This past week I returned from an amazing vacation with two of my best friends, Tom and Yvonne... who also just happen to be my parents! I am one of those individuals who, as an adult, has been fortunate enough to develop a fantastic relationship with my parents who remain an integral and active part of my life, and I am so grateful for that gift. Since Tom & Yvonne live in Minnesota, my home state, and I'm halfway across the world in India this year, we decided to meet "in the middle" and do a little tour of Europe for 10 days. I suggested that we head for higher ground and explore the Alps mountain range starting in Germany, then moving to Austria, and finally to the ultimate Alps experience, Switzerland.
To create the best possible experience we chose to purchase Eurail passes, bought backpacks, and decided to hit the trains of Europe--just like a few college students on summer break. It was an excellent choice! The European train systems (and public transportation systems, in general), are incredibly organized, efficient, and right on time. 
We decided to rendezvous in Amsterdam, where I spent the night with Tom, my "son-of-a-cousin" (...what do you call them anyway? He calls me his "great cousin" - I like that! :o), but anyhoo, my cousin Kevin's son Tom, and his wife Anat--very cool couple, indeed. My parents had missed their connection the night before, so they came in the next morning and we toured a bit of Amsterdam before heading out to Munich, our first stop, that evening.
Our overnight train took us directly to the Bavarian region of southern Germany and Munich (touring the castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau), and we had officially started a week of seeing extraordinary sights, eating (truly) scrumptious foods (especially breakfast--YUM), and walking/hiking between tourist attractions, hotels, and restaurants. The next 8 days took us through the Alps of Austria (Salzburg and Innsbruck), Switzerland (Zurich, Bern, Zermatt, and back to Zurich), and finally returning us to Amsterdam where we spent more time with Tom and Anat. Here are just a few of my favorite "snaps" from the trip--be sure to hit my online gallery or the blog slide show to see more!
Some of the highlights from our trip included the many train rides with a large cast of characters (Schultz, Sven, the Swiss Army, a mob of high school kids, etc); many meals of fresh breads, cheeses, and assorted meats (which I'll gladly eat again for any meal any day!); the amazing Swiss chocolate; all of the bells and glockenspiels chiming at noon in Salzburg (just for us!); views of mountains, lakes, cows, sheep, goats, rain, snow, full sun, full moon, cold weather, warm weather; the running of the Swiss Army Glacier Patrol; and (of course) many card games of 2500 - our favorite card game. 
There were lots of hugs (yea!) and we had a chance to laugh, cry, reminisce, and think about all of the trips we've taken together all these years. My parents have visited me every place I've lived: Finland, Hawaii, Minneapolis, and (almost) India, so Europe was close enough this time around. But you think I like to travel? My parents have been road tripping since before I was born. When me and my sister came along we just joined the ride! It's been one heck of a vacation ever since.
Thank you for such an amazing and wonderful trip, Mom & Dad. I am so grateful to have you in my life as my parents, my guides, and most importantly, my friends. I love you both so much. Needless to say it was a tearful goodbye at the airport in Amsterdam on Monday, but one filled with joy, appreciation, and deep gratitude for such a meaningful and fun time together.
I'm going to close this entry with my favorite "snap" of the trip. As we were trekking through the snowy Alpine mountains I got this quick shot below from the train. Immediately I looked at my Mom and said, "This is another book cover" (I have pictures of my family on my first three book covers... so now I just have to write this next book to go with the picture! All in due time...) So I present to you my favorite picture entitled, The Lone Tree, a work of nature that I could identify with the moment I saw it. I felt the stillness of this simple tree so high in the mountains... its solitude and its aloneness. As I sat and looked at the picture on my camera's digital display I began to feel a touch of melancholy. I showed my Dad the picture and told him how I felt like I could identify with this lone tree in many ways with being far away from my friends and family again this year. Through all of my travels and my many moves over the years I have gained great experiences, but I've always ended up alone. Sometimes I stop and think if all this exploring, climbing, reaching and discovering more of what life has to offer really worth it?
My Dad just smiled at me, looked into my eyes and said, "But few get the view from the top."
