I spent the 2009 spring break in Costa Rica. The journey to Mal Pais went something like this: cab from Manhattan to JFK, flight to San Jose (the one in Costa Rica), taxi to bus, bus to ferry, ferry to a hitch hiked ride to Mal Pais. I got to town just as the sun was setting, grabbed the surf board and headed out for a quick paddle. It was a great way to start the trip and pretty refreshing after a day of travel.
I was fortunate enough to share the experience with just short of a dozen of my friends from Columbia Business School and with my sister, who flew in from San Francisco. The "most-time-spent-in-the-water" award definitely goes to her. We settled quickly into a nice routine, which for the more surf-inclined involved waking up near sunrise, surfing, eating, napping mid-day, eating, surfing until sun set, and throwing back a few Imperials to "rehydrate".
It was a great way to spend a week, and it was made even more enjoyable by the presence and guidance of Raquel, a fellow CBSer that grew up in Costa Rica. She showed us around and even had a few of us over to her parent's house in Orotina. Hanging out in the shade poolside while listening to Latin music was one of the highlights of the trip, as were Raqui's and her family's hospitality.
Costa Rica's scenery is amazing. And with its government's focus on eco-tourism and sustainability and its lack of a standing army, one has got to recognize that they might be on to something. I'll definitely be back. Pura vida!
Pictures
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Columbia Business School Semester II in Review
The second semester at Columbia Business School was as equally as exciting as the first, but in a different way. Instead of drinking from an academic fire hose, I drank from a very powerful one of the garden variety. I still spent a significant amount of time recruiting, but the majority of traditional on campus recruiting tailed off as the end of the first semester neared. This allowed me to focus more on spending time with friends and on second semester courses.
I took two semester long courses, Capital Markets and New Product Development, and six half semester courses, Global Economic Environment I and II, Managing Marketing Programs, Operations Strategy, Decision Models, and Power and Influence. Just like the first semester, I leaned a ton and thoroughly enjoyed the material, the professors, and the in-class contribution from my colleagues.
It wasn’t all work all the time, as I managed to take a trip back to Seattle and San Francisco before the semester started, a weekend trip to Atlantic City with about 25 other b-schoolers, and a week-long spring break trip to Costa Rica to surf with my sister and several of my good friends from CBS. Another blog post will detail the surf trip.
One of the most memorable aspects of my second semester of business school was the ridiculousness of the winter weather. Sure, the holiday lights and sounds were charming, but the businesses take it all down in late January. It seemed like they jumped the gun, because it remained well below freezing into late March. It even snowed in April! One can get used to anything if given enough time, but I must say that I never got used to passing the same frozen pile of dirty snow and ice on my street corner for a month straight. In most parts of the inhabited world, ice has an opportunity to melt. Not here.
Another vivid memory was from a run I went on in Central Park. It was one of my normal loops, but it was about 16 F. I had been jogging in below freezing temperatures before, but never when it was this cold. The run went okay temperature-wise, as I was wearing a bandanna over my ears, a light thermal t-shirt, a jacket and some running pants. But, as I took the iPod headphones out of my ears when I finished, I realized that I had grown one inch sweat icicles off the ends of each piece. I guess you do what you’ve got to do to stay healthy in the city.
Socially, life was more of the same. Lots of eating out, trips to the bars around campus and downtown and spending time socializing with the b-school folks. The only downer was that just about everything took place inside, but considering my description of the weather, you might expect that. Fortunately, as the end of the semester approached, the weather got considerably better. I took advantage of it and made trips next door to the roof deck of The Heights, to Brooklyn, to the Guggenheim, the MOMA and the Met. And, there was plenty of walking around elsewhere mixed in. All in all, it was another great semester at Columbia Business School.
Pictures
I took two semester long courses, Capital Markets and New Product Development, and six half semester courses, Global Economic Environment I and II, Managing Marketing Programs, Operations Strategy, Decision Models, and Power and Influence. Just like the first semester, I leaned a ton and thoroughly enjoyed the material, the professors, and the in-class contribution from my colleagues.
It wasn’t all work all the time, as I managed to take a trip back to Seattle and San Francisco before the semester started, a weekend trip to Atlantic City with about 25 other b-schoolers, and a week-long spring break trip to Costa Rica to surf with my sister and several of my good friends from CBS. Another blog post will detail the surf trip.
One of the most memorable aspects of my second semester of business school was the ridiculousness of the winter weather. Sure, the holiday lights and sounds were charming, but the businesses take it all down in late January. It seemed like they jumped the gun, because it remained well below freezing into late March. It even snowed in April! One can get used to anything if given enough time, but I must say that I never got used to passing the same frozen pile of dirty snow and ice on my street corner for a month straight. In most parts of the inhabited world, ice has an opportunity to melt. Not here.
Another vivid memory was from a run I went on in Central Park. It was one of my normal loops, but it was about 16 F. I had been jogging in below freezing temperatures before, but never when it was this cold. The run went okay temperature-wise, as I was wearing a bandanna over my ears, a light thermal t-shirt, a jacket and some running pants. But, as I took the iPod headphones out of my ears when I finished, I realized that I had grown one inch sweat icicles off the ends of each piece. I guess you do what you’ve got to do to stay healthy in the city.
