tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30848657806923801742024-02-18T19:05:58.875-08:00Lion City & the Beautiful Island & Some Other StuffsDennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-13341241463650445432015-02-06T13:33:00.000-08:002015-04-22T14:54:03.695-07:00Mead Data CentralLast night I removed the spent fruit pulp from the Residency mead, and added the following to secondary:<br />
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<li>28 oz. Mango pulp</li>
<li>28 oz. Papaya pulp</li>
<li>14 oz. Guava pulp
(Not the same as the tropical guava added initially)</li>
<li>14 oz. Passion
Fruit pulp</li>
<li>2 tsp. Yeast nutrient</li>
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It took all of about twenty minutes for the fermentation to pick right back up where it left off...chugging away. That leaves four pounds of pineapple to add in the last step.<br />
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Addendum 2/17: Removed the pulp, added the pineapple. The yeasts appreciated it very much.<br />
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4/21 Update: All nicely tucked into bottles, thank you very much. Beautiful color, pineapple predominating in the sample I tasted. </div>
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Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-63548591314898279862015-02-03T06:23:00.000-08:002015-02-03T06:23:15.640-08:00Well, it's Obvious if You've Seen The Movie...<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Xandar, in "</span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2015381/?ref_=nv_sr_1" style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;">Guardians of the Galaxy</a><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">," was inspired by...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">"</span><a href="http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/home.html" style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;">Gardens By The Bay</a><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">." How cool is that?<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-49675573277271815512015-01-30T06:37:00.002-08:002015-01-30T06:37:36.983-08:00Addendum<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-lyUw86oQBh4uNVu7fB-ltJ7rBRjO39pAK_T0dIblGI9HzeABthVUjW-NIuSMtcg99X__WVvBt4n6ZYViDFOM8wPa30gdMxu-aSb9cQyBulG8zaC_DyM8JfmKZt07P6eytMULTKyuqo/s1600/%5BUntitled%5D+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-lyUw86oQBh4uNVu7fB-ltJ7rBRjO39pAK_T0dIblGI9HzeABthVUjW-NIuSMtcg99X__WVvBt4n6ZYViDFOM8wPa30gdMxu-aSb9cQyBulG8zaC_DyM8JfmKZt07P6eytMULTKyuqo/s1600/%5BUntitled%5D+(1).jpg" height="111" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the place you want to go. Definitely. And go there hungry. "Happy Island."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the food? See the beer? See the Haagen-Dazs? Yep. </td></tr>
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Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-5268399989783971742015-01-26T07:06:00.000-08:002015-01-31T18:22:37.537-08:00Residency Tropical Mead*3½ pounds Clover honey<br />
3 pounds local wildflower honey<br />
1½ pounds Taiwan <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longan">Longan</a> Honey<br />
18” <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarcane">sugarcane</a>, peeled and chopped<br />
2½ oz. fresh ginger, pulverized<br />
2 oz. fresh <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbopogon">lemongrass</a>, chopped<br />
Peel and juice of 2 limes<br />
1 fresh pineapple<br />
3 kiwi fruit<br />
1 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya">dragonfruit</a>**<br />
1 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mango">mango</a><br />
2½ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psidium_guajava">tropical guava</a><br />
Yeast nutrient, Acid blend, Gypsum & Irish moss<br />
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Simmer sugarcane, ginger, lemongrass, lime peel & juice, and chemistry in 1½ gallons water for 1 hour. Remove w/ strainer. Bring just to a boil, then cut heat. Add honeys and stir vigorously to dissolve. Return to heat, gradually bringing just to a boil and skim foam. <br />
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Puree all fruits in food processor. Pour into nylon mesh bag and tie bag securely. Remove honey mixture from heat and add fruit bag; leave covered for 15 minutes to bring fruit to heat. Add 3 gallons of cold water to open fermenter, then add honey mixture and fruit bag. When cooled to room temperature, pitch with Pasteur Champagne yeast.<br />
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Should be ready to drink by the first week of May.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Okay, technically it's a melomel, you brewing nerds.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">**Mary wanted to keep this as a pet but I wouldn't let her. However, a week later I did buy her another one as a pet. We'll see how that works out.</span></div>
Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-70089399709096295862015-01-23T06:00:00.001-08:002015-01-23T06:00:18.092-08:00CodaThe group packet-switched their way home, some opting for OSPF, others using more exotic protocols. We'll see if we dropped any packets by a week from Saturday.<br />
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We stopped on the way home for a big bowl of pho, with lean and fatty brisket and gristle, accompanied by a thai iced tea. After that, we went to the Asian market for tropical guava and dragonfruit, and sugarcane and mango, and limes and ginger. Some papaya, some kiwis, bok choi, ping tung, oyster mushrooms, stuff like that. No plum powder to be had, unfortunately, but that may have just been a language problem; it's hard to tell.<br />
