Wanderlust Heaven!

You may have guessed I’m seriously busy these days, I haven’t filed a blog post in more than 3 weeks.  I had another existential self-struggle about whether to keep the blog going, but am going to persevere as long as possible – I’m come to feel quite strongly that persistence/perseverance is the most important human trait.

Last post was my 160^th, when you look at the Boots’n’All screen, on the right-hand side, there are so many months in which I’ve posted that it spans more than a screen deep.  I’m well over 3 years’ worth of posting, although the cadence has slowed since I returned to work.  You may actually be thankful for that!

Because I haven’t posted in a while, my memory is dimming a bit, but will try to be both colorful and concise here.

I’ve started (sort of) frequenting the Bulldog Pub, which seems likely to become my “local.”  My second night there, I met Nicole the Marketing Manager, her South African buddy, who’s a DJ at nearby Zapata’s, and cute Filipino waitress Tani.  Good vibe, decent value, and usually a vacant seat at the bar.  Count me in.

Had a challenging presentation to a pharmaceuticals distributor in Hong Kong a few weeks ago.  Had to get up to speed on some different product categories in the space of 2-3 days, and write a presentation to give to them.  Thankfully, an old colleague works there now (he brought me in), and he set expectations accordingly.  The prez went well and we might do a piece of work for them in coming months.

After the meeting I walked over the my old favorite, Shanghai 369, for some noodle soup and steamed dumplings – this place has the greatest dumplings, I swear.  This meal was really the sole bit of pleasure during this one-night trip to HKG, the rest was all business.  Which seems to be becoming a theme these days…

Got an RFP from a former client, and we signed non-disclosure agreements, which turned out to be a bit more of a pain than I anticipated.  I download the client’s form, attached my digital signature, and sent to my assistant to get the company seal and then get dropped off.  For some reason she couldn’t open my file, so I had to re-send late in the day and it was all a bit stressful.  We got it in before close of business, but I was stressing while standing in line at Pudong Airport Immigration – not something you really need after a busy day.

Met friend Ed at the Hilton for a beer, and to see his friend KJ, who’s a mover/shaker in life sciences in China.  Had a good discussion.

Went to Bulldog for a much-needed cocktail after that.  Saw Tani and chatted with her…talked to Steven, an Aussie sitting at the bar next to me, who regaled me with stories of Papua New Guinea, where he used to teach.  It happened to be Ladies’ Night at the bar, but the crowd still seemed a bit thin.  Chatted for a few minutes with waitress Annabelle, who shares her name with my maternal grandmother, bless her soul.  Filipinos have classic names, I wonder how many Westerners are named Annabelle these days…

Next day, went to a presentation given by a local law firm.  I wasn’t thrilled to attend, esp. given that it was in Mandarin, but they needed someone senior to attend, so I went with one of our project managers.  Midway through, I got a call from the prospective client – he had sent the RFP and I needed to download it ASAP, as I was getting on a flight to Beijing in a few hours and wanted to at least read it on the flight.  Found the Business Center, got the file, called him, and then went to the airport.

Read the file on the flight and started formulating my thoughts & proposal.  It looked to be a hairy few weeks, they wanted to start pretty soon and I had a few other things on my plate coming right up.

Did my meetings in Beijing, stayed just the one night, then back to Shanghai.  Worked on the proposal and got that into decent shape.  Shared it with some colleagues for comments, and while awaiting their response, I went to the Bulldog to soothe my nerves.

It was Trivia Night – I tend to be pretty good at the inane and trivial.  I got all the geography questions right and wound up impressing Tani the cute waitress.  The hardest question was for a photo, they showed a very blurry pic and had us guess who it was – not a multiple choice question, unfortunately.  I forget who I went for, but the correct answer was Leon Trotsky – someone actually got it.  I should stick to my strong suits, geography and history.   Fun night, anyway.

I’m becoming increasingly annoyed with Facebook.  I get at least 10 messages a day from the site, and probably should turn off the notification feature.  The downside would be if I ever did want to see what’s been going on, there’d be hundreds of notices and I’d flee instantly, never to return.  Better to manage the slow drip, methinks…

September 11^th rolled around.  Had a very busy morning working on two client leads/cases.  Got an email from an old fraternity brother, he and another brother were heading to Cleveland on the weekend to visit another brother who’s son is in a specialty hospital there, getting treated for some terrible illnesses.  Just heart-rending.  I asked him to call me when they were all together, I wanted to check in and provide my best wishes.

Had a meeting with prospective client re the new proposal.  Good session, made some progress.  What I’m starting to realize after a few months here in China is that the fast pace of change makes everything unpredictable and hard to manage.  I feel much more rushed and tired than I did in Japan or Oz…those are mature markets and clients know how to work with consultants – here everything needs to be turned around in 2-3 days and it makes life difficult.  I’m not putting in world-record hours, but it seems like every minute is packed and I’m dead by 7 p.m.

This 9-11 seemed pretty low-key on my end, I don’t even think I watched a second of TV or read much about the anniversary of the attacks.  We had an office meeting and then a dinner that night, went to a nearby Italian place where we all ate too much.  No karaoke afterward, I think we were all tired…or perhaps some people slunk away to engage in mischief but didn’t tell me – all for the better.  I went to the Bulldog for a few beers and then cut my losses.  Stressful week…

For some reason in the cab en route to my flat, I fixated on the car’s turn signal.  I thought back to when I was a little boy, riding in the back of my Mom’s car, and wondering how the car knew when it was time to turn left or right.  Ah, those days of ignorance!  Now I know too well what’s going on and it’s often more than I can bear…

Had a date scheduled with a Russian woman who I’d gotten in touch with through a mutual friend.  She was working for a Shanghai-based clothing company and we were to meet Sunday night.  On Saturday I spent some time listening to some Russian-language podcasts I’d downloaded a while back, I remembered some Russian from my 4 or so months in the FSU, but had forgotten most of it.  I kind of like Russian and it was good to hear the words again.

Did some reading…worked some more on my client proposal, which was a demanding piece of work and I had no help on it…and practiced a bit of guitar, something that’s really been slipping lately.

Went out for a run…when I got outside, there were crowds everywhere.  No, it wasn’t my audition for “Life of Brian,” instead there was a fire in a building across the street.  There was a fair amount of smoke billowing about, I went back upstairs and closed all the windows.  Then went back out, skirted the crowds (Chinese people seem to love a public spectable), and walked to Jiaotong University’s track, as usual.

Had a good run – it’s getting cooler out, I can go much farther now.  After the run, walked around the ‘hood for a long time, hadn’t had a chance to do that much yet.  Found a cluster of Japanese cafes/restos near the West Yan’an Metro Station (I think it was that one).  There was even a dedicated sake bar – who knew?  Went home, showered, and walked back – ducked into Yakitori Daikichi and had a very nice informal meal.  When I lived in Tokyo I would go to izakaya or yakitori-ya nearly every night, the assortment and quality were simply exceptional and I really have missed Japanese food.  Now I have a good alternative to Chinese, although I can eat that nearly every day without getting sick of it, the variety of dishes is so vast.

Saw “Hotel Carolina” on Xinhua Lu on my way home.  I love it.

Took it easy the rest of that night, Saturday night.  Am I getting old, or just responsible?  It’s probably a good thing that Bulldog Pub isn’t down the street from my flat, otherwise I’d be there more often.

On Sunday I worked all day – not a trend I hope to continue, but it seems likely.  Had lunch at new favorite Shen Ya, near the Crowne Plaza.   Got a call from Cleveland, my fraternity brothers were there, I spoke with a couple of them, including Seth, who’s son is being treated there.  He’s holding up pretty well.  I joined CaringBridge, the website where his son’s progress is being tracked.  Life is truly a going concern, you have to soldier on and make the best of things.

Did a bit of yoga, which helps center me when I’m way too busy.  Then showered and went to meet Marina, my date, at Haiku by Hatsune Japanese resto.  Had fun talking with her and eating rolls…we went for a nightcap at Sasha’s, then headed home (separately).  Saw roommate/colleague George when I returned to the flat, he’d just gotten in from San Francisco.

Monday morning – up at 6:15 a.m.  Had to fly to Beijing, and later in the week to Seoul.  Saw George, packed my bag, and headed to the airport.  At least this was Hongqiao Airport, the domestic field, which is much closer and less of a hassle.  At the airport I had a call with my Korean colleagues about the Friday morning meeting, then got on the plane.  No dull/free moments these days.   Worked on the client proposal on the flight.  By the time I landed, around 10:30 a.m., I already felt like I had put in a full day.

Went to our office.  Worked on the document a bit more.  Had a meeting with a different client.  Back to the document.  Had a short call with the Russian lass, that was a welcome distraction – we made some plans to meet soon.  Had a call at 9 p.m., then collapsed into bed.

The next day we were kicking off a 3-day client capabilities workshop, I was only attending the first day but had to say a few words of intro.  Noticed that I’d forgotten my collar stays, so stuck some cardboard up the shirt-slots and that worked pretty well.  Improvisation – yet another important human characteristic, I’m reasonably good at that one too.

After the workshop, I put in a bit more time on the client proposal, which was by now in solid shape.  I just wish I had more help on these things, it always feels like you’re running a solo shop.  Switched on the TV for the first time in ages (I was in a hotel, and do tend to watch a bit more TV when in hotels generally).  It was the first anniversary of the collapse of Lehman and all the muckety-mucks were opining left and right.  I recalled being in Sevastopol, Crimea when this was all happening last year and being utterly gobsmacked by the scale of the wreckage.  That was when I’d gotten serious about returning to work…what a year it’s been, friends.

Next day I met with “client #2,” to prepare for a workshop we’d have later in the year.  He’s a great guy and I enjoy spending time with him.  Got out of that meeting and got a call from the client to whom I owed my current proposal – instead of needing it two days’ hence, he wanted it that night.  Ugh.  I had to rearrange my entire schedule and plan to be up all night.  Flew back to Shanghai as regularly scheduled, but spent entire flight cranking on the document.  Worked on it till nearly midnight, then sent it off.  George gave me an assist towards the end, he read a couple documents for me and teased out the key bits.  Remember what I said about China being fast-paced, unpredictable, and demanding?  Word…

On Thursday I was drowsy all day.  It was raining, an all-too-often occurrence in Shanghai.  Had a call with our Asia Head, we decided to make me a full-time employee starting January 1.  Being a contractor really has no benefit – same pay, same hours, and the possibility of non-renewal once the contract period ends.  I’d done a good job since returning and wasn’t particularly worried about being cut free, but I think it’s better if there’s at least some impediment in place to being fired.  I imagine most people would agree in these much-diminished days…

No time for a run that night.  Cooked some mushroom soup, then got on a work conference call.  Traded texts with the Russian.  Call ended around 10 p.m., I decided to go to Bulldog for a beer.  Did that, didn’t stay long, but it was a nice diversion from the grind.

Had breakfast the next morning with colleague George and an Aussie named Tony who’s looking for a job.  Had a relatively mellow day, and was looking forward to going to Rosh Hashanah services at the Millenium Hotel around 6 p.m.  Had a car arranged…then, at 5:15 p.m., my prospective client called – he wanted to get together and discuss the proposal.  What could I say?  This was important to our business and we wanted to get the work…so I had the car just take me to his office, nearby.  We discussed things, I promised to get him a revised version by Monday afternoon, and then went home.  No Rosh Hashanah that night, and the weekend would now be full of proposal revision work.

Went to the Bulldog to vent a bit.  Had a beer with Nicole and the South African fellow…Nicole was practicing her Valley Girl slang so I chimed in.  Pretty funny, actually – I hate hearing that lingo when I it’s everyday speech, but when you try to mock it, you can have some fun – especially when you consider you’re hanging out in Shanghai, China.  The South African guy was breaking up in laughter.  Nicole’s from Buffalo, and younger than I am, so she was streets ahead of me in the lingo but I managed to get in some good bits too.

Slept in next day, Saturday.  Proposal work loomed.  Got up and got going on that.  Went to Shen Ya for lunch, did a bit of food shopping at City Mart, the expensive but excellent upscale place nearby.  Spoke with the Russian, our schedules weren’t aligning too well.  Back was pretty sore, did some yoga and that worked wonders.  How can I work that into my daily routine – that’s an ongoing, unmet challenge.

Took it easy that night.  Got up fairly early on Sunday, did some more proposal work.  Practiced guitar for a bit, then back to the proposal.  Around 3 p.m. I got in a cab to go to the Renaissance Hotel, where the local Hash House Harriers club was meeting.  Rory and Anne, my British friends whom I’d met at the Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia Hash, were back in Shanghai after summering in Bulgaria.  I was excited to see them again, and when I reached the hotel they were right there.  Caught up with them, then did the Hash, which took us around various obscure parts of the city.  Was fairly tired afterward, we did the usual Circle of drinking and singing, then went to the nearby Oktoberfest party.  That was good fun – quasi-German fare, good beer, bands who played not only German classics, but YMCA and Sweet Home Alabama as well – random and bizarre, but good fun.  Great opportunity to see affluent Shanghainese families at play, they were really getting into it.

I didn’t stay that long, as I still had to work on the proposal, which, all told, had taken huge amounts of my time (and sanity) over previous weeks.  You can probably sense that from this post, no?

Did some more work, then quit for the night, I was pretty close to being “done.”  Watched the 1981 movie “Continental Divide,” starting John Belushi.  I’d really liked this movie many years ago, had seen it a couple times, and had the DVD.  And I still like it – seeing John Belushi playing a relatively straight role is quite an experience.  The movie falls short of being a real classic, but it was certainly worth 90 minutes of my scarce time these days…

Monday morning.  Had a quick call with George on the proposal, he liked what I’d done and had a couple suggestions before I sent it off.  Proceeded to have an exhausting day…went straight home afterward and had a nap, something I almost never do these days.  Reminded me of my sabbatical, when I had the luxury of such things.

Tuesday – rained all day.  Utterly depressing.  Had to fly to Beijing that evening, packed and went to the office, after having my assistant get me a car.  Nearly impossible to get a cab in Shanghai when it rains – perhaps the least agreeable aspect of living here.  Read in the car that former nightlife spot Julu Lu was closed down – a notorious place, so I wasn’t surprised.  The Expo is in Shanghai next year and I imagine the government is trying to clean the place up.

Spent the day working on various client matters, then we had a CV Workshop for prospective hires.  Quite an accomplished bunch.  I did the firm’s intro, then let my colleagues handle the rest.  Went to the airport and flew to Beijing that evening.

Had client meetings the next morning…then my prospective client called and asked me to attend a meeting that Sunday afternoon.  Because of the upcoming National Day holiday, which was combined with the Autumn Holiday, we’d have more than a week off, so the powers that be designed two weekend days as official work days, and this Sunday was one of them.  I agreed to attend.  Client meetings on Sundays – not something you want to make a regular event.

Had a productive client meeting after that, then had dinner with the Beijing office head, a good guy from France.  He took me to a genuine local place where they eat skewers and peppers – nice to get away from the hotel restos.  Then we went to Maggie’s for a beer, that place has been around forever but moved a couple years ago.  Fun dive bar.  Called brother-in-law Dave when I got back to the hotel, it was his birthday and I wanted to say hi.

Next day, I did a few things in the morning, then flew to Seoul.  Hadn’t been there in 4 years or so.  Easy flight from Beijing.  Got to Incheon Airport and got into the waiting car.  I must say that Seoul looks much nicer than it did years ago…they’ve created new parks, planted more trees, and in general made it more pleasant.  Went to our office, which I remembered fairly well from some late-night work there years ago.  Most of my Seoul memories were of long nights at the office, and weird client meetings.  I did a bit of work in the office, then, along with a couple colleagues, went to the train station to catch a train to Daegu City, Korea’s third-largest city, where we’d have a client meeting the following morning.  I’d never heard of Daegu City until a week ago, when I was asked to join this meeting – see what you learn along the way.

Got to Daegu City, checked into the hotel, which was perfectly fine.  Met old colleague Won-Hong at the poolside cafe, where we talked about the project and meeting.  Hadn’t seen him in years – that’s one nice thing about rejoining the firm, I still have some old friends around the planet – and they seem pretty happy to have me back.

Not an ugly night (for me).  Was in bed around 12:30 a.m.  But our project team stayed up all night preparing for the meeting, which was at 8 a.m.  I got up and went for a quick breakfast, then we met in the lobby.

Meeting went well – it was with the city government, the vice-mayor was there/presiding.  I had a few comments, it was all over after 90 minutes and my Korean colleagues seemed happy.  We went to our project office, worked, had a good Korean lunch, then got on the train back to Seoul.  Every single one of us slept the entire ride.  It was Friday and a long week for all of us.

Got into Seoul.  Checked into the Marriott, then had dinner with colleague Hanmae, who was my “handler” this trip.  He’d had zero sleep the night before, and hadn’t seen his family all week, so I didn’t keep him out long.  I wouldn’t have minded seeing more of Seoul, but I was fried and had to do some work the next day, in anticipation of my Sunday client meeting.  We went to a terrific Korean resto where we had kalbi, sirloin, and the usual endless assortment of side plates.  Then went back to the hotel where I read a bit, then crashed hard.

Slept till 9 a.m. the next day.  Had a nice breakfast, for once, then had to head to the airport to fly back to Shanghai.  Car didn’t show in time, so hopped in a taxi.  The entire time in Korea I never had a Korean Won on me – I’d relied on my colleagues or credit cards.  Taxis in Seoul accept credit cards, so I was able to avoid the hassle of getting Won that I might not need for a while (although I may return later on in this project, we’ll see).

On Sunday I worked the entire day, it was an official work day.  Had my afternoon client meeting, which went well enough – we did what we needed to do, and decided to have a “soft project kickoff” right away.  The week promised to be a hard one – the holiday would start Wed night, so between Sunday and Wednesday I’d be in 5^th gear, without much of a project team around me.  We were fully booked until after the holiday, and my project manager was in the US.  Ugh.

As expected, I had a brutally busy week.  Spent nearly all my waking hours at the client – at night I’d limp home.  It rained most of the time, which made it hard to get around town – coming from the client’s office to ours on Tuesday evening, it took nearly an hour, versus 10 minutes in decent weather.  Between the rain and the pre-holiday madness, it was a terrible time to be trying to move around the city.  I was dying to escape, and had booked a flight to Bangkok…where I expected to have to continue to work, but with better weather and a bit of a holiday mentality, if not a true beach bonanza.

Things with the Russian lass didn’t pan out…I think she got back together with an old flame…and I was so fried from work/life in China that I really didn’t care, I was actually happy to have one fewer distraction.  You know you’re working way too hard when you start to feel that way.  It’s almost like being demasculated, you don’t want any social distractions, except perhaps for an on-demand beer at the pub.  So I went on Wed night to the Bulldog for a “farewell beer” before flying to Thailand on Thursday.  Saw the usual gang there and it was nice to spend an hour or so there.

National Day, Thursday October 1, rolled around.  For the third straight morning, a nearby car alarm woke me up.  Got up and did some work, and started to pack.  Housekeeper Ching showed up – hadn’t met her before, and while it was nice to finally meet, I was pretty busy and hadn’t really expected her.  I knew she tended to clean our flat on Mondays and Thursdays, but didn’t know precisely what time, and also it was National Day so I half-expected her to take the day off.  But no…she showed, with a little boy – she works/lives with a Western family and he’s the son.  I found their presence a bit distracting and was happy when they left after an hour or so.  Finished up some emails and hastily packed, then met the car waiting downstairs for me.  I was escaping and was damn glad about it.  It had been a month from hell.

It was, of course, raining hard, which promised to screw up the flights.  Plus the government had dibs on landing slots, this being National Day, with lots of military hardware being paraded about.  My China Eastern flight was more than 2 hours late and I was annoyed.  Getting out of China wasn’t proving to be easy or smooth.

Landed in Bangkok around 8 p.m.  Got to the hotel around 9, dropped off my stuff at Starry Place Apartments, then walked over to see friend Bob at VP Tower.  His girlfriend Kate was there, hadn’t seen her the past few trips and it was good to see her, despite the language barrier.  Bob was finishing up some e-trades – he showed me a bit of his work and I was a bit jealous, to be frank – I wouldn’t mind working from home, dealing only with a computer, and controlling my hours.  Of course, his income is totally unpredictable, and the stress therein shouldn’t be underestimated.  How to weave together the better elements of our two jobs/lifestyles??

Had a couple beers with them, then walked back to Starry.  It was really nice to be back in Bangkok, one of my favorite cities.  The place is totally accommodating, there are so few real frustrations here.  You can get a taxi when it’s raining…things are cheap…quality is fairly high…and the mood is relaxed.  OK, there’s not the commercial vibrancy of China, or at least the zany entrepreneurial spirit, but there’s enough energy and diversity for me.

Bought “District 9” DVD, I’ve heard great things about this movie and have been meaning to see it.  I fully expected to have to work during the upcoming week in Bangkok, but I was hoping to keep it to half-days and not 12-hour days.

Got a haircut – which wasn’t looking promising until I intervened.  Need to find a better salon that than one.  Had lunch with Bob at Century Mall nearby, he’s perfected a super-cheap system where he brings his own bottle of water (filled at a sterilized water place, for next to nothing) and pays about a dollar for a solid, healthy lunch.  I think Bob’s getting by on USR$1K a month or so – amazing.  I’m frugal enough but would need to spend a multiple of that.

Took a much-needed nap…went for a run in the park nearby.  Soi Rangnaam, where I nearly always stay, is wonderful – it has great street food, this park, a couple good bars, and is near the Victory Monument Skytrain stop.  I swear I could come here and spend a year or much more…I might just do that before long.

Watched District 9 that night, enjoyed it thoroughly.  I love the South African accent – not everyone does, but I do.  And the theme of the movie really resonated, it was an excellent piece of work.

Next day, Saturday, I got up and got to work.  Made solid progress, not enough, but hey, it was Saturday after all, and a holiday week.  Not that the Chinese holidays hold much meaning for me, but after the month I’d had I deserved some rest and meant to take it.  Had some street food for lunch…took another nap…went for another run.  That’s my type of pattern, and need to get back to it soon.

Thais really make their food with tender loving care.  Walking around, watching vendors prepare food, it’s captivating to see how much attention they devote to their art.  And this is also true with eating, Thais spend time mixing in condiments and spices, instead of just wolfing down the entire bowl/plate.  That’s something I appreciate about this place, they tend to take the time to enjoy life.

Went out with Bob that night.  Had some surprisingly OK Mexican food at Sunset Grill (or something like that), I had fish tacos which were quite nice.  Then we walked over to Soi Cowboy for a few beers, that was the usual ogling but again, a welcome distraction from the grind.  Then went back to Starry Place and slept like a corpse.

Today, Sunday, I got up and got back to work.  I finally feel like I’m catching up with everything, and plan to do whatever I need to do between now and Thursday, when I fly back to Shanghai, to both get ahead of the work and also enjoy some R&R.  Won’t be easy to balance the two, never is, but this is probably one of the better places to try.  I’m just cranking out this long-overdue blog entry, and after posting it will go for dinner and a beer, and try to avoid further work for the night.  The upcoming month looks to be another demanding one, and I need to build up some energy and fortitude before I return to Shanghai and take the gloves off once more.  Wish me luck, dear readers.  Over and out.

