I Met the President!

The pint sized world leader approaches as my associate Ray Soberano looks on.
I bend to shake her hand revealing my growing bald spot - the Rogaine stopped working!

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to meet the President.

No, not the lame duck Texan whose list of friends an allies is shrinking faster than the worlds glaciers. The president of the 12th largest country in the world by population and of my home away from home, away from home - the Philippines. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population for the rankings).

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been President since 2001. The diminutive leader is the second woman President and the second President in her family (father Diosdado Macapagal was Prez in the 60s). She, like all Philippine Presidents, has faced some tough times with many economic and social challenges as well as countless political challenges.

She visited the local Kraft plant a few weeks ago along with the US Ambassador to the Philippines to help open up a new R&D facility. It was an exciting event for all concerned and garnered nice media coverage as well.

The President's mother happened to be the guest of honor when the plant officially opened 44 years ago.

Heroes in Singapore!

The gang arrives - mobile phone cameras on full blast. (click on any pictures to enlarge)

The Heroes hit the stage.
Star starved Singaporeans go gaga.

The Heroes are inmpresses with the big weekday turnout.

First let me say that we don't always get the best in TV show selection here Singapore.

Sure we have ESPN - but it's all football (and NOT the American version) all the time and HBO - but HBO Asia, which must mean only shows and movies from prior to 1995. We have 3 all crime all the time stations - Fox, Discovery and the Crime Network. There are also have a few stations that show US shows. One can see any of the CSIs (but I hate them all), all the bad reality shows (last season mainly), Seinfeld on occasion and some other odds and ends. There are also nice stations in Malay, Mandarin and a few in Hindi and Tamal. Sadly I can't understand much (ok - anything) they say.

So, you ask, what do we watch? The good news is we don't watch much and that frees up a lot of time for other things. Usually we watch DVDs of shows. It is so nice to watch an entire season at your own pace with no commercials. Last year we watched season two of Rescue Me and we are currently watching season three. Great stuff. I have several Simpson's seasons and various other shows.

Our recent favorite has been Heroes. We watched a few episodes on broadcast TV and then switched to pirated DVD. Sadly the first pirate ended about half way through the season. Our friend Ronak had been taping the shows on his Tivo like thing and gave us the rest of the season on DVD. Sadly, he missed a few episodes and that can't work with this show. Luckily last time I was in China I was able to procure the entire season on DVD at an extremely reasonable price. We finally saw the last episodes.

So when we heard that several of the cast were going to be in Singapore and appearing at the mall that is virtually attached to my office building http://www.vivocity.com.sg/home1.html, I couldn't pass it up.

Last Friday I wandered over and to my surprise there must have been over 1000 people there.http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/heroesworldtour/ I was able to get a viewing post from the balcony behind 4 school girls. The girls were holding up signs that spelled out Heroes. Other were holding banners and signs like "Hiro - Marry Me" (in Japanese) and "I love Mohinder". And for sure each of the 1000 plus had their cameras and or mobile phone cameras on and ready. When the 4 actors worked their way in they were mobbed. The guys who play Mohinder, Hiro, Parkman and the split personality Jessica/Nikki seemed to be happy to be honored by such a large and boisterous crowd. They said a few words - touted season 2 and then took a few questions.

I slipped back over to my office and made the quick transition form star struck fan to conservative business guy....

American Holiday

Mr. Reed making his move back to MKE - Watch out guys!
The then unmarried happy couple rollin' on the river.
The Gimbel brothers listen attentively to the wedding planner

Josh and Elijah - the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

The elder Gimbel's all spiffed up.

Separated at birth?

The merger of giants.
Beautiful women all dressed up.
The new Mr. and Mrs. Wagner ready to go to Italy.

Recently returned from a 2.5 week trip to the US and haven't had a posting opportunity. Visited LA and Milwaukee. Filled my face with food, family and friends.


In LA I managed to have Mexican food about 5 times in 3 days, burgers, pizza and even a spectacular Cuban meal at Versailles Restaurant on Venice Blvd (http://www.versaillescuban.com/index.html). We had the Cuban dinner on the way to the airport for our 11PM flight home. Sophia and I and the Whinery clan - Ed, Fran, Jon, Vanessa, Chris (honorary Whinery), Eric and adorable Antony and Bela dinner in the loud and crowded place. The food was bountiful, full of garlic and great. Too bad for the other folks in business class on Thai Arline's that night as I assume we oozed garlic out of our pores for the entire 16 hour flight!