This weekend, Michael (aka "Curly"), Paul, Will, and I took a hop flight down to Sri Lanka to see the country and check out the sites. It was absolutely amazing... I tell ya, between riding elephants, strolling along the ocean, wearing boa constrictors, visiting the over 70 elephants at the elephant orphanage (and then watching them bathe in the river), touring the spice garden, jump starting the van, running through the tea fields, spending the day at the botanical gardens, eating great food, shopping in crowded markets, relaxing to an herbal massage at the health spa, watching a cultural dance show, swimming in the hotel pool, road tripping through the mountains, playing with monkeys, jumping out of the van to "get the shot", or just hanging out with J.D. and playing 20 questions, we really didn't have anything to do... and all in 56 hours. Whew! :o)
Sri Lanka is incredible. It's sort of like India, but sort of not. How to explain... well, it looks a lot like India, but it's cleaner and more orderly. For example, in the cities, such as Colombo and Kandy, the streets are clean and the traffic stays in its own lane. Imagine that! The prices are a little more expensive than India, but now that we're all seasoned hagglers, it's not a big deal. The landscape is truly breathtaking--the mountains, the ocean, the rain forests, the flowers--something to see around every corner. The animals are amazing--elephants, monkeys, lizards, snakes, bats (huge ones! see the gallery slide show), dogs everywhere (much like India), and all of the exotic birds make this another tropical paradise.
Despite the ongoing issues in Sri Lanka (another car bomb went off north of Colombo yesterday), people just keep moving. Like any other part of the world, unrest continues but life doesn't stop. Violence is present, but so is peace. In so many places in Asia, peace is present--so much so--on the faces of the people, in their smiles and laughter. Even the noisy vendors on the streets trying to make a living will laugh with you when you try to talk them down to a reasonable price.
Overall, Sri Lanka was an excellent vacation which provided a beautiful and relaxing experience for all of us--and it's only two hours away from Bangalore. The people were very kind, the hospitality excellent, and our driver, Joseph, was wonderful. All of us said we'd like to return again soon--and with the short flight and reasonable prices, its a sure win for a revisit!
Well, I'll be off for a couple weeks touring Europe with my Mom & Dad, so be ready for "snaps" from Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria by the end of the month!
Namaste.
Well, this weekend was surely nothing less than eventful--if there isn't a holiday to celebrate, we'll just create our own! Whereas last weekend consisted of national and international holidays, this weekend was several social events creating all sorts of opportunities to connect with coworkers, charities, neighbors, and friends.
Friday night was the BEC's Black & White Ball held as a benefit for Sukrupa, a school for street kids in India. Besides getting "dressed to impress" in stylish black & white, the night included dinner, dancing, and a silent auction consisting of paintings by the children, fun activities, and even dinner cooked by Barbara, BEC President and Hungarian cook extraordinaire. A group of us from Zen Gardens (or Expat Central, EPC, as we call it) went to the gala affair in our best black & white. Michael Hubbard (now known as "Curly Mike") and I ("Burly Mike") 
coordinated our black & white Indian kurtas so it gave us a great opportunity to shop for some new Indian formal wear, which is always a perk! Another one of our TTS team members from Minneapolis, Tim, also had a chance to attend the event in an Indian kurta, so that was great. It's always so nice when our HQ team members visit! Hope you had a great trip, Tim :o)
Saturday night brought the EPC Progressive Party--somewhat like a progressive dinner, but just simple drinks and snacks throughout the 8 different apartments we occupy at Zen Gardens, Building A. Every 30-minutes we would rotate to the next apartment, 
thus giving all the guests an opportunity to view the different apartment layouts, decor, and "warm" each apartment with their cheerful spirit. It was a fun night of conversation, music, laughter and stories, and a wide variety of drinks and snacks. Fun for everyone! I had a great time helping to organize the event and, of course, taking snaps of the entire night--
I love being the Paparazzo.Next weekend Michael, Paul, Will, and I are off to Sri Lanka to do some exploring, and then I'm preparing for a whirlwind tour of central Europe with Mom & Dad on Eurail--I love vacation time. Never a dull moment in the life of this expat :o)
Even though it's sunny at 90 degrees virtually every day in Bangalore, springtime still brings a freshness and feeling of renewal. The change of the season marks the entrance into summer--new flowers bloom, the winds change, and vacations are planned. May this spring renew and refresh you--get outside and soak up the natural beauty of this earth. What a gift!