Back to work after a nice week off in the Philippine islands.  As I returned to the fold I was a bit more contemplative than usual…my calling it off with Christine had meant that one of the last vestiges (I’d prefer not to call it a “loose end,” that’s a bit crass) of my sabbatical was gone.  She and I had met just before I returned to work, and whenever I spoke with her I had a quick flashback to those carefree days.  At the same time, I was happy to have resolution and one less “project” to manage.  I swear, as I get older, I could probably do just fine as a prison inmate, surrounded by books – as long as it was in a Madoff-like prison, of course.  Rikers Island – no way.

My first day back, I sat in on some qualitative market research interviews with physicians – the first time I’d had the pleasure in many years.  They do the interviews in a research facility, with one-way mirrors, so you can sit back and munch on bon-bons while the show’s in progress.  Useful data from these interviews, but I can’t sit through more than 2-3, then I get stir crazy.

Left the facility.  It was about 5:30 p.m., and I wanted to get in a run before my 9 p.m. call.  Hot as hell out…impossible to get a taxi.  Shanghai is awful in this regard, there aren’t enough taxis and during rush hour you’re pretty much screwed.  I’m starting to look into scooter options.  Anyway, after a futile half hour of looking for a taxi, I gave in and hopped on a moto-taxi…I’ve ridden these things without compunction in Vietnam, Thailand, etc., but never while wearing work clothes and carrying a valise.  Managed to get aboard and off we went – the driver was a typical Chinese maniac and we went through some ill-advised passages.  But I got home and it was very cheap.  Not the ideal ride, but I suspect that I’ll need to do more of these unless my transport picture changes.

Went for a good run.  My feet are a bit sore these days, I think I’ve got a minor (for now) case of plantar faschitis.  Need to get some new shoes, and probably ice down my feet after running.  Or just join a gym, and either not run (bike instead), or run on a treadmill.  I’d really be devastated to have to give up running, I’ve been doing it since I was 16 years old and it’s the linchpin of my fitness plan.  I practice a bit of yoga and do some other routines, but nothing beats running.

Ate a sandwich, then did the call.  Afterward, plowed through more of Paul Theroux’s “The Great Railway Bazaar.”  More on this shortly.  I’m getting a bit boring, I mostly sit around reading at night.  Not a great local pub around here, as far as I can tell…which is probably a good thing, it keeps me honest (and less paunchy).

I’ve been following the US healthcare debate online.  Read about guys who are showing up at Obama’s town hall meetings with guns.  Charming.  We look deeply sophisticated in front of the rest of the world when our redneck citizens carry shotguns to the President’s meetings.  And I loved hearing about the guy who had a sign reading “Keep the government away from my Medicare!”  That program, of course, is administered by said government.  It’s pathetic how ill-informed most Americans are…and the damage being done is severe.  It’s already nearly impossible to have a meaningful, open debate on the right level of taxation (which is of course linked to the right level/quality of services), on bearing arms (by no means an open and shut case, if you read the 2^nd Amendment – and certainly a scary prospect in general, considering the mental state of many gringos), and on the right level of government involvement in the economy (which, of course, equals “Socialism” – ha).  So guess what?  Our 25^th-ranked healthcare system won’t be getting much better anytime soon.  Nothing to celebrate, that’s for sure.

The weather here has been grim – over 35 degrees Celsius most days, humid as hell, and rains every afternoon/evening.  Which makes getting a taxi all the harder.  That said, I haven’t had too many late nights this time round…I’m managing to get home by around 7:30, go for a run, and eat before midnight.  That all may change if we get even busier, but for now I’m counting my blessings.

Read that the journalist Robert Novak died.  He was the guy who did the story on Valerie Plame and outed her as a CIA agent.  Of course, the real “outer” was Dick Cheney, who managed to slime his way out of the investigation; his chief of staff, Scooter Libby took the hit.  Even W. was smart enough not to expunge the conviction from Libby’s record – although he did commute the prison sentence.  Cheney was lobbying Bush to erase the conviction right up until their final day in office, but W. seems to have figured out that Libby and Cheney were deep in the shit on this one and deserved what they got.  The ludicrous bit is that Cheney’s still out there, mouthing off, whining about Obama…his reputation is in shambles and will only get worse as more’s made public about the tortures and unconstitutional activities over the past years.  Bye bye Dickie boy…

Took a taxi to the office a few days after getting back from the RP.  Saw a laborer on the street shoveling sand on the sidewalk.  It must have been 38 degrees C outside – this, friends, is why a college degree is so important.  Not that this fellow was complaining – if he wasn’t doing this, he’d probably be shoveling manure onto fields in Sichuan Province…

Had a call the next day with a former colleague who now heads strategy for a big pharma distributor.  The call went well, but the next steps looked to be daunting.  He had an Executive Team Meeting in a week and a half, and we had potentially committed to a sizeable bit of support for the meeting.  I wasn’t keen for a huge fire drill…we agreed to talk on Monday to decide the gameplan.  Sort of made my weekend a bit less enjoyable, with this hanging over my head.  I can take a certain amount of ambiguity and uncertainty, but not an endless quantity…

Had dinner with another former colleague that night, at a very nice Italian place near the Portman Ritz Hotel in Shanghai Center.  He now heads the local subsidiary of a major pharmaco.  Hadn’t seen him in 10 years, since we were on a case together in Tokyo.  He managed to escape from this case, which was the most brutal I ever worked on, and my last recall of him was saying goodbye to me in the lobby of the Westin Ebisu in Tokyo, and leaving me to deal with an annoying client.  Anyway, it was great seeing him again after all this time.  We traded lots of war stories and talked about pharma in China – which is changing by the minute and presenting interesting opportunities.  Might be a chance for us to work together before long.

Had a 9 p.m. call that night, Friday night – not something I enjoy.  The weekend should start earlier than that.  Did the call, then went out for a couple drinks, but I was fried from the week and didn’t last too long.

On Saturday I did my slew of errands – haircut (the local barbershop loves me, they all crowd around when I go in there), did some food shopping, read the newspaper and, of course, some work slides, and went for a run.  Noticed that Ramadan started today – last Ramadan I was in Turkey and the Middle East, that was an intense experience.  Not quite the same in Shanghai, although there are Muslims here and at least one mosque out in Pudong, if not more.

I stayed in that night – watched a movie and did some reading.  And when Sunday rolled around, I was just as lazy.  Had lunch at a nearby joint called Amazing Cantonese…read…watched The Godfather, as brilliant as ever…took a long nap.  Got up and switched on the living room light switch, there was a loud pop and the sound of breaking glass.  Ugh.  I’d had a couple aircon units on, and must have blown a fuse.  Went out in the hallway, turned the master switch to my flat on…nothing.  I eventually called my assistant, and went down to the complex’s guardhouse, where I handed a guard the phone and she told him what had happened.  They got a technician, who promptly came up and opened a wall panel I’d never seen before.  He switched on all the switches behind it, and everything came on.  Coolio.  I felt like a dumb lao wai (foreigner), but didn’t really care.  At least I’d get to sleep with aircon and not sweat the entire night.

Spent a half hour sweeping and vaccuming the broken light bulb.  First time I’d used a vacuum (or broom) in at least 4 years.  I’m really becoming domesticated these days…

Didn’t sleep well that night.  Was it the nap?  The electrical blowout?  Who knows.  I woke up cranky, and my stomach hurt…I’d tried some random things at Amazing Cantonese, and apparently they weren’t that amazing.  Nothing worse than a bad Monday morning.  I could only look forward to the rains…

Long day at work.  Of course.  I came home cranky, with diarrhea.  And it was only Monday night…

Woke up on Tuesday with my stomach still aching, and I still had the runs.  I don’t think I’ve ever called in sick to work, and I wasn’t about to start.  Went it, and after a couple hours I started to feel better.  I would not say that work is the best antidote for these sorts of illness (sex is much preferred), but I wasn’t complaining.  Had a productive day at work.  Still no word from my former colleague at the drug distributor about the meeting support, and time was slipping away.  Still, I was kind of happy I’d had the 2 days to recover without having to run a work fire drill.

Had a call that night with some senior colleagues.  The last time I’d done a work call with them was 4-5 years ago.  Just like old times.

Flew to Beijing the next morning.  Heavy morning traffic, I feared I’d left home too late, but then things cleared up and I got to Honqiao Airport 50 minutes before the flight – all clear.  My taxi intercom was making a “ping” sound much like that made by Lotus Notes when an email arrives – somewhat unsettling.  There is truly no escape from email.

Got into Beijing, and promptly had an insane day.  Rushed to the office, cranked out a short slide deck that had to get done ASAP.  On my flight I’d cranked out another document for my evening meeting.  Went to some client meetings that took the rest of the day.  Then went to “Full Link Plaza” to meet a former client for a coffee, he’d moved companies and was now the General Manager of China for a big Japanese pharmaco.  We met at a Starbucks – which was full of stunning women, I really must make a note to go back there soon.  My friend soon arrived, with a rather fetching new colleague in tow.  We had a fun chat about the China situation, and about the past – it felt like a Friday afternoon after all I’d been through that week and day…by rights I should have been able to declare it a Friday and take 2 days off afterward.

Took it easy that night.  Had a client call the next morning that didn’t go that well, the clients were French, and were using speakerphone, so it was difficult to understand what they were saying.  I’m much better face-to-face, but that wasn’t an option here so had to struggle through.  Sort of annoying.

Headed to the airport to fly back to Shanghai.  Called newish potential girlfriend N. in Bangkok – I was heading through Bangkok that weekend en route to a client meeting in Singapore.  Got her on the phone, was nice to hear her voice – I like the way she (sort of) speaks English.  We made a date for Saturday night – I was really looking forward to that.

I passed out on the flight – so weary from being ill and from the insane rush of the week.  I hope that 1) the weather improves soon, and 2) things get somewhat more calm at work.

Friday morning – did a training session for some of the younger consultants, we’ve cut back on training this year due to the economic situation.  But the need is there, and I’m trying to do my part to ensure that at least some training happens and that morale doesn’t deteriorate.

Read somewhere that China has over 600 leprosy rehab centers.  Those must be absolutely charming…

Flew to Bangkok – smooth ride.  At Immigration, I had to ask the agent not to stamp a blank page – he was poised to do that and I cringed, I only have a few blanks left and am already started to worry about replacing my passport.

Checked into Starry Place, an apartment building on Soi Rangnaam.  Friend Bob used to stay here, then he got sick of it and moved to VP Tower, where I’ve also stayed recently.  But I wanted a change of pace and Starry did the trick.  Hadn’t stayed there in a couple years, but they seemed to remember me, in that careless Thai way of theirs…

Went out for a couple drinks that night.  Bob was in the States so I was pretty much on my own.  Anyway, no shortage of things to do in the City of Lights/Life/Wild Times so boredom was never a fear.

On Saturday I took care of some pressing matters.  Got a couple vaccines at Bumrungrad Hospital – I love that place.  You go in, tell them what you want, and you’re out in 30-45 minutes, signed sealed and delivered.  And the cost is half or less of what it would be in the West.

Went to Central World Mall, bought a new pair of New Balance running shoes.  My heels have been sore and I’m hoping that new shoes will take care of this, but imagine I might need to make some other changes.  Went to glitzy Siam Paragon Mall and bought two more pairs of shoes – black wingtips (Thai made – let’s see how those go) and brown Doc Martens, with a huge sole.  Take that, plantar faschitis!

I don’t think I’ve ever bought 3 pairs of shoes in a single day – I basically turned over my entire footwear collection except for my Tevas.  Pretty random.

Took a wonderful nap.  Went for a run in the nearby park, the 6 p.m. calisthenics session was just letting out.  I often avoid this and run later when in town, but there were some fine sights leaving the park and I didn’t regret starting when I did.

Met N. in the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel.  Took a taxi to Water Bar, where we had a few drinks, listened to music, and ate some great local food.  I am quite fond of N. – she’s very sweet and has a killer smile.  And she’s fun to talk with.  After Water Bar, we went to Saxophone, where we talked and listened to the live band for a couple more hours.  Nice kiss goodnight, and I put her in a taxi.  Fun date – I’m looking forward to seeing her again.  Not the least bit annoying – at least not yet!  I think this was my first date since I’d gone out for Syrian food with Lydia in Tashkent last summer.  Syrian food with Lydia in Tashkent…Thai food with N. in Bangkok…you make the call.

Slept late on Sunday, the curtains at Starry Place are pretty solid/thick and the sun doesn’t intrude too much.  Got up and went out for some street food.  Then I checked out and did some reading for work, the meeting with my former colleague and his associates loomed and I had to get my act together.  The assignment was more concise than originally planned, but it was still a challenge for me.

Flew to Singapore.  Landed, checked into the Conrad Hotel – yet another terrific hotel in this city.  Checked email – the client had postponed our meeting.  Ugh.  You’ve gotta to kidding me.  Well, I was already in Sing, and had dinner plans with friends Monday night, so I’d just work in our office on Monday and focus on the distribution meeting prep.  I got that document in decent shape by evening, and then caught a cab to my friends’ place in a residential section (felt almost suburban).  Hadn’t seen Angie in more than 3 years, I’d seen Nigel in Mumbai a few months earlier.  They live in perhaps the most stunning spread of any friends of mine – a beautiful Bali-style two-story house, with a separate kitchen/maid quarters, and at least a couple acres with lawn, pool, and trees.  To die for.  Had a very fun time catching up with them, they’re doing well and enjoying the “permanent expat” lifestyle in Sing.  Good for them.   We parted around 1 a.m., full of beer, beef, and red wine.

Woke up the next morning with a gruesome headache, and had a 7:30 a.m. internal call regarding my distribution meeting.  Got some very helpful ideas from my colleagues, so was happy I’d dragged my ass out of bed for the call.  Went into the office after checking out of the hotel – worked a bit more on the meeting document, which I’d share with my former colleague the next day in Hong Kong, in advance of the actual full team meeting.  Things were coming into place and my anxiety level was slowly diminishing.

Went to the airport.  Singapore is the Asian Switzerland, never any trouble getting a cab, even during rush hour – and the airport is never more than 30 minutes away.  And Changi Airport is like a world-class shopping mall.

Got on the flight.  A dude put his suitcase in the overheard compartment and I caught a brutal whiff of his underarm pong.  Many Asians don’t bother with deodorant, here was a real exemplar.  I almost passed out.  Otherwise, the flight to Hong Kong was smooth.

Landed in HKG, headed into the city, and checked into the Luk Kwok Hotel.  Went out for a couple beers in Wanchai, just for old times’ sake.  Chatted with a cute Filipina, but decided not to get into any further trouble, it was only midweek and I still had a lot to plow through – I needed a clear head.

Read emails – ugh.  The client meeting was pushed back to next Tuesday.  I’d still meet my former colleague the next day and show him my discussion document, but would probably have to return to HKG again in a few days’ time.  Not a terrible situation, I love HKG…but things were already getting backed up.

Read about the fashion designed Anand Jon getting sentenced to 59 years in prison for rape.  I recalled having gone to a fashion show in Goa a few years ago, his sister, also a famous designed, kicked off the affair and urged us all to ‘get sloshed.’  Evidently “good times” run in this family…

Got up on Wednesday morning, checked email before going to see my friend.  Got a disturbing email from university buddy Paul, his high school buddy Brad, whom I’d met and had fun with on many occasions, had died in NYC from alcohol abuse.  Jeez.  He’d always had problems with the bottle, but he went back to b-school a while ago and then went into finance/accounting in NYC, and we thought he’d turned things around.  What a loss, he was an incredible lively, music-loving (he played sax with unbelievable emotion) bon vivant, and I was floored.  I felt a bit off the rest of the day.

Got a weird email from the former manager of the superb Malabar House Hotel in Fort Cochin, India, where I’d stayed many years ago.  Francis, the manager, was opening his own inn, Tissa’s, and wanted to let me know that.  Francis had no idea I’d ever left Monitor – I must have given him my card when I was there, around 2002 I think.  So he’s the only person from my first go-around at Monitor who went ahead and emailed me during round 2 without knowing about my sabbatical – to Francis, it’s like I never had one.  Sort of funny, if you think about it…

Went and saw my friend, and showed him my document, which he quite liked.  We wound up spending 2 hours talking.  Then went  back to my room, had an internal call, took a nap, and went for a run.  Solid day.  Had dinner at my old favorite, Shanghai 369, just down the street.  Noodle soup and steamed jiaozu (dumplings) – perfect fare.

Got up on Thursday, decided to inhale some McD’s breakfast before starting my day.  Plowed through emails, nothing too shocking this morning.  Then went to the airport to fly back to Shanghai.  I reflected on the past week – I’d spent time in China, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and was now returning to China.  Solid week of travel.

Read in the paper that the former Attorney General of Ontario, Canada, who was known for campaigning for tough traffic laws, had killed a bike courier.  Apparently they’d had a minor scrape, the courier grabbed onto the car door, and the former AG had stepped on the gas and deliberately swerved towards trees and mailboxes, eventually knocking the guy off and killing him.  Crikey, what a world!

Got to Shanghai, cleared Immigation and got a taxi.  It was 5:30 p.m., traffic looked to be bad, so I pulled out my iPod and listened to music for the entire 90 minute ride.  Queen’s “Under Pressure,” and a slew of Steely Dan songs (“Here at the Western World,” “Any Major Dude”) were what I listened to.  I noticed that my taxi was a VW Santana, most appropriate…

The next day was Friday, always a bad day for getting cabs.  Waiting for a half hour despite getting an early start.  Almost went back home to sit out rush hour, but eventually a taxi pulled over.  Went to the office, where I met my new assistant, Lynn – the last and only time I’d met her, we interviewed in a cab while I was heading to the airport.  I was happy she was joining us, our current assistant Stella is way too busy.

We all went out for lunch, something that doesn’t happen often enough.  Another new hire was Jasper, who had been with us, then went to b-school.  So the lunch was really to welcome he and Lynn.  Went to nearby Citizen resto, which has great Sichuanese cuisine.

Got a call from an old friend/former client, who also works in Shanghai.  His pharmaco is looking for some support and he might have us do the work.  That would be terrific – I’d like to sell more work, let’s see where this goes.  Could unfold fairly quickly, like nearly everything in this biz…

Called N. in Bangkok, it was her birthday.  She was going out for dinner with her roommate…I sighed, my own plans that night were decidedly less appealing.

Finished the Theroux book before heading out.  Very good book all round – he spent time on the Trans-Sib, and I identified closely with his experiences.  Desolation but also revelation.  The only issue with this book is that I was so busy with work, it took me a month (or more) to finish it, and at times I’d nearly lose the storyline.  This is the sort of book you should plow through in 3-4 days, then you’d get the true sense of the adventure Theroux took.  I’ve gotta get more of his books, he’s my sort of travel writer, cynical but also open to learning.

I realized that I’ve now been back at work for 6 months.  Ye gods…

Went out that night and checked out a few nightspots.  Also called Paul to discuss friend Brad…we were both beside ourselves with sadness over losing him.  Not much more to say than that.  There are so many things in life that it’s hard to know what’s going on sometimes…

Got an email from friends Rory and Anne, whom I’d met in Ulaan Bataar on a Hash Run.  They’re back in Shanghai now, after summering at their farmhouse in Bulgaria.  Looking forward to seeing them again, they’re always a lot of fun.  And I really do need to start doing the Hash here, I’ve been very lazy (or away) on Sundays…

Yesterday, Saturday, I sat around and watched Godfather 2, quite good for a sequel.  Did some reading, then went out for a kip.  Almost ducked into Kaiba, a new Belgian beer bar near my flat, but it looked dead so took a cab into the city center.  Went to the Bulldog, a cool pub with some rather stunning wait staff.  And they have non-stop 2-for-1 drink deals, so essentially all drinks are 50% off.  Granted they inflate the price first, but it still works out well.

Tried to recall the Japanese word for chopsticks, and could not (the beer might have played a role here).  I know the Mandarin word, kwai tze (“fast little fellows”).  I think Mandarin is slowly crowding out my Japanese, I probably only have capacity for one demanding Asian language.  Oh well.

Slept late today, Sunday.  Had lunch at my favorite little place, Shen Ya, near the Crowne Plaza.  Came back, read some work slides, practiced guitar (finally), and went for a long run at the Jiaotong University track.  Now I’m finishing this 8-page slog posting, and I might just return to the Bulldog for a burger (they look stupendous), a beer, and some eye candy.  It’s Sunday night, must squeeze a bit more out of the weekend.  Thanks for being patient with this posting, it’s been 3 weeks…believe me, it bothers me even more, I cringe knowing how much material I save and must cover after that length of time.  Fare thee well, gentle readers.  Over and out.

I’m writing this on a Philippines Airlines jet from Manila to Shanghai, after taking a mighty fine week off from work.  This was the first real holiday I’ve had since going back to work in March, and it left me with some interesting feelings which I’ll get into a bit later on in this posting.

The week before my holiday was busy, as usual – one of my projects, in which I was originally supposed to play a spot role, heated up, and it looks like I’ll need to play a major role and even step in as project leader in a few weeks.  Hmmm.  Lots of 3-hour meetings – including with market research vendors, my favorite – late night calls, and slides to write and read.  I do think I know how to live well, but sometime you’d be hard-pressed to believe it…

Even tasks that should be viewed as neutral, at the very least – like doing my monthly expense report, which is a prerequisite for getting reimbursed for travel expenses – are a major chore.  As my vacation loomed, it struck me that taking off a week every 2 months is probably the right balance.  I get four weeks off plus the Xmas holiday, so every 2 months is not exactly workable – but I do plan to take my holidays (unlike in the old days, where I never seemed to have the time to break free), and take them on a regular basis.  For a guy who had 3 years off, I think that’s entirely reasonable.  I’ve had a glimpse at a very different way of living and spending the day…and I remain acutely aware that the other lifestyle is still an option, and perhaps a viable one given improving economic prospects.

Read a great New Yorker article on travel across Siberia, by Ian Frazier.  Reminded me of my own sojourn across that wild land, on the Trans-Sib a bit over a year ago.  That was a lifetime memory and reading Frazier’s story brought back memories of the earthiness and sense of adventure I sensed and felt while in that part of Russia.  When I get back to the office tomorrow, I suspect there’ll be another edition of the New Yorker waiting for me, with the second/concluding part of the article.  How I love to read…

Speaking of which, I think I’m holding off on the Kindle purchase for the time being.  It can’t receive wireless downloads outside the US, and that’s a major feature for me.  When they deal with that, I’ll go out and buy one, but until then I’ll make do with paper.

Bought a few stocks last week – a mix of sectors and geographical plays.  Hopefully we’re not about to double-dip…in any event, now that I have cash coming in, I can take some risks and buy at valuations that should look like steals a few years down the road, if not sooner.  Oh, for that crystal ball…

A couple days before I took off for vacation, I sold a case to a global client looking to expand in China.  I was happy about that, and the timing was good – while I’ve been back at work for 5 or so month now, I’ve only been in China for a couple months, and I was feeling a slight pang of guilt.  No more.  And I need to be on the lookout for this sentiment – I’ve been working hard and deserve a break.  I wonder where this feeling comes from…I mean, I’m not Lutheran.

