I've just finished documenting my Asia trip in short below and it appears as though Blogger has accomodated. You may need to check the September archive for the full deal but I've gotten the reader's digest version of the trip down. If you'd like to see a larger scope of the photos (70 or so) feel free.

Back to daily life. Ciao for now.

It's 12:13am and I'm waiting for a 2:15am flight from Bombay to New York via London. Pondering the two joys of British Airways upper class, the flat bed and the lounge, I've finally found the lounge after a sweaty 20 minutes of back and forth through the Mumbai international terminal.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to get Blogger to cooperate but my plan is to document my fall 2004 Asia trip in real time retro beneath this entry covering a day or three at a time. Read prior entries below dropping in over the next week or so if you like (and if it works!).

Ok, so I just said I'm sitting in the BA lounge. I, being one who likes to be on time, arrived at about 11pm for a 2:15am flight. When I made finally found the lounge (after a bit of back and forth) I was about the third (all Anglo) to arrive. Ok, so now it's 12:20 and there's not a single seat in the joint. Mostly Anglos but a few African Muslims (in traditional garb) have joined.

Across the way is the first blond woman I've seen in a quite awhile so excuse me but I'm having a bit of an extended stare. Cute, petite, nice figure, clearly British. She and her boyfriend (obviously not her husband) are much too touchy-feelie for this room. I think the Muslims are about to behead them both. Sorry that's in bad taste. I am about to behead them. OH NO... Mr. Blondie has just gone to get another drink and in the meantime she's found some work in her nose: left index finger to left nostril, left index finger to MOUTH; right index finger to right nostril, right index finger to MOUTH. This bitch is eating her boogers. It's unbelievable but Mr. Booger has just returned to a kiss. Unbelievable. Ok Hakem, please behead them both.

Batteries are dying here so I'm shutting down. Peace out from Bombay.

Today I moved from my 5+ star, $400US per night hotel room in Bangalore to Mumbai (or Bombay to you Anglo-centric folks out there). The hotel in Bangalore was truly the best hotel I've ever visited. The Delhi belly is persisting so I didn't take a shot at the restaurants but the room, service and overall impression were the best ever.

My room had a private entrance to the inner courtyard and garden and I suspect pool but I didn't venture that far from the toilet during my 18 hour stay here.



In keeping with M.O. of maintaining visual contact with the loo at all times, it was great that I was granted a personal valet with my $400 tariff.



Daveen you RULE man! This dude kept my well equipped and pressed my suit in world record time. I was going to request a massage but thought perhaps that would be asking too much.

Tonite I arrived in Mumbai in the midst of the 2004 Ganesh Festival. An, I would guess, hour+ ride from the airport to the hotel tonite took just under 3 hours as the devotees of Ganesh sing and dance in the streets carrying their representations (statues) of Lord Ganesh for a bath in the Arabian Sea. I couldn't catch any photos because my piece of shit camera is useless at night but it was amazing. So many people (I'd say a million, no shit) celebrating and having a glorious time....so many people...I probably should have had some sense of danger but no way. It was a spectacular welcome to Mumbia.

Greetings from Bangalore!



After two days in Delhi Bangalore is a welcome escape. The squalor in Delhi is so completely pervasive that it wears you out. There's just no avoiding it. Slum after slum after slum after slum; children with buckets digging for God knows what on the side of the road; women, men, children walking on the side of the road apparently miles from any real civilization carrying massive containers of water (or gas or milk) on their heads. I couldn't bring myself to photo any of the truly shocking slums but here's a photo I snapped on a random street in Delhi.



Note: this is NOT a slum but city living in Delhi. Delhi belly, Gandhi's revenge, whatever you'd like to call it has struck. I fear utter embarrassment at any moment.

This morning I woke up in New Delhi with the scorching Indian sun blaring right in on me heating up hotel room and making me wonder if that sun has anything to do with the weird funky mildew smell that permeates this place.