Happy Spring to All :o)
These last two weekends have been quite busy--St. Patrick's Day, Holi (an Indian holiday marking the start of spring), Good Friday, and, of course, Easter weekend. Never before do I remember St. Patrick's Day and Easter being so close in the calendar, but it's rather strange to think that it's spring anyway since in India it always feels like summer--reminds me of living in Hawaii all those years!
Between the holiday events and gatherings there were plenty of opportunities to connect with other expats and traveling visitors these past two weeks. Todd's parents were in town, we have Ron, Amy, and Tim from our International HR in town, and our newest expats, Will and Pam, have moved into Zen Gardens. A group of us took another Bangalore Walks tour this past weekend (thanks, Roopa!), the OWC (Overseas Women's Club) had a St. Patrick's Day dinner, BEC (Bangalore Expat Club) had its St. Patrick's Day party and weekly mixer, and Easter Brunch at the Taj West End was attended by a big group of us from Target.
Between the two weekends there's been lots of great conversations, stories, activities, and holiday cheer. Paul, Pam, and I colored easter eggs over the weekend--which I hadn't done in years! Paul had gotten some dye powder and I brought my magic markers, paints, and colored dyes from the Mysore market (remember those bowls of colored powder in my photos? They were used to dye eggs this weekend :o)
It was fun to celebrate the holidays with the other expats--not the same as being home with family, but like Christmas, another opportunity to connect with my extended family of friends here in Bangalore.
Happy Spring, St. Patrick's Day, St. Urho's Day (for the Finns :o), Holi, Spring Solstice, Easter, and everything good that springtime brings!
I know, I know--the title is a cheap play on words (but can't you just hear our familiar Target "Hello, Goodbye" song singing through your mind? :o)
Any guess where I went this past weekend? That's right--the "City of the 22nd Century"--Dubai of the U.A.E. (United Arab Emirates)--an amazing city on the grow. Not only is Dubai the fastest growing city in the world, but it is already home to the world's tallest building, the Burj Dubai (which hasn't even been completed yet), and is already touted to be the future home of the world's largest mall, largest airport, tallest this, largest that, and most of everything in between. Seriously! There is so much construction going on in Dubai that over 50% of the world's cranes are currently in use throughout the city, and over 500,000 of the more than 1 million people living in Dubai are construction workers. It is the cleanest, newest, most modern, and most empty city of its size that I've ever experienced. It's absolutely awesome. Now the big question: if you build it, will they come?
Todd, a fellow expat teammate and our sr. marketing manager, joined me for the weekend to shop, swim, relax, and EAT (my favorite part). We flew from Bangalore, through Bahrain, and into Dubai by noon--about 6 hours total. Not bad! We stayed in the immaculate InterContinental Festival City Hotel, which is part of an enormous complex that includes several hotels, a gigantic mall, and many more attractions currently "opening soon" (that became a running joke all weekend...) In fact, the first day we were there we decided to venture out and check out the mall and as we entered the East entrance we looked up and what was one of the first stores we saw? A Caribou Coffee! 
Our faces were beaming wide with delight and we couldn't run fast enough up the escalator to get our first taste of U.S. coffee in months. Mmmmm! Felt just like home... well, not quite as cold outside, but you get the idea :o)
Throughout the weekend we did all sorts of things: eat yummy American food (hey--a McDonald's with real beef burgers! Not so in India...); took a chauffeured ride and a "construction check" through the different city centers of Dubai; visited Mall of the Emirates (with Ski Dubai--a fully indoor snow skiing hill complete with chairlift! See the slide show); stopped by the famous Burj al-Arab hotel --another amazing work of art; and then off visit the Palm Jumeriah, another stunning display of architecture and design.
