My Dehli weekend.

Episode 1: I like the night life. I like to boogie...
Friday

Last night I finally got out and took in some of the Delhi night life! The Centre Stage Mall is about 10 minutes from my office. Within those walls lies the hottest disco in India, and one of the top five in Asia. A little place we call Elevate. This was one of the most fascinating things I have ever experienced.

What I didn't see:


What I wanted to see:

You may have recognized this as a scene from my favorite (and the only one I've seen) Bollywood movie, Jab We Met. Jab means 'when.' More Hindi lessons to come.

What I did see:

Elevate is crazy and funny. The club was a ton of fun and my co-workers, and now friends, are a blast! The club was such a melting pot, there were people from everywhere. My favorite person was the Asian girl with her ratty teased hair, cig hangin from her lips, and black and white striped skirt with a hot pink frilly bloomer thing underneath. Simply captivating. She kinda just rocked back and forth like a strung-out Gwen Stefani back-up girl.

Another interesting observation was that no one touched. It was the cleanest dance party I've been to since EFY. It really really blew my mind. Any other time I've been to a club (which isn't too any times), or even a Provo dance party, I've been pretty much disgusted. This was a pleasant surprise. The DJ was some dude from Brittan...underwhelming. My other favorite thing was this, no one in India can dance! At least not the sample population I saw on Friday. The best part, no one cares! So to all you awkward whitey's and Elaine's out there, have no shame! Come to India and let loose! Seriously, everyone kind of dances awkward and uncoordianted. Which makes the no touching thing even funnier. Not even couples touch. I've come to understand that's because there is a cultural norm for couples not to touch/be affectionate in public. I recommend Elevate next time you're in Delhi. Fortunately, no one was really as bad as Elaine.

The crew: Gautam, Swati, Ganesh, Rakhee, Parul, Amy, Matt.

Not pictured: Farid and Shivani.

Episode 2: Chillin at India Gate.

Saturday

Met up with Gautam and Rakhee. Got some Pizza Hut and McDonald's french fries and hung out at India Gate. The world is flat. It was fun to hang here. It's kind of like Sugarhouse, Kiwanis, or your local outdoor hangout. Except there are a lot more cheap goods bought and sold.

Episode 3: Services, shopping, and sights.
Sunday

The day started by attending church in Delhi. They were actually broadcasting General Conference this weekend, as it all happens overnight the weekend of. It was really neat to meet with the Saints of India. My favorite part was hearing them sing the hymns with accents. It was really really cool to hear. It was a beautiful glimpse into how the Church is growing outside of my comfy little paradigm in Provo. It also made me appreciate, again, how blessed I am to live in Utah, have gone to BYU, and have so many opportunities accessible.

That afternoon our driver took us around to see some sights pictures below. We then went shopping at Dilli Haat and Central Market. Lesson learned, never shop without a local! There is definitely a white persons price here. With my friends present we were able to get them down to about half of the original prices they quoted me. Shopping was fun though. It was cool to finally get the real tourist experience this weekend.

Some of the sights we saw were:
Qutub Minar
Humayun's Tomb

Sagar South Indian Restaurant.
Very tasty. Ganesh, guy in the middle, wanted to treat us to his home cookin.

Road trip.

When I told a friend I was going to the Taj Mahal this weekend she told me about the picture she had seen of her parents there. She said it looked like one of those posed shots where you pull down the backdrop of where you want people to think you are... Kind of like in Wayne's World when they use the blue screen to visit exotic locations. Like Delaware. Really glad I was at the Taj instead of Delaware, no offense.