Had dinner with our top project leader after work one night – we went to a good Italian place near the office.  Was actually looking forward to something more interesting, but that was convenient and we had a very good chat.  I think my being on the ground in Shanghai is helping him develop – we don’t have enough senior presence here, everyone’s traveling all the time, and I’m the most stable senior resource around.  Funny, that.

That was a prime topic of our conversation, and we decided to get me more involved in the fabric of the office.  So on Friday we had an office lunch at a nice Sichuanese place near the office, and I set up a training session for a couple weeks down the road – given the attention on costs these days, things like training have been reined in.  Let’s see how these various efforts go – maybe I’m adding more value than I expected to.

Friday was a crazy day – last day before heading off to the Philippines, and lots to do.  Had a morning call to continue prepping for an upcoming client meeting…did a few other things, then we had the office lunch…finally I had to race back to the office to meet 3 prospective new executive assistants before going to the airport.  All 3 of the candidates were solid, I was pleased about that.  Despite there being a plethora of available labor in China, you really do need to look hard to find the right people, and the goalposts are constantly shifting.  I was so pressed for time that I did the final interview in a car en route to Pudong Airport – the young lady lives in Pudong so this was actually a good option for her.  I’ve done interviews and meetings in cars and trains en route to various airports around the world, and it’s definitely an option when there aren’t any stable alternatives.  The chat was pretty enjoyable, she was quite charming and it certainly beat reading dozens of slides during the hour-long ride.

Flew to Manila, checked into a hotel in Makati City, and had dinner with a friend.  I was in Manila for a long weekend to take care of some errands and see a couple friends, including a lass I’d met some time before and who’d also be in town that weekend.  We wound up hanging out together most of the weekend, and that was good fun.  We walked around the gigantic SM Mall of Asia and had lunch at Fish Company, a place I often visit when in town…watched random TV shows, including a tribute to Cory Aquino from her daughter Kris (a bit melodramatic, but hey), dinner at a superb Vietnamese-fusion place called Aquaknox, and finally some karaoke at Platinum KTV in Makati City.

On Sunday at breakfast I heard a song that I always hear while in the RP, with lyrics like “and I can’t get you out of my dreams.”  I’ve never been able to find out who sings this song, but I asked a waitress and she told me straightaway, ‘Sitti Navarro,’ who’s a Filipina singer.  Not sure if she wrote the song, but she sings the version I always hear, and later that day I picked up a copy of the song.  Check that box.  That’s a great thing about the RP, there’s always music on, some of it is seriously classic stuff, other songs are modern and catchy.

My lady friend had to catch a bus home that afternoon, so I was now entirely free.  Walked over the the Power Plant Mall to look around, malling is a good way to spend a couple hours when it’s hot out.  I wanted to see if the British India shop had anything good, and to grab a bite.  While wandering out to the mall, I had a pathetic moment – my Teva got caught in some sort of grating, and I took a major spill.  No wounds, except to my pride, but my Teva was somewhat mangled, and I got up rueing the likelihood of a ruined Teva.  Where would I find another pair nearby, and even if I did, it would probably set me back US$50-80.  Ugh.  At least I didn’t have a broken bone or scrape, the fall was out of the blue and I could have hurt myself.

I changed to my loafers, and went to the mall.  Soon after getting there, I noticed a little shop called Mr. Quickie, which specialized in shoe repair.  Hmmm.  I took a look at some of their output and decided they could probably fix my Teva.  Went back to the hotel, got the Teva, and brought it to the mall.  They looked at it and told me to return in a few hours.  That sounded promising – in the RP, the smallest things take hours, so Mr. Quickie was looking downright blazing.

Went to a few bookshops looking for “The Tesseract,” by Alex Garland of “The Beach” fame.  This was his second novel, and is a crime thriller set in, where else, Maniller.  Supposedly quite good…but of course, no RP bookshop seems to have it in stock.  And I doubt it’s selling out, it’s quite old by now, they probably just don’t bother carrying it.  I guess I’ll just order it the old-fashioned way – on Amazon.com.  But it would have been good to read it in Manila, right now.

Took a wonderful nap – the perfect thing to do on a very hot and/or very rainy day here.  I really miss this option from my sabbatical.  Then I got up, read for a bit, and went for a decent run – although the heat really wore me out.  Showered and went back to the mall, where I fetched my nicely repaired Teva and handed over the equivalent of US$1.40.  I love this place.  But let’s see how the shoe holds up, appearances here are often deceiving…

Had dinner that night at Ziggurat, a Middle Eastern-themed place in Makati that I’ve seen many times but never visited.  Had a decent plate of hummus and then a mixed kebab/kofte platter – not exceptional, but pretty good for Manila, and a welcome change from the usual RP fare.  After that, hit a couple bars, didn’t stay out too late as was flying to Cebu the next morning.

Got up with nary a headache, packed up, and went to the airport.  Was looking forward to spending a couple lazy days in Cebu before moving on to Dumaguete, an old fave of mine where I’d see some friends.  Got to Cebu and checked into Holiday Plaza Hotel, an old dependable, right n ear Fuente Osmena.  This area is full of life and I like staying around here.  Lots of lodging options, I’ve got 3-4 I tend to juggle.

Spent an hour or so tracking down a ferry ticket to Dumaguete…all the usual places no longer carry these.  Finally found a place not 20 meters from my hotel, around the back – hopefully they’ll be around for a while, every time I’m in Cebu I seem to waste time finding a place to buy the ticket.  I could go down to the port itself, but that’s a real pain.  At one of the travel agents I checkout out (unsuccessfully), they’re a local agent for FedEx, and they have a sign on the wall with the countries to which they can’t deliver:  Iraq, Cuba, North Korea, I think Iran, and a couple others.  Talk about the axis of evil…

Tried to find the Garland book here too, but no success.  Sometimes you just have to throw up your hands and punt…

Took another nap, then went for a good but hard run at the Cebu City Sports Center, an oval track down the road a bit.  Sweated my poisons out and went back to the hotel to cool off and shower.  Walked over to El Gecko, a great little resto-bar owned by Briton Mark, whom I met at a wedding in Cebu a couple years ago (man, the time flies).  He’s selling the place – has been trying for a year now – for 3 million Pesos, about US$60K.  Not sure if that’s a good price or not – but while having a San Miguel there the thought crossed my mind that this might be a nice little biz.  Of course, there are the usual restaurant-related nightmares – staff stealing from you, having to spend every night there, getting fat/drunk, etc. etc.  But at least the place isn’t a startup, and it’s usually got at least a few customers in there.  I probably won’t bother with this, but it did make me think.

Regular readers will probably recognize many/most of the places I mention in this posting, from my many previous visits to the RP.  I hope I don’t sound like a broken record, and that you actually find the constant themes vaguely reassuring…the Gentle Dragon does have his routines, even if they’re far-flung and difficult to detect in any given month or two…

Tuesday morning I got up pretty early, had a client call which went pretty well.  After that, a free day – bought a couple newspapers, had a coffee, went to the Ayala Center to walk around and also see godlike chiropractor and emerging friend Dr. Pardis, a Montanan who has done wonders for my back over the past 2-3 years.  A real find…I’ve seriously considered flying to Cebu just to see him in my worst times of pain.  I’m feeling fine right now, but 4-5 weeks ago, while afflicted with the seafood heebee-jeebies, I also had bad low back pain and was in a crap state and mood for a while.  I really do need to get into a regular yoga routine, but that would, of course, mean not looking at email compulsively upon rising in the morning.  In my current business that might constitute malpractice…

Took another nap – absolutely glorious.  Got up and did some emailing, then went for another run.  Showered, then visited the Silver Dollar Bar, a classic place in Cebu.  The usual scene – panting expats and lovely local dancing ladies.  I like a dose of this now and then.  Had some funny conversations with the dancers, then left as happy hour was shutting down to get some dinner.  Decided to go to nearby Larsian, an outdoors BBQ “arena” with 25 or so individual BBQ vendors competing to stuff your gut.  Larsian is one of Cebu’s real draws and unique aspects – not something most tourists ever see, but I think there’s a lot in Cebu that’s not immediately apparent to visitors, most of whom just pass through en route to the various Visayan jewels like Negros, Malapascua, Bohol, etc.  Cebu yields up her charms quite slowly, over time – and I’ve now spent enough time there to get a solid sense of the place and its charms.  That’s why I keep returning, gentle readers…

Had the usual fare at Larsian – chicken, pork skewers, a bit of chorizo.  Strongly considered some fish, but last time I opted for that I had an unfortunate experience which, shall we say, involved difficulty in properly digesting the fish oils.  I’ll leave it at that.  It’s sad, because the fish is generally delicious – I just don’t want to be afraid to fart for the next 2-3 days.  “Freedom to far” – that should be in the Bill of Rights, don’t you think?  Much more relevant and useful than the right to bear arms, methinks.

On Wednesday morning I got up at dawn – ugh – and went to the ferry.  It departs at 6 a.m., I always wonder why I go for this as opposed to the Ceres bus or a more DIY approach which involves 3-4 different rides/small boats.  The ferry is the most straightforward – you just buy your ticket and you takes your ride – but 6 a.m. is brutal, and it’s more $$ than the other options.  I kicked myself as I got up at 4:45 a.m. and struggled to shower and pack.  Made it just as the ferry was boarding – then we were delayed 15-20 minutes anyway.  Typical.  I really do need to go a different way next time – it’s just that the bus times aren’t always clear, and the DIY approach can also involve major delays.  That said, the ferry can often be late (particularly on the way back to Cebu), so no option is bulletproof.

Got into Dumaguete, a real little jewel of a city.  Friend Steve wasn’t there, he was in the States with his family for a few months, his usual rainy season/winter routine.  And friend Mike, diveshop owner, was coming back in a couple days from California.  I checked into new Hotel Nicanor, booked for me by Christine, a young woman I’d met last time in Dumaguete and with whom I’ve been in frequent contact since.  We both thought it would be good to see each other again and see if there was anything there.

Walked around for a while, then collapsed for a few hours – the early morning had really done a number on me.  I slept for a good 3 hours – well beyond nap territory and into real sleep.  Got up and met Christine and her friend Bibi at the diveshop, where we ate dinner.  Then we had a coffee at Cafe Antonio, a newish place, and finally we went up to Hayahay, for the weekly Reggae Night, one of the city’s institutions.  Fun night, the band was terrific – not really reggae, more bossa nova (and they played “The Impression that I Get” by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, a great track)…but I didn’t feel much of a connection with Christine, and that wasn’t much of a surprise.  Most of our phone calls had been one-way (i.e., me doing 80% of the talking), and while I was jazzed to come back to Dumaguete, it was as much to hang out, dive, and see friend Mike as it was to see her.  But I decided not to make any hasty decisions, and at midnight, when the band finished up, we all went back into town, and I went to my hotel, saying goodnight to the girls.  Christine is a good girl and knows people at the hotel, so she couldn’t easily sneak up to my room.  And anyway, we weren’t anywhere near that stage yet, at least not as far as I could see.

I snuck out for a couple beers at WhyNot Disco, just to get back in the swing of things.  It was rocking fairly hard…I just took it all in and then retreated to my hotel to chill.

Got up early again the next day, this time to go diving at Sumillon Island with Mike’s #2, Marlon, and a couple other foreigners – Mark the Aussie and Daniel the kraut, with his Pinay girlfriend (or whatever).  Marlon had decided on Wednesday afternoon (while I was slumbering) that we’d be diving Sumillon, a full day that involved hour-long rides to and fro the island, and 3 dives while there.  I was up for it, but really wouldn’t have minded a later start, I was getting sick of early starts.  But I was in, this was really the only day I had blocked off/available for diving, and I’d be damned if I’d come all the way there without diving.  Diving is a true antidote to big city living and I was in sore need of some of that.

The day was, as they tend to be, superb.  The sun was shining – not a certainty in this season – and the seas were flat.  We were all excited to be spending the day diving, the excitement was palpable as we drove out there on the bangka boat.  Not many better ways to spend a sunny day, methinks.

The diving itself was good, not spectacular…we didn’t see any reef sharks, just one angel ray and a couple giant turtles.  But the coral walls were colorful and massive, and it was just good to be in a different zone.  And we had a good little group – Mark in particular is a very good guy, he’s in the process of buying some land in Dumaguete and moving there in the medium-term.  I’ve met some good folks there, maybe I should get a piece of land in Duma or Cebu and stake a bit of a claim as well.  Not sure about how real estate values will go there, but I suspect they’ll rise as the place gets more popular with both locals and expats…

I’d given some laundry to the hotel that morning before diving…now, when I returned to the hotel, it still wasn’t ready.  Not that big a deal, I was going to snooze a bit – diving makes me tired, always.  But my laundry load was big, and without getting that back I had no pants to wear out that night.  This became a bit of an ordeal, no one at the hotel seemed to be able to give me a straight story.  The laundry will be here in 15 minutes…we had to send it out and we don’t know where the boy is…etc. etc.  I was too concerned they’d lost my stuff to sleep, so I did a few emails and watched the tube.  No news.  I finally called them, they said the stuff would be here in an hour.  I laid down and slept…and around an hour later, there was my laundry.  Hallelujah.  I swear in countries like the RP, you don’t want to let your stuff out of your sight.  What should be a simple operation turns into an anxiety-filled episode…

Wanted to try out a newish resto called Casablanca – supposedly a very nice Euro-style brasserie or something along those lines.  I called Christine, we decided to meet there around 9:15.  That gave me a bit of time, I wandered over to the Honeycomb Sports Bar, where I’d had a few laughs and made some nice friendships over the years.  But the place was dark and closed…it had shut down 6 months back or so, not long after my last visit.  Bummer…I’d really liked this little, modest place.  I walked around the corner and got a seat at another bar associated with the Honeycomb – I imagine this place soaked up most of the Sports Bar’s former clientele.  Had a couple beers, then took a trike to Casablanca.

It’s about time a place like this opened up in Dumaguete – very classy and civilized.  I had a glass of red and perused the menu while waiting for Christine, who showed up around 9:30.  We chatted for a while, ordered some starters (greek salad and bruschetta, both more than serviceable), and decided on mains.  I had a chicken dish…Christine at first wanted to order adobo, the national dish of the RP, but I asked her to try something else…ordering adobo in a place like this is like ordering a plain hamburger at Morton’s.  I wasn’t feeling any better about my connection with Christine, she’s very nice but I didn’t feel any spark whatsoever.

We had talked about going to nearby Siquijor Island the next day, and staying overnight – I was generally in favor of that, hadn’t been there and it’s supposed to be a great island.  Plus this approach would force things with Christine and I, afterward we’d really know if we were compatible or not.  But during dinner Christine mentioned that her mother wanted her to bring her friend along – probably not an outrageous condition, given that I was a relative unknown.  But I just wasn’t into that – I didn’t feel like allocating a precious vacation day to chaperoning two chicks around and having to listen to their inside jokes.  I told her I needed to think about it, and we talked about other things.  Finished dinner, and walked outside.  Christine wanted to know about Siquijor the next day – I came out and gave her the lowdown.  I wasn’t excited about the “new” Siquijor plan…I wasn’t feeling terrific compatibility between us…and that she should probably find a local guy and not some far-off foreigner who might seem exciting but would be flaky (i.e., me).  She seemed to take that advice calmly, said OK, and said she had to go.  I suspected she would be holding up less well in a few minutes, but I put her in a trike and off she went.

I felt a bit badly afterward, but I’m at the stage of my life where I need to be straight with people, and I didn’t want to lead her on.  She’s a lot younger than I am, and I was feeling at times like I was giving her fatherly advice – not a feeling I wanted to have.  So I felt like I did the right thing, all things considered.  Then again, I’m pretty good at self-rationalizing…

I was exhausted so I just back to the hotel and relaxed.  Got a great night’s sleep, slept till 10 a.m., a real rarity these days.  Had breakfast at Coco Amigos, with coffee and newspaper.  Then I went back to the hotel to do a few emails and read, it was blazing hot outside and I didn’t feel the need to do anything more.  I texted Christine and told her that if she wanted to talk, she should let me know.  Next thing I knew, there was a knock on the door, I opened it and there stood Christine.  Interesting.  She came in, we sat on the bed, and talked for a while.  I reiterated the things I’d said the night before, she seemed a bit sad but held up OK.  Then she wanted to show me pictures on her digital camera, from a school party they’d had the week before.  She’d emailed me pics already, right after the party, so I wasn’t sure why she wanted me to see the entire set…but I felt I’d wronged her in some way, or at least let her down, and she is very sweet, so I sat there and watched her camera’s slide show – which went on for at least a half-hour.  She told me there was about 100 pics there – there were probably 300.  Slight torture, but I  grinned and bore it.  Then I said I had to go – which was true, I wanted to see Mike at the diveshop, he was back from the States.  Christine said bye and left ahead of me – and that was that.  Somewhat weird…didn’t feel like closure but I suppose not all things end cleanly.

Turned out Mike was sleeping at home, he’d been in early and would be back at 6.  I got some lunch at Lee Super Plaza, then went back to my room to read and relax.  At 6 I went back to the diveshop, there was Mike in all his glory.  He’s brought back some abalone and dry tip from California, we grilled it up and it was excellent.  By far the best abalone I’ve ever had, and they eat a lot of that out here.  It’s usually pretty tasteless and rubbery, but Mike grilled it perfectly and it was chewy and tasty.  The dry tip was also great – you just can’t easily find good prime beef in the RP.  Mark the Aussie was there, and eventually Rudi the German proprietor of DumagueteInfo.com rocked up too.  We sat there and ate and talked for a long while, then Mike took his family home and we continued on for a while.  Eventually I broke off to go to Why Not, where I saw Rudi again late night.  At one point I found myself between two attractive local women in the karaoke room, singing Barry Manilow songs.  Not quite sure how that happened, but it was fun at the time.  I went over to El Camino Blanco for one more beer, then hit the sack pretty late, around 3 a.m. or so.  Good night out.  The next afternoon I’d head back to Cebu for one final night, then up to Manila and straight on to Shanghai.

Got up around 10:30 – solid effort.  Packed, checked out of Hotel Nicanor, which was just great – a very nice, new, clean aircon room for under US$20/night.  Much better than the other options around town.  Had lunch at Boston Café, not quite Bostonian fare but had a nice garlic fish, salad and rice and coffee, read the paper and sat there in the chilly room, escaping the brutal heat outside.

Went by the diveshop to spend my last hour or so, Mike was off diving in Dauin, so I did some emails and had a mango shake.  Mark turned up, we chatted a bit and then I took a trike to the port.  The waiting room was nice and cool – they’d finally installed (or fixed) the aircon, so it was no longer torture.  Given that the boat arrived an hour late, I was thankful for these small measures.

Four-hour ride to Cebu.  Read the newspaper, they’ve passed a “Cheaper Medicines Law” here and are lowering the prices of critical drugs by up to 50%.  Good idea in general, but lots of political posturing.  The Pres., Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA), loves to get her name’s acronym out there, so in this particular ad they have the slogan “Government-Mandated Access (GMA)”.  Give me a break – what cacique bullshit.  And in Manila, you see street sweepers wearing shirts with some sort of GMA slogan on the back.  It’s all very dictator-like…forget the normal power of the state, it’s all a cult of personality.  The problem in her case is that she’s deeply unpopular, so it’s quite pathetic and cheesy.

Got into Cebu, went back to Holiday Plaza.  Showered, then went out for a few beers.  Went into Papillon Bar, hadn’t been there in years.  I used to have a friend who worked there, but she wasn’t there and it seems she left a few months ago.  Oh well.  Went to a few other places, then went to sleep – had a fairly early morning looming.

Got up at 6, headed to the airport.  Managed to grab a quick breakfast at the hotel, that helped me get through the long day of travel, first to Manila, then on to Shanghai.  Fairly smooth flights, though – I was somewhat concerned because around 5 a.m. it started to absolutely pour in Cebu, but it had mostly died down by 7 a.m. and I guess it didn’t screw up the flights too much.  Wouldn’t have been much fun to hang around the various airports, or miss a flight, but that didn’t happen.  So I’m writing this entry in my flat in Shanghai, where I’m about to go out for a run, then get some good Chinese food.  Tomorrow I’m back at work…within 3 hours it will probably feel like I had no time off whatsoever.  That’s probably not a good thing…although it’s largely my fault, even when I’m on holiday I check emails and take care of critical biz, otherwise the reentry would be far too shocking.  So I’m pretty much ready and prepared for the reentry, but already thinking about my next holiday.  You’ve gotta have dreams, gentle readers.  Over and out.

Things are finally settling down here…I’m not getting Shanghai’ed by unexpected events and demands quite so often.  And I’m starting to realize my relative good fortune…I’ve landed in the world’s hottest economy, and am working in an area (Life Sciences) which is particularly supercharged these days, given the Chinese government’s drive for universal healthcare.  So while I might bitch and moan about being back at work, and working way too hard, I can’t really say that’s a legitimate complaint – at least not for the time being…

Fairly streamlined week.  On Monday, colleague/roommate George and I went out after work and bought a pretty nice guitar – we both dabble and want something else to do around the flat besides check email till midnight.  There’s a good music shop near the office, we went in there and tried out a few models, finally getting one called “Jaws” that has good action and sound.  I haven’t really picked up a guitar since 1995 or so, in New York…my travels largely precluded any attempt to get back into it, but now I plan to make a solid attempt.

After buying the guitar, we went out for a brilliant Chinese mealat Liafu Kitchen, on Huaihai Road.  I’d never heard of the place, but George had been there before.  One of the best meals I’ve had since getting here.  I need to watch it – I have little willpower when confronted with a slew of Chinese plates and have trouble pulling up.

That night, finished reading “The Unthinkable” by Amanda Ripley.  It’s about people who survive disasters and how they do it.  OK book – got a few pointers on how to get through bad situations, but I wasn’t blown away by the book.  Anyway, now I can tackle a book I’ve long meant to read, Paul Theroux’s “The Great Railway Bazaar – by Train Through Asia,” an old classic.  It’s a bit depressing how few books I’ve gotten through lately – I’ve only read 3 since March.  In my 3+ years off, I polished off about 100 books.  Oh well…

On Tuesday I downloaded all my contacts from my Treo into an Excel spreadsheet, then cleaned them up and sent the Life Science-related ones to our Marketing person for her database.  Surprising how easy it was to take care of this – now we’ll be able to do a lot more in the way of Marketing and sharing articles, etc.

George and I got out of work early that night, around 6 p.m.  We went over to the Jiaotong University track and went for a run.  It was nice and cool out, overcast but not raining.  I made it 8 times round the track, my best yet – usually it’s so hot I can only do 6 laps.  George was a bit off that pace but he also had a solid workout.