I've only been in Delhi for about 10 hours and I'm afraid of what lingers outside this compound of a hotel I'm in. I'm due to meet my travel mate at breakfast in about 20 minutes and then it's off for business in India. This should be interesting...

Off to India today via Nepal.



The airport in Kathmandu is not really prepared for folks transitting through on the way to other destinations. This created a bit of a difficulty making my connecting flight to Delhi. Nothing a few smiles, a bit of patience and bribing couldn't solve. I was immediately forced into a queue of about 150 people awaiting temporary visas. Trying to explain to the immigration clerk that I wasn't leaving the airport, wasn't spending more than 3 hours in Nepal and did not want to get stuck in his cluster fuck queue wasn't working. Further to that I had a bag SOMEWHERE that I needed to insure made the flight to Delhi. I was confident I would make it but had serious doubts about my bag.

Finally after being forced to be photo'd and paying 500 Nepalese rupees for a visa I found someone that understood what I was trying to do. "I don't know sir, our transit desk is closed on weekends. I don't think there's anyone here to help you. Do you know anyone in Kathmandu who can help you tonite?" Um no....or YEAH....THE AMERICAN EMBASSY. How about this..."Here's $20US. Anything you can do to get me on this flight to Delhi?" That seemed to do it. 20 minutes later I was shuffled into the security queue to board the flight to Delhi and received my checked bag.

I was scolded when I pulled out my camera to snap a few shots out of the plane after we departed Kathmandu on the way to Delhi...some Indian law forbidding photos in airplanes or airports. Whatever... The scenery flying south of Kathmandu was the most beautiful I've ever seen. Jagged and steep but still lush green mountains with fast moving rivers running between. Every so often in the middle of this apparent "no man's land" a few terraced fields with houses would appear only to once again disappear into the mountains. Well worth the anxiety at the airport and hours of delay to Delhi.

Today I finally got a day off to explore Bangkok. After speaking with the tour organizer at the hotel it was too bad I didn't look into my day of touring prior to this morning. There are lots of cool excursions including bus trips to Cambodia, boat trips down the Kwai river and outtings to the beach. Unfortunately I waited to long so the only tour really available included the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Thai Royal Palace.



In years gone by I've done a mild amount of reading (maybe 20 books) on the basic concepts of Buddhism and a few western Buddhist memoirs. It was very cool to actually visit a real working Buddhist temple. They don't let you actually take pictures of the Emerald Buddha but somehow our tour guide, "Phil" scored one. Hmm...



The Thai Royal Palace was mildly impressive too but unfortunately they don't let visitors inside on the weekend. So it goes....a photo of the real life location of The King and I will do.

This conference is finally winding down and thank goodness. I'm not sick but I think I've been carrying a bit of a fever the last couple of days. Feeling chilled then sweaty alternating pretty swiftly. This conference has been great and I've made spectacular contacts from all areas of Asia and go figure a few from South America too.

Tonite our host took myself and a bunch of colleagues out to one of the most unique restaurants I've experienced ever. The motto of this joint is "If it swims, we've got it". No lie. The concept: a kitchen, market and wine store serving a dining room of 1500 or so. You grab a shopping cart and shop amongst the endless offering of seafood from around the world as well as produce and fruit, grab a case or two of wine and then report to the kitchen. Hand your goods over to the chef at hand, let he or she know what you do or don't like and then a few minutes later your glorious meal arrives in a series of courses...clams, scallops, prawns, rock lobster, red snapper and bottle after bottle of Aussie cabernet...Kampei!



Following the amazing meal our host piled most of the guests into a bus back to the hotel but gave myself a couple of other choice guests a ride in his Lexus. And then it's party time Bangkok disco style....bottles of Black Label, pumping bass and girls, girls, girls. I hit the wall....still somewhat jet lagged I'm back at the hotel and crawling in. This night will live on as one of the most lavish ever.

The last couple of days have been rather work intensive regarding this large online content conference here in Thailand. Save for a few excellent Thai meals, it's been straight through 9am-9pm workfest.