The Milwaukee leg of the trip was marked by the gala wedding of Benji and Rachel. It was a spectacular day (even though it rained). The service was lovely as I stood in as the world's oldest groomsman. The dinner and dancing was first class. The Pilot House at Discovery World is a great venue. Situated on Lake Michigan with a 360 degree view the room was perfect for the event. http://www.discoveryworld.org/ . As an aside, well known Milwaukee politico and former lackey and bottle washer for yours truly at Miller Brewing Company, Joel Brennan, is about to become the CEO of the place.

Anyway the Milwaukee week was action packed - Tuesday - family boat trip. Party boat piloted by my dad - no personal injuries and only minimal property damage. Wednesday - dinner at My brother's - just his family, Rachel and Benji and me and Sophia, great food and a relaxing good time. Thursday - late dinner with mom and Jack as they pulled into Milwaukee for the big event - a bonus visit! Also had a quick visit with my old friend, old boss, banter buddy Tom Reed. Friday - rehearsal dinner, a mob of out of towner's and relatives, many of whom I hadn't seen in a long time. fun to catch up. Saturday - the big day! Sunday - the after wedding brunch, all the mutuals were shared.


One big take away is that I wish I had put together a hand out sheet of talking points on life in Singapore. I must have answered the same questions over 100 times. Don't get me wrong I like to talk and I am excited to tell my story but a sheet of a few key bullet points would have helped

• Lived in Singapore over a year now


• Love the job


• Love Asia and enjoy Singapore


• Yes they speak English there


• Sophia likes it too


• The food is great


• We have been to Viet Nam, China, Thailand, India and many more places


• We hope to be there at least three years


• It's very hot and humid - always


• Please come visit, but call first....
  

After the wedding Sophia went back to LA and I hung out in Milwaukee. got in a Brewer and White Sox game, a few more hearty meaty meals - steak, beef, pizza. Hung with Noah and watched about 10 episodes of my new favorite show "Flight of the Concord's" (will probably be in in Singapore in 2010 and also squeezed in a trip to Northfield and Kraft HQ.

We arrived back home safely and soundly and are now getting back into the Asian groove.

Kopi at Wang's

Kopi, kaya toast and those wet, soy drenched eggs....

The Wang House! http://www.wangcafe.com/

The line can be very long.
Small selection but big business
Off to work with kopi on a string.

It's the local brew - strong, sweet and at a price that can't be beat. I'm talking about Kopi. It's coffee with an attitude. Forget the $5 Starbucks burnt tasting designer coffee - try the $1.20 (Singapore Dollars, that is) kopi C.

http://staff.science.nus.edu.sg/~sivasothi/etc/makanminum/kopiNteh/text/kopi.html

This stuff is made by putting coffee grounds in a little fish net and pouring hot water through about 5 times. The kopi maker also "pulls" the kopi by pouring it back and forth between two pitchers. For kopi C they pour some evaporated milk and sugar into a metal cup, add the strong kopi and then a splash of hot water to cut it a bit. It is stirred up and then transferred to a paper cup. The kopi helper slips a little plastic loop around the cup, caps it and hands it to the customer. You can walk off hanging your kopi on your finger - no spills or slips!

It packs a jolt that keeps you going all day. Several of us got into the habit of having an iced kopi after lunch. I had to give it up as it was keeping me up nights. My new rule is no kopi after 10

AM.

Wang's and the many other well known Kopitiam places in Singapore are also famous for their kaya toast. Kaya is a jam made from coconut that tastes great. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaya_(jam)

The toast maker cooks a thick slice of bread on a grill, then slices the bread in half (to make it thinner), puts on a couple of big pads of butter and then slathers on the kaya. Quite a treat enjoyed by Singaporeans and visitors alike. The locals also like to have it as part of a breakfast set with a couple of soft boiled eggs they then mush up and add soy sauce. A little too watery and slippery for my taste....

So Cute!

Saw this car recently. Thought maybe I'd buy it for my niece Lena although she won't be driving for a few more years and it might cost a few bucks to ship it to Milwaukee.....

D'oh!

I fit right in....
Marge and Sophia - separated at birth?

Saw the Simpson's movie on opening night. There was a big crowd with a mix of locals and expats. The Simpson's is on here but I'm not sure what time, what night or what season.