Socially, life was more of the same. Lots of eating out, trips to the bars around campus and downtown and spending time socializing with the b-school folks. The only downer was that just about everything took place inside, but considering my description of the weather, you might expect that. Fortunately, as the end of the semester approached, the weather got considerably better. I took advantage of it and made trips next door to the roof deck of The Heights, to Brooklyn, to the Guggenheim, the MOMA and the Met. And, there was plenty of walking around elsewhere mixed in. All in all, it was another great semester at Columbia Business School.
Pictures
Friday, December 19, 2008
Columbia Business School Semester I in Review
I’ll never forget the summary my corporate finance professor offered on the last day of class.
You have had to do four things since you came to business school – study, look for a job, socialize with your classmates, and sleep. But, you have only had enough time to do three of these things at once.
My classmates and I long ago learned that this is true, but I had not yet heard it stated so succinctly. The funny thing is that there’s quite a bit more to do than that. Attending lectures given by c-level executives from Fortune 100 companies, exercising (yoga and runs in Central Park), cheering on inter-business-school sports and game competitions, seeing Broadway shows, and eating at New York’s myriad restaurants come to mind. The first semester is rigorous, and fun, beyond belief.
Orientation and Peer Advisers
Orientation lasts two weeks and is a whirlwind of activity. Days start at 8:00 am, consist of eight hours of classes and at least another eight hours of social events. There are no breaks through the majority of the first week, not even for lunch. Our peer advisers, a group of nine second year students, serve as our guides and sociocultural business school role models throughout the process. Their energy is contagious, and I am certain that one of the main reasons our class is as close, as selfless, and as enthusiastic as we are is because of them. Shayan, Kevin, Jen, Omer, David, Lisa, Monelle and Ben - Thanks! The 538 of us is grouped into clusters consisting of about 65 students. These students go through orientation and take of all their core classes together during the first year. My cluster, Cluster H, bonds immediately.
Study
I take two full-term courses and six half-term courses this semester. Each course consists of three hours of lecture per week, is accompanied by a 300 plus page course book containing cases, assignments, notes and various other instruments of torture, and requires a plethora of work outside the classroom. The academic rigor of the MBA is no joke; however, the challenge lies not in the technical difficulty of the work, but in the sheer volume of it. The material is fascinating and practical and an overwhelming majority of the professors are engaging. The two full term courses are accounting and corporate finance. Half term courses include managerial statistics, strategy formulation, managerial economics, marketing strategy, leadership development, and operations management. With the help of my learning team, five other Cluster H’ers with whom I complete group assignments, I feel as though I internalize the content of a four year business degree in the course of four months.
Look for a Job
Outlook runs my life. Seriously. I put events in Outlook and Outlook reminds me to attend a few days (or weeks) later. I don’t question Outlook. I just suck it up and follow along. Throughout the semester I am double booked for recruiting events. This is one aspect of business school that completely took me by surprise. Recruiting for summer internships starts a few weeks after the first day of classes. Summer internships turn into full time job offers after business school. This means you better have figured out what you want to be doing and who you want to be doing it with. Fast. Many say recruiting for a job is like a sixth class. I’d argue that it’s like a sixth and seventh class. Firmwide presentations last one to three hours, depending on whether you have time to stick around and chat with those hosting the event. Attending these events is a great way to learn a lot about a lot of different companies and to meet a lot of people in the industry. During the height of the recruiting season, I remember leaving my apartment for class at 8:00 am and not stepping foot in back in my apartment again until 11:00 pm. And then I’d start my homework. Who’d have thought?
Socialize with Classmates
This has been one of the best parts of business school. All my classmates are so intelligent, so cultured, so professional, and so much fun. The people here truly make the experience. School-organized happy hours in Uris, the main business school building, on Thursdays provide a great opportunity to wrap up the school week. Hundreds of students (and a few professors) show up, eat catered food, drink kegs of beer, and dance to professionally DJ'd music. It’s a good time. Other events around the city (with and without alcohol) are organized regularly and never fail to disappoint. I can’t wait for what the next three semesters have in store.
Am I forgetting something on my corporate finance professor’s list? Oh yeah, sleep. It’s not the first time.
You have had to do four things since you came to business school – study, look for a job, socialize with your classmates, and sleep. But, you have only had enough time to do three of these things at once.
My classmates and I long ago learned that this is true, but I had not yet heard it stated so succinctly. The funny thing is that there’s quite a bit more to do than that. Attending lectures given by c-level executives from Fortune 100 companies, exercising (yoga and runs in Central Park), cheering on inter-business-school sports and game competitions, seeing Broadway shows, and eating at New York’s myriad restaurants come to mind. The first semester is rigorous, and fun, beyond belief.
Orientation and Peer Advisers
Orientation lasts two weeks and is a whirlwind of activity. Days start at 8:00 am, consist of eight hours of classes and at least another eight hours of social events. There are no breaks through the majority of the first week, not even for lunch. Our peer advisers, a group of nine second year students, serve as our guides and sociocultural business school role models throughout the process. Their energy is contagious, and I am certain that one of the main reasons our class is as close, as selfless, and as enthusiastic as we are is because of them. Shayan, Kevin, Jen, Omer, David, Lisa, Monelle and Ben - Thanks! The 538 of us is grouped into clusters consisting of about 65 students. These students go through orientation and take of all their core classes together during the first year. My cluster, Cluster H, bonds immediately.
