k.volpenhein

Busy life, update, can not!

2011-07-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

Obviously things slipped another month and I am sure any "followers" of this blog are peeling off one at a time for various reasons, but certainly not helped by my update activity (or lack thereof).

Since coming back from Bonnaroo and Brittany arriving in Singapore it has been a pretty good mix of activity - travel, partying, good food, work, meeting friends and getting comfortable/situated. Had a trip to Hong Kong and I carried on to Shanghai for work (couple photos below). Hong Kong is a pretty cool city to see and we happened to be there during their equivalent to "Independence Day". The biggest difference being the fact that theirs just happened in 1997 and is therefore celebrated/demonstrated/experienced in a much more contentious and less joyous fashion. We got to see a lot of the march that goes on for the better part of 12 hours.

Also, we visited a site they call "Big Buddha" (Tian Tan Buddha) which was pretty cool and impressive in the both pure physical scale and its sense of engineering accomplishment. Plus we took a pretty long cable car to get there which provided some pretty awesome views of the surrounding mountains and hills.

Heading to Perth next week for work and then a few days of relaxation, wineries/breweries, countryside, and winter weather!!! Should be a great trip and Brittany's first visit to Australia. More to come on that soon...

Bonnaroo

2011-06-19T04:35:00.000-07:00

Pretty amazing trip back home. Spent some time with the family and finally got to meet Harper! So funny how kids get to like people on their own terms...I wish things were more like that for adults.

Then headed to Bonnaroo for some awesome music and hot weather. Tough to say what was the best stuff at the festival, but if I had to build a list of notables it would look like this:
Old Crow Medicine Show
The Black Keys
Primus
Scissor Sisters
Greg Allman
Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band
Gogol (although not their best effort)

Greg Allman was pretty amazing and we decided to bail before the end of the "Superjam" which is dissapointing b/c it was shaping up to be pretty amazing.
Brittany arrives in Singapore TOMORROW which is crazy b/c we just spent so much time together so the past few weeks are very counter to our overall experience for the past 8 months or so...
Excited for all the interesting and fun stuff we have to get into over the next year or two!

I said good day!

Confidence and air travel

2011-05-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

Another hop back to Singapore. I find myself going through huge swings of comfort, thoughtfulness, anxiety, anger, happiness and clarity at different stages of travel. I think coming "in and out" of so many people's lives so quickly and chaotically causes the brief moments of clarity. Something about persistently new faces disappearing with as much, or little, consequence as with which they appeared creates a more clearly defined image of "myself" - as something distinctly "different" than all the "others". That is a strange way to be clear...it makes the brain stand out as a more independent entity than it/he/she would be on most other occasions of an otherwise routine Nature.

Then...all that can be stopped like fixed gear messenger bike by one set of annoying teenagers who don't have volume control or a mom that may or may not be directing her kids to bear down on this open seat next to me...oh, thank god, I'm fre....waiiiiit, that guy's got more belly than he needs..."oh...hey, how's it going?"...

G'day, again...

2011-05-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

Another jump south across the Indian Ocean for a week in Perth (all work)....last week was the start of a big stretch of travel again....Vietnam for 5 days, Perth for 5, Kuala Lumpur for 2.5, back to Cincinnati and Tennessee for 11 days, back to Singapore for 4 days to greet Britt (!), then to Penang (Malaysia) for a fun weekend, then off to Hong Kong/Shanghai/Taipei for a (2) week work trip!!!!!!! Then it will be July 9th or so....so all of that in about 45 days, give or take! Typing that just gave me an anxiety attack!!!!

Might not be too much time to blog in that mix but will do my best to drop updates!

Thoughts from the 18th floor

2011-05-10T02:39:00.000-07:00

busy times here in Singapore of late and trying to do a lot of planning for some big upcoming travel stretches. Heading to Indonesia for a day then straight to Vietnam for the long weekend and to Perth the following week. A quick stop in Kuala Lumpur and I'm off to Cincinnati!!!

This blog is a pointless place to announce it, but Britt is officially making the move to Singapore in late June! She will be here for 5-6 weeks before going back to Ohio for Matt's wedding and some time with the family. I will be back in Bellingham for a long stretch in October and Alissa/Jason's wedding - then Britt heads back to Singapore for the long stretch!

Also spending time with the camera again of late and got me ready and excited for some travel opportunities. Now I just need to book them so they are locked in and I make them happen....

re-commit

2011-04-10T04:42:00.000-07:00

OK - I am back onto this to make a final attempt to be more "routine" with my blogging. If you read through all of my posts over the past 3 years you will see I have said that about every 6 months or so, and usually eimmediately following a 2-3 month dry spell! So what's one more time, eh?

Things are good on this end. Been a bit of the same here in Singapore, busy with work and some trips here and there over the past couple of months. Visited Melbourne for the first time but work was so non-stop I barely got to experience the city in any significant way - plus I was staying out in the burbs, so even less exposure to the food/nightlife/scene.

Back here in Singapore its pretty easy to slip into a routine of hanging out, going for dinner, having a few drinks, staying out later than you realize or plan for, lounging around, repeat. So trying to plan a weekend or two to get away to mainland Malaysia or Borneo for either a photo hunt or a golf trip. On that note, went to Indonesia (close island called Batam) with a group of friends - an aussie, a brit and a german. It was a pretty cheap and amazing weekend of golf. Plus, I'm heading to Phuket, Thailand with work folk this coming Thursday for a golf trip/networking weekend. Should be interesting.

