balance

I spent a wonderful day with Simmy & Scrumpy in the gorge. Here we are sitting on a bluff near Angels Rest admiring the view and having fun with some zen rock piles. Someone passed by and and offered to snap this photo us and it I think it captured the moment well. I didn't realize the irony of the giant balanced stone we were sitting on while arranging the small rock piles; It was lost on me until I looked at the photo. I'm guessing lots of things in life are like that.

Here is some video of us hopefully making the first of many zen rock piles in 2010. My friend Madelon quoted me quoting Rumi last week and I think I'm going to quote her, quoting me, qouting Rumi here: "one day your pain will become your cure". Enjoy the little things.

Fire in the hole

Finding time for myself this past month has been hard. Between work, trying my best to be present and genuinely engaging a team of 16 direct reports is taxing and , no I am not complaining. In our daily stand up meetings I've asked the team to begin answering a NEW question every morning 'what are the obstacles to your success today'? Amazing what you learn when a leader learns to ask the right questions. My job is not to zoom in on their inability to be perfect or point out everything that they do wrong; we all know perfection is a problem without a solution and asking them for something that can't be solved is demotivating in the long term. My job as a leader is to remove obstacles in their path so they can do their jobs more effectively. That's my management insight of the month.

In other news -- I caved in and went iPhone and am still smiling when I think about how intelligent and practical a device it is. It is changing so many of the ways I collect, consume, and produce data. Other than that -- looking forward to some snow shoeing in the coming days. I took this photo near the entrance to Forest Park in Portland near NW Thurman. The whole photo was wabi sabi -- beautiful and imperfect.

New epoch

Simmy & decided to surprise our folks in New York for new years this week and I think it turned out pretty good. I rang my father on his home phone line and asked him to open the front door to receive a package and there we all stood is disbelief for about 10 seconds as the synapses fired -- revealing the surprise. It is wonderful to be home and NOTHING compares to my Mom's cooking; Playing legos with my 4 nieces is priceless and just the way to start off the new year.

As I reflect on the last decade I can't help but think about how fortunate I am. So many things to be thankful for including getting married to my wonderful wife, our dog Scrumpy joining the family, great opportunities to learn and grow professionally and personally, an awesome group of people to work with everyday, an afternoon picnic on the great wall of China, snorkeling with reef shark in the Caribbean, seeing Everest and the eastern Himalayas, sea kayaking in the Gulf of Thailand, leaving home in NY & moving to the west coast (such an awesome personal growth experience & opportunity), seeing the first African American president sworn into the office, watching the internet transform everything around me, and always having an awesome support network of friends and family to lean on when the waters gets rough. So much to reflect upon and be thankful for.
There are darker things this past decade that will stay with me too. Coming out of the subway station near Chambers Street on the morning of September 11th and looking up at the World Trade Center for the last time; It still lingers in my mind. Although I wish otherwise, the world changed that day and I know that we can never come back; If I could have access to a undo button in my life it would have certainly been on that day. Spending half a day inside of Dharavi and the slums in Mumbai was shocking and humbling. I felt as if all my senses were awakened to harshest reality I've ever witnessed. I have never experienced that level of abject poverty in my life.; I couldn't speak and I felt guilty as the car drove me back to my hotel. These experiences weigh on my conscience and are undeniable components of my frame of reference.

All of these experiences have shaped and changed me in profound ways; I guess that is the point of life. As I look to the coming year and beyond (mostly beyond) here are the areas I want to work on and develop:

• Continue to grow and develop as a human being
• Take allot more chances and risks (credit to Andy)
  
• Become a solid lap swimmer in the next 12 months (w/ allot of help from Emerson)
  
• Take a shot at working for myself (see #2)
  
• Maybe start a family
• Be more straight forward
• Move all my personal web crap into AWS
  
• Make sushi and then eat the sushi
• Hug Simmy more
• Attend all** of Gordon's meeting
  
• Teach Scrumpy how to catch a frisbee
  
• Make my parents smile more
  
• Be happy

Here's to 2010, beyond, and the next epoch.