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I want to do whatever is necessary to keep the magic alive.Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-83025416548564883042015-01-22T08:56:00.002-08:002015-01-22T08:56:54.715-08:00Choices in Movie WatchingWatched part of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elysium_(film)">"Elysium"</a> on the flight home. Definitely should have watched it on the flight <i>over.</i>Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-62486606529586848032015-01-22T08:33:00.001-08:002015-01-22T08:34:00.423-08:00Time TravelAfter the epic last supper on the Beautiful Island, I went to bed, got up the next morning never wanting to eat again. Breakfast was a cup of Earl Grey. We drove to the airport, and now I am sitting in another airport seemingly picking up where I left off...this morning. This feels like the morning that follows that evening. But I'm pretty sure something transpired in between...I just can't quite put my finger on it, knowudimean?Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-81028467890368487492015-01-22T08:27:00.000-08:002015-01-22T08:57:26.465-08:00One Last Stab at It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So for our last night on the Beautiful Island, we began by convening a single malt post-debrief debrief. That was pleasant in the dwindling twilight and slowly appearing stars, but alas it did not constitute a meal. And there was still the last minute souvenir shopping to take care of. So I wrangled a posse and we set out for one last nocturnal urban adventure.<br />
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It was pretty cool wandering about on Sunday and Tuesday with 127.0.0.1. But it was pretty funny to see the reaction a phalanx of three beefy big white guys got strolling down the sidewalk. First stop was the ginormous shopping center/mall a few blocks away; the upper floors were pretty much standard issue urban mall, exactly like any department store anywhere. The lower floor was a spectacular grocery store with little eateries attached to it. Souvenirs in hand, I rejoined mis compadres back outside, where some vital reconnaissance had already taken place in my absence.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22_yL1U4t6ot8ihOyNDGSc64kgWjSluLeVUlegwWlCVEFi_-WB2vqBg0UA-0_9XlOiufnkU4YNmW8POiGTkQGXDQ42WGZEEZob9gAlI_XiCstUcNKAlz7Z5h_ReJTHWqTpZS_Lg_LgN0/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22_yL1U4t6ot8ihOyNDGSc64kgWjSluLeVUlegwWlCVEFi_-WB2vqBg0UA-0_9XlOiufnkU4YNmW8POiGTkQGXDQ42WGZEEZob9gAlI_XiCstUcNKAlz7Z5h_ReJTHWqTpZS_Lg_LgN0/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" height="400" width="350" /></a><br />
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We had identified the little sidestreet where all the good local eateries were (as well as some of the probably pretty crappy ones as well. We’re starting to get good at this). We identified the two key determiners on the signboard outside: “Beef” and “Beer.” <br />
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We quickly realized it was a buffet, where a host of raw ingredients were arranged on ice as a kind of meat salad bar. The table had two hot spots, and the server briskly brought two large, shallow pans, divided in two down the middle. Into one side, they ladled a clear-ish vegetable broth; into the other side, a richer bone broth glistening with a sheen of chili oil. With an assortment of various implements, we cooked our choice of items in our choice of broths, and finished them with sauces of our own concoction.<br />
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The beer tap was self-service. The cooler case of Haagen-Daz was self service. To suggest I overdid it would be an understatement. Yet the three of us were able to make our way back to the hotel unassisted and without incident, and actually have some additional normal human interactions with various and sundry. (I don’t count the waking up at 2:00 AM in a cold sweat with the room light still on and the Discovery Channel playing on the TV, having no idea of where I was as an actual ‘incident,’ more of a simple misunderstanding. Nothing broken, nothing lost, nothing stolen, no blood, no foul. )Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-68547182449245305012015-01-21T15:34:00.000-08:002015-01-21T15:34:14.790-08:00Stinky Tofu, BTWI started several times trying to write about the Night Markets, but everything I wrote inevitably bent towards the trite, trivial, touristy and unavoidably condescending. Also, like a maroon I forgot my camera so there would be no visuals on which to build.<br />
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So if you want details on the Night Markets, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_market#Taiwan">go here.</a> <br />
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But I will say I was among the group who ordered and ate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinky_tofu#Taiwan">stinky tofu</a>. My impressions were mixed; not wholly unfavorable, but not something I expect to order in the future. I mean, it's okay, <i><b>but it's no durian.</b></i> Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-39744648529593408362015-01-21T15:16:00.000-08:002015-01-21T15:16:23.908-08:00Some Images That Speak for Themselves......which is great because I don't really have much to say about them. Enjoy.<br />
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Part of our group, at that place where we heard the people talk about the stuff. It was great. And no international incidents were exacerbated.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9efWL0whuXTg8oZhsPnK7TgwXkyo055TOTJEu0ImZInvVC5t6RaOYfwVVk7slaAg7il25sfZ8t1VRUT4HqTFfK0ZWFfadk-FtLwnpmKdMSIOjc4GCIvqsIMBOGLOOWd6jwjgjJBgvfdo/s1600/IMG_0243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9efWL0whuXTg8oZhsPnK7TgwXkyo055TOTJEu0ImZInvVC5t6RaOYfwVVk7slaAg7il25sfZ8t1VRUT4HqTFfK0ZWFfadk-FtLwnpmKdMSIOjc4GCIvqsIMBOGLOOWd6jwjgjJBgvfdo/s1600/IMG_0243.jpg" height="215" width="400" /></a></div>
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I do't know why but this picture cracks me up every time I look at it. Keep in mind we are standing on a helipad overlooking an entire city featuring a very tall building.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2NdxpfL_hP05jv7RTLl98T0qEJRd9CIkDr4hI4ntSM2Cn-KR6E1Nvh4K2ov-l-ImdxGDgSpn1l8fWLtH6PdT0_D2OGcnpeZj45espy44oVW7O8JD5ay4v7cj81IHns1rSKcd1yxW6FM/s1600/IMG_0232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2NdxpfL_hP05jv7RTLl98T0qEJRd9CIkDr4hI4ntSM2Cn-KR6E1Nvh4K2ov-l-ImdxGDgSpn1l8fWLtH6PdT0_D2OGcnpeZj45espy44oVW7O8JD5ay4v7cj81IHns1rSKcd1yxW6FM/s1600/IMG_0232.jpg" height="167" width="400" /></a>Another view of part of our group. We all had personalized name tags at our seats. Okay, like 83% personalized, but they were very nice. Everywhere we went our hosts were extraordinarily kind and considerate, probably far more so than we deserved.<br />