I went out for dinner that night with a quasi-relative, Eric from Ohio.  He’s the grandson of my uncle’s (by marriage) brother.  I suppose in Spain they have a term for that sort of “relative,” but I don’t think we have one in English.  Anyway, he’s a 17-year-old who’s studying Mandarin at home, and came here for an exchange program.  Good guy, and wise to learn Mandarin now.  We went to Southern Belle for a drink (I had a beer, he had soda), then over to Noodle Bull for some good Taiwanese noodles and tofu.

We parted way…it started to pour…I was sans umbrella so ducked into Oscar’s Pub for a beer.  Called Christine in the RP to say hi.  Finished my beer and went out, the rain had subsided and I got a cab home.  Random night in the big city…

On Wednesday I had a couple morning calls.  Then took a cab to Hongqiao Airport, I had to fly to Beijing for some meetings the next day.  Flight arrived on time, no mean feat in the Chinese summer – I had no idea it was so rainy here in July-August.  Checked into China New World Hotel, then went out to Centro Bar at the Kerry Centre Hotel for a couple drinks.  Friend/colleague Ed had recommended this place highly.  It was quite good – lots of beautiful people (I’m not counting myself in there, but give me time), good wines, and a jazz band.  Stayed for 90 minutes or so, then went back to my hotel to rest.

On Thursday I had breakfast with Ed, we discussed which healthcare conferences to participate in over the next year.  We’re doing a lot in this space now – I’m writing an article for Fortune China, I was interviewed for Global Entrepreneur magazine a few weeks ago (I have the article reprint in Chinese, with my name shown once in parentheses, in English – pretty funny), and we spoke at a Beijing “healthcare summit” recently.  I never had time to do much of this in the old days, I kind of enjoy getting out there and meeting people.  Maybe I’m becoming more extroverted as I age…or maybe it’s just that I get sick of sitting in the office in meetings and writing slide decks…

Had a slew of client meetings that day, then went to the airport to fly back to Shangers.  But my flight was cancelled, and I got on a later flight that didn’t take off till around 9:30 p.m.  Got to Shanghai around 11:15 or so, and didn’t get home till nearly midnight.  Long day.

On Friday I awoke a bit wobbly.  Had a lengthy morning meeting with my colleagues and a market research firm.  I know I add a lot of value in sessions like these, but it does feel like my time would be better spent on other things.  I was attending meetings like this one 10+ years ago, and they haven’t become any more exciting.

Went back to the office after that…did about 20 things over the course of a couple hours…then raced over to a client’s office for a discussion about their strategy.  That was much more interesting, and looks to be a good selling opportunity for us.  That’s what I should be spending my time on…

Went out that night with former colleague and money manager Yuhin, who was in town for some business.  Met at Malone’s, had a couple pitchers and caught up.  Discussed some trades I want to make next week – I have no idea where the market will go, but am in it for the long haul so want to put some cash back in now.

We had a final drink at notorious Manhattan Bar, then Yuhin took off, he had a morning flight.  I left soon after that and collapsed into bed – it had been a brutal week.

I didn’t get up until nearly 11 on Saturday.  Really needed the slumber.  Then spent the rest of the day catching up on emails, finishing my Fortune China article draft, etc.  Amazing how things can pile up.  I did escape for lunch nearby – and was still pretty tired, I suppose, because I ordered ‘ma-fan’ (trouble’) instead of ‘mi-fan’ (boiled white rice), causing the waitress to giggle uncontrollably.  Well, maybe I was looking for a bit of trouble…

Also managed to squeeze in some yoga in the afternoon.  Then took a cab over to Pudong, which is quite far off, to meet old friends Craig, who lives out there, and Chris, who I know from my Tokyo days.  Craig runs China for PRTM (consultancy), Chris runs Japan for them.  We had dinner at the Grand Hyatt in Jinmaio Tower – hadn’t been there in at least 5 years.  Terrific views, and a very classy place.  As I walked to the elevator to the 54^th floor (the lobby), I watched a Chinese kid practicing his jumper – you wouldn’t have seen that 10 years ago.

Great time with the lads – I really need to see Craig more often, he’s in the same city after all.  And I do need to get over to Tokyo, it’s been 2+ years now.  We traded anecdotes/complaints about the consulting biz, but overall we’re each doing fine and in good stead.

Craig and I had an after-dinner drink at Cloud 9 – not the gay bar near my flat, the dark and cozy bar in the Hyatt.

Went over to Malone’s and Manhattan Bar after that, had a couple more drinks but was tired and retreated to my flat around midnight or so.  Finished a New Yorker – good article on new Minnesota Senator Al Franken.  Turns out he was very close to Senator Paul Wellstone, who died in 2002 in a plane or copter crash.  Norm Coleman was his opponent, and wound up winning the race after Wellstone perished – he beat Walter Mondale, who was a last minute fill-in.  Ever since then, Franken and Coleman have been circling each other, and it looks like Franken won this round.  Fascinating story – I didn’t know this context.

Am thinking of getting a Kindle, both to cut down on the physical magazines I get and need to get shipped over here, and to expand my access to publications.  I checked on Amazon.com, you can download the International Herald-Tribune, The New Yorker, The Economist, etc. etc.  That would be great – waking up each day to a fresh copy of the newspaper, weekly magazines, and the odd book.  If you’ve had any experience with the Kindle, please let me know.  I think I’d prefer the DX model, it’s a bit bigger and makes it easier to read a full newspaper/magazine page.

Today, Sunday, I woke up around 10.  Had a coffee, then picked up the guitar where George left it on the couch.  Tuned it (we bought a cheap electric tuner – makes a huge diff), then got on the Internet and pulled up a site with the major chords.  Practiced a few of them – F was a bit tricky, as was G – but I still have a bit of muscle memory left and they came back pretty quickly.  My fingers are a bit sore but they’ll toughen up.  I’d like to get back to my former skill level – I wasn’t great, but I could read sheet music and switch chords pretty smoothly.  It will take time, I don’t plan to take lessons, given my weird schedule – but let’s see how it goes.  I’m already happy we bought the instrument and that I’m getting off my ass and giving it a go.

Took a great nap – I do miss that from my sabbatical, when I did it every other day.  It makes a big difference.  Then I went for a run at Jiaotong, in the rain.  It was cool out, and the rain kept me from overheating.  Made it 8 laps again.  But I do need to join a gym very soon, the air quality here isn’t great and I suspect I’m not able to get really deep breaths as a result (and I probably don’t want really deep breaths of this air, either).  Gotta get my assistant on the gym evaluation immediately.

On Friday I’m taking my first real holiday since Feb.  Going to the RP – Manila, Cebu, Dumaguete to see Christine.  I feel a bit guilty/predictable – I should go somewhere in China, or Indonesia, or Malaysia, or Bhutan – but I did promise Christine I’d see her, we met back in Feb and I haven’t been back down there since.  And I know I’ll have a great time, and get in some scuba.  So I’ll be predictable this time round, but over Xmas I’ll probably try somewhere more random.  Or not.  When your nose is to the grindstone, you need to know you’ll get a holiday that will bring you back happy and recharged – I can pretty much count on that in the RP.

Don’t forget to take your summer holiday too, gentle readers.  I’m not that seasonal a person, having lived in both hemispheres and not living a “normal” life with school holidays and other touchstones.  But I am slowly trying to establish a few routines – guitar, exercise, holidays, and even a bit of cooking here in my flat.  I won’t describe what I’ve been cooking up, but I’m having fun and trying not to blow up the flat.  Over and out.

As promised last week, I hit Di Shui Dong on Sunday night for some Hunanese food.  Friend Jeff and I had nearly creamed our (respective) jeans a couple weeks before at this iconic place, and I needed another fix.  The grub was as brilliant as the previous time, and my fellow patrons had the added benefit of getting to hear me try to order in Mandarin.  The waitress was momentarily flummoxed, but I eventually got it right.  A mighty cute woman at another table could hardly suppress her giggles, and shot me an enticing smile.  I thought about sending a drink her way – she was waiting for her takeaway order – but then my food arrived and pornographic thoughts of a different flavor seized my mind.

Work’s been pretty reasonable lately.  On Monday I spent a few hours writing a project proposal, and then went to a client to wrap up a smallish project.  All in a day’s work.  IT looked to be decent week.  But you never know what’s coming down the road…on Tuesday I awoke with a sore back, and felt pretty old trudging to the shower, then heading to work.  To make matters far worse, for lunch I decided to get a bit adventurous and departed from my usual classic cob salad at local chain Element Fresh, and instead opted for a seafood and vegetable dish.  Tasted OK, not great, and I probably wouldn’t have gone for this one again…what confirmed that sentiment was that I got a bad case of seafood poisoning and that absolutely shattered me for the rest of the week.  I spent much of the ensuing days parked on the toilet, and was pretty feeble the rest of the time.  I went to work each day, but was only about half-speed.

George, my colleague/roommate, arrived on Tuesday to find me in poor physical condition.  But he had brought a nice present, an iPod docking unit, the Klipsch iGroove SXT.  Brother-in-law Dave, master of all things audio, has one of these, and I’d been on the lookout for a good product for a while now.  This one is small, fills the room with sound, and is only about US$150 – half the price of a Bose.  I hooked the Klipsch up and it worked like a dream.  Finally, some good sound to welcome me home each day.

On Wednesday, I wasn’t feeling any better, back or tummy.  Went to work, got stuff done, but had to go home around 3 p.m. to rest.  There’s nothing quite as bad as seafood poisoning – remind me not to eat seafood in the summer over here.  I was told that in’92 in Mumbai, and it still holds.  I had really trusted Element Fresh, it’s a great Western-style chain, but you never know.

Thursday morning I still felt like crap and put myself on Cipro.  I always carry around a 10-pack and wind up using it once a year.  This was the time to go for it.  I made a note to get my next 10-pack when in Thailand or another wide-open sort of place.  Had senior partner meetings all day, sitting down was agony for both stomach and back, so I stood for about 6 hours and made it through the day.  This being ill thing was really getting old.  I’m rarely sick and get pretty cranky when I’m incapacitated like this.

On Friday we had to do mid-year reviews of all the consultants working for us.  Fairly smooth session, and I was feeling somewhat better, probably because of the antibiotics.  In the afternoon we found out we sold a major project, one we’d been working to get over the line since I got here in early June.  Very good news.  Business is really picking up, and we’re all feeling better as a result.

Was supposed to meet a client for drinks that night…but his National Sales Manager resigned at 5 p.m., and he had to postpone.  I was more than happy to take a flyer and get more rest.  As it turned out, he finished around 8:30 p.m. and was in the mood to go get pissed, but by that point I was reclined and about to conk out.  He called a bunch of times and left me some texts, I sidestepped all those and left some lame excuse.

By Saturday morning the Cipro had really kicked in.  I did an hour of yoga to straighten out my back, then packed for a business trip.  Took a cab to the airport, took forever to get there – lots of construction like always here in Shanghers.  Was flying through Bangkok to Singapore, would spend the night in BKK.  Never a hardship, that.

Guy sitting next to me on the flight was a complete slob…his elbows were in my side half the flight, and at one point he pulled out his flight bag, had a minor puke in it, then put it back in the seat pocket.  Charming.  If this is what we can expect from the next huge wave of Chinese tourists, well, count me out.

I managed to write a few short essays during the flight for my Foreign Service exam process.  These were the ‘Personal Narratives,’ five mini-essays about my supposed leadership, interpersonal, communications, management, and leadership skills.  Not only do you have to write an essay for each (not that hard, 200 word/1300 character max – quite short), but you need to provide a reference/contact person and contact information so they can confirm your account.  That makes it infinitely harder – I have lots of options for every one of the 5 categories, but sometimes they occurred in a random airport, or resto, or client office, and there’s no way I could confirm the stories.  So I really had to narrow things down – I did it, but I had to wrack my brain to come up with decent instances and contacts.  I swear I’m always challenging myself – a normal person, with a job, wouldn’t bother to torture themselves like I’m doing.  I guess it’s simply my nature to have a lot going on at any given time…

Landed in Bangkok.  The Immigration agent almost stamped a pristine passport page – I had to ask him to stamp a cluttered page instead.  That was close – I really need those blank pages for visas.  Thai officials are pretty laid-back and carefree – watch them carefully.

Met friend Bob for an alfresco dinner, near VP Towers, where he lives and I crash when in town.  Great meal, with beer, all for US$12 or so.  The value out here just can’t be beat – I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but it’s just heavenly.  After dinner we went out for a few drinks, good fun…then back to VP for a long sleep, I didn’t get up till 10 the next morning.  My flight onward to Singapore wasn’t till evening, so I had a reasonable day in front of me.

Bob and I walked around Soi Rangnaam and sampled from various street food vendors for lunch.  I started out with fresh pineapple – succulent.  Then a grilled sausage…then some noodles…finally some mango.  Could eat lunch like that every day.  Thailand is food porn heaven.

Was halfway through my Cipro ten-pack and feeling better every day.  Decided to keep working on my back, went and got a great massage at a place on Soi Thonglor.  Felt 5 years younger when I walked out.

Said bye to Bob and caught a cab to the airport.  Was looking forward to seeing Singapore, it had probably been 4 years since I’d last been there.  Landed and headed to my hotel, the Pan Pacific, which was very very nice.  I don’t mind staying in these sorts of places, I’d really lowered my sights and standards on my sabbatical and you do sort of feel a bit special when staying in these ritzy places.  As I took the glass elevator to my room, I noticed a huge pool and vowed to take a dip the next evening.  I’d brought my swimsuit and was ready for some underwater rhymes.

Monday morning – had a fairly important client meeting which went OK.  The clients were a bit hard to read, and the scope of the meeting probably could have been better defined.  But we’re likely to get a followup meeting, so it went well enough.  Then I bopped across town and had lunch with another client, who I knew from his old company years ago.  He hasn’t changed a bit – a crafty and inscrutable fellow.  We chatted over lunch and made some work plans.  It’s sort of nice being able to slip back into this stream, I still know tons of people from ‘the old days’ and they still remember me, apparently fondly.  I must have done something right…

Sinagporean cabbies are wonderfully chatty.  Nice contrast to dour Chinese drivers (there are notable exceptions, though).  Got the lowdown on the new Sing casinos going up – they will charge locals $100 Singapore to enter.  Probably a very good idea.  And I even managed to get into some good political discussions with the cabbies – they had no problem criticizing the government.  Good for them.

Had dinner with a former client that night, got some intelligence from him on my meeting that morning.  We went to a hole in the wall Vietnamese place which was sensational – reminded me of my time in Vietnam nearly two years ago.  Gotta get back there before long.

Had a conference call that night, but it was thankfully cancelled…so I went for my promised dip in the hotel pool.  Absolutely glorious – hot air outside, warm pool water…and when I submerged there was music playing, they have some newish system that allows you to hear below the waterline but not above.  Kind of cool.  How do I insert this type of experience and ambience into my everyday life, people?

Went out for a drink or two downtown, around Orchard Road.  Ducked into the Grand Hyatt, where I’d stayed many times…had a beer in Brick, the bar next door…and finally wandered around Orchard Road and checked out a few places.  Mostly pretty dead (it was Monday night).  Seems to be a general nightlife malaise due to the recession – it’ll pick up again before long.  Anyway, the night served as a good Singapore refresher, many old memories came back to me.

Back to Shanghai on Tuesday.  On the flight I managed to make solid headway on an article I’m writing for Fortune China magazine, on the Chinese pharma market and how MNCs are doing therein.  When I landed at Pudong Airport and went out to get a taxi, I saw a fellow holding a sign that read:

YOKO ONO

I thought about sticking around and seeing if Ms. Ono ever showed, but I wimped out and just caught a cab home right away.  Seems I’m still unskilled at relaxing and seeing what happens…

On Wednesday morning there was the solar eclipse – people over here went crazy over this.  Friend Tochimoto-san came over from Tokyo just to watch it in Shanghai, an epicenter of sorts.  Another friend went just outside the city, to a viewing area, to watch it.  Unfortunately, the weather was shit and the clouds made it hard to really see much.  I turned back to my laptop, and only when a junior consultant came over to say hi did I turn around and gasp – the sky was completely dark, and it was fucking outright weird.  The darkness lasted for 7 minutes or so, all of us were pressed up against the glass, mesmerized.  Then it gradually became light again, and we dispersed.

Went out that night with Tochimoto-san, my old colleague from our Tokyo office.  Hadn’t seen him in 3-4 years.  Terrific guy – now runs his own consulting company in Tokyo.  We both bitched about the recession – in Japan it’s particularly bad.  Ugh.  We met at Xintiandi, had a couple beers at Kabb Bar, then had dinner at my fave Di Shui Dong, where Tochi sweated as he gulped down the meat and peppers.  Finally we repaired to Tongren Lu bars and had a laugh with the bargirls before we took off, both of us had morning flights to catch.

I got up with a slight headache – but nothing worse – on Thursday.  Caught a cab to the airport – I was able to fly from nearby domestic airport Hongqiao, and not far-off Pudong.  Airport was pretty mobbed, but not too bad.  Easy enough flight up to Beijing, where I had a few meetings lined up.  Went to our office, dropped off my stuff and said hi to a few folks, then went to my first meeting.

We’re trying to sell a wargame type of project, this meeting was about that.  Went fine, looks like we’ll get the work, but it will take a few more weeks.  Normal course of things.  Went back to the office to work before my next meeting.  Got an email from the Beijing exec assistant, who was taking care of my travel plans.  The email read ‘Driver ZHANG changed to driver HUANG.’  This fellow would be taking me to the airport the next day, to fly back to Shanghers.  That change of drivers looked acceptable to me.

The weather suddenly got bad – the skies went dark and it started to pour.  I was going to my next meeting at 5 p.m. with George, who was flying up right then from Shanghai.  His flight was late…looked like he wouldn’t make it…then the flight took off and it looked doable.  I rushed over to my hotel and checked in, George was staying there too and it was close to the client’s offices.  The weather really makes things crazy here, I hate when it rains.

Meeting went well, then we were done for the day.  Went to dinner at South Beauty, a major chain here.  After that, I decided to close down the laptop and watch TV, a rare event for me.  The 2^nd Indiana Jones movie was on cable and I watched that – chewing gum for the mind.  Went to sleep at 11 p.m., another rarity – had to get up early to do some reading and then do a conf call with some colleagues.  Fun fun fun.

Had my morning call, that went fine.  Then had a huge hotel breakfast, usually I don’t manage to squeeze these in, but decided to go for it.  Then raced over to our office for a quick meeting with our China Chairman, old friend Ed, and finally went with driver HUANG to the airport to fly home.  Funny two days in Beijing.

Flight was delayed 2 hours – we were sitting on the tarmac, waiting, in the sun…next thing I knew it was pouring out.  China really has bizarre and crappy summer weather.  Very hot/humid, and very wet.  Oh well – I heard part of Mumbai was under water the other day due to the monsoons.  It can always be worse, I need to keep that in mind.

Took a nap when I got home, that helped me salvage my energy.  Got up and went for a decent run around the Jiaotong University track.  Decided, it being Friday night, that I’d go out to O’Malley’s for a drink.  Hadn’t been there in years, the place hasn’t changed.  A rare proper Irish pub in China.  Fell into conversation with paper engineer Bruce from Scotland.  Good guy.  And the staff were friendly too, I should get back over there before long, it’s a classic hangout.  I still haven’t found a “local”, which might be a good thing.  Eventually I’ll find and choose a place to visit regularly, for now I’m happy to sample the fruits of the city.

Went for a couple beers at Manhattan on Tongren Lu, then had a late-night turkey reuben (more or less) at City Diner nearby.  Haven’t been to a true 24-hour diner in ages, this one did the trick.  Will be back before long, methinks.

Slept till 10 a.m. Saturday, the wages of the week had to be paid.  Got up, did a bunch of errands.  Got a haircut…went shopping for food etc…did 45 minutes of yoga, blissfully.  Got an email from Mark K., who had initially recruited me for Monitor many years ago, in NYC.  He contacted me via LinkedIn, but didn’t remember our mutual history, only that we’re both Darden alum – which is immediately obvious on LinkedIn.  I reminded him that we’d met and he’d interviewed me.  Let’s see how he responds, I hope I didn’t embarrass him…

Met former colleagues Yichung and Derek at Cantina Agave at 4 p.m. for margaritas.  Not my usual routine, I like to go out much later – but they have infants and need to tailor their schedules around them.  Fun catching up – traded loads of gossip.  At one point two of our current junior consultants wandered by, to get a coffee – they were obviously working today (our office is nearby).  We waved and said hi – I was quite happy to be sitting and drinking margaritas.  Obviously.

Went out for a few drinks that night, but kept it mellow.  On Sunday I got up lateish, went for a run at Jiaotong, and had lunch with George at New Heights, a balcony place on the Bund.  Pretty good grub…afterward we walked off the meal around Suzhou Creek, where there’s simultaneously lots of new building, and areas where you still feel old, classic Shanghai in the air.  I need to do some more exploring around there, and everywhere.  Lots to investigate in this city of mine.

Cranked out a few documents during the afternoon, then had dinner with George at JBH, an upscale place near our flat.  Ate lots and total bill was about US$20.  I love it.  Sunday night Chinese meal for this Jewish boy, all for US$20 for two.  Methinks I’ll stick around for a while here, there’s lots to like.  Over and out.

New friend Jeff, whom I met in a cheapo hostel in Moscow exactly a year ago, was in town for the weekend.  I love these crossing of paths…and it’s nice to get a reminder now and then that I wasn’t hard at work like this a year ago.

We had a huge weekend, prompted by the fact that our mutual birthday (June 29^th) was coming up on Monday.  I think this was the first time I’ve partied with someone who shared my birthday – not that we really needed much of an excuse, we’re both outgoing guys.

Started Saturday night at new brewpub the Boxing Cat, where we had a few amber ales before heading out into the dark Shanghai night, to probe the underbelly of the city.  Then we went to try out a Hunanese resto I’d heard much about, Di Shui Dong.  Hunanese is spicy fare, somewhat like Sichuanese but with some different peppers and dishes.  We had a few killer dishes – my throat closed for about 20 seconds at one point, Jeff giggled and I thought I’d have to resort to deep ujaii yogic breathing, but my airway loosened up before I got to that point.  That dish, I believe, was lawei hezhen (smoked meat peppers), or it might have been the suan dou jiao (beans peppers meat).  Either way, the food was insanely good and I think, as I write this entry on a Sunday afternoon, I’m going to have to return there this evening for another round.  Food porn is a big part of my life…

We hit many more nightspots after that – I Love Shanghai, a cozy little 2^nd floor spot; big bamboo, a loud sports bar; a nameless bar on Hengshan Lu, where Jeff and I played the dice game Bullshit with the bar maidens; and finally the bar strip on Tongren Lu, where we hung out at Manhattan Bar and then went over to some other place where we sat and ate chicken feet with the bargirls and pushed our constitutions to the breaking point.  At one point I looked over at Jeff, who was looking a bit spent, and suggested we call it a night.  He agreed – we went outside and it was already light out.  The mark of a fine evening.

