Back to basics de guitar.

I've taken a break way too long.
I don't really remember the last time i touched the guitar or read a single note.
Since most of the songs i know how to play are by memory, it has become too obvious that i've been out of practice.
The dexterity of my fingers are coming back. It is not recommended to pick it back up during winter time; it makes the fingers feel like they're working extra hard just to stay warm.

There are more ways to play music than one.
The ideal and classical way is to read from sheet music.
Another way is to memorize everything.
I choose the latter, because for the life of me I can not read music.

Mumbai to Pune

The night air is cool enough to forget about the humidity. With our bellies full from Abhishek's engagement party, followed by brief chellos to the to-be bride and groom, Rajeev and I started our journey towards Pune, a 5-6 hour journey by tuk tuk (i.e. auto rick shaw) and by bus. After the long tuk tuk ride through the streets of Mumbai we finally arrived at a bus stop. Actually it wasn't a bus stop, but rather a bus that was stopped in the middle of a concrete island in the middle of the road, or so it seemed. I can see that Rajeev is quite upset about something with the bus driver (he was haggled into paying a higher ticket price than was he was told a mere few seconds prior). So even the locals are scammed. How on earth am I to survive with enough money to enjoy the country and leave in relative good health?

Tuk Tuk from Mumbai on way to Pune.

Rajeev and his family, on our way to some "sky city" or something.

Scenic lookout view at "sky city" or whatever it's called, a place for the well-to-do and the retired.

Rajeev getting some roasted corn.

In a Pune chinese/indian restaurant. Really good food. Unfortunately i don't know the name of this place.

One of many fancy building facilities of InfoSys.

In Delhi. I seriously think this is a 20 lane highway.

The Orchha Pool Incident

[ Transcribed from a journal entry written on a piece of napkin. ]

The Orchha Resort is kind of like an oasis in the middle of a very humid, hot India. Okay, well, actually none of this is true excluding the "resort" part. After breakfast Bridget and I made our way to the lovely swimming pool just to see what it was like. I noticed one thing immediate thing about the pool - it was green. I voiced my disapproval. I bent down to dip my hand into the cool and refreshing surface of the oasis swimming pool. But it wasn't cool and refreshing - it was nice and warm, and green. I gave a second voice of disapproval. Along the edge, where there's grass and lounge chairs, a pale pasty tourist is leisurely reading his book. I stood up at the pool's edge with my hands on my hips trying to show further disapproval of this whole warm, green swimming pool setup. Bridget, being the charming and gregarious kiwi that she is, asks, "How's the pool?"

In a sudden and shocking moment, with a loud snap and a shattering and crumbling of brittle fragile pieces, I am disoriented, briefly. I realized, somehow, my lower leg was totally wet and dirty. My foot had broken into the water filter ducts at the pool's edge, before the edge meets the grass. Bridget is too kind and generous and sincere as she made sure I wasn't hurt. Then she laughs uncontrollably. The pale, pasty tourist shakes his head with involuntary chuckling, as if he's shaking his head in disbelief.

I took my foot out thinking if I need to reduce what I'm eating.

Sapana Village Lodge - Day 2

[ Transcribed from a journal entry written on a piece of napkin. ]

A very hoity toity Indian couple eating breakfast next to my table. I'm losing my appetite suddenly hearing this conversation. And I'm not sure why.

Tonight we have planned a Bollywood style skit for our tour guide. I'm not sure what level of success we will have with this level of spontaneity. Nevertheless it should be, uh, interesting.

Extracurricular activities on this trip seem easily forgettable - almost a top-off, if you know what I mean. Here is just one example: the canoe ride through the Chitwan river jungle lasted 30 minutes. But it's not the duration I'm complaining about. It was the overall joke-factor of the whole thing. The good thing is that is helps the local economy. And I guess that alone is good enough to say it is worth it. But you do get what you pay for.

Now I'm left pondering - regarding the Mt. Everest flight tour, to do or not to do?

The Sapana Village Lodge.

Mt. Everest (from a plane window). And no this was not my camera as I was not on this plane nor any plane to see Mt. Everest because a taxi driver was 1 hour late.