Our morning started at 5am when we hopped in a little silver Corolla and hit the open road. Well, hardly open (pics later). It was a cool and rainy morning. I was praying that it would break by the time we got to Agra, locale of the Taj. About halfway there, circa 7:30am, the rain broke and we stopped at a little motel off the side of the road for breakfast. I had some French Toast that made me nervous. It looked a little too batter-dipped and fried for my taste. Regardless, it ended up being okay, but I'm still curious what the clear stuff they gave me for syrup was. It was sweet, so I chose not to ask any questions. The drive continues through an area that, due to the tourism, has pretty much moved all activity to the road-front. This was sad since it was very common to see crumbling living quarters, animals everywhere, men reliving themselves wherever they saw fit, and many a pants-less child wading through makeshift landfills. Tourism has become their livelihood. Which I don't know what it would have been otherwise if tourism weren't there. From there you see a lot of open farm fields and agriculture. A lot of which has been purchased and will be developed into corporate complexes, housing, and hotels. The drive takes your through Mathura which is the home of Lord Krisha, incarnate of Vishnu, considered to be Supreme God by some schools of Hinduism. As we traveled through that area and on our driver commented that in this state, Uttar Pradesh, the people are very happy. Hard to tell since women are rarely expressive and men seem somewhat stoic. I'll take his word for it. Along the highway there are also many colleges of various trades, from medicine to business and everything in between. Our driver, Vikas, told us that there is a huge investment on the governments part to grow the educational opportunities for India. It must be working since we also saw a lot of schools being built too. This country really is all about growth. The caste system is leveling and the infrastructure is growing.

We pulled into Agra at about quarter to ten and met up with our guide, Ali (kinda like the boxer, sans the floating and stinging). Before we got to him though you have to navigate the crowded and twisty streets of Agra. At one point there is a railroad crossing where you get an onslaught of window tappers. They put the beggars at the Tijuana border crossing to shame. They are persistent and direct. You really do have to ignore them because if they see your window crack they'll all come a-runnin. Back to Ali. He has been giving tours for 30 years and he really knew his stuff. You first park your car and take a little 3-wheeled people mover thing (pictured later, green/yellow) to a road block where you get out and walk. There are little stands on both sides trying to pedal cheap goods. More than anything they are trying to distract you so they can pick your pocket. I kept my hands in mine and kept walking. You then go through a makeshift security check with a metal detector and a quick frisk. Nothing in my back pockets...good thing he checked. After you get to know security, or rather they get to know you, you are on the same parcel of land designed for the Taj Mahal. We entered through the east gate and proceeded west. After about 100 yards you are in a courtyard with the south gate on your left, west gate straight ahead, and the north or Love gate to your right. Through the Love gate is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, aka the Taj Mahal.

Looking east at the east gate.

Love gate.

The early 17th century, time of the Muhgals in India, had a prince named Sahah Jahan, who loved his wife, Mumtaz, greatly. She died an early death during the birth of their 14th (I think) child. To honor her and to show his deep love for her he built her a tomb, the Taj Mahal. It is said to have taken 22 years all-in-all to complete at the employ of 22,000 laborers.

As you walk through Love gate the Taj comes into view, and it's absolutely magnificent! Surreal, breathtaking, and beautiful. Way better than any backdrop...

View after passing through Love gate.

You just kind of stand there for a minute and think, "Really!?" So you double take, and when you look back its still there, just as beautiful!

Ali took us around the grounds telling us about the gardens, the aqueducts, and other tidbits about the construction. They really thought of everything when they built this thing.

On either side of the Taj is a Mosque. The one on the east is not used since it doesn't face Mecca, but does offer a cool perspective of the Taj. When you look through this archway and back up slowly, its as if the Taj is growing and getting larger as it fills your view through the archway. I tried to capture it on video mode on my camera but it didn't work out. Sorry.

View from the non-mosque mosque.

After a tour around the exterior we went inside (cameras prohibited) to see the tombs and decoration. It is incredible that this was all done at the time that it was. The Price spared no expense and it shows. All of the decoration is hand carved stone inlay using precious/semi-precious stones from all over Asia.

I don't really need to say again how amazing this beautiful this building is. The pictures don't nearly do it justice. You'll just have to come and see for yourself.