I spent most of Sunday lying about, trying to recover.  Jeff and I had agreed to meet again that night – at midnight our mutual birthday would roll around, and we wanted to do some celebrating.  Monday was looking more difficult, with work commitment and all.

When I was able to get going, I went out for some Chinese food.  Hot as hell outside, Shanghai has some sultry summer temps.  Then retreated to my flat and watched Benjamin Button, a flick I’ve been meaning to watch for months.  Sweeping and Gumpesque stuff – I think the director also worked on Gump, or something like that.  It had more than its share of corny moments, but it worked pretty well – Hollywood still rules for movies like these, I don’t think they can make ‘em like this in Bollywood or Europe.  It was one of those movies you think about for a while after it’s over, and even consider watching again before long.  Not many movies fit that bill.

Met Jeff at Xintiandi (the Faneuil Hall of Shanghai) that night.  Was pretty tired but decided to make a go of it.  We walked around Xintiandi for a bit, then took a cab to Taikang Lu, an intriguing little maze of alleyways with cafes and art galleries.  Had a couple beers in a little pub, then went to a Japanese izakaya, En, where I was able to make use of my Japanese and ordered us up a real feast.  And the price wasn’t bad…good to know you can get solid Japanese food here without breaking the bank.  My sabbatical has really taught me to be frugal, even while back on the payroll my mindset hasn’t changed much.

After dinner, went back to Manhattan Bar on Tongren Lu, Jeff and I were both intrigued by the controlled mayhem within that place the previous night.  Lots of working girls, natch – quite cheeky too, they seemed to enjoy giving us shit.  We returned the favor, and just took it all in.  At midnight we hoisted our glasses and toasted each other – another birthday.  Last year I was in Moscow, and Jeff was somewhere in Russia.  Fun night out.

Stayed there for a couple hours, then I had to get out, it was a school night.  As we left we came upon a gaggle of American girls who were out for the night – somehow they’d ended up on Tongren Lu, decidedly not a place for them.  We told them of some better places to go – fairly amusing.

Monday, my actual birthday, was yet another day punching the clock.  Not too stressful…had a client meeting in the early evening…went for a run at the Jiaotong University track (where can I get a U. Jiatong t-shirt?)…was amused at all the people walking backwards around the track – must be some random Chinese therapy…had a 9 p.m. phone call.  Days are short, my friends – but there are many of them.

Got tons of Facebook birthday greetings, which I found annoying and overwhelming.  I always thought I was cheating by putting friends’ birthday in my Treo…but looking back, at least I made the effort.  Facebook really is cheating, and it brings it to another level – every minor acquaintance is sending you a generic happy birthday email/note.  Torture.  I’m getting sick of Facebook, across the board.  Please email me mano-a-mano from now on…I despise having to log onto Facebook to have the most basic email exchange.

Got a YouTube notification that there was a comment posted to my ancient video on Midget vs. Monster Boxing in Manila.  Turns out that the normal-sized fellow in one of the videos I posted saw the video on YouTube, somehow (how??) and dropped me a short note.  Small world – I think it blew both of our minds.

Got an email from MostTraveledPeople.com, where you can post your travels and get rated on it.  The most difficult/obscure place I’ve been is the Comoros – and that very day I saw the story of the plane crash there, on Yemenia airline.  Not one I’m hoping to fly anytime this lifetime.

On Tuesday I had a dinner appointment with Alison, a friend of a friend of a friend.  Really.  I’m trying to keep the blog shorter these days so will not get into the details…suffice it to say that it was raining out and it was hell getting a cab.  I must get a scooter before long.  Anyway, met Alison at Da Papa Pizza, which was a terrific little place.  Alison was a lot of fun and we traded stories about Asia and the States, she’s from St. Louis (but is Chinese-American and speaks Mandarin).

Seems nearly everyone I meet here has an English name they use with us foreigners.  I should start using my Chinese name, just to confuse them.

On Wednesday I had a rare open night, and decided to check out some of the local watering holes.  The one nearest me, Cloud 9, was first up.  About 9 seconds after I walked in I could tell it was a gay bar – the gaydar popped right up.  All guys…not unusual in Asia, but waitstaff was all male, many customers were wearing singlets and looked fashionable (I think), you know the signs.  Not what I was expecting.  And to top it all off, most of my clothes were in the washer so I was wearing a white tank-top, sort of like the other guys in there.  I’m sure the barman thought I was gay – he talked to me nonstop, I finally finished my beer and faked a phone call (thanks, Treo).  Gay bars in China – that’s when you know the place has entered the real world.

Walking around to check out some other spots that night, I stepped off a curb when the light was green (for me) and nearly got nailed by a scooter.  I swear the bike riders here (pushbike and motor) are mad – the lights don’t matter for them.  That would be an awful way to go, I need to keep my wits about me on these streets.

Got an email – I passed the Foreign Service Office Test.  Granted, this was just the first stage, now I need to fill out some “Personal Narratives,” essays I suppose.  Those are due in a couple weeks.  I felt pretty good about this – not that the test was that difficult, but I was wondering about some of the psychological/self-assessment questions, and I didn’t feel like I truly aced the essay either.  They don’t give you the detailed breakdown of your results, you need to send in a faxed request for those.  Stupid.  That’s why the government is as slow as it is.  How much of the stimulus package has been spent thus far?  Not enough, that’s for sure.

Thursday afternoon we had our monthly office meeting, my first one here.  Then we had an office dinner at Cantina Agave, a hotspot near the office that features, you guessed it, Tex-Mex food.  Not easy to find that stuff around here, I was looking forward to it.  Great fun, decent food…and lots of margaritas.  We broke the team into two and had a boat race, with my team winning easily.  Good to know some things never change…

We then moved over to a karaoke place where we sang awfully till midnight or so.  I took a cab home, assisted by a junior consultant, and slept soundly.  Fun night, we don’t do that nearly enough.

Next morning I felt awful.  And I had to pack because I was heading to Hong Kong for the wedding of a colleague – and after that, to Singapore for a client meeting.  Managed to drag myself out of bed, pack, and head to the office.  Had a couple calls, then learned that my Singapore meeting was cancelled, which necessitated a flurry of plane ticket changes.  Got that done, then headed to Pudong Airport to fly to Hong Kong.

While checking in, one of the China Eastern Airlines clerks was asking if a “Michael” had checked in.  I raised my hand and said I was Michael, figuring there was some message from the office or something like that…she giggled a bit nervously, came over, and showed me the full name on a sheet of paper – Michael Head.  I said that wasn’t me, and she seemed relieved.  Turns out that this fellow was diagnosed with HIV, and that he was either being deported from China, or not allowed in – I wasn’t sure.  Anyway, a bit eerie.  I felt weird for a half hour after that.

Flew to Hong Kong.  Had a few drinks in Wanchai with a colleague that night.  Gossiped about the firm, I seem to really enjoy the banter and am thinking I’m probably a consulting lifer – there is something oddly comforting about being part of an organization for so long.  Maybe I’m just lazy.  Yeah, that’s probably it.

Saturday morning, went to St. Margaret’s Church for the wedding ceremony.  Saw former colleagues Sam and Josephine there.  Nice, short Catholic ceremony, only 30 minutes.  Then I went to take care of a few errands, which took most of the day – emails and work-related stuff consumed the rest.  Managed to snooze for a bit, then get up and exercise, and finally walk around Wanchai for a while before retiring early.

Sunday was a brilliant day.  Met former colleague/friend John at the Grand Hyatt, we had planned a hike over Dragon’s Back, followed by an epicurean afternoon at the Black Sheep in Shek O.  Longtime slog readers will recognize those places from past entries.  Haven’t done this in probably 3 years, it was about time.  John recently got a job with a pharma company and we might do some work for him.  We chatted about the firm, about life, and finally, when we got to the Black Sheep, we drained a couple bottles of red and had some excellent continental cuisine.  It was pouring when we got there, we just made it.  Must have sat at the café for 4 hours – perfect way to spend the day.  Then returned to the city proper and got ready for the wedding banquet – Cantonese weddings have the banquet on Sunday night.

I was already pretty tipsy, so tried to take it easy at the dinner.  Lots of colleagues there, past and present.  Very nice affair – my colleague Thomas and his bride Denise make a nice couple.  Enjoyed the panoply of Cantonese delicacies – I’m not losing any weight these days.

Not enough sleep that night, and Monday morning was looking ugly.  Had to file my monthly expenses – which were considerable, and I didn’t want to miss the deadline.  Had a couple important phone calls about new projects that we’re able to sell.  Then had to race to the train station to get to the airport, to fly back to Shanghai.  Managed to pull it all off by 10:30 a.m., with a hangover.  Not something I want to try every Monday morning, for sure.

At the airport I noticed a flight, Cathay Pacific #685, to Mumbai.  I walked by that gate and silently thanked the gods that I wasn’t flying there.  I often hate leaving HKG, it’s such a pleasureable place – but at least I was returning to Shanghai and not going somewhere grim.

Worked pretty late that night – which was a good thing.  It was the 14^th anniversary of my mom’s death.  Tried to get in touch with my sister but we couldn’t connect.  I thought for a while about my mom and how cool she was…can’t believe it’s been so many years.

Tuesday was pretty busy, had lengthy client meetings and spent nearly the entire day at their offices.  Brother-in-law Dave called when I was getting to my flat that night – they’d just had a week on Cape Cod.  I’m not sure I’ll have a chance to get a real summer holiday this year – need to see how the projects line up.  Was invited to go on a boat for a week off the Turkish coast, and would love to do that – but it’s probably not going to happen.  Oh well.

Did lots of homey things that night.  Did laundry…took out the trash…washed dishes.  Our maid is on holiday all July so things were backing up.  I hate this sort of stuff and haven’t had to do much of it in years.  In Asia labor’s cheap and you really don’t need to bother.

Was supposed to go out with a colleague that night, but was way too tired.  I think I’m feeling my age, it’s increasingly difficult to summon up the energy to go out most nights.  Seemed a lot easier when I was living in Tokyo.

Next day, we got a request for proposal from out of the blue, from a company whom we serve in Europe.  I took that one, called the client, and started writing the proposal.  I’d like to sell a few cases pronto and solidify my position/standing – so I’m happy to take on stuff like this.

Thursday morning, I was interviewed by a reporter from Global Entrepreneur Magazine in Beijing.  The topic was how healthcare is shifting from the hospital to the home, with new technologies and devices leading the way.  Went pretty well – I’ve started getting knowledgeable about this topic and the timing was excellent.  We want to do more of this sort of thing, and write some articles as well – the issue is that these activities don’t bring in near-term revenues, so we always push them aside to write proposals and deliver projects.  Hopefully we can strike the right balance from now on.

Friday, I had planned to take the day/weekend off and fly to Manila.  I headed to the airport, and while en route noticed on my Treo that it was the Naadam Festival in Mongolia.  Tourists come in for this and it’s a big deal, for Mongolia that is.

The proposal was staring me in the face, so I studied a ton of materials on the flight and continued working on the document.  I didn’t want to spend all my time in the Philippines writing it – I was heading there for one client meeting, and then to see Christine in Dumaguete.

Got into Manila, checked into my hotel in Makati City, and then went out for a beer.  Didn’t stay out that late, I had to get up early the next day to do a bit of work, then fly to Dumaguete.

Did my work on Friday morning, read the paper, and then saw friend Bart, who works for the Asian Development Bank.  He has a new job focused on social development, and that meshes nicely with the work I was doing in Mumbai.  I wanted to see him and update him on that work, and figure out what we might team up on.  Good meeting – I think ADB and Monitor have some common interests and we’ll definitely follow up soon to identify some specific areas to work on.

Bart was about to head to Cape Town for 2 weeks.  I was damn jealous and told him all the things he should see/do there – well beyond his guidebook and other sources.  I need to get down there soon, it’s been around 7 years.

Went to the airport.  Flight was delayed due to bad weather…I sat there for 2+ hours, waiting.  Then they cancelled the flight.  Yikes.  There was only 1 flight per day, and I soon learned that I wouldn’t be able to get on the Saturday flight – thereby completely screwing my Dumaguete trip.  Ugh.  I went and got a refund and called Christine, who sounded pretty unhappy.  As was I – I’d come to see her, and now that wouldn’t happen.  I don’t mind spending a weekend in Manila, there’s plenty to do…but my expectations had been set on other places.

Went to get a cab back to the city.  Started raining hard – oh no.  Cabs became sparse – and it was a Friday, when normal traffic in Manila is brutal.  Finally got a cab, it took 2 hours to get back to my hotel.  Normally it takes 30-40 minutes.  And I had to do a call with a colleague on my proposal, the phone line wasn’t great and it was annoying.  But I got what I needed, and eventually we got to the hotel, where I checked back in.

I did some emails, etc. for a couple hours, then lay down to take a nap for 90 minutes.  Set the alarm, and fully expected to get up and perhaps go out to play that night.  But I didn’t get up till 8 a.m., 12 hours later.  Oh well, I really needed the sleep.  The previous day had been so taxing, and I was generally run down from work.  Once or twice a year I have a night like this – probably should do it more often.

Saturday morning, had breakfast, then worked on the proposal for nearly 5 hours.  Broke the back of it and sent it off to a few colleagues for their input.  Went out for some quasi-Japanese food for lunch, then went to get a massage, I’d earned it.  I felt infinitely better afterwards.  Went back to the hotel (Dan Fogelberg and Styx were playing on the cab radio – I love this country), and had a call with a senior colleague to prep him for a meeting.  I’d pretty much worked all weekend, despite having tried to block it off for a short holiday.  So it goes.

Went out to Casa Armas for Spanish food.  Old friends Jun and Mavic were off that night, but Chris the barman was there.  Had some wonderful tapas and rioja, while it poured outside.  Super-rainy month, July is in Manila.  Casa Armas is such an old-time place, I love hanging out in there.  I consumed a hell of a lot of garlic – was burping it out rest of the night.

Went out for a few beers around town after that.  Things were pretty dead – the rain played a role, but I’m also sure the global downturn was a factor.  I’ve never seen Manila nightlife so subdued.  Bummer.  I didn’t stay up that late, had to get up fairly early on Sunday to fly back to Shanghai.  Not quite the weekend I expected, but I made lemonade from lemons and both finished the proposal and had some fun in Manila.  Not a terrible weekend.

I’m now back in Shanghai.  All caught up on the slog, so I’ll end here.  Stay dry and have a good week.  Over and out.

This is almost certainly the longest I’ve gone between entries.  And to be honest, the longer this went on, the closer I got to pulling the plug on this slog; perhaps some of what I write ages well enough, but things pile up and it’s daunting to sit down and attempt to make sense of nearly 3 weeks’ worth of living.  Still, I will try to keep this going – but as you’ve already observed, my updates will be irregular and perhaps a bit forced.  Let’s see how it goes.

This entry reaches all the way back to Mumbai.  I was in my final 4-5 days in India, and was already looking ahead to Shanghai and my new (old) assignment.  Trying to wrap things up in India while simultaneously pulling 80-hour workweeks was a struggle…but I made it out alive.

I’ll parse the more interesting/important bits in this update, just to keep it manageable.  One thing of note was the continued absurdity of my having to perform ludicrous administrative matters in India just to keep my financial/legal situation in decent shape.  Went to HSBC and wired cash to my 2 other bank accounts, both of which were on the verge of minimum balance charges.  Not a major catastrophe, but I do hate seeing those charges on my e-statements.  Of course, if I were to do the math, I’d probably notice that it makes good sense to keep a balance lower than they specify, and just cough up the charge each month, rather than keep a high balance and get virtually no return on it.  We are not always truly rationale beings…

My last few cab rides in Mumbai…I was counting them down.  No more emerging from our office building at night, only to grovel before peasant cabbies with filthy old Ambassadors, begging for a ride.  Shanghai’s cabs aren’t anything to brag about, but they are recent-model VWs and are generally cleanish.

A few days before I left Mumbai, I went to the American Center to take the Foreign Service Officer Test.  I’d heard about this from two friends, and thought it sounded intriguing – a good backup plan, at the very least.  I’d been further encouraged by Bruce, the fellow Tuftonian whom Charles and I’d met at our recent reunion in Boston.  I’d bought the study guide, read an entire American history textbook, and made sure to keep up to date with The Economist and a few newspapers.  I was pretty confident – the sample tests I took weren’t difficult, with just a few tricky questions tossed in.

The test was supposed to start at 7:30 a.m.  BTW, great that these things are conducted all round the world, twice a year.  I left my flat and looked for a cab.  Unfortunately, I hadn’t had time to scout out the location the previous day, as I had hoped, so I was flying blind.  The first taxi was clueless, but the second surprised me and took me to the right place, with a few minutes to spare.  In fact, I had to wait outside in the heat until the right personnel showed.  That person turned out to be Lynn, a staffer at the US Consulate whom I’d met back in December, when I was interviewing for the Mumbai job.  Lynn ushered me inside.

The American Center turned out to be a terrific place – with a large library and all the latest publications.  Wish I’d known about this place earlier…although I hadn’t had time to do much reading.

Took some time to get the online testing system up and running, I was a bit nervous given that I had a phone call late morning.  But we got going, it was just me and an Indian-American woman who had just flown in from JFK.  The test was as expected – the section on current affairs/politics/economics was a breeze, I had time to go through it twice and may have gotten all 50 questions right.  There was an English grammar/usage section – ditto.  Then there was a somewhat tricky biography/self-assessment area which required more careful thought and iteration…finally, a short essay on UN power, which went fine but I probably could have been more analytical there. Got out in under 3 hours and felt pretty good about how I did.  Hadn’t taken a test like that since the GMATs back in 1990.

En route to the office, a bit tired but also feeling a good sense of accomplishment and knowledge, I saw a teenager sporting a T-shirt that read:  “Don’t drink and drive – smoke and fly.”  Nice.

I was working on getting another China entry visa.  Usually the Chinese Consulate-General in Mumbai only grants a single-entry, 30-day deal, but I had a special letter from the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing, requesting that be given a 1-year, multiple-entry visa.  Cool.  The hitch was that I only had a scanned/printed copy and not the original, and the pricks in Mumbai wouldn’t give me the extended visa.  I had to settle for yet another single-entry job.  Ugh.  My passport was getting full fast.  But I had to head to Shanghai in a few days for an urgent client workshop and my hands were tried.  I’d have to get another, better visa in HKG when I saw a break in the action.  Put the Indians and the Chinese together and you get some brutal paper-pushing and belt & braces attorney work…

When I heard the news about my visa, I was in a cab to the office.  I put the phone down, in a black mood…a guy came to the cab window and pushed some books at me.  I said no and rolled up the window.  He came around to the other side and got back in my face.  I told him in no uncertain terms to leave me alone.  He was a young guy, with bad skin, and a dark look in his eyes.  I wasn’t in the mood to be benevolent or understanding, and he was simply unpleasant-looking…and when he played my words back to me (“why don’t you go away?”) I swore at him and flipped him the bird.  The cabbie was also, in a limp way, sticking up for me.  Of course, I waited till the light was green and we were pulling away.  We weren’t exactly accelerating quickly, and for a moment it looked like the guy was going to try to catch up to us and go ballistic on me – I reached for a pen, ready to use that to stab him if he got close.  But he backed off and we rolled on.  Yet another day in Mumbai.

When I left work that night, I headed to the flat.  I was showing it to a British couple who were looking to move.  I was hoping they’d take my flat, thereby making it easy for Mr. G., my landlord, to let me off scot-free and suffer no harm from my unexpected transfer.  While I was in the cab heading home, I looked out on Chowpatty Beach and the cityscape, and wondered if I would find this more exotic if I were a newbie in Mumbai?  By now it mostly looked pretty squalid to me…and when the monsoon came around, it would be a total mess.  If I had had a physical get out of jail card, I would have been stroking it at that point.

Showed the flat to the Brits, who liked it.  Made plans to bring them back on Thursday night, my final night in town, to have them meet Mr. G. and see if something could be arranged.  I really love dealing with all these administrative/home economics matters.

Every morning that final week in Mumbai, I had 6 a.m. calls with Shanghai and San Francisco to design the upcoming client workshop and conduct senior client interviews.  Not that straightforward when you only learned about their business the day beforehand…still, it wasn’t that hard and we got what we needed.

Cleared up various other tasks – personnel evaluations, cost analyses, etc.  Had a fun call with a former client in Oz, traded gossip with her, which will probably be of use in my new gig in Shanghai.  Went to Wordell’s Chemists to stock up on generic meds.

Was scheduled to go see a friend/hubbie of a former client who runs a big data-processing outfit in Asia-Pac.  He was staying at the Grand Hyatt up north, in Bandra.  I had arranged a car with aircon to take me up there – it was brutally hot, even at night, and with the traffic a non-aircon car would have been awful.  But the driver got lost and was 30-40 mins late…it took forever to get to Bandra…and then he didn’t even know where the hotel was, it’s a major landmark but hey, this is India.  We finally got there, an hour late.  My friend just laughed – he was totally cool.  I was pissed off – and a bit envious that whenever he flies in, he stays at the Hyatt and rarely has to stray into the mosh pit that is South Mumbai.

We had a beer in the café, then a brilliant Chinese meal in the China House resto.  Nigel was of course paying, and we had lots of good red wine and a variety of dishes.  Neither of us were, needless to say, in the mood for heavy Indian food.  Great meal and excellent company – I’ll see Nigel and Angie, my former client and good friend, in Singapore in a few weeks.  Nice to have friends all over the place, it makes life a rich broth, full of options.

Thursday, the next day, was my last one in the office.  Cleared up remaining things, and took a 1-hour course on Microsoft Office 2007, a piece of bloatwere supreme if there ever was one.  I swear I’ve gone backward in my Office skills with each “upgrade.”  Lovely.

Sat down with a couple of my charges and gave them their evaluations, they agreed with what I had to say.  I’d miss them, above all – but we’d keep in touch.  There was an office-wide meeting, our usual monthly affair, and there was a good laugh about Viagra sales in villages and how villagers seem to be loathe to talk about condoms, but not about Viagra.  Interesting.  We joked that one of our senior guys, the project lead, was perhaps the one who was talking about Viagra…nice to head out with a laugh in my throat.

And that was it for the office – said my goodbyes, recognizing there was some unfinished business, mostly around my flat and getting the $ back from Mr. G. (and, via the firm, to me).  Took a cab home, taking in the Marine Drive views – hadn’t expected to be saying goodbye to this vista so soon.  When will I be back?  I’ve got such a love/hate relationship with this place…unfortunately, I don’t think it’s moving in the direction of love, but I’ve been surprised by how my feelings change over time, and I suspect I’ll be happy to come back for a short trip after the smoke has cleared.  Let’s see how the housing thing comes out.

On that note, I was bringing together the Brits and Mr. G. at the flat, to chat and see if a deal might be struck, or at least started.  It was a weird, inconclusive meeting.  Mr. G. was surprised that I was leaving the next day, even though I’d told him that in a text and email.  Originally I’d have had one more week in Mumbai, but the Shanghai client workshop did that plan in.  And Mr. G. was headed off on a 2-week cruise of Europe with his family the next day, so this was really goodbye, at least for now.