Mumbai, the most humid place on the planet

Upon first arrival into Mumbai's international airport, i was lost. Totally lost. The only thing i remembered was what Abhishek told me - act like your own the place. So that is why people didn't bother me, because they thought i owned the freakin' airport. By the time Abhishek arrived to pick me up I was so relieved. But I quickly became disappointed when I learned that we have to ride a tuk tuk to go back to his home. And just when I thought I couldn't be more disappointed, I learned that his room is very humid. We had to sleep with the ceiling fan turned on super maximum speed. I think somebody hacked it to spin into over-drive. Sleeping in that room was like sleeping under a helicopter flying through a hurricane.

Abhishek with his fiance in his living room.

Abhishek and his fiancé, practicing a dance for the engagement party.

Everybody @ the engagement party.

Family and relatives at engagement party.

Lots of lights and cameras and loud music.

I was told on several occasions that I must dance. Throughout the day I practiced a few moves that I saw in some Bollywood dances. I was disappointed when there was no dancing involved. Everybody just stood around. Not quite my idea of an Indian engagement party.

The Sapana Village Lodge - Day 1.

[ Transcribed from a journal entry written on a piece of napkin. ]

After an evening dinner with the team, with my consuming 2 gin & tonics (my new favorite drink for 2013), one should think a night's sleep would be welcoming. It did not for me.

This morning's porridge is nice and warm and pretty darn tasty. I'm sitting at a table over-looking a river valley in Chitwan. The Himalayas are starting to peek through in the distant horizon. But they are teasing me as they come and go, for the clouds will not fully reveal her majesty, not just yet. And it is quite okay with me, as I understand this thing they call the Himalayas has seen countless sunrises. My time will come.

This morning we're having a canoe ride. I hope I do not fall in. As a subsequent follow-up event, a jungle safari tour (on foot). I hope I do not get eaten alive by mosquitoes (as I am the ONLY member who is not taking daily malaria pills, or so it seems).

My most earthy room.

My the door light for my room.

Fresh picked flowers abound.

Background: A cloud-covered Himalayas.
Foreground: Jill, Anne, and Rose taking a dip in the warm river.

 A charming cottage lodge.

Rage Against the Machine - A Regretful Day

Years ago I had spent about 2 weeks compositing a video clip that plays to Guerilla Radio, by Rage Against The Machine. It is highly unfortunate that I deleted this video - probably out of frustration from the 2008 U.S. presidential election results. I didn't see any reason to keep the video around. I mean seriously, the Republicans) chose John McCain as their candidate. And the Democrats chose Obama (I would've chosen Gravel). In hindsight, I will never delete a video again from my YouTube account. It was an awesome, energetic, and motivating video. The only evidence or remnant of this video can be found here:

http://instructors.dwrl.utexas.edu/tbrown/node/101

:(

Tents, Temples, and Time

Orchha is said to be a pilgrimage place for Hindu Indians. Time flows slowly here in Orchha, more so than other locations, it seems. Perhaps it's the intense humidity and heat. I am here in the Orchha Resort. We (our team) have tents for our rooms. The rooms are nice, with electricity, a television, a sink, a toilet chamber, a shower chamber, and a poor AC unit that works non-stop.

Orchha is charming. Very humid. I met a business keeper here on the main street. He stopped me and caught me totally off guard when he started a brief conversation in Korean. He pulled out a photo from his mobile phone. A picture of his alleged Korean girlfriend. He points his finger to the leg of a plastic chair which is noticeably broken and taped over. He says, "Made in China".

Initially we chatted outside his store. We talk nonchalantly, making small-talk, but carrying on a stimulating conversation nonetheless. I was so impressed I asked him if he runs the store behind me. "Please show me what you have inside" I demanded, thoroughly impressed by his friendliness and his command of the Korean language. Oh how I fell for the oldest trick in the book. He probably speaks a little bit of everything. After all Orchha is a pretty touristy area. A little studying at the local internet cafe could get anybody fluent enough to stop any tourist in their tracks. I did not realize this until I made the cash exchange for the silver bracelet and the silver scarf I had purchased for $35 USD.

