Advent Calendar - September

It has been a while since I did an Advent Calendar Redemption update, but much has happened of late., so the time has come!

Aaron – 3 drinks. For the first time in about 10 years, I made my way east to Ontario; my old stomping grounds. It was great to see so many old friends, and it was great to redeem Aaron’s credits… this time at some obscure rock and roll place. Odd to say the least as rock and roll isn’t typically my deal, but when in Rome, do as the Romans!

Paul – 1 drink. Celebrating a huge life milestone for him, I had the chance to redeem one of Paul’s drinks, but in typical fashion of late, I forgot to document the event with a photo! Ah well, there will be other chances this year I am sure.

Rob – 2 drinks. I also managed a quick trip to Las Vegas recently, and was able to redeem two of Rob’s credits, bringing his balance to zero. Although I forgot to snap the event, I offer instead this great view of one of the best clubs in Las Vegas – XS. Striking a great balance of dance floor space and quieter chat space, I highly recommend the place for anyone heading out in LV.

Chris F. – missed opportunity. While in Toronto, I also saw Chris F. whom I owe four drinks. He is bound for Germany where he will lead the NMR work at the Max Plank institute – a serious big brained accomplishment – well done Chris! Suffering from a pronounced brain fart, I forgot to buy his dinner drink, and was unable to meet up again during the weekend, so I will have to carry a 4 drink debt for another year --- either that or, or I will head to Germany!

With these updates, I now owe 22 drinks --- and only have 12 weeks to do so! Arghhhhhhhh - wish me luck.

Those are my Two Cents for today.

The Mystery Mixed Couple

Simple fact – I love to people watch. Why I am not entirely sure – likely part perverse curiosity and part desire to understand how and why people act the way they do.

An excellent location for people watching is public transit. If, like me, you start and finish a given route, you can learn a lot about the people that board and exit your bus/subway, especially if you benefit from seeing the same people on more than one occasion.

Enter the mysterious mixed couple. One morning on my bus trip to work, the bus had filled to the point that no seating room was available. So, the next people to board the bus were bound to stand in the aisle. As it were, first a very attractive, well dressed, black woman boarded the bus and walked to the back of the bus standing in a spot as close the rear as possible. Also boarding at the same spot was a somewhat timid white male, also well dressed, who also made his way to the back and stood beside the black women. Nobody else boarded at the stop. This would have remained a rather unremarkable observation save for one thing – the white male stood right beside the black woman, close enough in fact to encroach on the personal space bubble of any Asian nation I’ve visited (read: he was practically attached to her). As I continued to watch, the two did not exchange words, glances, or show any other sign of knowing one another. Most odd indeed.

Ultimately, a seat became available several seats down from where the couple was standing and the male gestured for the woman to take the seat, and she obliged. A polite gesture? Not so fast. After she sat, he shuffled down to stand right in front of her – an odd action as there was no reason for him to move since there was lots of space where he was standing previously. All of this took place over the course of about 20 minutes, and at the 25 minute mark, a spot beside the woman freed up and the male sat down beside her. Again, no words, glances, etc., except for one telling action – the male reached out and touched the woman’s hand. She didn’t react at all. The interaction didn’t last more than fifteen seconds, and wasn’t accompanied by any of the other hallmarks of a relationship such as a look, a smile, etc. But, on the other hand, there was no resistance to the action on her part either, nor was there any expressed anger or frustration to suggest that a relationship make up might be happening. So what was the situation? Clearly a relationship was here, but what kind was it?

In the end, they exited at the same spot and walked off side-by-side, again, without saying anything at all.

Since that day, I have seen the same couple about five times, and each time a similar scenario plays out. They board together, sit near one another without more than a couple of words exchanged between, and then they walk off together in the end.

Interestingly, both wear wedding bands. Her is gold, his silver. I suppose you don’t have to have matching rings, but wouldn’t that seem like a given? Even if we ignore that small detail, and view them as a couple who have lost their mojo. Would it be possible for them to be so close and have nothing to say or visibly share in their time together? Just seems so odd!

So, my mind starts churning ….. an adulterous office romance? Perhaps more plausible than a couple missing passion, but this theory also has its weaknesses. If they worked in same place, they would likely know one another, and if another employee noted them together on the bus, would that not seem odd? Similarly, suppose they work for a massive company and wouldn’t have cause to know one another in the course of doing their work? That might justify them not talking on bus, but what of the walking side-by-side toward the workplace from the bus?
And what of the hand touch?

To this day, I am no closer to solving this riddle, and sadly I recently missed an opportunity to gather insight. Working on a work document, I had my head down for the duration of my trip in, only to wrap things up, pack up my stuff, and realize that the woman was sitting right beside …. the male a mere four seats down! DOH! I missed my chance to pull out my best Magnum PI!
But fear not, I am onn the case -- leave it with me people, I will figure this out, and of course will withhold key information so as to protect the innocent (or guilty).