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There we are, and there's that building again. It's hard to hide.<br />
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"No! Further back than that...like twenty or thirty feet further...maybe more to your right..."</div>
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You want architecture, Lion City? We got yer architecture right here.</div>
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Nobody gave it a second thought, except for us, who seemed to think that ritually burning items on a busy city sidewalk at lunchtime was out of the ordinary. The scooters were really good at avoiding it though.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwY4GMhPyhtj7PZ-4LyhAU7TJXhb1xwGnwZIawgGYMUggWS0ZAh4Gs9FHgZuYxxVWQSUKtZ55k_j0mNRTASe-qls_Fh-7qfZJOS1P9oluZ67VaChWQtTw_1wyDpy6US_aJZVBXOjCwRRQ/s1600/IMG_0279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwY4GMhPyhtj7PZ-4LyhAU7TJXhb1xwGnwZIawgGYMUggWS0ZAh4Gs9FHgZuYxxVWQSUKtZ55k_j0mNRTASe-qls_Fh-7qfZJOS1P9oluZ67VaChWQtTw_1wyDpy6US_aJZVBXOjCwRRQ/s1600/IMG_0279.jpg" height="140" width="400" /></a></div>
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Afternoon debrief, last day: "You must leave here as ignorant as when you arrived, so cough up all that learning RIGHT NOW."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aill65WUsu8jXUCZYvRNmAJuT2hH_OA8OvhyphenhyphenyY0Yfmxts2ak6xMd_hFAZoHoIuTyMIUzs5VQcOwNJJt519Dg3ZxieqgoONbzAl7HPbPTrT6nK29cztm4bVET0FQFLnNyFBaTzfbzksA/s1600/IMG_0282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aill65WUsu8jXUCZYvRNmAJuT2hH_OA8OvhyphenhyphenyY0Yfmxts2ak6xMd_hFAZoHoIuTyMIUzs5VQcOwNJJt519Dg3ZxieqgoONbzAl7HPbPTrT6nK29cztm4bVET0FQFLnNyFBaTzfbzksA/s1600/IMG_0282.jpg" height="400" width="292" /></a></div>
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"...something something IS NOT THE SAME AS INNOVATION."</div>
<br />Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-78816717679290071282015-01-20T15:58:00.001-08:002015-01-20T22:35:23.347-08:00Scooters on the B.I.How many scooters are there?<br />
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Take the biggest number you know. Double it, then add three, and cube the result. There's more than that.<br />
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It's interesting, because over the last few days I've been estimating a rough distribution of powered two-wheeled things and I would say that less than one or two percent are motorcycles (defined as having a manual clutch versus just a throttle).<br />
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Of the motorcycles, less than one in five is over 250cc; a grand total of three (that's three bikes) have been over 750cc—two Harleys and one Oilhead. Ironically, the oilhead was in traffic next to us last night while we were cabbing to dinner; it was identical to the one I mentioned earlier when we were in Lion City. And in that context, a GS Adventure with hardcases and all the farkles looks positively brobdingnagian; a whale among minnows.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9N8FmVyXPcCu5lnm5SiNWWB5yhhlifbL4aVp6QuLqJkkIKMjEB7AX3SDdB564jagV5tMBgbcDaJAVTbzhWXDoskKFwDtQxJKTueIkC6Uk3v90QCTgTqa0UTuo59Rys_0bu11JJWysFk/s1600/IMG_0147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9N8FmVyXPcCu5lnm5SiNWWB5yhhlifbL4aVp6QuLqJkkIKMjEB7AX3SDdB564jagV5tMBgbcDaJAVTbzhWXDoskKFwDtQxJKTueIkC6Uk3v90QCTgTqa0UTuo59Rys_0bu11JJWysFk/s1600/IMG_0147.jpg" height="180" width="400" /></a></div>
Scooters filter to the head of the line at traffic lights, and when the light changes they are unleashed in a snarling, screaming pack of two-stroke rage. They are binary, apparently having just two settings: idle and full throttle. They come in every possible permutation of hardware, rider, pillion and cargo, and a typical pack will comprise two dozen scooters.<br />
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There are repair shops, really just the size of a one-car garage, shoehorned into the streetscape every few blocks.<br />
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The sidewalks are lined curbside from one end of the block to the other with scooters, and sidewalks serve as an overflow lane when convenient. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHj1IqrM-dApzdGYN57lmO_r-hb3Q4li1R_chaYf49rqv_yQmkJuwt-vVVDQztbRywQpiMcpR6QY1YwweAEMFQuD5FECTady4I1Z9Jl6BBDxaYQlywxks8Fg-GpOSmn5qVyzCq7a8uvvI/s1600/IMG_0277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHj1IqrM-dApzdGYN57lmO_r-hb3Q4li1R_chaYf49rqv_yQmkJuwt-vVVDQztbRywQpiMcpR6QY1YwweAEMFQuD5FECTady4I1Z9Jl6BBDxaYQlywxks8Fg-GpOSmn5qVyzCq7a8uvvI/s1600/IMG_0277.jpg" height="640" width="387" /></a></div>
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The rules of the road are more generally seen as gentle suggestions, not so much hard-and-fast things. Hell, the rules of physics don't even seem to be applied that stringently.<br />
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I consider myself to be a pretty hardcore rider, and I'm comfortable in urban traffic; I thrive in that environment. But standing amidst the hustle and bustle, the noise and the fumes, the scooters careening every which way (and that's just on the sidewalk) I can sum up my feelings this way:<br />
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This homeboy ain't never gonna ever ride on the B.I. ever never no way.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-71079235649632760332015-01-20T00:08:00.001-08:002015-01-20T00:08:12.586-08:00Official Staffing AnnouncementThe Minister of Culture announced today that Boris & Ava are now honorary members of Team DGKK, having had their Excellence clearly and demonstrably Discerned on several occasions.<br />
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QED.<br />