**all=most :)

Altitude sickness

From Nepal : Trekking along EBC and Eastern Himalayas

From Nepal : Trekking along EBC and Eastern Himalayas

From Nepal : Trekking along EBC and Eastern Himalayas

I've wanted to write down my reflections on EBC for a while now; Part of me has been avoiding it and the other part doesn't even know where to start. The entire experience was transformational and a few times I found myself real close to the edges of my understanding of reality.
I'll start here; I don't think I appreciated what altitude sickness was until I was having breakfast in KhumJung and I started feeling lightheaded and the thought of another day of 8 hours of trekking ahead of me started to sink in; I just wanted to curl up into a fetal position and close my eyes. Was this really happening ? What the heck was I thinking? How does that song go ? Welcome to your life, Jacob ... there is no turning back.
Tea house trekking in the Himalayas taught me lots of thing; Walking too fast makes you kind of miss the point of talking a walk. Actually the pilgrimage (the walk) is the experience; It is primal and encoded deep inside all of us -trust me. Laying on the bluff waiting for clouds to move was just as fun as the moment you lost your breath and realized that Everest was smiling down on you; I looked over at Simmy and the valley around us, the Sherpas, the world suddenly went still . Pure happiness and energy --the rest is difficult to describe -- feels like contentment. It's like when Voltaire said "Man is free at the moment he wishes to be" and that's how that moment felt to me.

From Nepal : Trekking along EBC and Eastern Himalayas

From Nepal : Trekking along EBC and Eastern Himalayas

Wandering in the Kathmandu Valley

From Kathmandu Valley

I've always had a romanticized view of Nepal and the Himalayas. It was the mysterious place nestled between India and China that was a resting place for pilgrims, travelers, and merchants for thousands of years; Maybe one of the original melting pots in the world -- a glimpse of what the future could hold. Nepal was the place that absorbed so much culture from its surroundings and neighbors - yet distinctly remains well...Nepal. It was the home of the Himalayas and Mount Everest, the birthplace of Buddha, Ancient temples and UNESCO sites, Buddhist and Hindu shrines, and everything that captured my imagination since first locating it on a map in Mrs Renton's sixth grade social studies class.

From Kathmandu Valley

Arriving in Kathmandu can be overwhelming -- have patience and some passport size photos to streamline visa processing; You're not in Kansas anymore. I found the sights, the smells, and the pulse of the Kathmandu valley drumming to an unfamiliar beat. There was something going on in every corner I gazed and the backdrop was an ancient city with a mystery I knew I could only scratch the surface of. Anxious and jet lagged, I woke up at dawn our first full day in Kathmandu; I had to get out there. Walking around the open air markets and seeing bags of colorful spices reminded me of Cochin. The amount of functional art in the form of ancient shrines and stupas in the valley was astonishing. Sitting on the raised floor in the Tibetan prayer flag shop, I kept gazing out over the square and getting distracted by all the sights and sounds.

From Kathmandu Valley

I watched in awe countless times as common people made early morning offerings to statues of Ganesh and Saraswati from the 4th or 5th century. Seeing ancient art in such a functional context was entirely new to me. It was like walking through an open air museum with pieces more valuable than I've seen in the South Asian wing of the MET.

From Kathmandu Valley

From Kathmandu Valley

The old shopping arcade of Asan Tole seemed unchanged for thousands of years. The brilliant colors and smells of the spice and vegetable markets still linger in my mind - what a sensory experience.
I've always had a connection to Hanuman (so says my Father) and arriving in Kathmandu's Hannuman Durbar Square was a wonderful experience. When you manage to find a quiet spot and finally convince all the touts and tour guides that you are 'ok' ... you begin to soak in the wonder of the place. Watching the flickering butter lamps and merchants selling vegetables in the open air -- I can't help but imagine how little it has really changed over time. I had my first encounter with a Sadhu (actually two) and a living goddess (who knew ? ) aka a Kumari in Durbhar Square and that is a right of passage of sorts in Nepal. One of Sadhu's them spoke decent English and they both insisted I take their photo for a nominal fee of course; How could I resist ? The Kumari was a young (pre-pubescent) girl who is worshiped as the incarnation of the goddess Durga. It was fascinating to see people line up to bring this young girl gifts and offerings in her palace compound. I can still see the third eye painted on her forehead.

From Kathmandu Valley

Nepal, at least for now, stands in defiance to the one world monoculture. I encourage you to wander there if your circumstances permit. Have an open mind, don't fight it, and Namaste.