Feel like I'm missing the photography aspect of things lately. Haven't made enough opportunity to get the camera out and formally go out looking to shoot photos. Because of that I have sort of lost touch with that. That is frustrating and ironic b/c I just bought all new equipment and am ready to go with it! So, just need to make it happen.

OK, token photos until next time (which I will make sooner rather than later)

View from the course at Batam

An amazing dessert I had last week

Sid Knee

2011-03-04T05:27:00.000-08:00

Well well well - once again, months (not days) go by and I'm due for another update! Been pretty chaotic since my trip back from the US last month. Spent a week back in Singapore getting situated and since then jumped to Perth for a week, back to Singapore for a day, Kuala Lumpur for a day, back to Singapore for a day then back to Sydney, where I sit now. Been all good work trips, but very busy and my body is officially saying "hey, how's about a bit of a rest, eh?". Have meetings back in Singapore Mon-Wed next week with our management team and then will have a couple weeks to get my head on straight again and catch up with the crew in Singapore. All is swell. I continue to like Sydney a bit more every time I come here but next trip will probably be to Melbourne so I will have a better measuring stick! A couple token photos to paint the picture. We stayed out in "Rooty Hill" for meetins but got back to downtown with plenty of day left and it was a perfect day for walking around town....so we did!

Heading home from home...

2011-02-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

Strange feeling leaving multiple "homes" in the same week to go "home" to a place so far away!

Had a great time with everyone I was able to see and hang out with, even if only for a short time. Only minor disappointment was the bad weather and bad back keeping me from snowboarding...

Too much airplane food now and I'm trying to turn down all the offers of cheesecakes, ice cream, brownies etc so I don't feel like a bloated mess when I get back at 1am!

See all you Americans sometime this summer I think....unless of course you can make it to Singapore before then...

Functional...non-optimal, but functional

2011-01-25T03:03:00.000-08:00

Haha found this draft blog on my phone from when i first moved....

So I've got dishes and silverware coming next Friday but knives and forks are expensive in the shopping centers Here and I haven't made my way back down to chinatown to get cheaper stuff... For some reason

Update - What happened to January?

2011-01-22T02:59:00.000-08:00

Life in Singapore is pretty real now. Been spending all month in a mix of heavy workload (2011 business planning, sales stuff, preparing for Q1 travel, etc) and staying up too late getting into the nonsense that is Singapore's nightlife...

I've realized that you really have to be aware of your daily routine when you work from home and I think its especially important when you are living in an environment that is so new and depending on means of transportation and socializing that are so drastically different than you are used to. Teaches you a little bit about "how you do things" and your ability to keep things fresh and exciting.

Work days here in Singapore consist of either running around town in a frantic pace to meet somewhere, or long thoughtful days in which I barely leave my apartment or talk to another person...interesting balance!

Having said all that....all told, I've been able to balance these things out pretty well. Now I am settled in enough to start trying to plan my vacation travels (the list can be long and daunting!). I know Cambodia, Vietnam and New Zealand are pretty high on the list, but a trip to Tibet is realllly hard to stop thinking about and trying to figure out who would be most likely to come visit and enjoy some of those sites with me is an added complication! Ahhh the headaches!
Anyway, as is usually the case, spent plenty of time frustrated with the taxi and service industries in Singapore, but all in all life is good. Here are some other random photos for the sake of photos....

Tokyo can't stop her now...

2010-12-23T06:14:00.000-08:00

Brittany BARELY squeaked onto her connection in Tokyo. Her flight was delayed from Seatac, but so was the Tokyo-Sin flight....she lands at 130am. I am thinking we will be sleeping in tommorrow!

Christmas eve out and about, Christmas dinner TBD....then out of town for time on the beach.

Will update things when we get back from Krabi...

2010-12-19T00:41:00.001-08:00

Thought this was a really cool scene and got lucky to be ready to capture it....

Sweaty Christmas...

2010-12-18T21:12:00.001-08:00

Been a while since I had time to think straight long enough to update the blogosphere....

Spent 3 of the past 4 weeks outside if Singapore and the week in between hosting a bunch of co-workers here for a trade show! Now I finally have a bit of time to think and relax during Christmas/new years...

That brings me to the oddity that is Christmas in SE Asia...
It pretty heavily "celebrated" here but they make no qualms about the fact that it has zero religious/emotional/spiritual element to it whatsoever. Basically, in a holiday sense, it is like the banks in the US, too big to let fail....so in typical Singaporean fashion they do it big, with lighted streets everywhere and shopping situations that unthinkably put normal non-stop shopping here to shame.

Then there is the strange feeling of laying by a pool in 90 degree heat and someone saying "Merry Christmas". Obviously i knew it would be hot here during Christmas but going thru it is strange and makes it hard to get in the typical "spirit".

Anyway, I've been finding good eating options and made good on the volleyball scene somewhat. Brittany gets in late Wed night and we are going up to Thailand Sunday for 4 days so that will be a 100% needed rest and relaxation...

Catchin' up...