Ali then took us to some places around Agra where we could get a closer look at its and the Taj's history. Translation, store owners he knows that probably give him a cut of what ever we buy.
Stop 1: The progeny of the real artisans to did all of the stone inlay by hand. Really just some people trying to pedal marble. It was impressive work.
Stop 2: A jeweler who has the same authentic precious and semi-precious stones used in the Taj Mahal. Really just some guy pedaling rocks. They were pretty though.
Stop 3: Real rugs being made by hand. The history, the process, and the finished product. Really a guy selling rugs. These guys almost got me. I managed to only leave with a business card.

A piece of advice for your visit: Either don't let your guide show you around Agra or just be ready to hear some great stories and politely decline the product. Otherwise, the magnificense of what you have just seen at the Taj will be overgrown by sales pitches from the perifery.

The drive back to Delhi was hot and long. But hey, we're in India after all. The whole road trip was fascinating to me. Everything was worth writing about, yet impossible capture in words or pictures. Ill list a few. So read each one then close your eyes and imagine it in your mind.

Monkey on a rope:
Outside our breakfast stop there was a man with a couple monkey dressed up like women, make-up and all, that he would cue to jump when people walked by. Poor monkeys...

Pass on the right:
Nope, its not just Utah drivers. Even when the flow of traffic is reversed people just don't get the fast lane. Speaking of the flow of traffic... Cows, being holy and all, get the right of way. Even on a major highway, against the flow of traffic. Seriously though...cows everywhere! Since they are holy they really do just roam the streets, neighborhoods, and anywhere else at their leisure.

Holy = right of way.

The Indian Straddle:
Previously mentioned as the driving style here, I found it very annoying on the open highway. Cars, buggy's, and semi's just chill on the line until someone comes by and honks or flashes their dipper to pass. Cultural note: Dipper = high beams or brights. The straddle is also very annoying in a traffic jam. By the time we rolled into Delhi it was rush hour. With no mind for lanes it makes maneuvering very difficult, and a little scary.

The Burqa biker:
You will see fully-saree'ed women with just an eye-slit in their burqa doin 50 on a motorcycle. It is a fascinating sight.

Just not the same:
No fast, friendly service. No fresh ingredients. And actually no beef in sight. Except what we just passed on the road (see above).

The infamous:
I've seen a lot of pictures of the musty Indian sunset. Here is last nights. You just missed it...that SUV was just straddling. They moved over to pass the little green/yellow thing (also just straddling).

Well, my friends, there you have it. My trip to the Taj was wonderful. It was eye opening in so many ways. I am really glad that I was able to get out of the hotel and office to go see what is really happening here.

Cue the blue Taj Mahal back drop...

To see all of the pictures from Matt's trip to India, visit:
http://web.mac.com/olsenmk1/Site_2/MattInIndia.html

The usual.

The Taj Palace Hotel.

12 days here at the Taj, and going strong! It's kinda fun now because most the staff recognize me. Mostly because I rarely to much to combat my bed head when I go down for breakfast. They are even trying to predict what I'm going to order. I've always wanted to be the guy who could say, "the usual" and have them just know what I want... The bad news is that my appetite is so random out here I have yet to find something that I always want. However, the pasta con pollo is making a strong case! Mainly because its the only thing that smells and tastes somewhat normal, and also doesn't sound sick at midnight when I get back from work. Indian office cafateria food? No thanks.

There is a lot of hospitality here. There is always someone in a turban ready to help... The tourists love that kind a stuff. They always want a tacky pic. These two always get my car door for me. I'm not quite sure what their qualifications are. Although they rock the salute, I doubt military experience is a prereq. My guess? They just happen to be tall Indians. Little more of a presence.

This is the view from 329. Always pleasant in the mornings to see the hazy blue skies and the even bluer water. The 3rd chair left of center is my favorite spot to lounge, read, and get a Norwegian tan. This tan is a pinker version of a normal tan, that is really the most anyone blessed with my bloodline can aspire to. But I'm working on it.

329 and all its spacious glory! Real comfy bed, nice view, more furniture than my room in Provo? Not too shabby, right?