MoC, DoEDennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-18168882734986467452015-01-19T17:49:00.000-08:002015-01-21T15:21:34.010-08:00Okay. Fresh Memories and Cheeses. Okay.*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday was a long day on the road, beginning with an annoyingly premature wake-up call, a rushed breakfast and a seemingly endless bus ride through morning rush hour traffic. The visit was interesting, only modestly marred by a few faux pas on our part which might be chalked up to caffeine deprivation. Or poor upbringing. Maybe brain trauma. Anyway. Questions were asked, responses received, knowledge transferred, then off to round two.</div>
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But before we continue, 500 ml of Americano, by mouth, STAT.<br />
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It is truly gratifying to see how we are received. Our hosts have all been genuinely interested in helping us understand their missions and how their missions relate to our program and ambitions. Following our second visit, we had lunch at the beautiful buffet of the local Five-Star hotel. With any luck, our visit will not cost them more than a star or two, and of course they can always try and get them back next year.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBYWJCmx_HKvhh3bWkusD4Ebpiv1iDaundKWOu5gLtoH9tvU0apx9yML9iHcQdOQhDhNfz6ao7k6t0NJqGugImLRBrEMsiM_61V-z6yllXuAEzX6g4sdnPs5-AVyh9TEB8lsBxH-3Rcc/s1600/IMG_0219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBYWJCmx_HKvhh3bWkusD4Ebpiv1iDaundKWOu5gLtoH9tvU0apx9yML9iHcQdOQhDhNfz6ao7k6t0NJqGugImLRBrEMsiM_61V-z6yllXuAEzX6g4sdnPs5-AVyh9TEB8lsBxH-3Rcc/s1600/IMG_0219.jpg" height="640" width="486" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">That's us, postprandially perambulating.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3enL91AgmB-m-cTinAB04D7bl3oQ8ey8Y-oz4mPgSAW3pgKNoLeg5pMMQ_ZyLtYPfr3fABeJXvoH-KD4de_EqftFQ7WiAyMLe75BtldFqdYY-1QdXow7STem234Kvo7_N5DfaS2d9L4/s1600/IMG_0220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3enL91AgmB-m-cTinAB04D7bl3oQ8ey8Y-oz4mPgSAW3pgKNoLeg5pMMQ_ZyLtYPfr3fABeJXvoH-KD4de_EqftFQ7WiAyMLe75BtldFqdYY-1QdXow7STem234Kvo7_N5DfaS2d9L4/s1600/IMG_0220.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;">Our Official Booty Call</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">But it's not all fun and games. After returning to Mission Control there were massages to be had, shops to be shopped, dinners to be found, drinks to be drinked, et cetera. There were even some who ventured to the Executive Lounge to write up their post-visit reports, like grown-ups. Heh.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFR9dAZSAFuufqFSM0AzIF5XC3WBKefKiV-04O32A8Rr3cUk1zW3AP-rrKumFVaXTFB02GSAEEpiXNY0Tu-CyTDhcUU1OmRbMP7wTUkDEd-z-CSTPn9z55IcLFOh86KMKXCQk8zckAuCA/s1600/IMG_0221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFR9dAZSAFuufqFSM0AzIF5XC3WBKefKiV-04O32A8Rr3cUk1zW3AP-rrKumFVaXTFB02GSAEEpiXNY0Tu-CyTDhcUU1OmRbMP7wTUkDEd-z-CSTPn9z55IcLFOh86KMKXCQk8zckAuCA/s1600/IMG_0221.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">That is not the Executive Lounge. But it totally could be. Okay, prove it's not.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73A93e8C8K6d3fU1U_ACqZJYvhOF-22HZErzZeOIdITLLcs8Z2uAMhTi1hm2Xfj-QGwyQVzhQklg28W-EdKaw9RLKDePCj7vX3C4-BuWXKf_CoZL62Zv1adglSvAPoS-5mPw8khaLGl8/s1600/IMG_0222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73A93e8C8K6d3fU1U_ACqZJYvhOF-22HZErzZeOIdITLLcs8Z2uAMhTi1hm2Xfj-QGwyQVzhQklg28W-EdKaw9RLKDePCj7vX3C4-BuWXKf_CoZL62Zv1adglSvAPoS-5mPw8khaLGl8/s1600/IMG_0222.jpg" height="305" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">You can actually SEE him ordering.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv27IllQctZmGHGAkGjNwRnYoYiTucFidEQuFYt_fg7IkvOpKn94EcaGDxNnxHIbL1GwYVa06eUxWUtzM-VzvnIjLop7WtAkwFQQvs1fiDesfhm_CPjN1gyKypxCtwJ7pkjt0dXN7TpeI/s1600/IMG_0224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv27IllQctZmGHGAkGjNwRnYoYiTucFidEQuFYt_fg7IkvOpKn94EcaGDxNnxHIbL1GwYVa06eUxWUtzM-VzvnIjLop7WtAkwFQQvs1fiDesfhm_CPjN1gyKypxCtwJ7pkjt0dXN7TpeI/s1600/IMG_0224.jpg" height="222" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This is not one of those places I was talking about.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2NF7JFzX8imX-nkDUESArEe9GBlvU1fgDvYM3gCyBvOnZQ9Z0Q1RWsIpSiF8IKcBr6qMO1HjBljEXcrnyQJsnnkub1ckgL5nkEQwrSzpFh1b3D6jWlg7d177R2w1cxzpis4v45SiZqs/s1600/IMG_0223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2NF7JFzX8imX-nkDUESArEe9GBlvU1fgDvYM3gCyBvOnZQ9Z0Q1RWsIpSiF8IKcBr6qMO1HjBljEXcrnyQJsnnkub1ckgL5nkEQwrSzpFh1b3D6jWlg7d177R2w1cxzpis4v45SiZqs/s1600/IMG_0223.jpg" height="211" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">"Yet, time and again those restrictive trade policies have been proven to be wholly ineffectual!" (j.k; they were totally talking about girlie stuff.)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaxtsjUOP-yl9pL_vMAnPzwUq-Jxwdb023ejnRhitH54BRgsNZP360dg9mDXFRBmlUnjTTuZM5B0hjqmIzS890MqiExKHjqqkFfO0XLkKGWecF2rAd0QX5H2wTqjExYnD-zlaRDXLu5U/s1600/IMG_0225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaxtsjUOP-yl9pL_vMAnPzwUq-Jxwdb023ejnRhitH54BRgsNZP360dg9mDXFRBmlUnjTTuZM5B0hjqmIzS890MqiExKHjqqkFfO0XLkKGWecF2rAd0QX5H2wTqjExYnD-zlaRDXLu5U/s1600/IMG_0225.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></span><br />
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Now there's something you don't see everyday: A hand-pulled scrumpy: fresh farmhouse-style hard cider served like English ale (flat and warm). The dude actually tried to serve it to me in a pint glass full of ice. They clearly don't know from scrumpy.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvBIYw_r-aceRm53G8DbChDouWN64Mgg0mtlTh2tXRHsGA_XFwdHZI-b92J8BoxlA6YG_hYXbmCJtXZ3X_G1cZglcdsXU5ExezxIO7Lnj0MCBMBCLvvK34cPEXym_dTsRlzcgVidiDvU/s1600/IMG_0226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvBIYw_r-aceRm53G8DbChDouWN64Mgg0mtlTh2tXRHsGA_XFwdHZI-b92J8BoxlA6YG_hYXbmCJtXZ3X_G1cZglcdsXU5ExezxIO7Lnj0MCBMBCLvvK34cPEXym_dTsRlzcgVidiDvU/s1600/IMG_0226.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Man, I wish this picture had come out better. That dog was totally owning the scene at the little corner shop where we ate dinner. I swear it was smarter and more alert than some of...nevermind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Is there any more universal experience than shopping at the 7-11 at the end of the day for that thing you need? You know, that thing? Do they even have the thing? I mean, there's a place on the shelf for things, but of course it's empty. B.I. has the highest number of 7-11s per capita in the world. And we walked by all of them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*I might have to explain that title to you if you weren't there.</span></div>