2010-12-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

Starting the home stretch of a completely chaotic 4 weeks of work....won't get into all the details, but I'll just say I've been VERY "active" in that time frame and still have to go from Malaysia to Perth to Sydney in the next 9 days...

Managing to keep my head on straight though envisioning a Thailand beach and days of nothing but relaxation! Still don't have a TV stand/ent center (TV is on the floor still) but otherwise I am ALMOST fully settled in. Next step will be to pain the walls and hang some artwork which I hope to do starting next week.

Couple random photos, as usual:

Fruit at the market - Taipei

Meat cuts in Taiwan

Dried herbs at a traditional market in Taipei

Singapore's City Hall

Symbolism

Lady walking through Singapore's City Hall district

Hotel room vintage

2010-11-24T01:38:00.000-08:00

Here I sit...

2010-11-24T01:37:00.000-08:00

Preparing for a thanksgiving in Taiwan makes it hard to realize it's thanksgiving - or even November for that matter! Really putting in the airport/airplane time Nov/Dec here but I think/hope travel will slow down some for Jan. Haven't booked yet but it's official I will be coming back to the states in Feb and I am going to try to pass thru Bham for 2 days on my way to Louisiana then thru Cincy for 2 days on my way back to Singapore... Keep everyone posted on that.

Next step is just to try to book plans for Christmas... There are so many vacation destinations within a 2hr flight radius it makes it hard to get advice, much less actually choose a place. Given my propensity for delaying action/decisions o that type I've also unnecessarily turned it into a more expensive endeavor...oh well!

updated update

2010-11-11T05:21:00.000-08:00

Been a quick 3+ weeks already and my couches/clothes/dishes/etc get here tomorrow morning finally. Couple of lessons learned so far:
1. Don't eat at any "restaurants" whose name contains a US city - might as well get Carl's Jr for 1/2 the price
2. Taxi "etiquette" is complex here. Basically, if they don't stop for you, don't take it personal.
3. Don't underestimate the power of the consumer here...
4. Juice is MUCH better when it is fresh. (i.e. I want a juicer).
5. Lacking air-conditioning in gyms here makes 3 hours of volleyball a VERY damp environment.
6. The sun is hot at the equator.
7. Overcast sky is NOT unique to the US pacific northwest.
8. I need to learn to carry more cash on me.

A couple photos from a pass through Little India...

You can click on this one and then click on the image and zoom in some....pretty cool temple (if a little "tourist-y")

The entertainment value is tough to beat

2010-11-07T01:41:00.000-07:00

Pound for pound this was one of the best things I've seen since moving here...just a sun afternoon outside the shopping center....

Elvis?

2010-11-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

They opened with and Elvis song and closed in Malay singing something that sounded like Queen or maybe David Bowie after a binger....bless em

2010-11-02T00:50:00.000-07:00

View from the back pool looking back up at my apartment building

View from my balcony looking down at the entrance to my place

Front entrance to the National Indoor Stadium

Kallang Leisure park (another shopping center/mall)

Last night's sunset....

2010-11-02T00:31:00.000-07:00

Another train ride

2010-11-02T00:21:00.000-07:00

For some reason this scene struck me as interesting...

Come on couches...

2010-11-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

And rugs...this tile is less than forgiving!

Alas...

2010-10-31T00:30:00.000-07:00

Finally made it to the food stand across the road from my place. Wasnt with any locals so I didn't get anything too dramatic (Thai noodles with prawns and fresh dragonfruit/pineapple juice) It was good....there are loads of options and it's all cheap so I will continue to explore and enjoy. Meal was under $5 total....

Another Japanese-style dinner...

2010-10-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

Had a really good dinner at a place called The Pines last night. Was another Japanese dinner, but this time was real-deal Teppanyaki. Good thing about the phone cam is no one knows you are taking photos....this thing also has a HDR app that lets you get pretty unique shots that you could never get with regular hand held camera...Friday nights are insane here. Everyone goes out so traffic (and getting a taxi) is a nightmare. Drove back home thru a psuedo red-light district that I hadn't seen before...that was a real scene...no plans for the weekend

Rain storm over downtown...

2010-10-29T02:40:00.000-07:00

Pretty cool scene from my office right now

some photos...

2010-10-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

Here are a bunch of photos from the last week or so from around town...things that "caught my eye" mostly when I was in transit (train, taxi, etc).

Exit/entrance at the MRT station I go thru pretty often

Baby on the train playing with an iPod touch

Desmond at dinner

the scene back behind the rigging shop

test bed control unit

work boots in action

Same MRT station escalator down to trains...much bigger scene that it seems like it should be....

Finally got a Singapore based cell #...so this is the test...

2010-10-26T05:57:00.000-07:00

Workin'

2010-10-25T02:34:00.000-07:00

Well, things are getting under way now. Lots of work this week to keep me plenty busy. I pick up my Employment Pass (i.e. Visa) tomorrow so that is one more step to make things feel even more "real". Movers come on Nov 12th and the following week I likely head to Australia for a long week before a trip to Taiwan and back to Singapore for a tradeshow (where I will be playing pseudo-host)...then another trip to Perth for different efforts. Going to be an insane 3-4 week stretch. After that I will be focusing in on actually getting fully settled in and working more here in Singapore.

Challenge growing...