The Office

Good news Office fans, April 10 is your day! Our beloved paper suppliers will now grace the airwaves with more love, laughs, and awkwardness.

On a side note, I have had 2 great days in our office in India.

Real cow in front of our real office. Noida, India.

Whatever you have heard and read about the development in India is all true. In the 45 minute drive from my hotel to the office you see everything from Government compounds to poor makeshift mud and plastic huts. When you get near my office in Noida (a suburb of Delhi), you see huge tracts of land, graded and ready to be developed. Behind where I am taking this picture there are literally thousands of acres ready to be built on. It will be rows and rows of corporate offices. So the next time you need to make changes on your cell phone plan or get tech support for your PC, just think...it's not changing anytime soon! So buy a Mac.

The Office, India
We are the white ones. Amy, Brian, Me.

These people are excellent! I have loved talking and working with them the past two days. Each of them is very bright and very considerate. Last night they invited me to come eat dinner with them in the office cafeteria (a lot of curry, but good). It was my first chance to really sit down with them and connect about their culture. They asked me what I had heard about India and what my initial impressions have been. It was the perfect open forum to check all of that against the insight and perspective of the natives. They were very gracious in explaining everything from Cricket (still wicked confusing) to the socio-economic shifts occurring in the country on the whole. The really is a country on the move. It is exciting for them and they value what they have greatly. Also, Ganesh has an SUV and likes to off-road. We'll be friends. They also thought it was cool that I had a Bajaj scooter and celebrated HOLI (festival of color).

What I'd really like to do by next Monday is create the Indian Office cast within my team here. More to come on that... Feel free to study the picture posted and submit suggestions on who should be who. I'll take that feedback into consideration and hopefully post the final casting decisions. I'll also need some script ideas.

(The power just went out in the Hotel. We're back up and running now. It happened a few times at the office yesterday too. I think they need a little more regulation on who can stick a shovel in the ground...)

Put on your dancing shoes.

I got 9 straight hours of sleep last night! That's worth dancing about, but not the reason I used it as the title of this post. Flipping through the channels this morning I stopped on MTV India. Good news and bad news, its about as good as MTV in the US... Sans Lauren and her magical overly dramatic life, of course. They'll get there. The music here is really cool and the video's are hilarious. They consist of pseudo-pop/Hindi dance moves. SO sensual. They love love and sexual tension. Everything is about longing, love, and the fantasy world that only Bollywood can accurately portray. I find myself watching with a grin, always. It's super entertaining. The good news is that they actually show music more than not-music. A lot of the music stars are also Bollywood stars since so many of the movies have music video-esque scenes throughout.

This is a snapshot from the final music scene of "Jab We Met," the Bollywood movie I watched on the flight over. It stars Shahid and Kareena Kapoor, no relation, other than both being very obviously hot. (PS- Her neck doesn't normally do that. Only when Shahid's hotness catches her off guard on the second verse.)

Another very cool thing about MTV India is that they use awesome American phrases amidst the Hindi dialog and commentary. Such phrases include: "Bring the heat,"What the 'F'," and "Put on your dancing shoes." Just the little things that make me think I'm understanding what's going on... Not so much.

India Trip Status Update:
Culturally mind-expanding? Check.

A country on the rise...

Not to be outdone by our Western accommodations.

Good news ladies.

Travel Log
SLC>JFK- Status quo. Thanks Delta, boring...
5 hour layover in JFK- Made some calls, ate some wraps in the Luftansa lounge. Before even getting on the plane I developed a new found love for Business class, thanks to that little lounge.
JFK>Frankfurt- Confirmed all preemtive affection for Business class. Got two hours of sleep over the Atlantic. I just couldn't get enough of the movies, music, food, and massage chair!

At Frakfurt airport. Just over my right shoulder you'll see my flight to Delhi.

Frankfurt>Delhi: The fatigue definitely set in here. Fell asleep over Greece, woke up over Afghanistan. Don't worry, they didn't give us any flack! (haha, pun intended...get it? Wah, wah...)