Study
I take two full-term courses and six half-term courses this semester. Each course consists of three hours of lecture per week, is accompanied by a 300 plus page course book containing cases, assignments, notes and various other instruments of torture, and requires a plethora of work outside the classroom. The academic rigor of the MBA is no joke; however, the challenge lies not in the technical difficulty of the work, but in the sheer volume of it. The material is fascinating and practical and an overwhelming majority of the professors are engaging. The two full term courses are accounting and corporate finance. Half term courses include managerial statistics, strategy formulation, managerial economics, marketing strategy, leadership development, and operations management. With the help of my learning team, five other Cluster H’ers with whom I complete group assignments, I feel as though I internalize the content of a four year business degree in the course of four months.
Look for a Job
Outlook runs my life. Seriously. I put events in Outlook and Outlook reminds me to attend a few days (or weeks) later. I don’t question Outlook. I just suck it up and follow along. Throughout the semester I am double booked for recruiting events. This is one aspect of business school that completely took me by surprise. Recruiting for summer internships starts a few weeks after the first day of classes. Summer internships turn into full time job offers after business school. This means you better have figured out what you want to be doing and who you want to be doing it with. Fast. Many say recruiting for a job is like a sixth class. I’d argue that it’s like a sixth and seventh class. Firmwide presentations last one to three hours, depending on whether you have time to stick around and chat with those hosting the event. Attending these events is a great way to learn a lot about a lot of different companies and to meet a lot of people in the industry. During the height of the recruiting season, I remember leaving my apartment for class at 8:00 am and not stepping foot in back in my apartment again until 11:00 pm. And then I’d start my homework. Who’d have thought?
Socialize with Classmates
This has been one of the best parts of business school. All my classmates are so intelligent, so cultured, so professional, and so much fun. The people here truly make the experience. School-organized happy hours in Uris, the main business school building, on Thursdays provide a great opportunity to wrap up the school week. Hundreds of students (and a few professors) show up, eat catered food, drink kegs of beer, and dance to professionally DJ'd music. It’s a good time. Other events around the city (with and without alcohol) are organized regularly and never fail to disappoint. I can’t wait for what the next three semesters have in store.
Am I forgetting something on my corporate finance professor’s list? Oh yeah, sleep. It’s not the first time.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
From SE Asia to Manhattan
The last post was written from Vietnam. This one is from Manhattan. I've made a few stops in between.
Seattle
The six weeks or so I spent in Seattle at my good friend Blake’s house were pretty darn fun. I didn’t get to do nearly as much mountaineering as I had planned to do (read: none). It’s partly due to the lingering snowpack from last winter. Despite the world getting hotter, many trailheads (Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens) were still under snow late into spring. Who knew? It’s mostly due to the fact that I was having a pretty good time hanging out with friends and family, and that I felt that it was my duty to get all of my laziness worked out before starting business school in New York. Mountaineering aside, I got out on a few fun hikes, attended numerous yoga classes and ran many laps around Green Lake. So, I did manage to stay fairly active.
San Francisco
I wrapped up my Seattle “vacation” and headed to San Francisco on July 14th for a week. And, what a fantastic week it was. It felt great to be back in town. After a few happy hours, a delicious BBQ with friends, a few great lunches and dinners at some of my favorite places, and a trip up to Sonoma for some wine, I was off to New York. While I was in San Francisco, I was continually reminded what great friends and what a great sister I have living there. San Francisco rocks, and so does New York.
New York
On July 21st, I landed. Aaron, the same great friend who picked Jessica and I up at the airport in Bangkok a few months back, moved to Tarrytown, NY while I was still off goofing around in Asia. Being the great guy that he is, he picked me up from the airport in New York, too. With my belongings stuffed into three suitcases and a laptop bag, we headed back to his place. Tarrytown is about a half hour north of Manhattan by train and a few blocks south of Sleepy Hollow. Think "Headless Horseman". Cool place.
I crashed at Aaron’s place for a few days and made trips into the city to apartment hunt. Within a few days, and after seeing several derelict apartments (think giant holes in bathtubs and chicken bones scattered about uneven, dirty floors) I found a place that looked livable. In Harlem. Well, actually 125th and Broadway. For those of you familiar with San Francisco, if the Tenderloin and the Mission had a baby, my new neighborhood would be it. As Aaron says, it’s not the end of the world, but you sure can see it from there. I had a roommate squared away through business school, so all was set.
We moved in, got partially set up, and I got an offer for student housing. Huh? Less expensive, better neighborhood, larger room, newly renovated apartment, better lease terms. Okay, it’s time to move again. After finding a replacement roommate, I was off to my new pad on 112th and Broadway. It’s only a few blocks from 125th but feels like it is miles away. My spacious room overlooks Broadway from the 6th floor, and I can see Tom’s Restaurant (from Seinfeld) and dozens of people walking around at any given hour.