Summiting Mount St. Helens

Simmy & I signed up for Mt St Helens climbing permits this year. I scheduled it for late August so we could get a chance to train and prep for the climb. I had no idea what I was in for and like most things that leave an impression on me, that sounded about right. The day of the hike started early with a 3:30am drive to the mountain. I had no frame of reference for what the next 10 hours would be like. It was a long day to say the least; Aside from the physical fatigue, I think the core of the experience is about overcoming a mental barrier. I don't know if my body would agree with that assessment. The hike to timberline was fairly straight forward, but the scramble through the boulder fields was killer. I remember just trying to locate the next pole and getting fooled several times by the false peaks. The final obstacle between a determined self and the summit is a scree field that seems to go on endlessly into the distance. You only appreciate the scale of the task when you see tiny ants (people) walking around the rim from the base of the scree field and get some perspective on what stands between you and the summit.

From Summiting Mt St Helens

The weather was absolutely perfect; I could not have asked for anything more. The sky was clear and we had amazing views of Mt Rainer, Spirit Lake and the crater. The scale of the crater and the idea that you are on an active volcano is a humbling experience. Seeing a couple of rock slides in the crater and not being able to hear them reinforced the scale of what we were looking at. It was magnificent. I read a quote from Sir Edmund Hillary that read "It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves." -- I have a new and very personal appreciation of that now.

We're not in Kansas anymore

I read a quote this week titled "life and career are competing in a zero sum game". I was instantly transported to my college adviser Stephen Bram's office at NYU . We met about once a month in his office on Broadway in the East Village and I'd pretend to be keeping up with him, but most of the time just keeping my head above water and trying to get over the fact that he wrote the book "Theory of Moves" which also happened to be the course ware for the class he was leading -- "Game Theory". Did I mention he's from MIT and probably one of the smartest people I've ever met. Back to the future -- so I wasn't sure what to make to of that quote 'life and work are competing in a zero sum game" -- Hey ... but I enjoy my life and career... How are they competing? I still don't know what to make of this statement. If the points or bounty in the game map to 'My Time" -- I can see how the more time you spend on career the less for life and vice versa. Maybe the answer is finding the right balance between life and career or in game theory speak - the Nash Equilibrium. If you're wondering what the map is all about -- we'll I think my Nash Equilibrium is preserved if I hit that red point before the end of the year. =)

View Larger Map

I had a chance to to meet and hear Tom Mendoza of NETAPP last week and it was memorable. He gave a talk about company culture and provided some management insights around building strong teams. The messages that resonated with me where "share the mission with the troops" and to focus on creating 'an environment' where smart people can innovate and prosper and let the magic happen. I was making small talk with Tom before the venue and my upcoming trekking trip to Nepal and the Himalayas region came up. He seemed intrigued and asked "How one trained for 'multi day hikes into the Himalayas". I didn't expect the question and I think he knew the answer. Like most things, it is mostly mental. Your mind has to be in the right and then your body will follow: Let's hope both are calibrated correctly for Simmy & I.

That is probably a good transition -- in an attempt to maintain the Nash Equilibrium in my life & career game matrix -- I am taking off for three weeks to Nepal and the Kathmandu valley this fall. I hoping to get at least 2/3 of the EBC trek complete if not more and maybe visit some ruins in the valley. In trying to book accommodation and just schedule things like local 'in country' flights in Nepal -- I quickly realized that we're not in Kansas anymore' and it will be a little more rough going than the I expected; And that is just the kick in the pants I need.

Maelstrom at the Met

Took these shots on the roof garden at the Met today in New York. The artist is Roxy Piane and the piece is called Maelstrom. What a great afternoon in the city.

Out and About

From silver star mountain

I've registered for a permit to summit Mount St Helens in August and although it not a super technical climb, it is certainly something I've wanted to accomplish since moving to this part of the country. I've been prepping since about May with a variety of hikes in Oregon & Washington and even completed the Gorge Ride which was an amazing experience. The ride down from the Rowena crest is a surreal experience; I don't think I've traveled that fast on a bike before. In terms of hikes, I hooked up with a great hiking outfit out of Washington and they do some of the most wonderful hikes I've seen in this area. I got a chance to complete Dog Mountain twice, Hamilton Mountain and my favorite so far -- Silver Star Mountain. On a clear day you can see 5 peaks from here. Here are a couple of pictures from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy the summer everyone !!