Also, I will try my best to post a ironic/funny sign or photo of some sort every so often. There are plenty of those around here.

day one (not that there will be a post every day)...

2010-10-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

VERY surreal drive over from the airport to the hotel after a 2am arrival. Very few cars out, checking into the hotel made it seem like just any other business trip but it was pretty obvious that it wasn't. Going to have a typical dominating breakfast buffet this morning before going to meet the real estate agent to get the keys to my apartment. Will be pretty busy the next couple days (movers come Wed, biometric testing Thur, internet and TV hookup Thur/Fri, shopping for a bed, tables, dresser, phone, etc etc etc)...

Will do my best by end of the week to post some photos/videos of my new setup so everyone can see what I've gotten myself into....

babies in pouches

2010-10-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

A 'roo carrying a Joey...

under the moon

2010-05-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

While I was at it...Never really shared this photo but thought it share-able...

Cows

2010-05-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

I am officially starting this blog back up in an effort to create a habit that will hopefully carry over into my prep for and eventual time in Singapore...

This...is a test...this is only a test...(and a cow...on a hill...in a farm)

2009-06-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

Finally getting some use out of the new ND Grad...fun toy

Photos again...

2009-05-11T15:09:00.001-07:00

Just below Artist Point - Fall 2008

Squalicom Harbor, October 2008

Photos

2009-04-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

Couple new photos - for the sake of keeping this blog alive, barely...

Once again, delay in posting....

2009-03-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

Here we go - been MONTHS since I posted last. This time for somewhat good reason as work has been unbelievably busy lately. Got a promotion back in October and ever since I have been too busy to think much. Things are good though. Off and on photo taking. Off and on work travel. A trip to Park City for Sundance and snowboarding. Visit from the family. Brittany lives in Bellingham. Working on plans for a house rennovation/addition.

Been a fairly dry winter. Lots of sunny days but enough snowboarding to keep me happy.

OK - another attempt to keep this blog updated on at least a semi-regular basis...

You've got me cornfused

2008-08-07T06:14:00.000-07:00

Well, week one almost down and getting fully excited and a little eager to finally get up to Beijing. I have already had my fill of Chinese dinners and lunches, but I imagine those will tail off once I get to Beijing and have less "hosting" to deal with.

We trecked back and forth between Shenzhen and Hong Kong three times this week...sad thing is, not enough time to take some photos are really get lost on the streets. Hong Kong is insane during a lunch hour - worth seeing...

Just got a text from Dad saying "make sure you get directions to hotel in Chinese before you leave airport". Ominous.....but we will see what that means...

that reminds me, off to confirm I have correct addresses and telephone numbers!

Updates to come, from Beijing

things i've learned

2008-07-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

I've learned things, like we all have. My things are different than everyone elses. Here are some of them...

. Music makes people happy
. If you let the people close to you drift away, you lose more than just them, you lose part of you
. Life can keep you or take you, but the only one who can decide which happens is you
. Patience is much, much more than just a virtue
. When you laugh, you live
. When you cry, you live
. When you hold onto hate, you lose
. The only day better than tomorrow is today
. The only day more dangerous than tomorrow is yesterday
. The number of people that will never know you exist is so much larger than the number of people that you will meet that human interaction must be one of the most important aspects in life

Touring the tourist

2008-06-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

on the last leg of this business rush thru northern Europe and I can defintitely say I have a new appreciation for this part of the world. We work with some very interesting people and while we were in Bremen, Germany we visited with a competitor that we have a very close relationship with, Klaus. While we were there we got to watch Germany beat Turkey in the semifinal of Eurocup 2008, which is a huge deal. Also, met a very babe bartender named Kim (not sure how German that is....)...slipped her a kiss for the camera!

Anyway, left there and headed to a town called Emmen in the Netherlands (after a 4 hour window repair job). From there, straight to an interesting town called Arnhem. The next day to Amsterdam for an evening and the following day to tour the city. Enough of that place...headed to Antwerp Saturday afternoon and had a great time there Sat and Sun. GREAT city.

Now we are down in Maastricht and I have taken approximately 200 photos (make that KEPT 200 photos!)....heading back home Wednesday afternoon, and ready for my bed!

smiles and frowns

2008-06-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

I've been busy lately but it has flown by without much immediate memory. It looks like the house is all set to close shortly after I get back into town in a few weeks. Very excited to finally have room and something to work on. Should be some fun improvement/updating projects in this place that will make it an easy sell in a few years.

The weather broke last week on Thursday and reminded me why this is the best place in the world to live....
http://picasaweb.google.com/volpenhein17/20080608RandomSunsetIshPhotos/photo#5212349545117424098

it only takes one of these sunsets at 10pm to sink in...I'd have to admit, the two weeks prior were quite terrible (for the start of the summer that is) being in the 50's and cloudy...but like I said, there is no doubt once you are reminded of the mystical feel of this part of the world. I'm keen to find a better region to live/be in, but for now it is holding its claim!

Need to find a flight to Beijing b/c I am still not sure what is going on with work that week. I will just book something and get reimbursed should something pop up for work...wont be a problem.

Here is a view;
http://www.muljatgroup.com/28068786
simple and comfortable - just straight out of the 80s!