Oh, and the sky.
A view of the sky is not to be taken for granted in New York. Also, surprisingly, noise isn’t much of an issue.
I’m excited to be here for the next couple of years. I’ve got one great roommate who’s also a first year b-schooler in the three bedroom place. A third 1st year b-schooler just moved in.
So that’s how I ended up where I am. But, quite a bit more has happened besides playing apartment musical chairs.
One thing worth mentioning: I started business school.
CBS is a fantastic program and my business school class is composed of nothing but amazing people. It's going to be a great couple of years. More on this later.
I hope all is well!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Hello from Vietnam
Hello everyone!
Me: [Walking down a busy street.]
Motorbike tout: Hello. Motorbike, friend?
Me: [In Vietamese] Khong cam on. (No thanks.)
Motorbike tout: Where you go?
Me: [I point in the direction I'm walking and continue in that direction without answering]
Motorbike tout: Okay, cheap price for you. Marijuana?
Me: [Ten feet past the tout and not at all interested in either offer.]
Motorbike tout: [happily] Okay, let's go!
Example two:
The food here is delicious, but it's not always easy to get what you want.
Me: [At a food stall] Does this soup have meat?
Food stall cook: Yes.
Me: Is it beef?
Food stall cook: Yes.
Me: [Suspicious from the body language associated with the first answer]. Chicken?
Food stall cook: Yes.
Me: [Now, for fun] Dodo bird?
Food stall cook: Yes.
Me: [In Vietnamese] Chay (Vegetarian). Okay?
Food stall cook: Okay.
I then promptly learned the words for beef and chicken and enjoyed delicious pho (Vietnamese soup) happily and regularly. Did I get beef or chicken, or did I get something else less commonly consumed by westerners? I'll never know, but either way, it tasted great. The best food here was actually anything that came out of a clay pot. I have no idea how it was done, but I'm impressed.
Between Saigon and Hanoi, I stopped in Nha Trang, Hoi An, and Hue. Nha Trang has beaches, Hoi An has tailors, and Hue has...a river. All cities contained amazing local Vietnamese food specialties. And every place contained interesting things to see, but there is a reason why Saigon and Hanoi are the main tourist draws. And, incredibly friendly people are everywhere, despite the "American" War that happened so recently.
All in all, Vietnam was a great experience. Would I come back here next year? With so many other amazing places in the world to see, probably not. Am I glad I came? Absolutely.
Pictures
I arrived in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) on the 11th of June. Sixteen days, two night buses and two day buses later, I'm in Hanoi, at the other end of the country, roughly 1000 miles north of where I started.
While Nepal, Cambodia and Thailand boast an impressive number of natural wonders, Vietnam boasts an impressive number of motorbikes. In Saigon and Hanoi every stop light looks like the start of the Boston Marathon, except every runner is mounted on his or her scooter. Collisions are frequent and spectacular. To cross the roads, one must slowly and deliberately "wade" out into traffic and expect the incoming blitzkrieg to swerve around. Surprisingly, and sometimes harrowingly, it works.
Motorbike jokes aside, Vietnam does have at least one natural wonder. Yesterday, I took a day trip out to Ha Long Bay. This area is a collection of over 3000 small islands that rise vertically out of the sea. Around these islands are fishing villages - clusters of floating houses in which locals live with attached fish pens for harvesting fish to sell in the markets. And, inside some of these islands are enormous caves with ceilings at least 100 feet high. The ceilings drip water from stalactites and the floors are covered with stalagmites. Some ceiling areas are smooth, apparently from sea erosion millions of years ago. The one I visited was only discovered in 1993 and was complete with colored fluorescent lighting to add to the effect, not that it was really needed. The tour guides, in their many trips through the caves have envisioned all sorts of shapes in the formations and in the shadows they create. The funniest part about it for me is that nearly every one had to do with a man pursuing a woman for love or an intimate encounter. They like to joke, too. For some reason, I was singled out by our tour guide to be the one most discouraged from touching the giant breast-shaped stalagmite.
Another funny thing about Vietnam are the pushy motorbike touts and friendly food stall cooks without a fantastic command of the English language.
Example one:
The motorbike touts are relentless here, and pulling out a guidebook or map streetside is like giving yourself a nasty cut in the middle of a pack of great white sharks with laser beams attached to their heads. Most of them don't speak any English, which makes it difficult for them to understand where you want to go in the first place. But, they try make up for it by memorizing a few key phrases.
Motorbike jokes aside, Vietnam does have at least one natural wonder. Yesterday, I took a day trip out to Ha Long Bay. This area is a collection of over 3000 small islands that rise vertically out of the sea. Around these islands are fishing villages - clusters of floating houses in which locals live with attached fish pens for harvesting fish to sell in the markets. And, inside some of these islands are enormous caves with ceilings at least 100 feet high. The ceilings drip water from stalactites and the floors are covered with stalagmites. Some ceiling areas are smooth, apparently from sea erosion millions of years ago. The one I visited was only discovered in 1993 and was complete with colored fluorescent lighting to add to the effect, not that it was really needed. The tour guides, in their many trips through the caves have envisioned all sorts of shapes in the formations and in the shadows they create. The funniest part about it for me is that nearly every one had to do with a man pursuing a woman for love or an intimate encounter. They like to joke, too. For some reason, I was singled out by our tour guide to be the one most discouraged from touching the giant breast-shaped stalagmite.