From Dog Mountain

From Dog Mountain

les nympheas

From paris

Simmy and I spent about a week in Paris this month and I was pleasantly surprised with the great time I had. We stayed at a small inn (kind of no-frlls) in the Marais district on the right bank and it reminded me allot of my place on the upper east side of Manhattan ; less touristy and allot of boutiques, museums, and incredible dining. The architecture and food are sometimes sensory overload as both are sometimes equally elaborate and over the top ; But hey -- this is France.

I would highly recommend the Musee d'Orsay and the Musee de l'Orangerie ; 20 minutes in front of Monet's les Nympheas was beter than any course I took in college on French Impressionism; Unbelievable. Oddly enough, my second favorite exhibit in Paris was of a Dutch painter .. Vangogh while he lived in Paris; Check out the room in the Musee d'Orsay and you'll stop dead in your tracks. It was by far the best arranged group of painting by a single artist I've ever seen assembled in a single room. The French understand how create the perfect museum space for these masterpieces to occupy. An amazing gallery. Regarding the Louve -- I thoroughly enjoyed sitting outside the Louve along the water fountain; It is one of my favorite places on the planet to sit, watch, and experience a different culture ; I found the interior of the Louve too large and gaudy and the scale of the collection was overwhelming and ultimately disenchanting.

From paris

From paris

From paris

From paris

Our Carte Orange cards were a great investment and the best way to get around Paris. Don't get me wrong -- if you don't walk and walk until your feet hurt -- then you are missing part of the experience ; However the Paris Metro is the second best option to scoot around the city. Finding the different Art Nouveau Metro entrances scattered throughout the city was part scavenger hunt and part living art class. The entrances were designed by Hector Guimard in the early 1900s , a masterful artist who lived in Paris in the early 19th century. I can see why so many creative people and artists like Vangogh and Hemingway were drawn to MontMarte cafes and Latin Quarter side streets for inspiration and thought provoking conversation. All the ingrediants must have been present to ignite their sense of inspiration.

From paris

From paris

From paris

Feng Shui

Along the trail yesterday, I almost missed this arrangement of stones Scrumpy pointed it out me as we passed by the stream and she decided to take a dip in the water. I wonder how much hstuff like this we miss everyday - I know someone probably assembled it -- it is the best definition of Feng Shui I've ever experienced and it doesn't even contain a word. Wikipedia can't do that.

From Angels Rest 09

Hamilton Mountain Loop

I hiked the 9 mile Hamilton Mountain Loop today on the Washington side of the Gorge with the MSHI. It had some elevation gain (2400 ft) and some breathtaking views of the Gorge, Mt St Helens, and Mt Hood. There are a few notable waterfalls -namely the Hardy and Rodney Falls which are a great place to take a break and cool off. The Pool of the Winds is pretty amazig to see. This is definitely one of the best and difficult hikes I've been on this year.

From Beacon Rock & Hamilton Mountain Loop

From Beacon Rock & Hamilton Mountain Loop

From Beacon Rock & Hamilton Mountain Loop

From Beacon Rock & Hamilton Mountain Loop

Gardening

From Spring 09

From Spring 09

From Spring 09

Starvation Creek

From Lower Starvation Creek

I was feeling ambitious this weekend and went hiking with a group in the pouring rain near Starvation Creek west of Hood River. It was some great views of the Gorge and pretty good elevation. The trail head is about 1 hour east on I-84 - you'll see signs for Starvation Creek. The ascent is steep and fast for the first 700-800 ft and there are 3 creeks to cross over view foot. Lot's of fun and you'll probably get wet ! The views of the Gorge get progressively better as you ascend. Bring a good pair of boots and the waterfalls are gushing !!

From Lower Starvation Creek

How to castrate a bull

I did a little bit of traveling in February; I had a chance to to visit Seattle and San Francisco on separate trips related to work. The drive up to Seattle was nice and getting out of the office more often is definitely a nice change. I had a chance to meet Dave Hitz and just finished reading his book "How to castrate a Bull" where he recalls planting the seed that grew into a 4 billion dollar a year company called Netapp. A fascinating story and truly an impressive human being. A couple of things resounded with me :

• Simplicity is not simple
• Whining is the evil twin of vision
• Living in the past can be deadly
• Recognize new eras quickly
• Anyone can castrate a bull
  

You'll need to read the book to appreciate the last one. In other news I trying to get back in shape for the cycling season and am lookig forward to some long rides in the gorge in the coming months. I went to the Portland Farmers Market and it was wonderful. We brought home some carrots, scallops, cheese, and fresh baked bread and pasta. Let's see what we come with.