Our driver took us out to the first development so we could see how the communities are set-up. The building are much bigger than I thought they'd be, and this is only one of several Palm communities they are building in Dubai. It's funny--we were so intrigued by the idea of shaping your neighborhood on the waterfront--just think of the possibilities! (See the creatively revised photo :o)
There was so many things to see and do--we just decided to use the days for sightseeing and the nights for laying low and playing cards--always fun! We got in some R&R, good conversation, and lots of fun with the camera (over 675 snaps!) It was yet another fantastic weekend of meeting people, learning more about the world, and experiencing another country and culture. It's interesting--after you've been away from your "true home" for a few months you really start to appreciate the other different parts of the world... they suddenly don't seem so far away. I believe it's really important to experience the world in whatever way you can--even by just leaving for a weekend. It expands you--and this, in turn, helps you grow. I love it!
Last week we had the privilege of hosting Bob Ulrich, our CEO from Target, as he made his final "official" visit to Target India now that he is retiring. Bob was accompanied by the rest of the executive team consisting of Presidents, Executive Vice Presidents, and other executive officers and leaders from the company, including our EVP of HR, Jodee Kozlak.
Over the two-day visit we were able to mingle in events both formal and casual, participate in presentations, and celebrate the wonderful accomplishments of Target India over the past couple of years. It was nice to finally have the opportunity to meet some of the other Target Corporation executives and chat with them about our experiences at Target India.
One of the highlights of the visit came when the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), or non-profits groups, presented a show as part of our Target Community Relations program. There were several groups of musicians, dancers, and speakers
throughout this one-hour presentation, and the performances were wonderful. The program contained a mix of traditional and modern Indian music and dancing, and key messages from Target executives and our NGO partners. It's great to see 
that even though we may be thousands of miles from Target headquarters in Minneapolis, we continue to reach out and serve in the communities where our team members work and live. I feel very proud to be a part of an organization and that continues to give back, and it was nice to see the appreciation and gratitude expressed by the community.I love Target!
This past week I returned from an amazing vacation with two of my best friends, Tom and Yvonne... who also just happen to be my parents! I am one of those individuals who, as an adult, has been fortunate enough to develop a fantastic relationship with my parents who remain an integral and active part of my life, and I am so grateful for that gift. Since Tom & Yvonne live in Minnesota, my home state, and I'm halfway across the world in India this year, we decided to meet "in the middle" and do a little tour of Europe for 10 days. I suggested that we head for higher ground and explore the Alps mountain range starting in Germany, then moving to Austria, and finally to the ultimate Alps experience, Switzerland.
To create the best possible experience we chose to purchase Eurail passes, bought backpacks, and decided to hit the trains of Europe--just like a few college students on summer break. It was an excellent choice! The European train systems (and public transportation systems, in general), are incredibly organized, efficient, and right on time. 
We decided to rendezvous in Amsterdam, where I spent the night with Tom, my "son-of-a-cousin" (...what do you call them anyway? He calls me his "great cousin" - I like that! :o), but anyhoo, my cousin Kevin's son Tom, and his wife Anat--very cool couple, indeed. My parents had missed their connection the night before, so they came in the next morning and we toured a bit of Amsterdam before heading out to Munich, our first stop, that evening.
Some of the highlights from our trip included the many train rides with a large cast of characters (Schultz, Sven, the Swiss Army, a mob of high school kids, etc); many meals of fresh breads, cheeses, and assorted meats (which I'll gladly eat again for any meal any day!); the amazing Swiss chocolate; all of the bells and glockenspiels chiming at noon in Salzburg (just for us!); views of mountains, lakes, cows, sheep, goats, rain, snow, full sun, full moon, cold weather, warm weather; the running of the Swiss Army Glacier Patrol; and (of course) many card games of 2500 - our favorite card game. 
There were lots of hugs (yea!) and we had a chance to laugh, cry, reminisce, and think about all of the trips we've taken together all these years. My parents have visited me every place I've lived: Finland, Hawaii, Minneapolis, and (almost) India, so Europe was close enough this time around. But you think I like to travel? My parents have been road tripping since before I was born. When me and my sister came along we just joined the ride! It's been one heck of a vacation ever since.
Thank you for such an amazing and wonderful trip, Mom & Dad. I am so grateful to have you in my life as my parents, my guides, and most importantly, my friends. I love you both so much. Needless to say it was a tearful goodbye at the airport in Amsterdam on Monday, but one filled with joy, appreciation, and deep gratitude for such a meaningful and fun time together.