Another funny thing about Vietnam are the pushy motorbike touts and friendly food stall cooks without a fantastic command of the English language.
Example one:
The motorbike touts are relentless here, and pulling out a guidebook or map streetside is like giving yourself a nasty cut in the middle of a pack of great white sharks with laser beams attached to their heads. Most of them don't speak any English, which makes it difficult for them to understand where you want to go in the first place. But, they try make up for it by memorizing a few key phrases.
Me: [Walking down a busy street.]
Motorbike tout: Hello. Motorbike, friend?
Me: [In Vietamese] Khong cam on. (No thanks.)
Motorbike tout: Where you go?
Me: [I point in the direction I'm walking and continue in that direction without answering]
Motorbike tout: Okay, cheap price for you. Marijuana?
Me: [Ten feet past the tout and not at all interested in either offer.]
Motorbike tout: [happily] Okay, let's go!
Example two:
The food here is delicious, but it's not always easy to get what you want.
Me: [At a food stall] Does this soup have meat?
Food stall cook: Yes.
Me: Is it beef?
Food stall cook: Yes.
Me: [Suspicious from the body language associated with the first answer]. Chicken?
Food stall cook: Yes.
Me: [Now, for fun] Dodo bird?
Food stall cook: Yes.
Me: [In Vietnamese] Chay (Vegetarian). Okay?
Food stall cook: Okay.
I then promptly learned the words for beef and chicken and enjoyed delicious pho (Vietnamese soup) happily and regularly. Did I get beef or chicken, or did I get something else less commonly consumed by westerners? I'll never know, but either way, it tasted great. The best food here was actually anything that came out of a clay pot. I have no idea how it was done, but I'm impressed.
Between Saigon and Hanoi, I stopped in Nha Trang, Hoi An, and Hue. Nha Trang has beaches, Hoi An has tailors, and Hue has...a river. All cities contained amazing local Vietnamese food specialties. And every place contained interesting things to see, but there is a reason why Saigon and Hanoi are the main tourist draws. And, incredibly friendly people are everywhere, despite the "American" War that happened so recently.
All in all, Vietnam was a great experience. Would I come back here next year? With so many other amazing places in the world to see, probably not. Am I glad I came? Absolutely.
Pictures
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Cambodia
Hello!
The past 10 days have gone by incredibly quickly, and I feel like I've only scratched the surface here in Cambodia. There has been one surprise (and oddity) after another. In flipping through the brief description of the country in the guidebook on my way to the Thailand/Cambodia border, I studied a few important phrases. How odd that right next to the standard translations of "hello", "goodbye", and "thank you", was, to my surprise, "excuse me, but are there any land mines in this area?" Hmmmm... Needless to say, I didn't venture off the beaten path in this part of the world, but I did see some pretty cool stuff.
From Kathmandu, I flew to Bangkok, stayed a night, and then was off on a bus to the border where I payed for my Cambodian visa and for the compulsory racketeering fees the corrupt border officials demanded. Great start. After a little encouragement, I did manage to get one of them to write me an unofficial receipt, not that it would do any good monetarily, but it sure made me feel better to win one battle (but obviously not the war).
Twelve hours after leaving Bangkok, I was in Siem Reap and feeling surprisingly alert and rested. I did find, as I expected, that Cambodians (aside from the ones at the border) are incredibly friendly, hospitable people. Everyone smiles genuinely, says hello in English, and smiles some more.
Siem Reap is about 10 km away from Angkor Wat, which is, by far Cambodia's largest tourist draw. The city itself is tons of fun, too. While in the city, I spent most of my time eating...and sweating. It's oppressively hot and humid here, but instead of letting that stop me, I venture outside, sweat profusely and drink copious amounts of water. I'm slowly adjusting, although the weather here still feels very different from Nepal.
Wanting to utilize all the extra red blood cells my body had produced at high altitude, I elected to bicycle to Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples...twice. I'd say I covered a good 30 miles on a rickety 1970s single speed over the course of two days and sweated at least 30,000 gallons. But not once was I out of breath! The 1000 year old temples around Angkor are stunning; many say they knock the pyramids' socks off.
After Siem Reap, I headed to the nation's capital Phnom Phen, and that's where I'm writing from now. This city is surprisingly modern, almost like a mini-Bangkok, but still a decade or so behind. I guess that after Nepal, any place with paved road feels pretty damn fancy pants. As I alluded to at the beginning of the email with the story about the land mines, this country hasn't been all that nice to it's citizens in the recent past. The Killing Fields of Choeng Ek are here, as well as S-21, a prison used to interrogate prisoners of the Khmer Rouge Regime under Pol Pot back in the '70s. There is some pretty gruesome stuff, although I'm glad that Cambodia has made these places memorials to those who were killed and is educating its citizens about what happened (the government-sanctioned genocide of about 1/4 of Cambodia's population). On the way back from seeing these places, my slightly absent-minded (or desensitized) moped driver asked me if I wanted to do something else tourists usually do...go to the shooting range. Considering the timing, and my disinterest in shooting things, I declined.