Anyway, I won’t belabor the meeting, but the Brits and Mr. G. left it that they’d work through his younger son, Rajiv, who was staying in Mumbai and could handle things.  I was hopefully it would pan out…and got the Brits’ email address.  But a couple weeks later, in Shanghai, I found that from them that they found another, larger place.  Bummer.  Now I was somewhat exposed.  Hopefully the firm can help get my cash back from Mr. G., and hopefully he’ll do the right thing.  We have a good relationship, and I find him a lovely guy, but you just never know when it comes to money.

To add insult to injury, I had the final client call from my last India case that very night, so couldn’t even go out and have a few final laughs with friends.  The call went fine, it ended, and I took a cab down to Fort – got a few final rupees from my HSBC account (just to ensure it was working), and then had a few mini-kebabs at Ayub’s.  A very odd little 3-month stint in India.  Oh well, I did learn a lot in a new area, met some great people, and managed to get to Goa once to see Lisa and Richard.  No regrets – and now I’d be moving on to bigger and better things.

Packed my stuff late that night – took me less than an hour to do it all.  Not sure how to feel about that…a 41-year-old male who can pretty much pack and carry under his own power nearly all his critical possessions.  I think I feel pretty good about it, actually.  I can always go out and buy tons of crap when my brain gets mushy and I lose sight f what’s important in the world.

Woke up at 5.  Had a call at 6 with Shanghai.  My minivan came at 8 and took me to the airport – traffic wasn’t bad.  Got there more quickly than anticipated…which wasn’t great, I had a client call scheduled during the ride, she was late and then the phone rang right when I was getting out of the cab, with hundreds of people running around and yelling.  Torture.  I told her I had to get inside, which I did, then I called her back and we took care of matters.  When you put a job like this together with the realities of being/living in India, it’s almost too much to stomach.

I checked in – was again, like the previous trip, heading through Bangkok, where I’d spend the weekend.  Line wasn’t long, and I had some time, so caught up on my reading and had a cup of coffee.  Then I boarded my flight and was off, once more.  Goodbye to India…I’d not be back anytime soon, at least not to live there.  No need to look back.

Got into Bangkok, which was fast becoming one of my favorite cities.  Going from Mumbai to Bangkok was like going from Spam to a good fillet.  Got my bags, got a cab, and headed into town.  I’d be staying at VP Tower, where friend Bob stays.  Traffic was pretty bad – only suckers travel on Fridays and Sundays – but got there eventually.  Checked in and dumped my bags, happy to be rid of them.  I was moving yet again, but it didn’t seem too bad this time, probably because I’d left a bunch of books and non-urgent clothing in Shanghai during my previous trip.

Bob and I went out to eat at a streetside place – no need to go to pricey restos in Thailand, the best stuff is on the street.  I just love that – fresh fish, cold noodles, salads, cold Singha beer, soups, you name it.  We sat there for 90 minutes, eating and chatting.  Bob wasn’t getting along with another friend who lives nearby, and we talked about that.  Then we went to Saxophone Bar for a couple beers, and finished up, fairly late, at old fave Water Bar.  You can have an entire night of carousing just on Soi Rangnaam alone.  I love it.

Had a Saturday 8 a.m. call, so went straight to bed.  Slept very well – the room was dark and cool, and I was fried from a brutal final week in Mumbai.  But I was feeling free and keyed up about my next step on the path to ultimate salvation…Shanghai.  Not sure that sounds right, but let’s keep that penciled in for now.

Did the call, which went fine, and then did a couple things I’d meant to do during my previous Bangkok excursions.  Went to the Chao Phraya River, and took a boat over to the Millenium Hilton, which has a new Cheese Room with all sorts of offerings.  It’s unfortunately only open at night, and for Sunday brunch (I’d miss that, had to fly at 11 a.m. Sunday to Shanghai), but the main dining room, Flow, still offered a cheese platter and I had that along with a nice glass of white.  The views out over the river were spectacular…the variety of ways you can spend a day in Bangkok is breathtaking, really.

At one point a waiter came over and introduced himself.  He was Jack, the Cheese Butler – he told me about the Sunday brunch and other details, and seemed to be pretty knowledgeabout.  They have one of my very favorite cheeses, Reblochon, so I will be back before long for dinner or brunch.

As I finished up and prepared to head out, I wondered when I’d hear back about my Foreign Service Test.  It can take 4-6 weeks for them to get back to you, but given that it was a computer-driven test and 90% of it was objective (the essay surely requires a human grader), it shouldn’t take all that long.  I imagine applications have gone way up for government jobs, though, so it may take a while.  No hurry, I’m just curious how I did.

Headed towards Sukhumvit, to a massage place I’d heard about from a friend.  Found it on Soi Thonglor and got a relaxing oil massage.  The tensions of India were being forced out of my body…

One of the best days I’ve had in months.  Headed back to VP Tower, went for a run with Bob, then headed out to meet another friend for dinner.  He wanted to go to Soi Cowboy, of course, so we went there and amused ourselves for a while.  At one bar, Tilac, I sat and watched while a guy who closely resembled Dick Cheney put his fat paws all over a cute young waitress.  Ugh.

Went to bed quite late.  Got up around 8, packed, and headed to the airport to fly to Shang.  Felt a bit rough but was also happy I’d been able to relax a bit in Bangkok.  I need to spend more time in that city before long.

Landed in Shang.  Again, the space-age swine flu checkers boarded and tested us for 20 minutes.  Emerged and dealt with the various lines and formalities.  Found my driver and headed into the city.  Colleague George texted, saying that he’d just landed.  I replied and said I’d meet him at our flat, we share a 2-bedroom in Puxi.

Had dinner that night with the team…very good Shanghainese food.  We were joined by colleague Carl from the L.A. office.  We looked to be in good shape for the workshop, so we weren’t too anxious – still, we were looking at a very busy week.

Got back to the flat, George and I sat around the dining room table tapping out emails till nearly midnight.  Two grown men, sitting around in shorts and t-shirts, emailing.  Probably not a great recruiting poster for the firm…

The Lakers won the NBA Championship – ugh.  The very next day, according to my creaky Treo 680, was the 1-year anniversary of the 2008 Game 6, when the Celts spanked the Lakers as I watched on Chinese cable TV in Ulaan Bataar.  So sweet, and now so long ago…

The client workshop was, as promised, “fast-paced.”  And this was the first time I’d used this particular methodology…I was well-accustomed to running workshops and facilitating groups, and that skill served me well.  We got through the sessions pretty much on time, with high quality output, and the client was pleased.  After the two days, everyone was exhausted, and we all went out for dinner at South Beauty, a Sichuanese place that has a few outlets around town.  The beer tasted very good and there must have been 25 platters of food on the table – a veritable feast.  I should have been born in the times of Beowulf – after a hard day’s work, I have an intense urge to drink and eat.

One thing I really like about Shanghai is that it has tons of bars and convenience stores.  Makes the neighborhood lively, and it’s not a nightmare to find what you need.  Another thing I like, somewhat related to the prior point:  Shanghai is a majestic city from on high – skyscrapers of all colors and shapes – but on the street, it has a classic, old-time, friendly feel to it.  Great city for walking around and letting yourself get lost.  I do it all the time.  This city is a bit like NYC, Paris, and St. Petersburg in its mix of glory and modesty.

There’s a decent place called “Sofa Bar” across from my flat.  It’s just a little café, nothing special, but one nice feature is that there aren’t the usual “talking girls” found in most Chinese bars that nag you for drinks.  Those bars can be fun, but not when you’re just looking for a pint and some quiet.

George headed back to SF, where he lives and spends most of his time, on Friday.  Now I’d be on my own, and would have to get back to the flat using my rudimentary Putonghua.  Worked fine, the streetnames in question aren’t hard to pronounce – or perhaps the cabbies are especially forgiving.  I think I’ll be fine.

Went out to Malone’s Irish Bar that night.  Had a sandwich, a few beers, and listened to the – wait for it – Filipino cover band.  At least I felt like I was back in the real world.  I was happy as a clam.

Had to work on Saturday, we were doing a proposal and it needed a push.  I had awoken with a bad headache, and it turned out to be a fever.  I went out for some Chinese food, then sat down at my laptop and worked for a few hours.  Probably should have slept and tried to break the fever, but duty called.  Finished my slides and did a bit of reading.

Had dinner at Johnny’s Café, near my flat.  There are countless places near my flat, and I’d seen this one and wanted to try it.  It was alright, an average place.  Had a burger and a beer, then moved on.  Eventually found myself on Maoming Nanlu, a former bar strip which, in true Chinese form, they’d totally uprooted and moved over to Tongren Lu.  Imagine the Boston municipal government moving all the bars on Boylston Street to Ipswich Street in the South End.  Impressive, the Chinese.  But I missed the old Maoming stretch – it was appropriately sleazy, and the beer was cheap.  The new Tongren strip is glitzy and pricey.  Not progress, to me.

Saw a sign reading “Happy Farther’s Day.”  Went over to Hengshan Lu and Dongpin Lu, another concentration of nightspots.  Trying to reclaim the memory of past trips here, when I had gotten to know the city reasonably well.  Lots of changes, though, so need to reeducate myself.

Didn’t stay out too late, still felt crappy.  Slept late on Sunday and felt much better as a result.  Had some coffee – I’m becoming domesticated, the flat has a coffee maker and George brings Peets coffee from SF, so it’s all here.  I relaxed, read, and celebrated Farther’s Day, which was also the summer solstice.

Went running that night, for the first time in a good week.  George had told me about a track at nearby Jiaotong University, which I managed to find after some looking around.  The track was quite good, rubbery material and clean – but no lights at night, so it’s a bit treacherous.  On this particular night the moon was nearly full, so that sufficed.  Hard run, need to get back in shape.

Had heard about a new pub, the Boxing Cat, so took a cab there and checked it out.  Sat next to an American, turned out his ex-wife was an acquaintance of mine, together they ran Archie’s Deli in Hong Kong, and also a taco joint next door and the Flying Pan, a 24-hour breakfast nook.  Very small world.  They got divorced, now he lives in Shang and runs a few places here.  Good guy to know.

Took a cab over to Tongren Lu to check out the clubs there.  Christine from the RP called me, and primarily wanted to know who I was with.  Jealous Filipina.  I told her I was with an old taxi driver – she had to laugh.

Checked out a few places on Tongren, then went home, was still a bit tired.  I don’t need to see every place within the first week of getting here, I suppose.

On Monday the Internet was down for a while.  Plus, my stomach hurt…and one of the consultants had banged his forehead and had a cut there which resembled an Indian tikka (forehead dot).  So I felt very much like I was already back in India, and started to get a bit nervous.  Eventually the web came back on, I forgot about my stomach, and the consultant disappeared into a meeting.  Whew.

Met an old client/longtime friend at Malone’s that night for drinks/dinner.  Hadn’t seen him in 4 or so years – great catching up with him.  Traded lots of old stories about our times working together in Sydney.  Seems like a lifetime ago.

On Tuesday, flew to Hong Kong, to get my extended China visa.  At Pudong Airport, noticed that the signs lumped Taiwan, HKG and Macau together, and indicated these were domestic flights.  Interesting – the Taiwanese (some, at least) probably aren’t too happy about that.

Landed in HKG.  Checked into the Luk Kwok Hotel, a renovated place near the office.  Great value for the $, only HK$810/night.  Certainly a step down from the Grand Hyatt, but these are much diminished times.  Went out for a slice of pepperoni pizza before I had a call…then went out around Wanchai afterward, saw some friends and had a few beers.  Wanchai is hard to beat when you’re looking to blow off some steam.  Friend Jeff, whom I met in a Moscow hostel almost exactly a year ago, is in HKG right now and pretty much said the same thing – HKG is trouble.  He and I will meet in Shanghai in a few days, that should be good fun.

Went to our office on Wednesday morning, after ensuring that my passport was in good hands.  We recently downsized offices, that was a bummer, but it makes sense in this economy, and given the relative decline in HKG’s importance vis-à-vis the mainland.

Had a few phone calls, then went out for lunch and a few errands.  Bought a new VOIP headset, not the rigid type, it’s earbuds and a wire/mic.  Very compact and the sound quality is probably even better than my old setup.  Got a pants buttom sewed back on by my old buddy “David Tailor.”  Had lunch at Carnegie’s, they still remember me there (but menu items have changed, damn it).  And went to HSBC and opened a Chinese Yuan/RMB trading account – that currency is on its way up, ladies and gents, and I want a piece of the action.

Had drinks with Jess and Nicole, former colleagues, that night at Delaney’s.  Had a late night work call, so behaved myself.  Next day, went to the office, picked up my passport and new visa, and then flew back to Shang.  Mission accomplished, my new visa is good for 6 months.  Till Christmas Eve, that is.

An acquaintance (also a consultant) in Mumbai emailed me, and said that she met a friend of a friend who brought up a certain “Michael Slone of Slone Consulting.”  This fellow, who I’m not sure I ever met, said that he knew me and that he could put her in touch with me.  Really odd.  Am I becoming a global brand, or just a throwaway line??

Last night met up with Rory and Anne, two Brits whom I met at a Hash Run in Ulaan Bataar last June, just before I got on the Trans-Siberian Railway to Moscow.  We met at the Hongmei Lu bar street area, a good place to go after work.  Rory and Anne moved to Shanghai right after we met, and we’ve stayed in touch.  They’re about to head to their holiday home in Bulgaria for the summer, but we managed to get together for a few drinks/laughs and I was happy about that.  They’re quite cool and we’ll hang out a lot (at the Hash Run here, etc.) when they’re back in September.  They’ve lived in over 100 places and put me badly to shame in terms of global ubiquity and footprint.

Rory mentioned that he knows a scooter dealer, and can get us a deal.  If you buy a 50cc electric scooter, apparently, you don’t need any special paperwork, and you can just bring in your battery every night and charge it in your flat.  And the scooter is US$1,000 or thereabouts, not bad at all.  Would be good to have more control over my daily travels…

Checked out a local pub, the Green Dragon, after seeing Rory and Anne.  Typical Chinese place – loads of bargirls, bugging you for drinks.  I had a couple pints, bought one of the least ugly girls a drink, then left.  Friday nights can be hard, I was tired from the workweek.

Today’s the first real day off  I’ve had in some time – well, since that Saturday in Bangkok.  Went over to YuYuan Gardens, had some of the dumplings from the Nanxing Famous Steamed Bun House (longtime readers will recall that name).  Then went over to Taikang Lu, an area of shops and cafes that’s set back from the road.  First time there, really liked it.

Friend Jeff is in town now and we’ll meet up tonight.  I’ve got lots of ideas and we’ll figure out how to spend the evening.  Should be fun, he’s a cool fellow – writes for a newspaper in Halifax, but loves traveling and Asia and wants to flee North America for greener pastures.  Maybe I can convince him to come over here…he’s been traveling round China for the past month and seems to like it.  Let’s see.

I’m done with this posting – 3 weeks’ of memories weren’t as hard to jot down as I imagined/feared.  So I will keep up with the slog, never fear.  I would like to hit this every week or two, though, so that will continue to be the plan.  Stay tuned, gentle readers.  Over and out.

In the wake of the coming “reconfiguration” of our little consulting group, lots of anxiety about what’s next.  I did what I could to reassure people and calm them – but felt a bit guilty about my own relatively assured glidepath.

We had some intriguing discussions about spinning off our group.  That discussion is likely to continue – I think the idea has some promise.  Of course, actually having the balls to take that step, and actually making it work, is an entirely different story.  Between the wish and the thing the world lies waiting – I think that quote’s from a character in “All the Pretty Horses” by Cormac McCarthy.  Read it now.

Told my landlord, the inestimable Mr. G., about my situation.  He took it quite calmly, leading me to believe he won’t play hardball and that I’ll get my money back (I paid a year up-front, common practice here).  He mentioned that we’ve become friends – I was warmed by that remark.  He may very well be the person I miss most from this short gig.  How about that – when’s the last time you thought you’d truly miss your landlord??  Anyway, let’s hope he comes through on the refund, then I’ll confirm that sentiment…

The Indian Sensex stock index has shot up over 40% this year.  I had some $ in there but obviously not nearly enough.  Who knew?

Walked out of my flat the other morning en route to the main street and the waiting taxis.  Seems they gather and then get rid of a huge mound of trash once a week, and this was the morning.  I’ve seen women picking through the stuff, hence they’re “ragpickers” – a job well and truly at the bottom of the human pyramid.  The stench was brutal – and I found myself walking slowly behind a guy carting the stuff off.  I couldn’t get around him, and I certainly didn’t want to get near him.  Things like this make India hard.  I recalled being in Hong Kong in 1988/9 with Bryan, being on top of a double-decker bus, and going into a long tunnel right behind a fish truck.  Not much fun – things like that happen in India at least once a week.  Come on over and check it out…

Things have descended to the level of absurdity here.  I’m leaving for China soon…yet must take care of a bunch of administrative matters in India so that I can get paid.  I’ve been working for 3 months, but because until recently I lacked a work visa I couldn’t open a local bank account, hence the firm couldn’t pay me.  When I joined I was under the impression that they could pay me in the States, so I didn’t sweat the lack of the visa.  I soon learned that they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) pay me overseas, and ever since I’ve watched my 2 bank account balances dwindle perilously close to the minimum/no-fee threshold.

So I had to register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), a much-feared entity that basically administrates we foreigners to death.  Went there with Zarine, our office supremo, who helped guide me through the process.  Stone-faced woman interviewed me – all was in order (I’m well-versed in these matters, unfortunately), except that she wasn’t satisfied with my housing contract and wanted an additional letter from the firm attesting to my residence.  Ugh.  We left, got in a taxi, and Zarine – efficient as always – called colleague Ruby at the office and dictated the necessary letter.  When we got to the office 15 minutes later, the letter was ready and the office boy brought it down.  I returned to the FRRO and Zarine went back to work.

Saw the woman at FRRO again – she took the letter, read it, and she was satisfied.  We them spent 5 minutes jointly punching holes in a few documents and putting them in a dossier/binder – quite an odd little experience.  I wanted to tell her my hourly rate but decided that wouldn’t be productive.  Then she indicated I could go, and I happily did.

I get to do all these fun things for the privilege of living in India.  It’s amazing I have any time to actually do some work…

Went to HSBC in Fort to start my long-awaited bank account – which I expect to close fairly soon, once everything gets taken care of here.  Problem:  I didn’t have anything from FRRO besides a receipt – apparently they’re supposed to give you a little booklet that you get stamped every time you exit/enter India.  I had seen the booklet, but the woman at FRRO didn’t give it to me when she indicated I could leave, and I figured they would send it to me after a few days.  Should have clarified that, and if Zarine was still with me she would have caught that, but no.

So now I was at HSBC, and couldn’t open the account.  I was quite pissed, and very worn out.  I slunk out of the bank and back to the office, where I tracked down Zarine.  She told me I was supposed to have gotten the little booklet from FRRO – I’d have to return yet again the next morning, and then try HSBC again.  And I was heading to China in a few days – didn’t look like I’d have time to get my various checks cleared and then wire some cash to my 2 other bank accounts, a key step in preserving my liquidy and credit rating.  Ugh.

Did some work – things are really winding down for my work here, but my new pharma gig in China is already heating up.  Stayed till around 8 p.m., then went to Zodiac Shirtmakers near my flat to pick up some shirts – mainly to replace those that have gotten lost/fouled here.  My strategy was to buy a few shirts and take them straight to China, where they stood a much better chance of not getting wrecked immediately.  Compared with India, China’s nearly spotless.

Zodiac is perhaps my favorite Indian company – they make terrific shirts, with good fabric for these temps and good tailoring.  I bought 4 shirts and packed them up, careful not to expose them to the usual grime here.  Between Zodiac and Wordell Chemists, where I buy my generic meds, it’s worth a trip here for those stops alone.

En route home I went to Crosswords Bookstore, where I found a copy of the Lonely Planet China guidebook.  A couple years old, but looked like that was the latest version, so I plunked down the usual US$30 or so and picked it up.

Got a budget code to take care of my moving expenses and initial client work.  The last 3 letters are MBS, mirroring my initials.  I believe it’s the first time I’ve ever had a code named after me.  Sirrah…

Next day, back to FRRO, where I asked the woman about my book.  She seemed surprised – “Didn’t I give it to you?”  She checked her drawer and there it was.  I suppose I was thankful, but then again this was my third trip to FRRO and I was annoyed.

Took a cab to HSBC, and this time I was able to start the account.  Guy who processed me was very nice, and it turned out he knew a Monitor person in our Powai IT office.  So that was done, but I still had to wait a couple days to have the checks clear, and it wouldn’t be still after my China trip that I’d be able to wire the $ and boost my overseas bank accounts.  Oh well, I’d waited three months, what was another 10 days??

On my way back to work I stopped for a haircut and full shave at a little shop in Colaba.  Haven’t had a full shave (with straight razor) in a long time – there’s a slightly dangerous air to the experience, but it’s sort of fun and the barber always does a terrific job.

That night I went to Ayu’s, a kebab place next to the Jewish synagogue in Fort.  Ayu’s is an underrated place largely frequented by cabbies and students, and I think their stuff is even better than Bade Miye’s.

Next morning, my doorbell rang – twice.  I tried to ignore it, but figured it was something important.  Torture.  Went to door, naked, opened it (while standing behind it for privacy), and there was a fellow wearing a filthy white singlet, with a trash bucket.  It took a minute to figure this out, but apparently he collects trash.  I have no idea if he works for the building or for himself.  It was a bit like Monty Python – “bring out your dead!”  Quite annoying, and bizarre.  I hoped not to ever see this guy again.  I do have a Leatherman multi-knife near my bed (largely for opening beer bottles); you never know what you’re capable of when it’s 6 a.m. and some weirdo rings your doorbell.  Very cheeky – next time I will call the police.

Had an internal meeting on our work in the Indian pharma market – will try to link this office to our overall pharma initiative, and perhaps return from time to time.  It will be nice to get back here – but stay in a hotel, have a driver, and of course gorge myself at Trishna.  The overhead and general daily living is something I can do without…

Got out my project’s invoice before May closed.  Fairly important thing to take care of, and was happy to get it out the door.  My responsibilities here now are mostly administrative – invoices, personnel evaluations, and the like.

Entire team went out for lunch – a bit of commiseration, given the impending changes.  Went to Woodside, a cool little place in Colaba.  People were in OK spirits, considering.  Won’t be long now before we’re dispersed to the winds…

Friday morning, packed some bags and went to the airport.  I was bringing some non-critical stuff to Shanghai this trip, so that when I went back “for good” I’d have less to carry.  Got to the airport without much hassle…the check-in line was a breeze…and I was good to go.  The audio was playing “Yesterday Once More” by the Carpenters and for a moment I imagined myself back in Manila…

I was pretty happy to head out.  Between the FRRO, HSBC, and various other indignities, the writing was pretty much on the wall.  I do have to say that I’m never bored, not for a single second.