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<br />Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-52155994488402593152015-01-19T15:49:00.002-08:002015-01-20T22:33:47.773-08:00Taipei Personalities, and then some; A.K.A. 'Boris's Grand Day Out'Sunday was a play-day, and boy howdy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSo5rFpZTxbT5gto6mOVhRA1npvrxPi9LCREN0ypvUubRae_nJG03XeI7gAwknbZjwmhBc3AKdXsldx_kVByu7wQNQ27ZtGD2WR_fdoaPyfXHBI2cPQl74u_xzHaC93Z94sNTqj_PAKs/s1600/IMG_0134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSo5rFpZTxbT5gto6mOVhRA1npvrxPi9LCREN0ypvUubRae_nJG03XeI7gAwknbZjwmhBc3AKdXsldx_kVByu7wQNQ27ZtGD2WR_fdoaPyfXHBI2cPQl74u_xzHaC93Z94sNTqj_PAKs/s1600/IMG_0134.jpg" /></a>We met up outside Mission Control a little bit after noon with Boris, our local connection. Let me tell you a bit about Boris.<br />
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Boris is tall and gaunt with a ready smile, a quick wit and an encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture in several cultures. Standing a full six inches above the typical B.I. crowds with a shaved head and classic Slavic looks, he makes a uniquely distinctive tour guide, looking in his grey hoodie and shades like a cross between a Bond Villain, a video game assassin, and the Unibomber (on a good day).<br />
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Boris leads us briskly to the subway like a duck with ducklings, and in short order has equipped each of us with farecards. We wade into the crowds and are quickly on our way to lunch. We ride a few stops, change train lines, ride some more, and exit the Metro to dog knows where; we are in Boris's hands now.<br />
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The five of us—Boris, Capstone Killer, XO Diva Enforcer, MD Adrenaline and MoC—move deliberately and with purpose along the crowded sidewalks. At some point, MD Adrenaline was bitten by a radioactive spider and is developing the superpower of reading and speaking Mandarin. But like all superpowers, it seems to have its limits, and comes and goes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3to8iVzpQ7apbGmsPlnGjucbJq1nK8rwh-GuWvzOGIQl8N8lKWp-0zFjbmw8_WUuNMdrQjDTye1chpihcOy68k4j0giEHPV5mFQpS12prTn3mUGjKYzo8qdSiqBf5xKh5OpTaTqvPJeo/s1600/IMG_0139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3to8iVzpQ7apbGmsPlnGjucbJq1nK8rwh-GuWvzOGIQl8N8lKWp-0zFjbmw8_WUuNMdrQjDTye1chpihcOy68k4j0giEHPV5mFQpS12prTn3mUGjKYzo8qdSiqBf5xKh5OpTaTqvPJeo/s1600/IMG_0139.jpg" /></a>We turn down a tiny side street packed with market stalls and scooter moving with a casual disregard for...well, pretty much anything stationary. We dodge and weave for several blocks until we finally come to a place I'm pretty sure we never would have even noticed without Boris's help. It is the best beef noodle soup joint in town. It is across from the Accordion Studio in case you want to check it out.<br />
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We scrunch ourselves into a tiny table while Boris orders for us. In five years, he has picked up a fair amount of Chinese, and seems at ease everywhere. Shortly, we are brought a small dish of slaw in apology for a delay we had not noticed, followed by huge steaming bowls of what you might call Pho, but B.I. style. Thick, hand made and hand cut noodles, dark bone broth, <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO76fCIgcDO3mxj7333xe7yb7WtpeRN1qGm4RT_Oy6Nq2KgMi-fpbbRiNHbZPHNDAmlZdLXTfHeUEbEw-tZDrN44O0_bZN12Irv-ro5qFeErAgLPm1GPH22opb_enoyAVmdA0R5V5pUK0/s1600/IMG_0146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO76fCIgcDO3mxj7333xe7yb7WtpeRN1qGm4RT_Oy6Nq2KgMi-fpbbRiNHbZPHNDAmlZdLXTfHeUEbEw-tZDrN44O0_bZN12Irv-ro5qFeErAgLPm1GPH22opb_enoyAVmdA0R5V5pUK0/s1600/IMG_0146.jpg" /></a></div>
generous chunks of several kinds of meat...Boris has nailed it. It is Sunday afternoon, the day for family things in B.I., and the tiny space is packed with families of all descriptions enjoying their time together. And our little ad-hoc family is one of them.<br />
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After lunch, we retrace our steps to the main road, pausing at market stands to browse and take in the sights ans smells. M.D.A. buys some fruit to take back to the hotel, and we are offered samples of Taiwanese Guava. It is reminiscent of a slightly underripe pear, but a dusting of plum powder brings the flavor to life. It is very refreshing; good fresh fruit is always a treat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfskwx63hb5Jls5FVPJx8OV09-cmcaXlIN89P5ie1GGiygKzKhFH2er-kCz15T6LTAYvhc2dHc8f-OdICLTStzSNVrKx8p6oh7s-21Bz2S8vOyfH4GcZGb84p9bWHWoCt1uI_cy-nbOY/s1600/IMG_0148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfskwx63hb5Jls5FVPJx8OV09-cmcaXlIN89P5ie1GGiygKzKhFH2er-kCz15T6LTAYvhc2dHc8f-OdICLTStzSNVrKx8p6oh7s-21Bz2S8vOyfH4GcZGb84p9bWHWoCt1uI_cy-nbOY/s1600/IMG_0148.jpg" height="188" width="200" /></a>Boris leads his flock onward with the promise of good coffee. We walk for a few minutes, to a hipster coffee bar which would be unremarkable IN MY COUNTRY (hey, it's no <i>Java Shack</i>...) but that's a trend that hasn't yet quite caught on here* on B.I. It's small, open to the flood of scooter noise from the major intersection outside, and pounding with vaguely familiar metal music. But hey...coffee.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIcsMzxoOYtGwgfucUrvCR9aF9Rk_kd5emAYgaafoQy0dnUG1OhfnDnc_zOdpRj4eqVPGjlRwHGCwso7Kbabnt0E1KK4hI2XHItT9TQJxn5nm1jAzeFbOhg6nIW_-wcW1lZWJx1KTdBg/s1600/IMG_0152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIcsMzxoOYtGwgfucUrvCR9aF9Rk_kd5emAYgaafoQy0dnUG1OhfnDnc_zOdpRj4eqVPGjlRwHGCwso7Kbabnt0E1KK4hI2XHItT9TQJxn5nm1jAzeFbOhg6nIW_-wcW1lZWJx1KTdBg/s1600/IMG_0152.jpg" height="400" width="290" /></a><br />