I spent today strolling around the city and sampling the food at the myriad markets. There's so much good food to eat here. On more than one occasion, I've eaten two dinners, back to back, at different places. At $2-$4 per delicious meal, it's very easy to ask myself "Why not?" and very difficult to come up with a good answer to the question.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Everest Base Camp Trek
Hello All,
I just wanted to drop a note with some pictures from the trek to Everest Base Camp (EBC) that I just completed yesterday. I'm now back in Kathmandu and have had my first hot shower and first non-rice or non-potato meal in nearly two weeks. Needless to say, I am pleased with being clean and well fed and more than pleased with the amazing experience I had trekking through the Solukhumbu region.
Let me say this: Although it is called the EBC trek, EBC was not the highlight of the trip, but it was pretty darn cool to see. I took a less traveled route heading from Lukla (2840 m) to Namche Bazar (3440 m) and north to Gokyo, which sits beside some beautiful turquoise lakes at 4790 m. Then, to the top of Gokyo Ri at 5350 m to see the sunrise over Everest, Makalu, and the Gokyo Lakes. After that, I headed east over the 5330 m Cho La (la means pass) and up to the top of Kala Patthar at 5550 m for more sunrise views of Everest and the Khumbu Icefall and Glacier. After that, it was a short trip to Everest Base Camp at 5364 m and then east again over the less used Kongma La at 5535 m to the town of Chhukhung at 4730 m. Finally south back through Thangboche with its famous monastary to Namche Bazar and then on to Lukla for the flight back to Kathmandu. This route avoided the throngs of group trekkers whose purpose is to make it to Everest Base Camp in the most direct and comfortable way possible. Us independent trekkers observe these groups with a quiet curiosity as they come in a variety of nationalities, generations, body mass indexes, and etiquette levels. The towns of Gokyo and Chhukhung are much less frequently visited and the passes of Cho and Kongma are infrequently crossed. Many days, while away from the main route, I'd see only a handful of people, mostly Nepali, and an abundance of amazing views. For me, the solitude I experienced in these less-traveled areas was one of the highlights of the trip. It was so quiet that when I stopped to rest, I could hear the faint ringing in my ears and the creaking of my pack straps on each breath. With yaks and glaciers and peaks and rock frozen in the distance, these are the moments that I'll never forget.
For those of you that want to convert units, there's 3.28 feet in a meter. The highest point I reached was Kala Patthar at 18,209 ft. At that height, there is only half as much oxygen in the air as there is at sea level, although one gains altitude slowly to properly acclimate. Some interesting physiological changes occur (my resting heart rate was about 90 bpm and my pulse oxcimetry was 73 percent at EBC, which is about normal for that altitude but significantly different than at sea level) and every step becomes quite a bit more difficult. Within a few days I felt fairly well adjusted. It's a good thing, as most of the 12 day trek (many people take several days longer) was spent at an elevation well above the tallest mountain in the continental United States.
I'm on a flight back to Bangkok tomorrow and then off to SE Asia for a while (India is way too hot this time of year, I've learned). We'll see what happens after that!
I hope all is well!
Pictures
I just wanted to drop a note with some pictures from the trek to Everest Base Camp (EBC) that I just completed yesterday. I'm now back in Kathmandu and have had my first hot shower and first non-rice or non-potato meal in nearly two weeks. Needless to say, I am pleased with being clean and well fed and more than pleased with the amazing experience I had trekking through the Solukhumbu region.
Let me say this: Although it is called the EBC trek, EBC was not the highlight of the trip, but it was pretty darn cool to see. I took a less traveled route heading from Lukla (2840 m) to Namche Bazar (3440 m) and north to Gokyo, which sits beside some beautiful turquoise lakes at 4790 m. Then, to the top of Gokyo Ri at 5350 m to see the sunrise over Everest, Makalu, and the Gokyo Lakes. After that, I headed east over the 5330 m Cho La (la means pass) and up to the top of Kala Patthar at 5550 m for more sunrise views of Everest and the Khumbu Icefall and Glacier. After that, it was a short trip to Everest Base Camp at 5364 m and then east again over the less used Kongma La at 5535 m to the town of Chhukhung at 4730 m. Finally south back through Thangboche with its famous monastary to Namche Bazar and then on to Lukla for the flight back to Kathmandu. This route avoided the throngs of group trekkers whose purpose is to make it to Everest Base Camp in the most direct and comfortable way possible. Us independent trekkers observe these groups with a quiet curiosity as they come in a variety of nationalities, generations, body mass indexes, and etiquette levels. The towns of Gokyo and Chhukhung are much less frequently visited and the passes of Cho and Kongma are infrequently crossed. Many days, while away from the main route, I'd see only a handful of people, mostly Nepali, and an abundance of amazing views. For me, the solitude I experienced in these less-traveled areas was one of the highlights of the trip. It was so quiet that when I stopped to rest, I could hear the faint ringing in my ears and the creaking of my pack straps on each breath. With yaks and glaciers and peaks and rock frozen in the distance, these are the moments that I'll never forget.