My Two Cents For The Day … VB Out

< 48 Hours in Singapore

Arriving Thursday afternoon and outbound on Saturday am, I had just under 48 hours to take in the sights. Here are a random collections of my thoughts:

• The country has a wicked level of cultural integration with four distinct ethnic groups – Chinese, Indian, Malay, and “Other”. Citizens must learn the language of their ethnicity, and can opt to learn additional languages if they so choose. What a model! That might serve North America well in areas where cultural overlap breeds conflicts instead of understanding.
  
• Tipping --- not expected! I love environments where you pay what you pay, even if a bit more pricey than you would otherwise pay. Of course, I generally tip anyway as I am so accustomed to it. I tipped by shuttle driver and watched him switch from being totally grumpy to pleasantly friendly.


• Smartest cab drivers in the world, I swear. Okay, so my sample size was ridiculously small (n=3), but truly, the cabbie were articulate, worldly, and great ambassadors.
  
• So, if you need to buy clothes, as I did, you better not be too big either in height or weight. I fit snuggly into the biggest shirts I could fit – XXL. In North America, I could throw a party for two, if not three, inside a XXL shirt!
  
• The layout at Clarke Quay is totally money! Bars and restaurants line the edge of the river and you literally have your choice of any delicacy you want. One storefront removed from the river, there is another maze of restaurants, clubs, and bars. They are arranged not unlike a premium outlet mall you would see in Vegas, Seattle, or Hawaii.
  
• Things are not cheap in Singapore, not by a long shot. The shirt I mentioned previously – 55 Singapore dollars (dollar is about 90% the value of a Cdn dollar). A pint of beer – 12 dollars. Oddly enough, the drink specials bump up in price as the night goes on – not sure if this is to control drinking?


• Okay, funny topic – hookers! In advance of going to Singapore, I didn’t really think of it as a hooker rich location. One might think of Thailand, Cambodia, etc., as being overrun with hookers, but Singapore – now way? You can’t chew gum in Singapore, so how can prostitution be tolerated? Well, let me clear the record. They do exist, and apparently in large numbers. It seems that Singapore’s centrality to a bunch of neighouring countries of poorer socioeconomic status lend it to an influx of migrant prostitutes. Fortunately, for me, the area I was in was supposedly less prone to hooking, but as a solo white male traveler, I was propositioned regularly while taking in the evening sights. Certainly not the end of the world, but it does get annoying, and makes you suspicious of anyone who strikes up a conversation. On the plus size, there is a handy catch phrase to get you out the situation quickly – just let them know you are a PR, short for permanent resident. While they may still persist, knowing that you are a regular will less their


• Infection control. I have NEVER seen a country so on top of infection control. The country easily outdoes the likes of Indonesia and Vietnam who have been hammered in recent years with flu deaths. Just take a look at this statue on the waterfront at a major tourist location! In talking with some of the locals, the country has to be so vigilant as it is a key transfer point and sees so many people passing through. Also the first place I have ever been temperature screened to get into a bar ---- I didn’t point out that this approach isn’t likely to work – after all, I did want to get in. Lastly, the declaration upon entry asks if you have a runny nose, fever, cough, etc., and suggests serious fines if you lie. Back home I was asked ….. NOTHING!
  

• The Singapore Flyer is cool! Wanna see the city from a bird’s eye view? Take a trip on the world’s largest ferris wheel observation deck. Totally enclosed, the pods automatically rotate to keep you level while the wheel sweeps through its 360 degree circle. The included audio points out the city highlights, including the photo below of the Conrad building. While most people shy away from the number 13, this individual build a building façade with 13 on it --- look for the numerals on the face of the building.

• New factoid – the SIA in Malaysia was actually due to Singapore being part of Malaysia. At some point in history, Malaysia no longer wanted Singapore to be part of it, and for all intents and purposes, kicked it out. Singapore has blossomed since, and has never looked backed.


• Changgi airport is among of the world’s best in my opinion. All the top high-end stores you could want are there, as is free internet! [Aside – honestly, any airport in the world that doesn’t offer free internet should have themselves checked, as that is just ridiculous].


• On another funny note – Hooters! As I was touring the many restaurants, I stumbled on a Hooters. I honestly could not believe it, and was actually disappointed to find that as one of the few North American influences I could find - well that and Pizza Hut (honestly, how has Pizza Hut cornered the market in Asia?). Anyway, apart from serving Tiger beer, I can’t say there was much difference. The girls are still decked out in the while T-shirts and the Nasty McNasty orange polyester shorts. Brutal!


• Lastly, any talk of Singapore with me inevitably touches on Singapore Airlines – my favourite airline by far! They have the newest aircraft fleet in the world (including the A380 – pictured below), are great with customer service, and have most beautiful flights attendants bar none.
  
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Okay, with that, I will now accept my cut from Singapore Tourism for such a glowing review of the country.

That rather lengthy diatribe is my two cents for today.