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Two hours, several subway rides, two repasts, a few miles of walking. We're just getting started.<br />
We walk some more, making our way towards the Big Kahuna. Boris maintains a running commentary, touching on the sublime and ridiculous, sacred and profane. We try and keep up, physically and mentally.<br />
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The Big Kahuna is even bigger IRL than you could imagine. Its environs are full with tourists of all shapes and sizes (okay, the sizes are mostly in the medium-and-small range, except for us) and it does not seem like a good prospect for today. So we move along towards we're not sure what, but, you know...Boris.<br />
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We do the touristy thing, and soon we are joined by Ava, Boris's delightful wife of several weeks who is a B.I. native. Again driven by coffee, we wander a bit, and Ava recalls a coffee destination on a lower floor of the Big Kahuna, so we retrace our steps through a dazzling throng of shoppers and Sunday Strollers. It is amazing.<br />
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Well, our coffee destination—a Starbucks—requires a reservation a day in advance. But now we are in the belly of the beast, so we really have no choice but to go full Tourist. And in short order, the six of us are hurtling skyward in a World-record holding elevator.<br />
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Once again, we have managed to hit the jackpot. Sunday was bookended by hazy grey days with terrible visibility; today is overcast but the air is clear. It is spectacular.<br />
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I'm just gonna throw these pics up here. You can figure them out.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">This is the Omega 13. It serves as the 'Warp Core,' if you will, of the Big Kahuna. It has the power to reshape the space-time continuum, at least I think that's what the sign implied. I really wasn't paying attention. </span></div>
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<b>BUT WAIT!! THERE'S MORE!!</b><br />
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We seem to have gotten into this weird feedback loop where it's obvious the only option is to keep doing stuff. (Did I mention the liquid nitrogen mango chunk ice cream we ate at the top? No, I did not, But let me tell you, if you are going to have brain freeze, a liquid nitrogen brain freeze is the only way to go. Also, when you walk the two flights up and go out on the outside observation deck, the wind is literally shrieking through the railings. It is an unbelievably eerie sound.)<br />
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Dinner? How about dinner? Boris shifts back into subway guide mode, ably assisted by Ava (might have been the other ways around actually, but whatever) and again, we are being deliberately driven off the beaten path from main street to cross street to side street to alley, and there we find the most extraordinary little restaurant. You know, the kind of place where the locals eat, but the tourists only find out about if they happen to have guides like Boris and Ava? Yeah, like that.<br />
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Ava begins to order food rapid-fire (I assume it was rapid fire, because the whole transaction was 100% English free, except for maybe 'Beer.') And just like with our magic lunch, food begins arriving little white plate by little white plate, kind of 'Sorcerer's Apprentice' style until we have no more room on the table. <br />
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We drink big green bottles of B.I beer from little glasses, toasting our new friends and passing plates until we can neither eat nor drink another thing. Ava marks up a menu for us in case we want to come back again before we leave...which we definitely do.<br />
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At this point, we are beginning to run out of steam. But the six of us start walking back in the general direction of Mission Control, and a few blocks short we part ways with our wonderful guides, hosts and new-found friends.<br />
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We are full, we are tired, our feet hurt, and we have smiles on our faces.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*It totally has caught on here. I was just looking in the wrong places.</span><br />
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Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-39014176133623745662015-01-19T14:37:00.001-08:002015-01-19T14:37:13.266-08:00Lion City in the Rear View, Welcome to the Beautiful IslandThe full sun hung low in the oatmeal-colored sky when we finally exited the terminal. It's a full twenty degrees cooler here (seven degree for you celsius nerds) than in Lion City, and the air is also mercifully drier. There is a natural chill in the air, something we haven't felt since leaving home.<br />
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Arriving here from Lion City feels a bit like coming back to earth from the future. Sadly, the air smells not of blossoms but of jet fuel and diesel exhaust. We get the impression of arriving into Baltimore from I-95 with a Soviet-era eastern european pall. But mercifully, that impression will be dispelled with vigor soon.<br />
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Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-3193109977453004612015-01-16T17:08:00.001-08:002015-01-17T02:03:31.643-08:00Mad Dogs & Englishmen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is what the youngsters refer to as a "Celphy," and apparently they are all the rage on "MyBook" and "FaceSpace" and "Tweetly" and what-not.<br />
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This is, of course, <strike>Minister of Culture </strike> Discerner of Excellence, sitting in the direct noonday sun in a Lion City skateboard park, sweating like a cold drink looking for a coaster.<br />
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Look at all the other people in the park in the background...do you see them? Of course you don't. That's because people who live in the tropics aren't morons.<br />