For those of you that want to convert units, there's 3.28 feet in a meter. The highest point I reached was Kala Patthar at 18,209 ft. At that height, there is only half as much oxygen in the air as there is at sea level, although one gains altitude slowly to properly acclimate. Some interesting physiological changes occur (my resting heart rate was about 90 bpm and my pulse oxcimetry was 73 percent at EBC, which is about normal for that altitude but significantly different than at sea level) and every step becomes quite a bit more difficult. Within a few days I felt fairly well adjusted. It's a good thing, as most of the 12 day trek (many people take several days longer) was spent at an elevation well above the tallest mountain in the continental United States.
I'm on a flight back to Bangkok tomorrow and then off to SE Asia for a while (India is way too hot this time of year, I've learned). We'll see what happens after that!
I hope all is well!
Pictures
Monday, April 14, 2008
Kathmandu Valley and the Annapurna Circuit
I wanted to check in and let you all know how the trip is going. In short, it's been absolutely amazing.
My plans to keep a photo blog updated regularly have failed miserably. Unfortunately, at 20 - 60 rupees ($0.33 - $1) per hour for internet in Nepal, you get what you pay for. Uploading pictures is prohibitively slow, so I'll give you a brief text rundown of what's been up.
Jessica and I started out in Thailand. There are actually a few pictures on the blog from this trip, but only from the first few days. First we stopped in to see one of my best friends, Aaron, who's been living in Bangkok for a few years now. He put us up at his place and showed us around town (a town of 12 million people, by the way). The three of us headed north to Chiang Mai (northern Thailand's largest city) and Doi Suthep (a beautiful Buddhist Temple) nearby. After Aaron headed back to Bangkok, Jessica and I took a local bus a few hours away to Pai (a very relaxed town) seemingly in the middle of jungle covered hills/nowhere. Very, very cool there.
After that, it was south to the beaches for which Thailand is famous. We checked in at Railay on the west coast and spent several days relaxing on the island of Koh Tao off the east coast.
The two and a half weeks in Thailand went by entirely too quickly, but we were excited to head to Nepal. Jessica and I were to spend a week around the Kathmandu Valley, and she was to head home after that. We did just that, seeing some amazing Newari architecture in the Durbar Squares of the cities and some incredible temples (Sawayambunath and Bodnath, to name a few). After having such a great time, Jessica decided to extend her trip and join me on the Annapurna Circuit Trek. Also, last minute, my dad booked a flight to join as well. Needless to say, I was excited to have the company.
The three of us started the trek on the same day as my birthday (March 29th, to all you that forgot ;-)) and what a nice birthday present it ended up being. Everyday, we saw things that words can't describe and that pictures do injustice to.
Generally speaking, each day consisted of waking up around 6:00 am, knocking back some oat porridge at a teahouse, and hiking for 4-5 hours. In the mornings, the weather was spectacular; however, we made a point to finish up before the afternoon thundershower began (50% of the time). Fortunately, these only lasted a few hours and during, we spent our time consuming large quantities of food anyway. Highlights were Dal Bhat (traditional all-you-can-eat Nepalese dish consisting of rice, lentil soup, vegetable curry, and pickled veggies and usually eaten bare handed...by the locals), vegetable momos (Indian potstickers/goyoza), the occasional curd/lassi shake, and the infamous bureto (a distant cousin of the burrito).
The hiking was spectacular, and most of the time, I looked more forward to starting the day than finishing it. From humid tropical jungles, to arid deserts, to knee deep snow, the scenery was incredibly diverse. An added bonus was that the lodges along the way were unexpectedly nice (and inexpensive), all with mattresses (however thin), showers (however cold) and some with attached holes in the ground (aka toilets).
We reached a max elevation of 5416 meters (about 18,000 feet) while crossing the Throng La. On the way up, we established the death-o-meter (1 = alive, 10 = dead) and fortunately none of us made it beyond 3. Actually, the pace was perfect and allowed for adequate acclimatization for the higher altitude. Village highlights for me along the way were Manang (old trading town) and Muktinath (one of the holiest cities in Nepal). You can google them if you're interested or wait for pictures later.
We all made it safely back today. I am happy (as always), clean (a new development) and excited for the next adventure. Jessica and my dad are headed back to the states in a few days and I'm off on a hike to Everest Base Camp a few days after that. I was planning on making my way down to SE Asia and to Indonesia, but I'm thinking more and more of heading to India for a few weeks before the monsoon hits. I'll keep you all updated. Please, keep me updated with what's going on stateside, too. I love hearing from you!
Pictures
My plans to keep a photo blog updated regularly have failed miserably. Unfortunately, at 20 - 60 rupees ($0.33 - $1) per hour for internet in Nepal, you get what you pay for. Uploading pictures is prohibitively slow, so I'll give you a brief text rundown of what's been up.