Flew to Bangkok, where I’d spend the weekend before connecting to Shanghai.  The airport was clean and easy, took a cab to the Novotel Sian Square, where I’d gotten a great spring weekend deal.  My old colleague, Peter, told me about it – he’d emailed me on LinkedIn and he mentioned he was in Bangkok – one of my flight options was to connect in Bangkok (very few Mumbai-Shanghai direct flights), so I asked him if he was sticking around and he was.  Dropped off my bags in my room – a very nice 4-star deal – and met Peter in the lobby.  We hadn’t seen each other in 7-8 years, at least, the last time was probably in Joburg, where we both worked for some time.  He looked about the same – he’s now teaching Marketing at a b-school in Singapore, and he gets to BKK regularly.

We went out for a bite, then to the Novotel’s basement bar, a notorious place called CM2.  I’d been there many years ago, and was curious to return.  Peter and I talked for a long while – about the firm, about Asia, about women.  Great seeing him – and I think our paths will cross a lot more often now, my new gig will take me to Singapore from time to time.  I am sort of excited to get back to East Asia – running around from country to country canbe exhausting, but there is a real buzz in doing that.

Slept till 10:30 a.m. Saturday.  Really needed that.  Got up, did some emails, then walked to the Grand Hyatt Erawan, where I met Bob.  We went  over to Central World Mall, where I picked up a couple shirts at British India – a dry cleaner in Mumbai had damaged one (see a pattern here?), and anyway British India is one of the very few shops I like to visit.

Bob and I had a coffee, then lunch – had lots to catch up on, although it had only been 3 months or so since we’d last met.  He’s looking for work and hoping to start trading again soon.  Market might be improving and the timing might be brightening a bit.

Went back to the Novotel.  Worked out…read  my US history book (need to finish this before my Foreign Service Officer test on June 9^th)…relaxed.  Didn’t have time to take a nap, that always seem to go by the wayside in Bangkok.  I do love this city, it keeps me on my toes and is a very easy place to spend time.

That night, took the Skytrain over to Victory Monument, then walked over to the Water Bar to meet Bob.  En route, saw Jorn and Su standing in front of one of the street’s numerous 7-11s, drinking beer.  Bob told me that Jorn has taken to doing this most nights, it’s a cheap way to get drunk.  Not particularly comfortable or classy, but it’s cheap.  I joined them and bought up “a round” from the 7-11.  Eventually Bob walked by and joined us, then he and I went to Water Bar, which is one of my favorite bars in the world.  One of these days I’ll publish my complete list of fave bars, they’re quite spread out as you can imagine.

Bob and I ate and drank there for a couple hours – he knows all the waitresses there, and I know a few too.  Then we took a cab to Soi Cowboy where we visited a few bars till closing time.  I had an 11 a.m. flight to Shanghai so hit the sack and got some rest.  Another fast, furious 40 or so hours in the City of Mayhem.

On the Shanghai.  My Thai Airways flight had a disturbingly bumpy takeoff – a few of us passengers looked around with some concern.  The flight itself was smooth, only 4 hours.  Landing was also bumpy.  Need some new pilots, Thai Airways.  Before we could get off the plane, 4-5 Chinese “Swine Flu Checkers” came on board and pointed laser thermometers (or whatever) at each of us.  Space age.  None of us seemed to fail the test, so after 20 minutes or so we were allow to disembark.  I hope they don’t continue this process indefinitely…

Driver met me at the airport, and off we went.  Long ride into the city – saw lots of Buick minivans and other GM autos – GM and VW vie for top foreign manufacturer here.  And GM sold over a million vehicles in 2008 – so maybe they do have a viable future, given how fast the Chinese market is growing.  If you wait long enough, anything can happen.

Last time I was in Shanghai, I stayed with buddy Craig and his family while I was arranging my Mongolia trip.  Almost exactly one year ago – how things change.  Back then I had no idea I’d be returning to work anytime soon – and I was on the cusp of an incredible tour spanning Mongolia, Russia (by way of the Trans-Siberian Railway), Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, India, and Israel.  The beat really does go on…

Got to the glorious JW Marriott, one of my top hotels in the world.  Haven’t stayed here in years, not since I left work.  Good being back.  Went for a run…sat in the bathtub and soaked for an hour…had a fancy dinner at JW’s California Grill.  Then I walked off dinner on Nanjing Road, all the way to the Bund.  No shortage of touts en route – I could have opted for a watch, roller blades, or a sexy massage.  But I wasn’t in a buying mood so I just smiled and kept walking.

Busy week in the Shanghai office – we rebooted our pharma initiative and assigned accounts.  Our little team is very good – besides George, my old partner in crime, there’s a Chinese project leader who has a medical background and seems excellent.  We also have a few people in other offices helping us, and I’m optimistic we’ll succeed.

That night I worked out – great gym and I felt strong on the treadmill.  Then met former colleague Derek, now with Corning, for a beer.  He’s doing well, work isn’t that bad and his wife is expecting their second child any day now.

Next day, we finalized our strategy and worked on a couple proposals.  I’m still settling in, but it feels fine and things should soon be in solid shape.

Went over to the Hilton that night and walked around nearby, there are some good bars and restos in that area.  Had a beer at Cat Bat across the street, the waitresses there are fun and they place this oddly enticing dice game.  You usually lose and owe them drinks.  More fun than it sounds.  Walked around some more, went into a little café and had some local food, quite good.  I could eat Chinese food everyday, I swear – I know Japanese food and other cuisines are in the ascendancy, but I’d never sell Chinese food short.  For my final supper I’d likely opt for a Chinese banquet…

Wednesday I caught up on my reading, had gotten loads of documents and needed to work through ‘em.  Even read for a few hours that night at the hotel – didn’t feel like going out.

Saw friend/colleague Torsten on Thursday, he was in town so we caught up.  We mused about how people like us were still able to have an impact in China; years ago it was thought that by now the Chinese would have ramped up in terms of both business sophistication and English capabilities, and we lao wai (foreigners) would be obsolete.  But not yet – the locals have gotten more sophisticated, but are still hungry for overseas knowledge/exposure.  They’ve predictably gotten better at English, so they can speak directly with us much of them time, making it easier to exchange info.  The upshot is that there’s still plenty of need for the right foreigners in China.  I do mean to learn more Chinese, but for now I’m language-impaired…

Huge rain/hailstorm around 4 p.m.  Skies went dark very fast, reminded me of the crazy electrical storms they have in South Africa.  Skies eventually brightened, but it rained for a few more hours.  And I’d forgotten my umbrella.

Had dinner that night with my team – excellent Shanghainese food.  It had been a long but productive week and we were where we needed to be at this point.

On Friday we found out that we got a workshop project, but it needs to be on June 16-17 in Shanghai.  So we need to scramble to prepare…and I will need to return to China a week earlier than planned.  In the interest of maintaining my sanity, I will make this trip my final one to India, so next week will need to rush to close up shop.  I imagine some things will drag on a bit, so will keep HSBC account open and will need to stay in touch with several people to ensure things get taken care of.  As usual, nothing will be as easy as it should be, but I’ll do what I can.

Met fraternity brother Jake at The Fat Olive for drinks after having dinner with George.  He’s been here for 3 years but is heading back to Boston soon – too bad, I really enjoy hanging out with him.  We moved on to the Long Bar for a final drink.  Great seeing him – might get in one more drinking session before he departs.

Saturday morning we had a call with a Los Angeles-based colleague, took the call in the office at 8:30 a.m., necessitating an early morning packing/checkout sequence.  Finished a few things, then caught a cab to Pudong Airport, I’d fly to Bangkok again for the night, then on to Mumbai early Sunday morning.

Stayed at VP Tower, where Bob stays.  We went out again to Soi Cowboy, had a few beers and discussed the vagaries of life till around 2 a.m.  Went to an outdoors place near Soi Rangnam for some tom yum goong and rice, then hit the sack around 4 a.m.  My flight was at 7:50 a.m., so I’d need to get up around 5  and go to the airport.  I set two alarms, but was somewhat concerned I’d sleep through them.  The front desk guy was asleep when we got back to the hotel so I didn’t bother with him.  I’d have to get up on my own.

Crashed hard.  And at some point I awoke and wondered what time it was.  Worried, I leaped out of bed and checked my watch – 5:23 a.m.  Gulp.  I took a 20-second shower, packed my stuff, and raced out of the building.  Luckily a taxi was letting someone off (I love Bangkok) right outside, I got in and we raced to the airport.  Got there around 6:10 a.m., no problem.  I was very lucky my 6^th sense had kicked in – I suspect I’d heard the various alarms but ignored them – they served the purpose of slowly getting me up.  Not something I mean to try again anytime soon, it was a risky strategy.

The airport was pretty warm – I’ve noticed that airports around the world have gotten a little steamy, I suspect they’re cutting back on the aircon to save $$.

Now I’m back in Mumbai, will crank away there till Friday, then will head to Bangkok for the weekend and on to Shanghai on Sunday.  My new China mobile # is +86-136-2169-2825, go ahead and give me a ring there next week (after June 14^th).  Apparently this # is quite lucky, there are no 4s and there’s an 8.  And my Chinese surname is “Si-leung” which translates to “Gentle Dragon,” also quite a lucky moniker.  So I’m well-positioned for success in China.  Wish me well.  And on that note, here’s a pic from my recent 20^th Tufts University reunion – my Chinese-American (mostly American) buddy Bryan and I at The Burren in Davis Square, Somerville.  Over and out.

Went into the office on Thursday to finish up a few things.  Things were fairly calm, so I felt fine about ducking out for lunch with Brer Dave at House of Blues near Fenway Park.  We each had a beer and a sandwich and reveled in an hour or so away from our respective offices.  Had a good chat, then paid the tab (over $50 – a buck doesn’t go far in America…) and returned to work.  When I reached the office, I ran into old colleague Jarasa, who worked for me many years ago, when I was still at HQ.  Hadn’t seen her in 4 years, at least, and didn’t know she was still around; nice to see a familiar face, given all the changes.  Promised to stay in touch and meet when I came back to Boston.

Later on, I heard that another old friend, Toby, was around and was looking for me.  We had just missed each other.  That was too bad – would have been great to have seen him.

Dad and I had talked about going to the Bruins’ Game 7 match vs. Carolina that night, and I had a beeline for some (pricey) tix.  But Dad came down with a bad cold, he could hardly talk, so we just decided to stay local and watch sports at Union Street Bar in Newton.  Had the usual American fare – buffalo wings and other assorted meats.  The Red Sox, Bruins and Celts were all on that night – and I watched them all lose as the evening progressed.  A real New England sports bloodbath.  For the Sox, it was just another May game…for the Celts, it was a lost opportunity, and they would eventually lose Game 7 at home…for the Bruins, it was the end of the season.  I avoided the Globe sports section the next morning…

Got a call from a senior colleague in Singapore.  We talked about me moving to the Shanghai office – what that would look like, my package, timing, etc.  Looks like there are much greater revenue opportunities for me there than in Mumbai, so I’m likely to make the move fairly soon.  More on that soon.

Called Christine in the Philippines.  We’ve been talking a lot lately and there may just be something there.  We’ll see.  She’s been filling in as a part-time DJ at a radio station near Dumaguete – but she got embroiled in some office politics and she’s on thin ice right now.  Sounds like she pretty much got sucker-punched by some older, more political folks there.  Ugh.

Am thinking of taking the State Department’s Foreign Service Officer Test, just to have that in my pocket.  They offer it around the world several times each year, and I downloaded the study guide and bought a U.S. history book, just to brush up.  I’m probably relatively weak in that area, although I suspect I’m stronger than 97% of Americans.  Which is not saying much.  I read everything I can get my hands on – newspapers, The New Yorker, The Economist, etc.  I imagine that will put me in good stead for the test, but we’ll have to see.

On Friday had a couple doctor’s appointments.  Asked a cop for directions at one point – he turned around and I had to stifle a giggle, he was a typical ruddy-faced vein-nosed Irish cop.  Nice guy, but what a stereotype…

Had to give a urine sample during my first appointment.  Was shown into the bathroom, but instead of the usual plastic cup, I was told to pee into a funnel that led into a tube; on the wall in front of me was an electronic graph that measured the strength of the “flow.”  A novel and cool way to provide the sample…the brand name of this fascinating device was the “Urodyne 1000.”  I though about asking the doc where I might buy one of these, as I’d like one at home.  But I imagine he’d just tell me to relax and wait for the Urodyne 2000…

That night I moved over to the Hotel Marlowe, which I’d use as my base of operations for my 20^th Tufts University Reunion that weekend.  Was pretty excited about this event, I still fondly recall my 10^th, when I came back from Johannesburg and we used my apartment on Marlborough Street as groove central – we had people crashed all over the flat over the course of that weekend.

I checked in around 5 p.m.  At 6 old friend Jim rocked up and dropped his backpack, we then went to Bambara Bar downstairs to await Bryan and Maggie, who took the train up from Manhattan.  Had a couple drinks with them, and then hopped in a cab to Harvard Square, where we’d be rendezvousing with a bunch of other friends.  Excitement was mounting.

Met up with Radu and Kelly, got a large table downstairs, then Paul and Tim showed up.  Ordered several waves of Grand Gold Margaritas, lots of food, then Kim and Aimee showed up, along with Mike and Drew.  And others…got a bit wild at one point.  The “core gang” fled to the Hong Kong after some time, and got a central stand-up table on which to strategically position several Scorpion Bowls.  I hadn’t been to the Hong Kong – a huge Boston/Cambridge institution – in at least 10 years, for no good reason.  Except perhaps that it’s a place solely designed for getting drunk and picking up.  Wait – I’ve boxed myself in a rhetorical corner here.  Whatever.

We were there for a couple hours – just when we thought of fleeing, Tim bought another Bowl.  Not quite sure how many we downed there – but someone has a set of photos I’d really like to find and burn…

Around midnight we moved on to Sligo’s, a once-infamous dive bar in David Square that has ridden the gentrification of the Square and become a Tufts/bo-bo hangout.  Absolutely packed – in the old days you never had trouble finding a stool.  Most of the crew from the Border showed up eventually, and when they turned on the lights we were pretty much all there, blinking, waiting for the next big thing.

But Boston goes to bed pretty early, and we aren’t getting any younger, so we all decided to throw in the towel and reconvene the following night, Saturday, which was the actual Reunion event.  Jim and I went back to the Marlowe, and the next thing I knew I woke up in all my clothes, a warm beer from the minibar on the nighttable.  Jim was crashed in the desk chair, looking worse for the wear.  We’d expected Jim to crash in my room and not risk driving home, so that wasn’t much of a shock.  But my head was killing me and I wondered how much more I had left – the previous NYC weekend had also been grueling and I was impressed that we used to do this every single weekend.

Jim and I had a sandwich, then he went home to see his kids and change his clothes.  I met up with Dri, who had just arrived from NYC, and we took the T to Tufts and walked around for a while.  Tried but couldn’t get into our old dorms, West and Metcalf Halls.  Peered in and things looked spiffy – except that they had divided my old Metcalf triple and separated the bathroom.  Time does not mean progress.  In general, the school looked great – despite the Great Recession, the powers that be had done enough to keep the place up.  As well they should, with $45,000 tuition these days…

Couldn’t get into Zeta Psi, my fraternity house, so we wandered around the Quad and eventually found ourselves at a huge tent where they were holding the barralaureat ceremonies.  A Sri Lankan-born female graduate delivered the Wendell Phillips speech, and it was superb.  Seems students today are more serious and well-rounded than we were – I’d like another round of university to try and do it differently.

Tufts President Lawrence Bacow gave a good closing speech, drawing on lessons he’s learned from his extensive Boston Marathon experience.  An impressive speaker, and fellow – seems the school’s in good hands.  And that makes me feel good – you don’t want any aspect of your personal brand degraded, unless somehow you’re big into schadenfreude or similar deviant aspects.

Dri peeled off and went back to the Marlowe to powder her nose…I wandered down to the Hillside area and check things out.  Had a great cheeseburger sub at Espresso’s, one of our old haunts.  Said a silent prayer for Jay’s, our Sunday hangout, no longer there.  Saw a couple students lugging cases of domestic beer up the hill – felt like a 20-year flashback.  Got a large coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts (not there years ago), then got a call from John, who was driving to Tufts.  Everyone was converging in time for the 7 p.m. event, a dinner/drinks affair to be held on campus at Curtis Hall.

Walked back up the hill, and decided to check out Zeta Psi once more.  This time the door was open, I went in and met the current president.  Chatted for a bit, then mounted the stairs towards Pebble beach, the rooftop deck where numerous evils had been committed over the decades (none by me).  Basked up there in the twilight, called Dad and told him I had survived the previous night, then went back down and walked to the Campus Center, where I figured some friends would be turning up.

I heard a noise and looked up, just in time to see Charles rushing towards me.  He got me in a semi-painful bear hug, like usual, then released me in order to pay his cabbie.  Charles is always dramatic – I like that about him.  We caught up while searching for beers in advance of our soiree – had trouble tracking one down.  At one point we went outside to sit down and relax, and wound up befriending Bruce, a ’84 grad who was also there for his reunion.  Bruce works for the State Department and knows a fraternity brother of mine (who is urging me to take the Foreign Service Office exam – connect those dots), whose name I had mentioned to Charles – Bruce overheard our conversation and chimed in.

We traded old Tufts stories with Bruce, including the demise of my pre-med career at nearby Dewick (Chemistry) Hall, then went to Bruce’s event, which commenced at 6:30 p.m., a half hour before ours, thus presenting the change to start drinking early.  We walked in and didn’t stop at the reception desk…nobody stopped us and we were in the clear.  We all got drinks, ate some hors d’ouevres, and repeated that sequence.  Jim and John both called, we told them to come in and join us, but they were turned away – we got there just in time to slide in unnoticed.  Managed to down 3 drinks before heading out to our proper event.  Bruce, we owe you.

Our event was good fun – about 150 people turned out and I recognized most of them (and vice versa).  Lots of different groups coming together – I always prided myself on being able to tangentially associate myself with diverse groups without becoming beholden to any of them, and I still feel that’s the case.  So I had lots of random conversations with people during the event (which was far more drinks than dinner), as well as my usual posse (Charles, Jim, John, Dri, etc.) and when it was over around midnight I felt it had been worth the trip over.  And as usual, I felt like I was living the kind of life I want to lead – minimalist, expansive, and adventurous.  Not many of my classmates are living that kind of life, and I’m sure they’re fine with that…many seemed astounded that I’m living in India (“have you seen Slumdog Millionaire?” duh).

Went back to Zeta Psi with Bryan, Maggie, and Dri – not much going on at the fraternity house.  Went up to Pebble Beach, talked with a few of the active brothers, then left and walked to Davis Square.  Went to The Burren for a couple beers, then left just ahead of closing time.  Bryan was locked in for some Chinese food at old fave Golden Light.  Dri and I had walked by earlier in the day, and before we got to the storefront I called out the telephone # (666-9822) correctly – I can still recall all the key delivery joint tel #s from the old days.  I ordered some Peking raviolis, Bryan and Maggie ordered a huge bag of chicken wings and raviolis.  Then we all caught a taxi back to Cambridge, and said our goodbyes.  It had been a fun 30 hours or so and we’d done what we had come to do.  Whatever that was.

It was 2:30 a.m.  I wolfed down the raviolis, which were bricklike…I had a feeling I’d have an ugly morning before my flight back to India, through London.  But I powered through the ravs, tried to drink a lot of water, and then hit the sack for 3 hours or so.  At least Jim wasn’t around – I’d be able to close up shop promptly myself.

The morning was indeed ugly – when the alarm sounded at 5:30 a.m., I left like a stunned fish, like one of those carp in the bathtubs of poor Jewish households during holiday season.  And my stomach and head were aching – those ravs were sitting in my gut and distending it.  Managed to clear those out, a major priority for me; otherwise it would be a gruesomely uncomfortable day of travel.  Wondered how Bryan and Maggie were feeling – they had a feast of sorts in that anonymous brown paper bag.  Drank some more water…finished packing…checked out…and caught a cab to Logan Airport.  I’d be flying American Airlines to London, then connecting to Delhi on Virgin Atlantic.  I was rushing back to India to catch a major conference my group was putting on in Delhi – it was originally scheduled for later that week, but had been moved up, thus necessitating a race back to India.  Fun fun fun.

It was raining a bit, and I soon learned that my flight was delayed.  Uh-oh.  My layover in London was only 90 minutes – a bit close, but generally OK.  Then I learned that our plane had been taken out of service, and that they were flying another plane up from JFK to serve us.  We wound up leaving a good 90 minutes later, and it didn’t look great for my connection.  The flight was fine, I didn’t worry too much, but my initial sentiments were borne out.  When we disembarked in London, an agent handed us hotel vouchers and new tickets for the next morning.  I’d miss the first day of the conference.  Double ugh.

Whatever – I was reasonably serene about this.  Went out and caught the bus to the Renaissance Hotel, nearish Heathrow.  Nice enough place, probably 4 stars.  Wanted to call Ken and see if he was in town, but my mobile wasn’t picking up a signal (cheapo Indian carrier) so I just went to the hotel and chilled.  Had a bite at the downstairs bar, and a couple beers.  Read The Economist.  Went to sleep around midnight, as I had to arise around 5:30 a.m.  Again.  This was becoming a bad, weird habit.  But I got up, felt alright, and caught a bus back to Heathrow.  Had alerted my Indian colleagues about my situation, that was all set.

Flight to Delhi was easy enough.  Read about the end of the Sri Lankan war.  Not too sure this is really all over, you need some sort of political settlement to truly button these things up.  The underlying issues are all still there and eventually trouble will pop up again.  Mark my words.

All that said, I was happy they had killed Prabhakaran, the bloody leader of the LTTE.  With him still around, bloodshed and terrorism was virtually assured.  Without him, moderates might win out and there could be some sort of agreement with the Sinhalese government.  Weird country…can’t wait to visit.

Watched “The Class,” a very good French movie about a teacher’s year with a classroom of difficult students.  Quite thoughtful, and nuanced – in short, very French.  Americans can’t make films like this, at least not well – we’re better at exciting, twisting plots; the French do much better characters and insights.

Landed in Delhi around 11 p.m., on schedule.  My driver was actually there – got in and he asked me where I was going.  Torture.  He should have known that – I powered on my laptop to check the email (I should have written it down beforehand), in the meantime he called his office and eventually got through.  He handed me the phone and the fellow on the other end said “India Islamic Center, right?”  I said “Yes, why don’t you go ahead and tell the driver?!”  Annoying.  He told the driver the place/address and off we went.  Even when the driver shows on time, you have to wait for the other shoe to drop…

Our conference was at the India Islamic Center, and most of us were also staying there.  We got there, they opened the gates and let me in, and I checked in.  Odd mix of conference center and hotel – modest all round, but I suppose for a conference on business models that successfully target consumers at the bottom of the pyramid, it was fitting.  Went into my room – hmmm.  I was sharing with a colleague, as our budget was small.  The room itself was fairly grim – but it at least had aircon, critical in that the nighttime temps were nearly 100 degrees F.  Wandered the halls and explored the IIC, and eventually ran into a few colleagues returning from a late dinner.  Heard that the first day had gone well – was sorry I had missed it.