First Impressions
Driving:
Lanes=guidelines (at best)
Rickshaws look sweet! Need to get into one of those, soon. I'm seeing many many Bajaj scooters buzzing around. And I thought Utah drivers made me nervous! The roads are kept up decently, its just madness. You honk to pass. You turn shoot any gap you can find. A family of four or five on one moto/scooter is not uncommon.

A calm day.
Normally there is a lot more of what I affectionately call the "Indian Straddle" going on. If you have a tire on either side of the lane paint, you'll never go astray.

Interactions:
Foreigners/guests=gods (Drivers words, not mine).
Our driver was the most pleasant man ever. He assured us that guests in India are revered and respected and we will love our time here. He is absolutely right so far!
Met my Indian counterparts yesterday. All are genuine, sharp, and very kind. Many are self-proclaimed "movie buffs", they love music, driving, shopping and anything else a young American would like.

Other:
The showers are like the roads...backwards! I had a cold surprise when I moved the shower control to the left. Hot is to the right down here, or at least at the Taj Palace Hotel.
Why won't anyone here let me do something myself! Kind of kidding, but it's a little weird when you use the hotel lobby restroom and there is a little man there to do everything but zip your pants for you. He turns on the water, you wash your hands. He turns off the water and hands you a towel. You dry your hands, he opens the door for you. Its nice and all, but just not the way I live I guess... Maybe I'll get used to it after a month. Roomies...I expect fresh linens and bottled water when I return.
First thing I noticed out of the airport was a beautiful mid-90's Land Cruiser. Needless to say, it was a welcomed, and welcoming, sight.

All in all I am so glad to be here. At a first glance this deep rooted culture and way of life seems incredible. I can't wait to see and experience more!

Curry in a hurry...

My trip to India is right around the corner. Everyone is asking if I'm excited, and the answer is definitely YES! If asked a more open ended question like, "How are you feeling about your trip to India?" My response is a contemplative, "Everything..."

Backing up a little bit to Thursday, Feb 14. A significant day for lovers, but for different reasons for me this year... I work for Hewitt Associates, an HR Outsourcing and Consulting firm that I interned with from Jan to June '07. That internship lead to a job as an internal HR consultant. I work with our own management, consulting with them on any people management issues. At the end of '07 a decision was made to outsource some of that internal HR consulting work to an office we have in Noida, India, just southeast of Delhi. They were on-boarded at the end of November of last year and have been working hard ever since. During their brief time at Hewitt they have learned a lot and made excellent contributions. However, they need a little more polish on some of the cross-cultural consulting skills as well as a little more training to make them less dependence on us in the US. On a team phone call on 2.14 my boss mentioned the need to send a few people from the US over to India to carry this out.

During that call I had a lot of thoughts run through my head about the progress of our new peers in India, my own progress, and how our limited resources in the US could possibly pull this off. Getting to India is a feat in and of itself, and to make it worth going you need to stay a while. In an email to my boss that afternoon I said something to the affect of this: "Just wanted to let you know that if you were asking for volunteers to go to India, my hand is raised. I know I am one of the least experienced consultants, but I am also one of the most mobile. I have no expectations that I'll be asked to go, but just wanted to off my willingness to contribute in any way needed." The next day my boss called and we talked through my email and she was appreciative of me stepping up to assist in whatever capacity needed. In the back of my mind I was thinking, "holy crap, how cool would it be if this actually works out!" Simultaneously really having no expectations of really going.

Two weeks go by and no other word. I really didn't think about it much other than acknowledging that others were probably asked and that was that. I was more than happy with the status quo. Well, later on another team call (Thurs, Feb 28) my boss says the proposal for the trip is in and we are just waiting on the head of HR to give the nod. Again, I thought if I were in the proposal I would have known about it. No disappointment, no second thoughts. After the call I get an instant message from my boss saying, "Want to talk about India?" I gave a prompt, "Yes!" She called and let me know the proposal not only had my name in it, but that it had been approved before the call. She just didn't want to tell the team before she had spoken with those of us going. So she said, "Do you want to go?" Yes. "Can you go for a month?" Sure!