Jessica and I started out in Thailand. There are actually a few pictures on the blog from this trip, but only from the first few days. First we stopped in to see one of my best friends, Aaron, who's been living in Bangkok for a few years now. He put us up at his place and showed us around town (a town of 12 million people, by the way). The three of us headed north to Chiang Mai (northern Thailand's largest city) and Doi Suthep (a beautiful Buddhist Temple) nearby. After Aaron headed back to Bangkok, Jessica and I took a local bus a few hours away to Pai (a very relaxed town) seemingly in the middle of jungle covered hills/nowhere. Very, very cool there.
After that, it was south to the beaches for which Thailand is famous. We checked in at Railay on the west coast and spent several days relaxing on the island of Koh Tao off the east coast.
The two and a half weeks in Thailand went by entirely too quickly, but we were excited to head to Nepal. Jessica and I were to spend a week around the Kathmandu Valley, and she was to head home after that. We did just that, seeing some amazing Newari architecture in the Durbar Squares of the cities and some incredible temples (Sawayambunath and Bodnath, to name a few). After having such a great time, Jessica decided to extend her trip and join me on the Annapurna Circuit Trek. Also, last minute, my dad booked a flight to join as well. Needless to say, I was excited to have the company.
The three of us started the trek on the same day as my birthday (March 29th, to all you that forgot ;-)) and what a nice birthday present it ended up being. Everyday, we saw things that words can't describe and that pictures do injustice to.
Generally speaking, each day consisted of waking up around 6:00 am, knocking back some oat porridge at a teahouse, and hiking for 4-5 hours. In the mornings, the weather was spectacular; however, we made a point to finish up before the afternoon thundershower began (50% of the time). Fortunately, these only lasted a few hours and during, we spent our time consuming large quantities of food anyway. Highlights were Dal Bhat (traditional all-you-can-eat Nepalese dish consisting of rice, lentil soup, vegetable curry, and pickled veggies and usually eaten bare handed...by the locals), vegetable momos (Indian potstickers/goyoza), the occasional curd/lassi shake, and the infamous bureto (a distant cousin of the burrito).
The hiking was spectacular, and most of the time, I looked more forward to starting the day than finishing it. From humid tropical jungles, to arid deserts, to knee deep snow, the scenery was incredibly diverse. An added bonus was that the lodges along the way were unexpectedly nice (and inexpensive), all with mattresses (however thin), showers (however cold) and some with attached holes in the ground (aka toilets).
We reached a max elevation of 5416 meters (about 18,000 feet) while crossing the Throng La. On the way up, we established the death-o-meter (1 = alive, 10 = dead) and fortunately none of us made it beyond 3. Actually, the pace was perfect and allowed for adequate acclimatization for the higher altitude. Village highlights for me along the way were Manang (old trading town) and Muktinath (one of the holiest cities in Nepal). You can google them if you're interested or wait for pictures later.
We all made it safely back today. I am happy (as always), clean (a new development) and excited for the next adventure. Jessica and my dad are headed back to the states in a few days and I'm off on a hike to Everest Base Camp a few days after that. I was planning on making my way down to SE Asia and to Indonesia, but I'm thinking more and more of heading to India for a few weeks before the monsoon hits. I'll keep you all updated. Please, keep me updated with what's going on stateside, too. I love hearing from you!
Pictures
Monday, March 24, 2008
Chiang Mai, Thailand
By March 8th, Aaron, Jessica and I are settled in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand's largest city. There's tons of stuff to do here and it's slightly less chaotic than Bangkok.
The food markets in Chiang Mai are quite authentic.
The city is known for its myriad night markets, which at times can be more like tunnels. Here you can buy tourist trinkets, expensive antiques, counterfeit backpacks and just about anything else.
For the most part, Chiang Mai isn't too touristy. Jessica and I couldn't help ourselves with this gem of a photo, though.
Bangkok, Thailand
On March 6th, Jessica and I touch down in Bangkok. It is her first time and my second. Aaron, one of my best friends, lives in this city and is kind enough to meet us at the airport, let us stay at his place, and tour the city with us.
Our first stop is the well known floating market about an hour outside of Bangkok. Curious about traffic on land in Thailand? Exactly like this, only times 1000. 
Wat Arun is one of Bangkok's largest temples. We take a river taxi on the Chao Phraya River to get there.
Detailed (and shiny) architecture.
More detail. Less shiny.
Right next door, Wat Pho is home to this unique statue and houses an enormous Reclining Buddha.
Enormous Reclining Buddha.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Salutations
I said goodbye to Seattle and hello to the San Francisco Bay Area over three years ago. From surfing at Pacifica and Santa Cruz, to developing a career at LLNL, to climbing in Yosemite and around Lake Tahoe, to motorbiking around the peninsula's not-so-straight roads, to weekly yoga classes at Mission Cliffs, to countless nights out and days in the sun with friends in San Francisco, my time in California has been truly memorable. Now, it's time to say goodbye and hello once again.
On March 5th, I will start a four month backpacking trip around Asia. What will I do when I return? Pursue an MBA at Columbia University. But, that's a ways off. It's time to have a lot of fun in Asia before having a lot of fun in New York. While in Asia, I intend to spend the majority of my time trekking in Nepal and surfing in Indonesia. With the loose itinerary I'll be following, I'm sure there will be some exciting side trips, too. The entries in this blog will detail my travel experiences. Enjoy.
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