Moore St no more

2008-06-12T08:55:00.001-07:00

I bailed on the house on Moore St. They weren't willing to do anything to improve the condition of the place (floor boards, roof, knob & tube electrical work, furnace, etc) so I walked away.

By the end of that day I had an offer on the house on Patton St-inspection Friday...will know much more soon!

Today around sunset...

2008-06-08T21:56:00.000-07:00

inspections & such

2008-06-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

next step is the inspection. after that i will have some real decisions to make. i am pretty sure there will be something in the inspection that will give me an "out" so i will have to decide if i am for real about this place or not...

if i am, crap.

if i'm not, crap.

the plan would be;
new shower, buy washer & dryer, put up window finishing, install fence and parking area in the backyard, grade and layout new patio area, move sink in kitchen, start looking at how I can put in a half bath upstairs...not TOO much!

either way - the weather has been crappy this week but walt and i have had a good run every day so far....so that's good

houses and photos

2008-06-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

wondering if I could ever make a living off of photography...that is, selling, buying, printing, publishing, etc...

either way, offer was accepted for a house today, yikes...I might have a serious mortgage on my hands in the next couple weeks...ohhh well - should be exciting

hi again

2008-06-02T22:46:00.000-07:00

back on my, "home for a while" cycle and plan to take full advantage of it

putting offers on houses left and right so we will see what happens...will keep ya updated on that front!

photos from baker lake

2008-06-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

http://picasaweb.google.com/volpenhein17/20080504BakerLake

bunch of pictures from Baker Lake...neat place

recover-e

2008-05-27T00:18:00.000-07:00

I am back to healthy and need to get stronger now...I got very sick from some Malaysian groupah chicken/rice stuff and ohhh man was it rough. I spent all day in the hotel and made it out just in time for a presentation last Thursday.

I am feeling weak b/c I haven't done much physically the past 10 days or so. Either way, heading to Whistler Thursday for a couple days and then I have several weeks at home (I hope) before going down to Long Beach for a quick stop.

Again, I'm trying my hardest to keep this thread alive!!!

Long time....

2008-04-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

Long time between posts, I know...

Recap of the last couple of weeks...
1. Maggie came to visit back April 5ish...lots of fun and even got to make her wreck snowboarding a few times...good to see ya Marge...
2. Wedding in Cincinnati - fun, good times with the whole family, too much to drink on Saturday night, good to be home, even for a couple days.
3. Work has been hectic but local! Haven't been on the road too much in April (trip to Abu Dhabi got cancelled, so just a trip to Houston...)
4. Ran a 5k with Walter for the local Alzheimers Organization...went well, but should have stretched more afterwards....I forgot that running in a "competitive" environment is harder on your body than a light jog - even if the distance is the same....
5. Getting ready for another trip to Houston followed by Kelly's wedding in Cincy and straight to Singapore. Then....come home for Sasquatch festival and Whistler (for work). Then heading to Europe at the end of June with my boss, Justin. BUSY May and June!!!

deep breath........

weddings and guests

2008-03-31T22:46:00.000-07:00

I am on an RSVPing tear of late! I went 18 years without RSVPing to a wedding (I know, that is really lazy and trashy) and I have sent two back in the last two weeks!

Had a very fun/funny weekend at Terry's cabin (a guy I work with) down at Stevens Pass. Great snow - the last weekend of March - and we boarded from 9 am-10pm....so needless to say, I am still tired but it was a great time.

Other than that, my delays on updating the blog are a direct result of nothing but laziness and forgetfullness! I am looking at houses again, but still extremely indecisive as usual. Lots of place on the market around my price range but it would put a huge strain on the "cash flow"....not sure if that's what I want/need right now....

anywho - time for bed again!

some pictures of Walt that I think are pretty cool/funny
http://picasaweb.google.com/volpenhein17/SomeInterestingPhotos/photo#5184145257254152210
http://picasaweb.google.com/volpenhein17/SomeInterestingPhotos/photo#5184146099067742258

yay for photos...

2008-03-22T03:23:00.000-07:00

black, black roses...in my garden....

2008-03-22T03:18:00.000-07:00

I spend at least four nights a week wondering if I will make the most of my weeknights... I do know, that if I could eat Bayou Brunch every day of the week between 9-11 am I would win all contests.

Its late. I was out being up late on a kick ass boat. boats kick ass.

I don't see how I will be riding in the next 3-8 hours...looks like it will have to wait until Sunday, if at all. Either way, it is kind of cold here so I think Sunday might be a good option if we get any rain/snow in the area tomorrow....

Walter has a really good nose. It smells a lot of things.

A week away...

2008-03-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back on native soil finally after a combination of a few extremes; 1. A productive week of work in Perth, 2. a great weekend in Fremantle at the West Coast Blues and Roots Festival, and 3. 31 hours of travel to get home!

Thats right, I was at the music festival working up a sweat all day Sunday (Saturday here) and went straight to the airport and changed shirts before taking my midnight redeye to Sydney where I had a 5-hour layover. Tag on the 1.5 hour delay because of a labor dispute and the resulting lack of luggage onboard the plane and we were on our way, lighter than planned. 14 hours later we touched down in Vancouver, finally....or so I thought. My grand prize for smelling up the place and needing to eat like a starving monk was a 2.5 hour delay at the border trying to get back into the US!!!!