One co-worker, Brian, is over there right now getting things started. On Sunday (3.30), I meet another co-worker, Amy, at JFK and we hit the friendly skies via Frankfurt to New Delhi!

Hundreds of dollars later in Visa application fees, vaccinations, and Malaria pills, I am raring to go! So, in just a months time the course of my spring, career, and international exposure is about to drastically change.

I am very excited to go. With that comes some nerves as well. In a little chat with my old boss while an intern I expressed being both excited and intimidated. His response was that as long as you go with the mindset to learn, you never have anything to be afraid of, its all in how you frame it. That was the perfect advice. There is the expectation that I train my peers well, and no expectation that I know everything. I think I thing more about the former, and that's what weighs on my mind.

This experience should be life changing. I honestly am so grateful for the trust of my boss and peers, the opportunity to learn and develop professionally, and most of all to see and experience a new and amazing place!

I'll be there before I know it!

If you like remixes...

Consider this my small contribution to the recent blogging about the remix DJ's. Specifically Girl Talk and E-603, thank you Daneolicious. This AmpLive album is less about being danced to then it is about just being awesome. Case in point, Charli2na from J5 makes an appearance on Reckonerz. A welcomed treat. So, if you like Radiohead and underground hip hop, then download and enjoy.

You can Moo too!

"We love to print"

That says it all folks. They really do! I can tell.

www.moo.com is a site for your clever and personal printing needs. They have greeting cards, post cards, sticker books, and mini cards. I personally just ordered the 100 mini card package.

One of my good friends turned me on to these personal little mini cards. You can upload any image as the back of the card, then whatever info you want on the front. This is perfect if you don't have real business cards yet, don't want lame business cards, and want a way to get your information out to those you meet with your "personal brand" already on it.

In a society that is still so much about who you know, this is a perfect way to keep your contact info on-hand and deliver it in a personal and creative way. For a package of 100 mini cards its 20 bucks, and you can upload 1-100 pics to be used!

And after all, they love to print... So let them!

A loyal steed...indeed.

Sometime before the 80's there was a little auto manufacturer in India that started making scooters. Bajaj eventually took their production to a plant formerly owned by Vespa. This "little scooter manufacturer that could" then took on the vintage look we all know and love. This continued as the Chetak model was exported all over the world. Sometime in 2005 however, whether compulsory or intentionally, production ceased. It's ok, your tears are not the first to be shed over this tragedy... In my humble opinion it is the honorable death that it's namesake also met in the year 1576.

Below are excerpts of the tale found on the ever-reliable Wikipedia.

Cetak, or Chetak, was the horse of Rana Pratap, whom Pratap rode during the gruesome Battle of Haldighati, June 21, 1576. Chetak died in this battle and since then has been immortalized in the ballads of Rajasthan. Folklore has it that Chetak's coat had a blue tinge. That is why Rana Pratap is sometime referred as the "Rider of the Blue Horse" in ballads.

Pratap's forces were decisively outnumbered. While mounted on Chetak, Pratap made a daring attempt on the life of Imperial Mughal Commander Man Singh. When Pratap saw that the battle's tide was turning against him, he decided to settle the issue one way or the other in a spectacular and quintessentially Rajput manner. Imperial commander Man Singh was directing the battle seated on an elephant. Pratap charged frontally at the Imperial army, hacked his way through the massed ranks of enemy combatants and reached in front of Man Singh's elephant. Once there, Chetak reared high in the air and planted his hooves on the forehead of Man Singh's elephant. Pratap threw his lance at Man Singh, who had the necessary quick reflexes to duck in time. The blow fell on the mahout (elephant driver) instead, who was killed instantly. In the general melee that followed, Chetak received a fatal wound on one of his legs. This was the turning point of the battle. Mewar's bold gamble to siege the battle in its favor had failed. As Man Singh was whisked away to safety, Pratap found himself surrounded by enemy soldiers.