Global village

From Kochi, India (Cochin)

I read a passage on Marshall McLuhan today that summarized my holiday in Kerala. McLuhan coined the phrase "Global village" and it refers to the way technology and media is transforming traditional space time barriers. It is enabling people to live on a global scale and the world is truly a small place. Kerala is the undisputed gem of the Indian subcontinent. I encourage everyone to go see old world charm and progressive thinking coexisting. I particularly enjoyed old Cochin ; buying fresh fish on the coast, that we later prepared for lunch, just felt right; and the prawns were out of this world. Alleppey is the Venice of the East and you are overcome by a sense of calm just driving through this region. Visiting the regions where my parents were born was incredible and well worth the long flight there.

From Kochi, India (Cochin)

I think I've rediscovered the best kept secret in Asia . The shopping and food near Bazaar Road could occupy me for months. Seeing the wholesale spice markets and curio shops was well worth the sometimes annoying shop keepers. I would suggest checking out the reputable antique dealors, flower oil fragrance shops, and the textile dealers.

From Kochi, India (Cochin)

I took this photo outside of my auto rickshaw. I would encourage everyone to take a hair raising ride on on of these vehicles in chaotic traffic at some point in their lives. The great irony in India is that the bikes are the best way to get around. The tourists get stuck in traffic! The blur is the man on the bike whizzing by my auto that is stuck in traffic.

From Kochi, India (Cochin)

I took this shot out a window too. These are rice paddies somewhere between Thiruvilla and paradise. Can't wait to go back again. A friend suggested I read a book and the timing was such that I read it while taveling in South India; this qoute resounded with me: "I was looking for the key for years / but the door was always open".

Dharavi

From Dharavi

I must admit I was apprehensive about visiting the Dharavi slum in Mumbai. Dharavi is the fourth largest slum in Asia where over 1 million people live and it is located in the center of the emerging 21st century city of Mumbai. It is densely populated and it is estimated that on average -- 15 people share about 300 square feet of living space. I didn't know what to expect (I did have allot of preconceptions and biases) and much of what I saw was shocking and will stay with me for a long time. I felt better about it after meeting Krishna and hearing more about his company and the great work they are doing with community education center in the slums. I really admire the work they are doing.

I first learned about Dharavi in a National Geographics piece a few years back and by some stroke of luck found a responsible outfit that actually could help navigate me through the maze of misconceptions. There are 2 Indias -- and we only see 1 of them in the fancy travel magazines. More than 1/2 of the population of Mumbai live in slums. On the one hand there is Mumbai which is being compared to Shanghai as the next great city in Asia -except there is a slight wrinkle in that plan -- namely a 175 hectare slum in the heart of the city with over 1 million residents. To complicate things -- Mumbai real estate rivals Tokyo and everyone seems to have an opinion on how to best "re purpose" this prime real estate in the "best interests of ..." -- well that depends on who you talk to. I'll excuse myself from that discussion for now.

The first thing that struck me about Dharavi was the scale -- It was a diverse neighborhood of its own tucked away in the middle of Mumbai. It is a vibrant and bustling place and it is estimated that a 1 Billion dollar cash economy operates inside its perimeter.
Dharavi -- like most slums -- suffers from crowding, health, air quality and sanitation issues; Seeing a school adjacent to a landfill is haunting. The air quality in the industrial quarters of Dharavi were nauseating at times ; In stark contrast to these realities of slum dwelling was what I had not expected -- a vibrant, self sufficient, and diverse community. There were cooperatives of women making papadams, vibrant tannaries, textile manufacturing, recycling, movie theatres, and internet cafes. We vistied a school and seeing the optimism of those children was astonishing and frankly inspiring.
My takeaway from the Dharavi visit was that India is COMPLICATED. Spending time there helped me shed some of the negative bias I was carrying with me and seeing the pollution and poor sanitation firsthand was eye opening. There are really no easy answers; It is far more complex than urban planning 101. Dharavi is a slum, vibrant community, industry, and an economy all at once; A city within a city. Trying to frame the challenges of Dharavi as merely an urban planning or housing problem understates what is really happening there. What I will remember most was the energy and strong sense of community and neighborhood that permeated the entire slum. We can all learn something from Dharavi in this regard and I am so grateful having had the chance to go there.

From Dharavi