Anyway, the week in Perth was amazing. Weaher was nice (save the almost 90 degree day on Tuesday) and the weekend was unbelievable at the concert. I ended up meeting a group of 6-7 people that were as friendly as it gets and hung out with them all day Sat and Sun. Perth is over-the-top expensive (in particular for Americans right now) but it is an amazing city. Water everywhere - the Swan River winds thru the city - and very well planned green space on all the water front. Beaches all up and down the coast within a 1-15 minute drive. The one detriment to the Aussie lifestyle is the service element. Its not that you get bad service here and there, its that there just isn't much of a concept of service at all. With the mines booming up north apparently it has driven wages up like crazy and made it hard as hell for companies to find decent help at decent prices. No one cares about it....

Highlights of the concert; G Love, Galactic, Maceo Parker, The Beautiful Girls, and Seasick Steve (on comedic merits)

LOTS of photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/volpenhein17/20080317Perth

Went to see a sculpture display at Cottesloe Beach and spent the rest of my free time in Fremantle cruising around the markets and enjoying the scenery...lots of it...

Good to be home for awhile again...

updated....via an update

2008-03-06T22:59:00.000-08:00

I got home from work the other day and Sadie and Allisa had stopped by during the day and took Walt on a walk. They left me a note that said "We took the Pooch!" So I texted Sadie and asked if it was her that had him....these are the photos she sent me....I told them, I don't negogiate with terrorists!

This was a view today on my drive to lunch from work...Mt Baker at its finest(click to elarge)....

Not too much new - my trip got shifted around and I don't have to go to Tokyo now...so its straight to Sydney and onto Perth. Longer flight but less hastle and more time to maybe snowboard....so I leave Saturday night now out of Vancouver. Finally got a hotel for next Saturday in Perth and a rental car...so I'm set. Going to be a busy week though and lots of work to do and info to gather while I am down there.

OK - tired

Crab cakes and banana chips...

2008-03-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

(that was my dinner tonight)

OK OK - its been two weeks since I have been disciplined enough to update things....this is exactly what happens with the pen and paper version of this too! Anyway, the weather finally "broke" back to 40 deg and overcast. The two week perfection was great while it lasted. I am leaving friday for 10 days anyway, so no big deal for me;) If I am lucky we will get lots of snow the weekend I get back, March 21, and we are going to head down to Stevens Pass for some night boarding and hanging out at a friends cabin....iffff we are lucky.

AJ Kramer was here this weekend for a quick visit. We went up to Baker Saturday, back towards Baker Sunday for a hike with Nick and Kristen and AJ and then AJ and I went up to Vancouver for some food and to check out the city. Busy weekend, but good times.

I will be in Tokyo Saturday afternoon and work Sunday morning on a vessel. If things go as planned, I will be back on a plane Sunday evening to go to Perth. I get in Monday morning and work Tuesday - Friday. THEN....I will be hanging out in Fremantle (a smaller city near Perth) to go to the West Coast Blues and Roots Festival. Great concern with lots of good bands. I will try to take lots of photos and collect all the non-sensical stuff possible for distribution when I get back home! Here are some photos of this weekend...

I almost forgot about this one...

My long weekend...

2008-02-18T19:20:00.000-08:00

This was the kind of weekend that makes you realize your time and place. The weather had been much more rain and gray - which is just fine for snowboarding - but Thursday it started clearing up and the whole weekend was perfectly clear skies and almost 50 degrees. Went for 4 or 5 bike rides andhad Monday off work. Took some photos on my day off to try to capture the day, but I didn't have much time to be creative with where I went to get the sunset...

Riding today I realized where I was and couldn't stop thinking about how amazing the earth is. Also, I know I've said this before, but there are a lot of people on this planet!

Ahhh the relaxation...

2008-02-11T21:42:00.000-08:00

So, finally, after several months of debate, I bought the bike I have been after. I was waiting and waiting for my REI rebate to come, but got impatient at the last minute and found a great deal (at least what I think is a great deal....) Anyway, here she is...

It is smooth and fast, but the frame is very stiff, especially with the road tires on it. So, gotta get some trail tires and a couple fenders and I am set....

Otherwise, I have several weeks in front of me with no travel plans at all!!!! Nothing this weekend, save some snowboarding on Sunday I think. Nothing next weekend except a volleyball tournament in Seattle on Sunday and nothing the following weekend. I almost don't know what to do with myself. I voted in the Washington primary last week. Didn't want to pick but I ended up going with the obvious Washintonian pick - Obama. If McCain wasn't 107 years old and dead set on this war he might have earned my vote! Anyway - check this kid out - he had this little smirk on his face the whole time he was helping his dad check out of the gas station/market and as soon as his dad handed him the case of beer he just strolled right out the door without changing his expression...thought this photo made for a funny image.

On a final note - Baker got 28 INCHES OF SNOW in 24 HOURS last week on Thur/Fri!!!!!!!!!! 28 INCHES - I don't know how to put that into perspective...oh, and I have a cold...

Whistler-shmistler

2008-02-06T21:51:00.000-08:00

My body has officially asked me to slow down. So, tonight needs sleep and tomorrow more of the same.

Here are a couple photos from Whistler that I took with my phone. That place is like heaven on top of a mountain. Plus a photo that might help describe how much of a party it is after the skiing/snowboarding stops...