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They are standing in the shade or shopping inside the air conditioned mall, and very occasionally one will look out at the stupid American and think to themselves, "What a maroon."Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-31901690298335797772015-01-16T14:03:00.001-08:002015-01-16T14:03:18.264-08:00OrionIt's a little after 11:00 PM, we're sitting on the pool deck looking out at the lights of Lion City, and I see that Orion—that most wintry of constellations—is directly overhead.<br />
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That pretty much finishes blowing my mind for the day.Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-61583489665944442472015-01-16T13:51:00.000-08:002015-01-16T17:50:49.943-08:00Global InjusticeLion City has two (count 'em) Ikeas. (...Ikei?) One actually appeared large enough to probably have another Ikea inside it somewhere just for safe keeping.<br />
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Not to be bitter or anything, but my drive to an Ikea is about thirty miles longer than LC is wide.Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-74281270313019091962015-01-16T09:28:00.001-08:002015-01-16T13:30:42.195-08:00We Must Acquire Some, Post-Haste, with which to Fete our Hosts on the Beautiful Island!The 7-11 downstairs has beautiful little boxes of merlion-shaped durian-flavored cookies. They are located directly across from the Mashed-Potato dispensing machine, below the contraceptives rack.<br />
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These seem like an appropriate gift to carry to our hosts on the Beautiful Island, because what could better say <i>"We've just come from Lion City!"</i> than durian-flavored merlion cookies?Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-60439373939507055942015-01-16T03:03:00.002-08:002015-12-28T06:12:34.356-08:00Q: What would a Trip to L.C. Be Without Trying Durian??A: That much better, thanks.<br />
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I had long heard of the amazing powers of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian">Durian</a>, and was determined to find the truth if given the chance...a kind of 'bucket list' thing. So at a local open-air food court, I saw durian buns for sale, about the size of a hamburger bun and sold amidst the similar-sized sweets.<br />
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I figured this was probably a safe way to first sample the notorious fruit, assuming (1) it was mixed into the dough and (2) it was baked into the whole, thereby tempering its impact Of course, I was assuming wrong on both counts. The durian portion was simply a kind of lumpy jam stuck en masse in the middle of the bun.<br />
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Oh, but the flavor.<br />
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Durian has been described by others (and does in fact taste—to my uneducated palate) as tasting like a dirty diaper full of rotting onions, with piquant top notes of oxidized butyric acid. Well, maybe not as good as that. They say the secret is getting it past your nose. Riiiiight. In the moment, I would have killed for a toothbrush; hours later, I can't taste it, <i><b>but my brain still remembers how it tasted. GAAAAH. </b></i><br />
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Ctl-Z! Ctl-Z! Ctl-Z! Nope nope nope nope nope!<br />
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UPDATE: Just came across <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23088286">this little nugget of useful information.</a><br />
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Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-51344485150718317982015-01-16T02:51:00.005-08:002015-01-16T03:11:12.019-08:00Pricing Model Previously Not EncounteredSo after digesting Chinatown, we made our way back to the hotel and the attached shopping mall, where we determined that we were actually in the mood for—go figure—<i>Chinese food</i>. (Look, it made sense at the time and I'm not going to explain it here).<br />
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We found an authentic looking joint, were promptly seated, and proffered menus. We availed ourselves of the tiny little dishes of appetizers (smoky boiled peanuts and some spicy chunks of pickled whatever.) The four of us ordered a relatively simple dinner that arrived piecemeal over the next few minutes.<br />
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The food was fine, if spare, but when the check arrived, we were surprised to see a long itemized list, to wit: (In addition to our entrees) Glass of water, .50; napkins, 1.70 (x4); appetizers, 3.50 (x2). Chairs, electricity and air were not itemized. We actually reduced our tab by returning the unused napkin.<br />
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This wasn't complex enough, so we decided to up the ante by splitting the check and settling it four ways: Bill paid by card; two reimbursing with cash immediately, one reimbursing with cash later. Deconstructing the bill literally took longer than ordering and getting served; if it happens again, we might be forced to simply do a dine-and dash. To add insult to injury, Dr. Gallay did not answer any of our many phone calls or respond to our repeated emails and text messages asking for assistance in understanding what just happened.<br />
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Thanks a whole lot, Prof...see who helps <b>you</b> out the next time <b><i>you</i></b> get jacked up in Lion City.<br />
<br />Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-92042129800988087302015-01-15T08:09:00.002-08:002015-01-15T08:09:19.314-08:00Nerd Alert!So who was that TECH MAN team member seen in the Orchard Mall, intently peeling apart a spent Metro fare card in order to identify the antenna and embedded chip buried within the layers of cardboard...?<br />