Eventually went to sleep, and awoke fairly early.  Had to use my Treo modem to check email, as the IIC lacked any sort of Internet access.  Cheapo city.  The conference started and it went very well – lots of interesting attendees, our panels went smoothly, and people were switched-on.  We’d been preparing for this for a few months, even longer actually, and it was gratifying to see it go so well.  I had only a minor role, but that went off fine too and then we were done.

Had a late dinner at Khan Market, at Big Easy, a US-style huge portions type of place, along with Tony G, our colleague who heads up a large pile of work in Riyadh.  No alcohol there, sounds a bit rough.

Had some morning meetings, including one concerning my likely move to Shanghai.  We confirmed this and I got going on making the necessary arrangements.  Took a cab to Delhi’s airport – tried to check in but the system was down.  Took nearly an hour to get my ticket, and I barely made the flight, even though it was held up for a while by this snafu.  India.

Have been noticing that several of my shirts – new and old – have some sort of grease smudge on the shoulders.  The dry cleaners aren’t having much luck removing these.  Not sure where the hell these are coming from – my washing machine?  Getting into dirty cabs?  The dry cleaners’ irons?  Very odd, and disturbing – have already tossed out 2 shirts, and will probably do the same for 2-3 more.  Not cheap.  I am scheduled to go to Shanghai first week of June, for a week or so, and before that will go to Zodiac shirtmakers, buy 3-4 shirts, and leave them in Shanghai – not the world’s cleanest city, but it sure beats Mumbai.

Back in the Mumbai office on Thursday.  Paperwork hell.  Have to get my China entry visa – needed letters from the Shanghai and Mumbai offices for that, along with photos, etc.  Also need to register my new Indian work visa in Mumbai’s Foreign Registration Office – more torture.  Spent nearly the entire day preparing papers and dealing with all the minutiae – for instance, my employment contract letter called me an “Advisor,” but it turns out that “Advisors” pay a higher tax rate than do “Contract Consultants,” so we changed the letter to reflect that language.  Lots of that fun stuff all day Thursday.  I am quite good at getting weird visas so am used to this – still, I hate admin matters and would much rather have client meetings, etc.

Got a flight to Shanghai through Bangkok on Thai Airways – will stop for the weekend in BKK and am happy about that.  My ex-colleague Peter will be there too, he’s a prof in Singapore and we’ve gotten in trouble in places like Joburg and Cape Town together.  Haven’t seen him in at least 7-8 years and I have a feeling we’ll have fun in Bangkok…

Took a cab home.  Stuck in traffic, I watched a fellow sweeping Marine Drive gutters – I was nearly mesmerized by the pace and near-grace of his activity.  I wouldn’t switch places, but hey, at least he did know his place…

Went for a decent run that night.  Then went for dinner at the China Room – an OK place, but I’m already getting sick of the 3-4 places near my flat.  Suppose it’s a good time to move on – when I lived in Mumbai in 1992, I was there for 3 or so months, and was ready to leave at that point (and travel to the Himalayas).  Seems like I’ve got a 3-4 month tolerance for this city, and that’s it.  Good to know that.

Friday involved a daytrip to Delhi.  Easier than it sounds – takes about 5 hours each way, when you factor in traffic, flight delays, etc.  Got up at 3 a.m. and checked email – couldn’t really sleep (still a bit jet-lagged), and if I arose at 4 it might have been a bit tight.  As it was, it was a smooth ride to the airport and I got there very early.  Had some coffee and food, read the paper, and got on the plane.  Which was only delayed 30 minutes – not bad for here.

Was met by a driver when I landed in Delhi.  The name on his placard?  “Migael Salgoni, Monitor Group.”  Wouldn’t have caught that without the firm’s name…I love it.

Had a good client meeting and pretty much wrapped up our project, one of the two I’m heading.  Now we just need to get paid for it.  One more project, which will be done in a week or two, then I’m mostly done with my formal India commitments.  I’ll spend June transitioning to my new Shanghai gig.

Hung out with a senior colleague in the Delhi airport – our flight was of course late, this time 90 minutes late.  Was at least good to have time to chat with him in advance of the weekend, when we’d have some lengthy team meetings to plot out the group’s future.

Got back to Mumbai.  Too tired to run – instead, went to a little Chinese place called Smokin’ Lee’s and had some hakka noodles and garlic prawns, then bought a few bottles of Kingfisher and went back to my flat to drink ‘em and watch a few downloaded episodes of “Heroes.”  Drank a couple beers, and barely made it through 2 episodes, then crashed hard.

When I woke up, it was so light in the room that I thought I’d left the lights on while trying to read (a common mistake of mine).  But no – it was nearly noon.  Hadn’t slept that long in memory.  The jet-lag and ugly hours that week had really done me in, and I was fairly pleased I’d slept so long.  Had to show up at the office but not till 3 p.m.  Got some croissants from Birdie’s Bakery, cabbed it to the office, and checked emails till our meetings started.

In a nutshell, the meetings were about the future of our group.  We’ve found that the revenue opportunities aren’t really here in India, they’re more likely to be found elsewhere – right now, mostly in Africa.  So the team will need to be open to travel if they want to stay in the group.  My situation is unique in that my former gig, in life sciences, is still lucrative and my old colleagues (and clients) still seem to want me back.  And the firm has been pretty clear that we need to follow the revenues, so that’s why I’m moving back east.  There you go.

Took a cab back home.  Saw a Zodiac shirtmakers sign – and thought about the eeriness of my wearing shirts embroidered with the name of a 1960s San Francisco serial killer.  Oh well.

I’m already looking ahead to Shanghai and life sciences work.  I haven’t been socializing that much…I’ve started sending out bye/hi emails to the relevant people…and I’ve been catching up on “24” and “Heroes,” even on weekend nights.  I dare say I won’t be doing that in Shanghai, which has a much better nightlife and where I know tons of people.

I’m writing this entry on Sunday afternoon from my Mumbai office.  Lots of discussions taking place here today concerning peoples’ futures.  Mine is fairly assured, at least in the near-term – and in any event, my financial situation is quite solid.  But I feel for my junior colleagues, who don’t make much and whose futures are very much in doubt.  I’m tough enough and have fired numerous people over the course of my career, but I have to say I generally dislike any sort of finality with regards to people’s careers.  At least this time I don’t have to fire anyone – the team has work for the next 2 months or so, but after that it may be Africa or bust.  I’ll be long gone, in China, by then, but will stay in touch with the team and see if I can help in any way.  Wistful times, indeed.  Over and out.

Buddy Dave from Toronto/Bangalore came to Mumbai en route to Canada – we met for drinks at the swish Taj Lands End in Bandra.  Frightmare getting up there – Bandra is a posh ‘hood (for Mumbai), but it’s very far from the city and not free of torture.  Dave and I had a couple overpriced beers at the Taj, then took an auto-rickshaw to a mediocre nightspot called Temptations.  The beers were cold and not expensive, but the music was blaring and it was hard to hear each other.  We did the usual foreigner commiseration about India – how hard it is to get anything done, the grime, the cheesy bars, etc.  Catharsis, sirrah…Dave and I parted around midnight, he was soon to fly to Canada and I had to go to work in the morning…

My USA trip was looming…needed to get my India work visa, and also attend my 20^th university reunion.  Guess which looked to be more enjoyable?   I’d already spent hours preparing all the paperwork for the visa, and duking it out with our imperious executive assistant/company officer about precisely what would and would not be required.  I do have a lot of experience in this domain so I was generally able to prevail on the key points.  My dossier finally came together and I had a few photos made to round out the package.  Fun fun fun.

Road crews started work on Pedder Road, a major artery nearish my apartment.  Pure torture…the traffic backs up for 2-3 kilometers.  Once I got out and just walked home – not a pretty sight, in the evening heat.   Got home, got ready to go for a run – hadn’t had enough punishment just yet.  Opened my apartment door and a pigeon was perched out in the hallway; when I walked out, the damn thing got spooked and nearly divebombed me.  I ducked back inside the flat and counted to 20…then I went back out and it was gone.  If this were China, that pigeon would have long ago gone down someone’s gullet, smothered in duck sauce…

Had a good run, sweated out the various poisons of my existence.  Showered and walked over to China Room, one of my go-to places.  Sat at a small table and ordered.  At the next table was a large Indian family engaged in serious consumption.  Not 3 minutes after I sat, a woman at that table welcomed me by belching loudly.  Peasant.  They were all obese and kept badgering the waiters for more roti (bread).  This was China Room, yet they still have a full Indian menu and judging from what I’ve seen on my various visits, some people just stick to the tried and true Indian fare.  Somewhat depressing – widen your horizons, people…

I expanded my own horizons the following day, when I managed to engineer the delivery of some very decent Thai food for lunch at the office.  Was getting a bit sick of the usual Moishe’s flatbread chicken steak sandwich (but not that sick of it).  Wasn’t that busy – made a few personal calls, including to friend Ken in London.  We chatted about work, holidays, and various nonsensical matters.  Need to keep these friendships and lifelines going.

Went back to my desk and plowed through a few unread work and personal emails.  Realized after a few minutes that I’d managed to clear all my emails – an event that probably only happens a couple times per year, I always seem to have a few personal emails that I’ve read, but kept in the inbox without a reply.  Felt good to be clear of emails…then another one popped up and the process began anew.

Went home and got in another run, in Amarson’s Park, which has been a real lifesaver.  Showered and went for a beer at The Ghetto, the one proper pub near my flat.  Dave Matthews was playing…both pool tables were in action…I ordered some greasy snacks.  Felt a bit like being back in Charlottesville, Virginia – my b-school home, where I used to go see Dave Matthews play for free at Trax and other music spots.

Went home and packed for my USA trip.  Got in a decent night’s sleep, enhanced of course by the glycerine-spiked Kingfishers.  Yum.

Got up and left the flat…when I got to the street, I headed for the main drag and was surprised to see a cabbie backing up at full speed towards me.  It was one of the cabbies I’ve taken to work a few times, he obviously wanted to “claim” me before I reached the main road.  Whatever.  I got in, we got going.  At one point he asked me what time I was heading back that night – a bid to become my regular driver.  I had to tell the poor fellow that I was going to the airport that night, at 11:30 p.m.  Didn’t bother mentioning that I would be in the States for 10 days, then in Delhi for a few more.  If it’s not meant to be, don’t push it.

Read in the newspaper that Dom Deluise died.  I still remember his excellent turn in “Blazing Saddles.”  He also was a fellow Tufts alum.  Hopefully the physical resemblance won’t grow any closer…

Had a busy last day in the Mumbai office.  Finished off a few things in the morning…ducked out at lunchtime to stock up on some pharmaceuticals at Wordell Chemists…came back and cranked some more…then had a late-night call for our upcoming conference in Delhi, which takes place right when I return to India.

Around 11 p.m. I found myself the last consultant in the office; the only other person still around was Manoj, who pretty much lives at the office.  Felt like old times…late night, waiting to head to the airport for an overnight flight, left to my own devices and thoughts.  At times like these I think back to my very first unaccompanied flight, when I flew to Florida to see my grandmother.  In many ways I’m still that little brat – just the exterior appearance has deteriorated.

Spent my last few minutes lining up work meetings and social events via email.  Can’t have a dull moment now, can we?  Then said goodbye to Manoj and headed downstairs to (hopefully) find my reserved aircon Meru cab…which was actually waiting there for me.  Incredible.  I was half-ready to just jump in a regular dumpy black-and-yellow number, but didn’t have to.  Good omen.

The ride to the airport was smooth enough (it was nearly midnight, after all).  But the airport was a disaster – like an Indian Woodstock.  Every line was long – good thing I got there nearly 2.5 hours before the flight, because I needed almost all of that.  At one point, while waiting to clear security, a gringo on his mobilephone told his caller that he was in Mumbai, “the armpit of the world.”  Clearly he’s never been to Mombasa.  But given the ridiculous lines and procedures, I was annoyed.  You shouldn’t have to deal with this nonsense well after midnight.  At least in the first line, to get my boarding pass, there was a cute Indian dentist who was heading to New Jersey – we complained about the lines and traded smalltalk for 45 minutes or so.

India can really make you old, at times like these…

Finally got on the flight.  There was a fat guy sitting next to me, in the middle seat.  Who are these rubes, who are 1) oversized and 2) unaware of the drawbacks of sitting in the middle?  The world would be a far better place if everyone had a clue, really.  As it was, I popped a generic Ambien and slept pretty well.

Landed in Brussels in the morning.  Last time I was there, I was flying en route from Joburg to NYC, via Lagos and Brussels.  In Lagos I nearly got robbed…in Brussels I had a nice long layover, went into town, met a cute middle-aged woman in a bar near the Grand Place, went back to her flat, and had a memorable session before racing back to the airport to fly to NYC.  Not sure I’ll ever be able to top that multi-leg voyage for sheer drama.

Didn’t have a long layover this time round, and didn’t have the Belgian’s phone number, so stayed put and got a coffee.  Got on my flight to NYC, it was half-empty and I was thrilled.  Watched a few episodes on “24” on my laptop and did some reading.  “24” is one of the few shows I bother to watch – it’s still entertaining, but I have to say they’re running out of plausibly terrorist plots and perhaps they’ll need to scapegoat AARP or something like that next season…

My carrier, Jet Airways, had a superb Aussie shiraz on this flight.  I think it was from Berri Estates.  I had four large glasses and eventually passed out.  Highly recommended stuff.

JFK was empty – cleared Immigration in a flash.  Hadn’t checked a bag, so got out of there quickly.  Got some US$ and then hopped into a cab.  Was staying at old friend Todd’s near Columbus Circle…went there first and dropped my stuff off.  It was overcast and a bit rainy – not as nice as I’d expected.

Got to Todd’s, dropped my stuff, then headed out with my visa paperwork over to the Indian Consulate on the East Side.  Got outside, into a cab, then remembered I’d left my passport in the apartment.  Went back and got it, came back outside and it was absolutely pouring.  Thankfully I’d brought my little umbrella, and my documents were in a plastic sheath, so I was able to protect them.  Got another cab, miraculously, and headed east.

I always seem to be incredibly busy when I get off these flights.  I suppose I configure things that way, but just for once I’d love to get off a flight, have a few hours to relax, then go out to dinner with a beautiful woman.  Instead of getting off a flight and racing to apply for an Indian work visa…

Dropped off my stuff, that seemed to go fairly well.  Noticed a Philly cheesesteak place nearby, called “99 Miles to Philly.”  Couldn’t pass that up – went in and had a ‘whiz with.’  Devoured that and could hardly stand afterward.  Got a haircut at a barbershop across the way, to repair the Goa cheapie haircut I’d had a couple weeks before.  The Goa haircut was less than $1, this was $16.  That’s about the cost of living ratio between Goa and NYC – really.

Did some emails at Starbucks – not too gruesome.  Then went back to Todd’s and waited for him to come home.  Wanted to take a snooze, but my mobile rang and it was a senior colleague from Asia, he wanted to chat about a few things.  By the time we were through, Todd was home and we had lots to discuss.  We headed out after a bit to East, a conveyor belt sushi place on 3^rd Ave, where we ate and drank deep.  Then we walked over to one of my favorite places, Molly’s Tavern, where we met fellow b-school alum Ed, he and Todd had been on the same Charlottesville-NYC flight the day before, and Todd had told Ed that I was coming to town.  Everything came together nicely – we sat at the bar and drank for a few hours.  No end of old stories to dredge up.

Went out for some New York pizza after that…then Ed peeled off, sensibly.  Todd and I moved on to DJ Reynolds, a dive bar near his place, where we spent a few more hours.  Finally got back to his flat around 5:30 a.m., in time to 1) see the sun come up (I got some very nice photos of that), and 2) hear his alarm come on.  Todd was planning to take Friday off, so we could both at least sleep as long as we wanted.  Hadn’t done an all-nighter in some time, but Todd’s known for ‘em and I had figured something like this might happen.  Forewarned is forearmed…

Woke around noon.  We went over to the Lincoln Park Bar, where they have excellent buffalo chicken sandwiches (and beer).  Had a few more beers, and shot the breeze with a very cute young bartender who was herself fighting off a bad hangover.  Now this was my kind of place.  The weather was clearing up, and all over the city people were coming out of their apartments, putting on spring clothing, and just hanging out – in bars, in cafes, on the street.  Springtime in Manhattan is hard to beat.

We took a cab down to J&R Music World, where I bought an Indian plug adapter, and looked for an iPod docking station from Klipsch.  That was out of stock.  Got a call from a senior colleague in India, who wanted to talk shop.  Took care of that and then Todd and I went over to the nearby Blarney Rock on Maiden Lane for another beer.  Perhaps the perfect Friday afternoon…the only issue was that I had to go back to the Indian Consulate to get my passport/visa…they had texted me and said it was ready.  Amazing…I was almost happy to go back there and get the document.

Picked up the visa and went back to Todd’s.  He was listening to Springsteen and downing a few more beers.  Bravissimo.  We returned to Lincoln Park Bar, where we were met by friends Bryan, Dave, and Ray.  Had a fine time catching up with the guys – never hard getting a minyan in NYC.  After a while Bryan and Ray took off, and Dave, Todd and I went to The Palm for a large steak.  Todd was pretty far gone, but we managed to make it through dinner.  Another lengthy night ensued – not quite as crazy, we made it back to Todd’s around 2 a.m. this time.  A relatively calm night, I suppose.  NYC really is a Disneyland for adults…

Headed to Boston the next day on Amtrak.  Train was a bit late, but no big deal.  Watched a few more episodes of “24” on the ride, read the Financial Times and New York Times (no better way to spend a train ride), and ate.  Got to Back Bay Station, walked over to Avis, got my rental car, and drove to Newton.  The usual process for me.

Had dinner with Dad, Ellen, and Ellen’s mother Doris that night, at MetBar.  I was fairly exhausted but the dinner and company were good.

Next morning I drove out to Hopkinton to see my sister and her family.  My little niece Natalie turned 1 a couple weeks ago, she’s growing up fast and is incredibly cute.  Good to get home again after only 10 weeks or so.

We all drove out to Springfield to have a big Mother’s Day brunch with Dave’s mother and his brother’s family.  Went to Max’s Tavern, which is part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Complex.  I ate everything in sight and felt like a basketball afterward.  Wasn’t much good the rest of the day…played with the kids, then went for a very slow run around the ‘hood.

We ordered Chinese food and then we all kicked back.  I had a late night call with my Indian colleagues, wasn’t sure how much energy I’d have at 10:30 p.m.  Dave and I watched the Celtics-Magic hoops game, which was a tight contest all the way through.  Dave headed upstairs after halftime, I increasingly got into the game, and wound up pushing back my call by a half-hour to watch the end of the game.  Didn’t look that good for us, but our 330-pound backup center hit a 20-foot jumpshot to win the game with no time remaining on the game clock.  Huge win.  I ran around the room for a few minutes, then got on my India call and cranked through that, full of energy.  I really need to watch more playoff games…

Got up at 6 a.m. on Monday and immediately got to work…Dave was already out the door and Bonnie and the kids were still (wisely) sleeping.  I reviewed a couple documents sent from India, gave the team there my feedback, and felt I’d done my bit.  Then got an email from a colleague in San Francisco wanting me to join a global call at 9 a.m.  Hmmm – that was alright, but it required a fair amount of juggling – I’d now be pinned down till 11 a.m. or so, whereas I’d planned to head to Newton/Boston around 9.  Oh well – it’s not all about me anymore, flexibility is a prized asset.  So I did the call, then hit the road.  Dropped off the rental car in Boston, then made my way back to Dad and Ellen’s.

Went  to the office on Tuesday – haven’t worked there in 3+ years, so it felt novel.  Had a very busy day so got an early start; I’ve developed a very good sense regarding how much time things take, I’m rarely off in these matters.  A rule of thumb – do a quick estimate (a la “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell – haven’t read that book, but I have a sense for much of what’s in there), then add 30-40%.  Works pretty well for me.

The usual slew of random bit of work – call with India, reviewed a contract, had lunch with a senior colleague, sent some market researchy questions to a colleague who happens to be in Panama on a project right now.

Had a date with the Korean lass that night, we met in Jerusalem on New Year’s Day.  Friend Charles recommended “Hungry Mother” in Kendall Square, made a booking there for 8 p.m.  Got out of work a bit early, walked around Kendall Square and wound up at Flat Top Johnny’s for a couple pre-date beers.  At one point “The Spirit of Radio” by Rush came on – I had to grin broadly. Haven’t spent time in this area in years – it’s full of decent bars and restos, good after-work places.  Most were surprisingly crowded for a  Tuesday night in these recessionary times…was glad to see people are still reveling and trying to enjoy themselves.  These hard times, too, shall pass…

Walked over to Hungry Mother’s, was still a bit early, so ordered “House Drink #2,” which comprised Maker’s Mark bourbon and a few other ingredients.  Very nice.  Waited for my date.  She showed up and we sat down and tried a bunch of menu items – the resto has southern-style food and we both got some fish.  Chatted for a while about our travels, and our jobs – she’s a designer for a big firm that sometimes competes with us in India.  Decided not to talk about work anymore.  Drank some wine.  We were there for quite a while, then we took off and had another drink around the corner.  Talked to some people sporting Celtics jerseys, turns out the Celts won another thriller; saw some Bruins-clad fans, the Bruins won their big game too.  And the Red Sox triumphed…huge night for Boston sports.  We just need to press on and win some trophies now.  All in all, a fun date and a good night.

Next day at work, things were reasonably calm.  Managed to locate an old floppy disc drive that runs on USB power, and plowed through some old floppy disks, liberating a few files of interest.  Have been meaning to do this for a couple years now, but it’s nearly impossible to find the floppy disc drives.  The firm had one and I was happy to take care of this nagging matter.  Did a few things during the day, then met an old friend/colleague after work for a few beers.  Was very glad that he’s still around – walking around the firm’s HQ these days, I don’t see many familiar faces.  Consulting’s a high-turnover business to start with…then, with business conditions being what they are, the cycle’s exacerbated.  But a few old friends are still around and I’ve been lucky to see or speak with most of them lately.

The week’s almost over, on Friday I check into Hotel Marlowe, in Cambridge, which will serve as my homebase during my university reunion activities.  Old buddy Jim will probably crash in my room – good to keep revelers off the roads, methinks.  Looks like a pretty solid showing for the reunion – some people aren’t stepping up, but I’m not surprised, and am not taking it personally (despite me coming in from India largely for the reunion).  Most people are apathetic by nature, and when you hit 40 or so, you’re not going to change them.  Maybe I’ve become too resigned as well, and buy too much into my own theory, and don’t try hard enough – but hey, here I am.

Am trying to get some Bruins tickets for Game 7 vs. Carolina – Dad wants to go, neither of us have been to a Bruins game in decades, and it should be huge fun.  Am talking with a ticket broker, looks like $200 per ticket – will probably go for it.  A good, violent game of ice hockey might be just what I need.   Check back in a week or so and by that point I’ll be back in India, but more importantly, lots more sports will have been played and outcomes will be coming into focus.  Over and out.