Too much flying makes me out of shape and my legs weak! But! The Coup is playing in Seattle Friday, so I can't miss that!!!! plus, Baker is getting like 10-15" of snow every day this week so Sunday means more snowboarding.....I have a feeling I am going to sleep pretty hard sometime this weekend.

quick update

2008-01-26T23:06:00.000-08:00

this will be a quick one...got back in from Japan Friday morning and I am heading to Seattle tomorrow first thing for a volleyball tournament. Then I head to New Orleans Monday for a conference. Get back Thursday and drive to Whistler Thursday night for some reallllly fun snowboarding and hanging out with fun people.

Then! things should calm down for a while - maybe over a month of no significant travel!!!

Hope things are good elsewhere...here are a couple shots of Bellingham Bay and some action from Japan last week....

http://picasaweb.google.com/volpenhein17/20080125BaySunset

http://picasaweb.google.com/volpenhein17/20080125Osaka

Nippon

2008-01-23T06:05:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh OSAKA!

Not too much report without photos available yet...blah weather and a busy work schedule mean I haven't had time to organize my thoughts. I think the Japanese people are considerably more patient than the Chinese - but that is just a first impression. They seem to have a very "easy-going" way about their days. Aside from that, this new lens I got last week is awesome and I am actually learning how to use it a little bit. photos will be soon to follow.

We are going to Kyoto tomorrow morning first thing to see some sites and, for me, take some photos. Should be a good chance to get some "Authentic Japanese" pictures.

I can't stop picturing Frank Noel walking the streets of Osaka later this year. He will be here for 2 years and that is a funnnnnny prospect to me. I get the impression he will make some very good Japanese friends.

As for work, testing went smooth and saw lots of burning rope. Yay for that.

More to come...

Japanese Sushi

2008-01-17T23:56:00.000-08:00

The lack of writing material tonight leaves me a little bit confused. Fingers are crossed for some snow to fall this weekend b/c it as been bone dry here the last week or so. Supposed to start snowing at Baker tomorrow so if so I am heading up with Amy, a girl that I work with, for intro to snowboarding....either way, Eeek-a-mouse is playing in Seattle Saturday night, and that = AWESOME FUN GREATNESS

Quickly off to Japan on Sunday. I am going to work my hardest to find gifts that suite everyone, but I am no good at that task, so whatever I find I find.

Here is the token photo...not sure how it impacts people, but it is a shot from the northern california coast that I love....enjoy....

Flight of the Conchords

2008-01-16T21:59:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to expose the rest of the world to "The Flight of the Conchords"
youtube them...

Also, Preparing for a trip to Osaka on Sunday. Should be a good trip b/c I get to play with fire while I am there and burn stuff on purpose. I will be leaving Sunday afternoon and coming back Friday morning! I should get to see Osaka and Tokyo with a stop in a couple old villages and a flight into Kansai - that floating airport!

Also, saw some very neat sites of the flooding and mudslides from down on the Columbia river yesterday in Oregon. The stuff that was all over the national news a couple weeks ago, with windstorms and mud sliding all over the place. In the middle of the madness there was this really colorful scene...strange and surreal. Oregon is neat. The Columbia river is impressive.

All I got for now

Hikes and Bikes

2008-01-13T20:04:00.001-08:00

Preparing for my next big purchase (in the year of savings...) and I want to buy a road bike finally. Probably in Feb or March.

Went for a great hike today up Chuckanut ridge to Oyster Dome....again. I have been up there 5-7 times since I moved here, but it is too peaceful and amazing to not go back up, even if the hike is an ass-kicker...

Plus, Walt gets worn out from that trip, so in that respect, its always worth it

It feels like the middle of Jurrasic Park back there...

Southern California winter (part 2)

2008-01-13T19:38:00.000-08:00

Took the train from Irvine down to Solona Beach to meet up with Maggie and Krystal for lunch. Cheap and easy with good views of the passing oceanside - not a bad set up for people who would need to travel between LA and SD at all. Definitely the best time to make a trip to southern california....65-70 degrees during the day and down below 45-50 at night...I like that.

Saw Maggie for the first time in a while, so that was fun. We had a good time and relaxed for a day or two just to say hi and make sure we were still friends!

Another trip to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. That place has blown up since 2004. The training center is much the same, save the new BMX track they built...Bryan, Juice, Walsh, and Pat loaded into Maggie Honda Accord and trecked back up to PB with us for a beer and some football before I caught my flight Saturday evening.

I can't say I envy the tiny little dorm rooms those fully grown men are cramped into with no easy access to the outside world!

Southern California winters

2008-01-10T23:44:00.000-08:00

This is when you want to be in LA - I know this much now. I have been inside in meeting rooms all week from 7am - 6pm and that has been uniquely tiring. We brought our big customers in from Houston, Singapore and Malaysia to give a training session on selling into a new market. Learned some and taught some - kind of fun. Too much food. But, I changed plans and will be taking a train down to San Diego tomorrow morning to see Maggie and Bryan for a day/night. Should be fun and relaxing.

No new snow today on Baker anyway, so I decided not to rush home.

That can wait until next weekend...