This was the moment of decision for Pratap, whether to seek personal glory by embracing martyrdom on the battlefield, or to live and keep the flame of resistance burning. If he lived, Mewar stood another chance. In fact every rebel anywhere in India against the Mughal empire would have a rallying figure. But with him gone, the sun would set on Indian aspirations forever. Mewar own fate would be sealed.

Maharana was loath to leave a battle in between, but was prevailed upon by his faithful followers. By some accounts one of the Jhala sardar literally snatched the Royal Insignia from Maharana's person and wore them himself, thus making him a target for the Mughal Army.

As Mughal army fell upon the Jhala sardar mistaking him for Maharana, Maharana left the battlefield with some of his loyal followers. Chetak was exhausted and seriously wounded, but labored on carrying his master. About 2 miles from the site of the battle he came across a small stream. It was here while trying to leap across the stream Chetak collapsed.

Maharana erected a small and beautiful monument for his beloved companion at the place where Chetak fell. This cenotaph still exists near the village of Jharol in in Rajsamand District. Chetak lives on in poetic traditions as the epitome of loyalty.

Now 432 years later, in honor of our fallen hero, I raise my lance high and gallop the streets of Provo with pride on my 2004 Bajaj Chetak scooter. So, in case you see a skinny pale kid with glasses trying jump a stream, or anything for that matter, take a minute to stop and help him off his collapsed steed. It's either that or give-up the resistance and let the Mewar's of our day continue to suppress and to exploit. I suggest the former...

What to look for:

+

I call him Chet.

bitter/sweet

They say that you've arrived when you get that big first job. My questions is, arrived where? Seems to me I have gotten to a place where I can finally afford my hobbies yet don't have the time to do them! Take skiing for example... I love it, and I'm pretty sure it loves me. We have spent a lot of time together. I spent last season checking Wasatch snow reports from a stale florescently lit office in Chicago, dreaming of face-shots. Now that I'm back in the West I am still banished to the likes of a weekend warrior trying to get his piece of the pow.

Dear powers that be... Can you make it as easy to skip work as it was to skip class?

In the year 2007 I would...

Intern in Chicago, Il with Hewitt Associates.
















Meet Mo Rocca at Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
















Go ice skating at Millenium Park. Chicago, Il.















Watch Oompa Loompa's dye the river green on St. Patty's Day. Chicago, Il.


























See Rascal Flatts at U of I, Champaign, Il.















Visit Historic Nauvoo, IL.




















Bike Lakeshore with my friend Suzy. Chicago, Il.















Walk at BYU graduation in April














Be an EFY Counselor



















Go to Brazil, again...
















Go to NYC for the first time















Go to Lake Powell
I love you Lake Powell

Brazil 2007

Brazil 2007 was an amazing trip. Man, the difference a year makes!
http://web.mac.com/olsenmk1/iWeb/Site/KaiizenEducateBrazil.html















The kids are doing great. Some are still excelling academically, others have had some challenges. That was expected though. These kids come from tough circumstances, and not just economically. Home and family life can be tough to. We strongly believe that this is their chance to identify themselves by something other than their economic lot in life. They are now 8 kids with every educational opportunity as anyone else. At least in this way, the playing field has been leveled. As they continue to work hard they can and will have a chance at a University education.

Otherwise, the trip was just a blast! It was fun to be in person with our friends in Brazil. To see them and be with them for a week. We also got to take them to a beach house for a day and just play. It wore me out! Soccer, swimming, sand castles, etc... They have as much energy as they do brains!

After being in Maceio we traveled to Rio. It blew my mind! Contrasts at every turn. Beautiful coastline and dramatic mountains. Crashing waves and crazy city streets. The Cristus and the filth of the world. The Botanical Gardens and Maracana stadium. Million dollar homes next to the slums. Contrast...