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Sheesh. You can dress 'em up, but can't take 'em out.Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-68982868954632342942015-01-15T07:15:00.000-08:002015-01-16T13:37:16.593-08:00How Can We Possibly Be Expected To Work Under These Conditions?!?Something something 'Capstone' blah blah zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsuX4AoBK7B9-BwceT5YHhaNl3I-aP1LD2BBM0BYVKUR62GmKo6BtmBMcBAouB3HDdj-doJFGjZSISnXDTBhNYmuxk7tviUDU-JCLK9rbT_wMQotryUvTgYZb3j6dX2uvv7StXTa_Ido/s1600/T2+Roof+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsuX4AoBK7B9-BwceT5YHhaNl3I-aP1LD2BBM0BYVKUR62GmKo6BtmBMcBAouB3HDdj-doJFGjZSISnXDTBhNYmuxk7tviUDU-JCLK9rbT_wMQotryUvTgYZb3j6dX2uvv7StXTa_Ido/s1600/T2+Roof+2.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-R: Captone Killer, XO Diva Enforcer, MD Adrenaline</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL7IZLPjN1YblePct6XtROMH6LHzPfpjb7MVYpV70oIJqLXIoUAniebvvye-SiRsyeU82A8X8YBrmUxFIXTz_GEXliGZTG2pQKPqZgVYlwxLFMkrhPnFpxHnU4dXJy1f5Q4h6Vs5X1YM/s1600/T2+Roof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL7IZLPjN1YblePct6XtROMH6LHzPfpjb7MVYpV70oIJqLXIoUAniebvvye-SiRsyeU82A8X8YBrmUxFIXTz_GEXliGZTG2pQKPqZgVYlwxLFMkrhPnFpxHnU4dXJy1f5Q4h6Vs5X1YM/s1600/T2+Roof.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"BWAHAHAHAHahaha!!!"</td></tr>
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<br />Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-27462251609920921972015-01-15T07:11:00.000-08:002015-01-16T17:50:05.055-08:00What We've Been Working Towards All Along...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pretty sure this was the moment we've all been working towards for the last year. A bunch of us from different teams, finding our way around a new city, seeing the sights and finally getting a chance to relax a little bit. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTxcGVJVo26667hPDnSE3mScPxwbHavs3FYNgt2F1WsGbDXqXsMxQDeWFavUkquVX4tLkNyLh03pIvFTbq7niGIx1A4JHuji-t3MvM_jk4vsQAbyybZYvGhSekPL4Z20Et1RuoOfSGCc/s1600/IMG_0058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTxcGVJVo26667hPDnSE3mScPxwbHavs3FYNgt2F1WsGbDXqXsMxQDeWFavUkquVX4tLkNyLh03pIvFTbq7niGIx1A4JHuji-t3MvM_jk4vsQAbyybZYvGhSekPL4Z20Et1RuoOfSGCc/s1600/IMG_0058.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ricky, some dude, XO Diva Enforcer & Jennifer in Chinatown</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTxcGVJVo26667hPDnSE3mScPxwbHavs3FYNgt2F1WsGbDXqXsMxQDeWFavUkquVX4tLkNyLh03pIvFTbq7niGIx1A4JHuji-t3MvM_jk4vsQAbyybZYvGhSekPL4Z20Et1RuoOfSGCc/s1600/IMG_0058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEw6ib7Mjk3RGno_CtL9nxlHW7uIvFdGiD_YuXeTGDoMQrY1K7jy_fH8ia8W_Dup8UF6ziLTvuwByBfxWs9o2ATtTOsBy39_-QMI-LIdvp_T3x_eL02yqA57RShIS50W2bD3gHrwoBz4/s1600/IMG_0061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEw6ib7Mjk3RGno_CtL9nxlHW7uIvFdGiD_YuXeTGDoMQrY1K7jy_fH8ia8W_Dup8UF6ziLTvuwByBfxWs9o2ATtTOsBy39_-QMI-LIdvp_T3x_eL02yqA57RShIS50W2bD3gHrwoBz4/s1600/IMG_0061.jpg" height="232" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edward & Dave</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9Az1UqX_5VYkBctlvS0LKHfVgWRftcMgELBregd6i0rzZhGUeh-yhaVU99KQjWZuvQ4wluJbKzF3wmdEX5UVLu5YZnewYKa1kU6Xg-h8tE0B4TVXFwmxxvh_ZpNYhiWSQg78liDWvpY/s1600/IMG_0062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9Az1UqX_5VYkBctlvS0LKHfVgWRftcMgELBregd6i0rzZhGUeh-yhaVU99KQjWZuvQ4wluJbKzF3wmdEX5UVLu5YZnewYKa1kU6Xg-h8tE0B4TVXFwmxxvh_ZpNYhiWSQg78liDWvpY/s1600/IMG_0062.jpg" height="109" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MD Adrenaline, Jennifer, <span style="font-size: 12.6666669845581px;">XO Diva Enforcer</span> & Judy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTysS_bRcft2NuU4V3EyNeJE3xMM7eGckNk7eQAEwHgzj_hTKCACFurbC-EKlw_TX5Ct5xtO-wfAu1jE9C102keHF_FZVWDPzrJ18a1iVaEpvYYfNVRfRCv_5c5zjQ8Gbm9B717jXXe8/s1600/IMG_0063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTysS_bRcft2NuU4V3EyNeJE3xMM7eGckNk7eQAEwHgzj_hTKCACFurbC-EKlw_TX5Ct5xtO-wfAu1jE9C102keHF_FZVWDPzrJ18a1iVaEpvYYfNVRfRCv_5c5zjQ8Gbm9B717jXXe8/s1600/IMG_0063.jpg" height="141" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edward & MD Adrenaline</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGI4OpUno7U9_IIdv0kwRJpocIUEF8zgHlykGomqtrzXjQ2m7P6N75gYKm5jY3MxuoEbACk8oCVHWVJGQ1RALCuetIf_aDnZ2RXm73HFU5RlkTAr8WjG8crCUKShymIybP3teVALkWOOo/s1600/IMG_0064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGI4OpUno7U9_IIdv0kwRJpocIUEF8zgHlykGomqtrzXjQ2m7P6N75gYKm5jY3MxuoEbACk8oCVHWVJGQ1RALCuetIf_aDnZ2RXm73HFU5RlkTAr8WjG8crCUKShymIybP3teVALkWOOo/s1600/IMG_0064.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jennifer & <span style="font-size: 12.6666669845581px;">XO Diva Enforcer</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsd78kyy8guji-ThJF7D9zGEAkFPou9Onpsh_co__bZHgAHbb_Qcqn8D5UsZf1ZHXR1nLfGUvZNvtUDzpa99XdS-GM4KCjPH1HHNo37pjoH5_TI6ypK9TZZU5XdlWnnmgnOAFgVOtIfE/s1600/IMG_0065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsd78kyy8guji-ThJF7D9zGEAkFPou9Onpsh_co__bZHgAHbb_Qcqn8D5UsZf1ZHXR1nLfGUvZNvtUDzpa99XdS-GM4KCjPH1HHNo37pjoH5_TI6ypK9TZZU5XdlWnnmgnOAFgVOtIfE/s1600/IMG_0065.jpg" height="171" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edward (out of frame), MD Adrenaline, Jennifer, <span style="font-size: 12.6666669845581px;">XO Diva Enforcer</span> & Judy. Not shown: Dave, Ricky & the <strike>Minister of Culture.</strike> Discerner of Excellence.<br />
Don't know whose beer bottles those are.<br />
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No better place to be and no better bunch to be there with. </div>
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Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084865780692380174.post-79496394557085307952015-01-15T00:33:00.002-08:002015-01-15T07:39:36.564-08:00Birds...The little birds that look like starlings?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2niCX6YAcdS8eoKvoUfJLNm42zKdrGBuzY4b9lURYWXB2b0TPHSMTv5rlYAaNLpquiT5REpnrlDBA6s3sYjS1iKV5wIAYPWyoLFcEIguRi32zobdXF4kOZx9mxv_C3NgaEXADuxeUCU/s1600/IMG_0044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2niCX6YAcdS8eoKvoUfJLNm42zKdrGBuzY4b9lURYWXB2b0TPHSMTv5rlYAaNLpquiT5REpnrlDBA6s3sYjS1iKV5wIAYPWyoLFcEIguRi32zobdXF4kOZx9mxv_C3NgaEXADuxeUCU/s1600/IMG_0044.jpg" height="165" width="200" /></a></div>
They're Mynah birds, and their call is amazing. 'Mynah' is actually a generic term for any grackle of the Indian subcontinent.Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13816531939963662066noreply@blogger.com0