So strange how big this world is. Sitting in a room with a Chinese born Singapore business owner and two very engaging 30-somethings from Malaysia while some good-ole boys with a great business sense from Houston provide unlimited input into our markets lets you see how global the oil industry is in every sense of the word. At a point, I was discussing a project I worked on in which the customer from Singapore had supplied several pull-in lines to a Japanese shipowner directly and our Houston-based customer had supplied a different set of pull in lines for a different purpose to a Houston based sister company to the Japanese company. All these very expensive ropes ended up on the same massive oil production and storage vessel headed for the deep waters off the coast of NW Australia. What? Huh?

Used Years

2008-01-02T22:34:00.000-08:00

Lots of fun and partying on a "party-bus" in Seattle. Too much driving and not enough bar hopping, but lots of people and laughing. Plus, got to party with Nick on New Years for the first time in a LONG time.

Plus, the Bearcats beat Louisville AT Louisville on New Years Day!

Didn't get my Sauerkraut though...

another short week and back to the mountain if the forecast holds true for this weekend!!!!

money.......get away..........

Interesting

2007-12-28T19:29:00.000-08:00

This is what I wake up to. Have every day since I moved into this apartment. Interesting blue "drapes" I guessed you would call them?

Thought some people might be curious.

Here is a lil' round guy.

And here is that guy with an orange...

Christmas Jeer

2007-12-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

Great weather out here for Christmas...rainy the week before and since, but Christmas eve day and Christmas day were both 40-45 degrees with a mostly clear sky. Missed the mountain on Wednesday, but this weekend should be loaded with new snow!

A whole whole bunch of laziness and food created a bunch of laziness and more food. We did go see "No Country for Old Men". Wasn't too impressed by the story line....wouldn't recommend it unless you are obsessed with cinematography and don't care if there is not much music in a film. Good acting though.

Walter was more than comfortable under the entire pile of wrapping paper and Kate LOVES hammocks. That about sums up the gift exchanging.....

Anyway - played a solid game of scrabble, which I humbly admit to having won. Bryan was stiff competition and Kate and/or Faith may claim some amount of cheating on my part, but with no evidence, the claims were dismissed as a lame attempt to disturb my streak of big scoring words!

That is about it. Missed everyone back home but maybe that will mean everyone will come out this winter!?!?!? no? ok ok, this summer!!!!

no broken bones

2007-12-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

while Bryan's snowboarding in an Olympic year may not be the wisest thing in the world, he was wearing a helmet, so that's nice....No big falls for me and pretty good, although very wet, snow. Another quite Sunday on the mountain though b/c of Christmas. Lots of room to cause problems up there, but visibility was not so good b/c it was snowing all day.

Great waking up to a 55 degree sunny day in Bellingham after a day of snowboarding....lets you remember why you live here. Miss the family for Christmas - it is kind of hard to get into any kind of Christmas spirit when you know you aren't going to be with your family. That is the most important part of this holiday season anyway - so its strange "celebrating" it without crashing at mom's or seeing the lil rascals...won't be missing Christmas next year!

Work and Food

2007-12-18T17:53:00.000-08:00

I think I spend as much time eating as I do working as I do eating for work. Yup - I have split my time in fourths - with the fourth group being "relentless fun and nonsense". Walter likes bones and I just bought him one for the first time since I moved here. He is happy. I think Mardi Gras is calling for next year, just need to figure out if the timing works out.

Photos printed and waiting on frames. Word to the wise, those Sony printing "photo centers" don't print Matte B&W photos quite true....lil darker than they should be, but have a neat look to them because of that....

Christmas is soon. That means snow on the mountain en masse by the end of the weekend....more snow = more fun....and all for just $44!!!!!!!

More people should come out this winter to go snowboarding/shoeing

Big fall boarding

2007-12-17T17:51:00.001-08:00

Bout busted myself in half, but fun and amazing day on the mountain. Lots of great views with the clear day and lots of new snow. Lots of action and planning going on with work. Trips planned for first half of 2008: LA, Singapore, Euro-tour(Netherlands, Belguim, Paris), Abu Dhabi...so far!

And Shanghai in photos

2007-12-14T00:03:00.000-08:00

You can see the action. It almost never stops. You can keep walking, and in the city, you can't be alone. Time to sleep. Finally, no one to break your rythmn...

I can't imagine the communist lifestyle. I am VERY ignorant on this subject, but seems to me like most of the Chinese masses have been deprived of a real identity. I'd admit, many of the "identities" in other places, here in the US for example, are shady and/or irrelevant, but at least those folks have a chance - not to mention an understanding of - a personality to call their own.

I was told that "their is no chinese word or concept of the term 'empathy'". This seems fairly telling to me. The people are incredibly impatient, but not in a personal way. Nothing that happens in the hustle-bustle affects the individuals like it would in, say, Kansas City, MO.

Too many people, not enough space, to worry about things like that. If you wait, and spend the time concerning yourself with such things, you lost the chance I guess.

Apparently, they have guys named Tony and Johnny in Shanghai too, b/c these guys were just hangin' around doin' their thing - ain't no buggin' me....wait, you talkin' to me?

Shallow days......hollow nights....

2007-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Bout to start this whole thing. Can't do it manually, so might as well try to track myself electronically.

I was in China. Shanghai is crowded. People move a lot there. Everyone is moving, all the time. Things going on. People busy. Why can't I be not busy?