The main intersection, where a Hindu temple is located, reminds me fiercely of the small village in the Atacama desert - very tourist-centric with ATMs, convenience stores, and internet cafes abounding. Food is great thus far. But the rest of the team is dropping like flies, one by one. I mentioned a couple of times to my team, this is eerily like the movie, Final Destination.

Delhi to Kathmandu

Sept. 6 - Arrived in Mumbai. Abhishek took a while to pick me up (in a tuk tuk of all things). Took a while because I couldn't find a pay phone. People hardly spoke English. People staring, glaring. I remembered and practiced what Abhishek taught me, "act like your own the place." Nobody bothered me, because I pwned the place.

On the next following days I met Abhishek's family, his fiance, and Rajeev, aka. "Visionary Dubey Baba G." These were good times. Very hot and humid, but good times.

Monday, Sept. 9 - Fly into Delhi, first night's lodging @ Hotel Perfect. Nobody picked me up at the Delhi airport. Lots of miscommunication going on. So far this whole trip is nothing but miscommunication and feeling like I'm getting haggled. Met the Indian guide. He is surprisingly tall, wearing cowboy boots, with a curly moustache, like Captain Hook.

Sept. 10 - Drive to Jaipur with team. Ate breakfast first. The price of the breakfast was extra from the hotel cost - nobody knew to pay for it, of course we all did though. First person I met on the team was Angela. She introduces herself to me, and i think my initial response in my mind was something like: "Who...what....how....huh?".

Sept. 11 - In Jaipur the lodging was at Hotel Bissau Palace. A very splendid property. Spending 2 nights here. Jaipur is a very prosperous city. Sites to see here: City Palace, Hawa Mahal, the marketplace, Amber Fort.

Sept. 12 - After Jaipur we took another private coach to Agra. Here we stayed at Hotel Bhoomi Residency. I totally forget this lodging. I hope I have some photos to refresh my memory. Agra is home of the infamous Taj Mahal. Although the story is nice, the whole story is less than idea.



Sept. 13 - We arrived in Orchha, a Hindu pilgrimage location, by train. We stayed in decent tents at the Orchha Resort. This place is extremely hot and humid. Be prepared to sweat bucket loads. Drink water frequently and often. Saw an old mural of the Hindu's theory of evolution, essentially, depicting the lineage of Vishnu's reincarnations in the Orchha Palace complexes royal King's chamber. Interesting history. A shame it was only used for only 1 day.

Sept. 14 - Overnight train to Jhansi/Varanasi. The train stations in India can be scary, if you don't act like you own the place. My teammates were surrounded by the locals. It looked like a scene of lions surrounded a back of water buffalo protecting their young. I was walking around, acting like I own the place. Even the dogs and the cows sleep in the middle of roads and even in the middle of the train tracks - literally, everybody and everything acts as though they own the place. Because there is not much room (for certain bunks), I took the liberty of stretching my legs out on the top bunk across the isle (since i was on the top bunk).

Sept. 15 -  At Varanasi we stayed at Hotel City Inn for a couple of nights. Varanasi is the place where Hindus go to cremate, if they are rich enough to do so. The Ganges River is said to be legendary, healing, life-giving, and god in its own right. We sailed up and down the Ganges and witnessed some prayer ceremony. The Chai tea here is good, as well as the typical street vendor foods (like popped rice sprinkled with sand).

Sept. 16 - After final day in Varanasi we head off for Lumbini, Nepal, the birthplace of Buddha. We see the birthplace of the old temple and the sacred tree where Buddha supposedly achieved his enlightenment. It is very hot and humid here. Drink lots of water.

Sept. 18 - Chitwan, Nepal. We spend a couple of nights in a charming village lodge, the Sapana Village Lodge. Here I learn to drink Gin and Tonic for its anti-mosquito properties (i'm the only one not taking malaria pills). Here we do canoe rides, hikes in the jungle, safaris, elephant safaris, elephant baths, and lots of good food and drinks. On lucky mornings we see glimpses of the Himalayas in the distant horizon, hiding behind thick clouds.

Sept. 20 - Pokhara is like San Pedro de Atacama, in Chile. You've got your activities for the adrenaline-tempered tourists, a good range of restaurants adapted to the western palate, and the bars and clubs for those thirsty for loud, tacky music and familiar and exotic drinks. It's just like San Pedro. I swear.  Here we stayed at Hotel Bougainvillea. During safari we get caught in a monsoon. We had to turn back so we could get our rain jackets, though it was mostly too late since we were all incredibly soaked.