Oh yeah, my travel mate forced a dab of durian on me. I wasn't prepared. I can still taste this most disgusting thing. I'm an adventurous eater seldom phased by pig guts, chicken gizzards or cow tongue but durian should be forced extinct. It takes like someone took a pumpkin's guts, removed the seeds, sprinkled on a few drops of kerosene and then buried it in the ground for a year only to dig it up and eat it. No thanks. I'm done with that "fruit".

This morning, very early this morning, I arrived in Bangkok following 22 hours at 36,000 feet. The flight wasn't bad (upper deck 747 business class) except for the 50+ year old 47th street diamond dealer on his way to Cambodia to claim jewels for his holiday season works. Hard to believe but Mr. Diamond Dealer talked just about the entire flight. Not saying much really just babbling. His most profound comment was "You know I think I've got an idea which will make me a million bucks....marketing breast implants in Asia. Have you ever seen so many flat chested women? I'll make a fortune!" Perhaps...

After arriving at the hotel at about 1am last night I got a few hours of sleep only to meet my Asian travel mate for breakfast.



We made a call on a local bookseller and then I had to go straight back to sleep...I couldn't do it. The lag is kicking in so after a nap in the afternoon I took some fish curry lunch and parked my ass at the pool. So it goes in the life of leisure. Tomorrow, I work.

I am about to embark on quite an ambitious 12 day around the world business trip: NYC - Tokyo - Bangkok - Delhi - Bangalore - Bombay (er, Mumbai!) - London - NYC. Oh the frequent flyer miles and OH the British Airways business class! Oh NO the jet lag, DVT, Indian squalor and heavy drinking legendary of doing business in Asia but so it goes. I was initially booked to depart on 9/11 on Royal Jordanian Airlines with a connection in Amman. I couldn't do it...just too much to consider. I'm out Sunday 9/12...wish me Godspeed...

Never having been to India before and receiving fair warning from everyone who has, I'm not sure I'm prepared for the shock of leaving the richest (arguably) place in the world only to arrive a few days later in one of the poorest. Or is it? Of course it is, but Bangalore? The Silicon Valley of the Asian subcontinent, the source of all this "outsourcing" political squawk...perhaps the true shock will be how developed it actually is. It's not as if I'm going to Calcutta or Phnom Penh...or Rio or Mexico City for that matter. And I should keep it real: this is a business trip replete with 5-star hotels, personal drivers and local chaperones. My biggest worry will likely involve being coerced into a close personal relationship with Johnny Walker.

It may be ridiculously optimistic but I'm thinking I may actually be connected for a large portion, if not all of this trip. If so, I'll try to post some snippets and photos...if not, again Godspeed and I'll bring the goods on the other side.

Cheers...

We jr+sons rockstar types are in the process of cracking a cover tune which has sent me into a nastalgic tailspin today. Fine details on the cover to follow (you know, you gotta see it to believe it type of thing) but the fruit of my discovery labor has unearthed some gems from the past and some hearty memories.

I've been listening to The Rising Tide from Sunny Day Real Estate over and over today. I first discovered these guys opening for them with a crackpot bunch of straight edge kids from Pennsylvania in 1993. There was a lot of buzz preceding the release of their debut record which helped bring quite a lot of people out. They went dark for a few years and then The Rising Tide...granted, there's definitely some religious (er, Christian) overtones but I say #1 album of 2000.

While digging around to find another CD which of course isn't in it's proper jewel case I came across a cyberpunk literary classic....Random Acts of Senseless Violence. A great NYC indie classic and poignant these days with all talk of NYC police state, terrorism, etc. I had no idea who Jack Womack was until I went to see a Henry Rollins reading in 1996 at KGB. Turns out ol' Hank was really just pushing Jack's new book (Random Acts...) and his Black Flag retrospective but each gave a 5 minute reading to the 20 of us there, signed some shit and left us to drink the night away. Which has turned out to be a somewhat regular occurence at KGB: the site of the beginning and ending (but rarely middle) of many a blow out.

Here's a crazy obleeeviated photo from one such KGB "end" of an evening....where it started, no one knows....