ask for! A few pictures maybe?

the beach near colombo
rescued elephantsawesome temple.

Sigiriya (ancient rock fortress and palace ruin) cultural show

fire walkers!

outside the temple that holds Buddha's tooth (in a cool city called Kandy)
School kids.

The rest are on flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/10684397@N05/sets/72157623022551714/), if you're interested in seeing more. I highly recommend Sri Lanka as a destination.

INSEAD Olympics

2009-11-01T06:54:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the start of our second period of classes, we spent Saturday at the beach for the INSEAD Olympics. A combination of serious and not-so-serious events, it was a great way to spend time with my classmates. Despite my abhorrance for running, I was selected to lead the torch run from the school to the island of Sentosa (where the games took place). Kind of cool thing about living on an island is that you can run to whereever you want to go, if you have the patience to figure out how to get there.

taking a quick mid-run break
cooling off in the fountain after our run.
the 'other' running race. in full snorkel gear.

baywatch rescue contest - one of the more popular events with the spectators. even drew a crowd of strangers!

Sandcastle building contest - we made a speed boat.

Bring Money to Class

2009-10-18T06:52:00.000-07:00

I've often wondered why people make such a big deal about what school you go to. Sure, the peer group that you end up with will probably correlate well with the reputation of the school, either by self selection or by competition to get in. But really, does it make a difference in terms of what you pay for - the quality of teaching? It is not cheap to pursue an MBA. Not even counting the opportunity cost of being out of the work force, there is the non-trivial matter of tuition. Is it worth it from an academic standpoint? So far, I'm thinking yes.

I have taken a number of statistics classes in my time, but I knew this one was going to be different from the very first class when the teacher said "Bring money to class". Combining chocolate (seriously, we had M&Ms in class one day) and gambling to make the lessons resonate, this is, by far, the best statistics class I have ever taken. For the first time, the subject is interesting and fun; despite the fact that the pace is extremely fast, the content is rather technical and that I am discovering that I'm not a particularly skilled gambler (maybe I should stop bringing money to class...).

Of course, it's helpful that the class is full of people who want to be here (not true of my prior stats classes!) and that entry to INSEAD requires a certain level of competence in math (so I think it is quicker to pick up concepts). But, the teacher (Ioana) makes a huge difference; teaching by inspiration and leaving the path to discovery in the hands of the student. Similarly, my economics teacher (Pushan) is breathing new life into my interest in Economics (a subject in which I have a degree!).

Certainly the social experience of school is turning out to be fruitful - but I can sincerely say that the academic experience is not disappointing.

Tokyo - Meeting Half Way

2009-10-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

My schedule affords me time to do many sub-48 hour trips; however, that's not particularly helpful to get me home, which is about 23 hours in transit. Likewise, Erik's intense work schedule this half has not opened up large gaps for long-distance travel. The solution? Meet 'half way'.

Technically, half way would look more like Hawaii; however, flight logistics on both ends makes that a sub-optimal solution. A highly technical review of flight patterns combined with a cutting-edge cool-factor analysis led us to Japan as a more suitable meeting point and, after two long months apart, Erik and I were united.

Tokyo is attractive, clean and relatively easy to get around. We opted for a more relaxed itinerary, which enabled us to enjoy some of the more subtle attractions of the area, including:

vending machines that serve hot coffee (in a hot metal can!)

some of the culinary delights - elaborate meals

and mystery goo. and bean pancakes shaped like fish!The architecture was awesome. We felt like the city was a lot less busy than we'd expected - like there was nobody around. This seems to be possible because the city operates on so many levels. It's like there are 3-7 layers of city at any given point.

We also checked out the cultural sights, including a day trip to Nikko to check out a templea walk through a local fairgroundand chilling out around some of Tokyo's temples and gardens (like this local did).

Japan is definitely a place that I'd like to come back to. Maybe next time with my bicycle.

Renting a Private Island

2009-10-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

For a change of pace, 39 of my classmates and I rented a private island in Indonesia for the weekend. Beaches aren't actually my first choice for weekend destinations; however, this was an exception that I was more than prepared to make. It's one of those experiences that you simply can't get unless you are part of a community such as the one I am in at INSEAD.
What's there to do on a private island that has no TV, no Internet, no restaurants, no..blah blah blah. Well, the answer is that there is plenty to do when there are 39 people that you are still getting to know. Bonfires, Fireworks, Snorkeling, Kayaking and Jenga are helpful, too.

Formula One

2009-09-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

After three weeks abroad, it was time to stay home for a weekend in Singapore. But, by no means did that mean a quiet weekend. The F1 was in town, so the city was abuzz - AND I had my first visitor! The visit was a fantastic excuse to see some of the city - including Arab Street (the best shopping in town - forget orchard road) and Sunday Brunch (people will tell you to go to Raffles, but you really can't beat the Swiss Hotel - it's on the 70th floor!).

And, finally, the event itself was awesome. I'm not exactly a car buff, but it's hard not to get caught up in the event. The earth shakes when the cars go past. You can feel it through your body!

To finish off the night, we checked out a free live concert by the backstreet boys. To put it briefly, there's a reason why their concerts are free now.

Kuala Lumpur

2009-09-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

Another weekend = another destination. This time, Kuala Lumpur. Accompanied by six other students, of course representing six different countries (Japan, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Holland, France). My new Russian friend Nadia found us a screaming deal at the Ritz Carlton (who says students can't stay in style!). This was a valuable lesson - hotel rack rates are for chumps - at least in SE asia.

We made the rounds to the usual tourist sites - china town, little india, the Bahtu Caves, the Petronas towers, etc - but the highlight had to be a street market called 'tasty corner'. Filled with outdoor restaurants, this place serves everything the ocean has to offer - and a few things from the mainland as well. Our feature dish? Frogs! My Spanish friend, Bosco, really enjoyed playing god.

That was the first (and probably the last) time that I need to watch my dinner die.