Sept. 21 - I'm running out of money of none of the ATM machines are working (for me). I had to sell my books for 150 Nepalese Rupees, which I considered a lot! I'm eating my last breakfast here (eggs and hash) when I notice somebody very familiar. It turns out its the same person I met back at home (Seattle) during a Nepal travel presentation a few weeks before the trip. She said she'd be hiring a local Sherpa to do some trekking. What a small world. Honestly.

Sept. 22 - We arrive in Kathmandu after the bumpiest ride in your entire life. We check into Fuji Hotel. Kathmandu is nothing like what I had expected. I've added a few books on my "To Read" list. Let's see if I can remember them: Everest, Into Thin Air. I stayed in Kathmandu for a few days. Did additional hiking. This place is gorgeous.

I spent one additional day in Delhi and did a bicycle tour (DelhibyCycle). This was awesome. And by awesome, I mean crazy.

Nokia, India, and Procrastination

I know i've made several posts in the not-too-distant past regarding Nokia. I've only had good things to say, for the most part. Yesterday marks a memorable day in IT history - Microsoft bought Nokia, or at least a sub-division of it. In the not-too-distant future marks a day also worth mentioning. Tomorrow I depart for India & Nepal. Should be fun, if I don't get eaten by infected mosquitos, poisonous spiders, venomous snakes, and mischievous monkeys. These are just the things i've been warned about from fellow Indian co-workers and friends. Who knows what uncharted things await me.

This India/Nepal vacation has got to be my worst-prepared trip in the history of Edward. I'm leaving tomorrow morning at dawn, and here I am with 2 loads of laundry and an empty suitcase. Procrastination sucks. Addendum: This past weekend i went on a hike to Olympic National Park's Hurricane Ridge. Pretty amazing trail. Went with a select few co-workers/friends. Saw some mountain beavers, chipmunks, and some fearless deers. I also learned that I suck at playing Bridge.

Another Time Capsule

2012 came and went. 2013 is almost gone. But little do the lemmings know that the window is still wide open for the harbinger, the destroyer, the horned beast. Will Nibiru find its path crossing ours within our lifetime?

A mere dozen sunsets and Northern India shall surround me. 15 more, then Kathmandu is upon me. All this when the crazy Western powers are gathering up their warships to Syria (this was foreseen many years ago). But just to recap: Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Iran are pretty much countries which threatened the petro-dollar system. And systematically and predictably they fall, one by one.

New office. New career. New chapter. New CEO (Steve Ballmer to step down in about a year). William had a baby boy. My apartment getting is still chaotically organized. I walked out of my home towards my car. As I was leisurely walking down the sidewalk to the covered parking I had a subtle, long-forgotten feeling of, "I'm glad to be alive". I got into my car and shut the door. I think to myself - many are suffering. Many are less fortunate. How selfish to think of the universe on my terms? I suppose if you believe in what the narrow-minded and bigoted "scientists", and professors, and their so-called university-educated student alumni tell you, then it is the only way. It's a matter of "survival of the fittest". It is simple evolution at work. Nothing moral or immoral abut it. But as some are wise to know - this is their greatest weakness. They are blind to their assumptions and silly, illogical arguments. You see, friends, evolution is the excuse to do anything we damn well please. Because IF the unimaginably complex and beautiful universe, with all its energy, matter, and creatures in it, has come into existence by only randomness and by chance alone, with no input of creative thought or energy, then the universe is meaningless. But any free-thinking, self-respecting, and openly honest individual, once given a genuine consideration, would probably agree - there is something more to this universe.

Broken

My heart had a wonderful opportunity to love and to be loved recently these past few months. Sadly things did not pan out favorably for me. I was afraid i would go through depression and broken-heartedness again. I knew it was coming, so i felt prudent to foresee myself sweeping the shattered pieces. But to my surprise, i had learned something tragic - the shattered pieces still they lay from countless days ago. Never touched. Never swept. Never healed. There was nothing left to be broken.