VB

Vietnam Highlight - Cu Chi Tunnels

One of the highlights of the trip to Vietnam was definitely the Cu Chi tunnels just outside of Saigon (Ho Chi Min). In a word – amazing, and in my mind a true testament to the power of determination and ingenuity. This network of tunnels was used by the North Vietnamese (VC) to battle the French initially in the 40s, but also proved invaluable during the fight against the Americans. You could just imagine what it would have been like to be an American soldier settled in safely for the night within the secure perimeter of your base….only moments later to have been awoken by bullets rippling through your tent. The tunnels were not only long (up to 250km in some cases), they were also multi-leveled, and built up from the river. As such, the VC could approach by the river and work their way up to the American camps, and then disappear again without leaving a trace. The tunnels were incredibly small; even the hollowed up tourist areas of the tunnels were too small for this tourist to comfortably get through.


Perhaps the most amazing thing about the tunnels was the fact that their entrances could be concealed so easily. I kid you not, that I watched as the person pictured in this photo popped out of the tunnel, the tunnel cover was put in place, and a few leaves were kicked over top of it. Within seconds, I couldn’t have told you where the entrance was.

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  At the tunnels, I also saw a host of amazing innovations the VC used during battle:
  
  The cook houses used to prepare meals for the soldiers were designed so that the vented heat from the cooked meals was carried away via vents to emerge some several metres or more away. In this way, any aerial attacks would be less likely to strike military personal congregated in one place.
  
• The tunnels required venting, and these vents often appeared as small slits at the base of natural looking mounds of earth – somewhat like oversized ant hills. As the war progressed, the American dogs used to scent for the enemy were able to detect the tunnels existence on the basis of the air exhausted from these vents. In response, the VC simply stole American uniforms and strategically placed them near the exhaust points. In this way, the dog would think the scent was “friendly”.


• The shoes pictured here are truly brilliant. Firstly, from a durability point of view, they are made of sliced up tire, but more impressively, they are intentionally designed to be worn backward. From the soldier’s point of view, this was of little consequence functionally, but to the enemy trying to track them via their footprints, they would conclude they had come from the opposite direction. See the attached photo, and see if you can get what I am driving at.

The Cu Chi people were also masters of improvised traps. Typically simple in design, you can certainly see how these devices would inflict significant and brutal damage to anyone who might fall prey to them. Pictured below is teh See Saw Trap. In brief, this unit would be hidden in ground foliage, and when an unsuspecting person would step on it edge, the entire unit would rotate around its centre axis (in either direction), leading to a series of metal spears penetrating the victims limbs. Although not necessarily visible in this image, all spears are barbed for added measure!

On Being Lucky.....

Apologies all for my blogging hiatus. I have been thrown a few life curve balls of late and have been busy running them down. I re-appear today with a reflective post on what it means to be fortunate. Not to worry, it shan’t be too deep.

There are a great many ways to measure how fortunate a person is. Perhaps they have a great family or network of friends surrounding them, maybe they vast sums of money, or athletic prowess, or a wicked intellect, etc. etc. etc. For that matter, it is possible that a given person may even have all of the above!

But, on this day, I submit for your consideration, a far simpler definition of being lucky, one rooted in the form of an opportunity. At the start of 2009, I tabled a goal to visit two new countries this year. Quite simply, it was time to pull out the world map, and have at it! So many choices! I have always had a penchant for travel in Asia owing to the nominal cost of doing so, and also to the fact that the cultural contrasts between my everyday life and that observed in Asia are so vivid. Long having had a fascination with Vietnam, it quickly became a front runner destination. But how to choose another destination? Would it be Borneo? Malaysia (always wanted to see the Petronas Towers)? Indonesia? Myanmar? Nepal (ah Everest)? In the end, realizing that what was needed most was a little R + R, I opted for Indonesia. Then, a mini travel bonus presented itself in the sense that flights from Denpasar to Ho Chi Min are non-existent. Translation, time to introduce a stopover! What better place than Singapore. I had heard that two days is enough to see the country, and so it was – two days in Singapore.

Both at that time, and with the trip now complete, I sit back and realize that a great many things came together to allow the trip to happen. Among the things that come to mind:

· The finances to make the trip possible.
· The ability to schedule free time from the grips of a demanding work schedule
· The help of one Chinese travel agent to secure an incredibly inexpensive flight package. Info kernel – if you are going to Asia and know what you want, hit up your local neighbourhood Chinatown!
· The help of second travel agent to fill in legs of the journey that flight attendant #1 could not resolve. Info kernel – get your long haul travel done before you go, and if possible and fairly valued, ask for an agent specializing in the area you are travelling to. In my case, I met an Australian travel agent who knew Indonesia like the back of her hand!
· The confidence to travel alone. No biggie in my mind, but some people simply shudder at the thought of solo travel in foreign speaking countries. Chalk this up to my parents who taught me early on that seeing the world is one of the best ways to get perspective and open your eyes.
· The ability to tap my French and Chinese speaking skills to make the trip more comfortable at key moments.
· The gift of travel points from a fried to soak in the amenities of a 5 star Westin.

Perhaps to some, the definition of fortune will seem trivial, but to me, for having had this opportunity, I view myself as being very lucky indeed, especially in light of the sites I saw on the trip.

Those are my two cents for the day!

VB Out!