I give the movie a 7. It was classic Simpson's but not exponentially better then the tv show. Homer even makes fun of the people dumb enough to pay to see a movie of something you can see free on tv.

The crowd also seemed to enjoy it. Two observations about the difference between a Singapore and US crowd are 1) Spore people are all on the phone and sending and receiving text message up to and during the movie. Not just a few people but about 1/3 of the crowd. 2) There are a lot of US centric things that Sophia and I laughed at but no one else did - Itchy and Scratchy on the moon and the scenes in the Oval Office, Chief Wiggum saying "they're China's problem now" when the family jumps into a sink hole, when leaving Alaska Homer says, "good to be back in the USA!". These jokes all fell flat.

Anyway, as the New York Times reviewer said - "It was a better then average Simpson's episode so maybe I will only watch it about 20 or 30 more times".

Sprouting in Brussels

Le Map (near my hotel)

Les Bicycles rentals - tres chic!
L'eau y otres stuff.
Statues
La Platz a nuit
Strong Kwak brewski.

A few weeks ago I was in Brussels. http://www.brussels.org/ It was nice to be in Europe for a few days. It's so not Asia. The architecture, the weather, the people and the food - all different. It's not the US either. Very continental with people dressed stylishly, outdoor cafes, french speakers. I was there three days and enjoyed the break.

Brussels is like a mini Paris. Looks similar, sounds similar but smaller. I was able to eat real fresh bread, meat and cheese!

One night we went to the Grand Platz and enjoyed the light and sound show. Kind of a Bellagio Fountain thing only the lights were on a real old building and the music was more Phantom of the Opera meets the Gypsy Kings then Sinatra. Had some pretty good beer - high octane, funky shaped glass - part glass part wood. http://www.trabel.com/brussel/brussels-cityofbeer.htm

After a few days I made the long trek home (13 hours!) but got to fly one of the new Singapore Airlines flat bad biz class seats. Great comfort. It was bigger then man people's office cubes.

Thrilla in Manila

Lots of good stuff - not so good for you.

Fresh, fast and full of flavor

The jeepney - packed with riders

Another one cruises by
They all have names and once had cool paint jobs.

If you can't sfford the 40 cent Jeepney - the little motorbike will have to do.

He's a Virgo - what's your sign?


Just got back from Manila. I have now been there at least 12 times over the past year and have really come to like the place.


I was trying to figure out why I like it. It isn't a pretty place at all. There is an amazing amount of poverty, traffic is terrible and it can be dangerous in the wrong places. There are also very few (make that none) places of interest to see in the city. I have come to the conclusion that it is the people. I also find that the food is pretty good too. Oh yeah and they have the coolest form of public transport - The Jeepney (http://sdsd.essortment.com/philippinejeepn_reuf.htm ).


The people of the Philippines are extremely happy and upbeat. Whether they are rich or poor (and most are poor) they have a very positive attitude a pleasant smile and a way to make you feel good. From the hotel where I get "Hello Sir!" from about 10 people between the time I get out of the car to the time I get onto the elevator to the smiles and greetings I get at our offices in Sucat or at any restaurant, store or bar I walk into I always feel welcome.


The Philippines is also an oasis of American and Spanish culture in Asia. Everyone has a Spanish name and the language, Tagalog and the many regional dialects, all have elements of Spanish, English, Malay and other odds and ends. The culture is more like that of the US. People love Basketball, baseball and keep tabs on whats going on in the US. This probably comes from the fact that the US were their hero's in World War II. They even drive on the proper side of the road unlike the rest of Asia where they drive on the wrong side.


The food is really good (other then the duck eggs). Very Spanish and Caribbean. I've already written about it so I won't bore you.


Last week me, Sophia, Myrna and two of Myrna's friends went to see a Filipino movie. It's called The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (http://www.blossomingofmaximooliveros.com/). A very low budget film that has won many festival awards. It is set in the slums of Manila and really gives a good flavor of what it must be like to live there. A funny and also touching film it also gives a look at many aspects of life in the slums. I highly recommend it and think it might coming to the US soon if it isn't there already.


I will be there again soon as the President is coming to our plant!

Prepping for the Event of the Summer

THE spot for Shanghai Cheongsams (like I would know).

Not a very big place.

Madam Chong measures Sophia's waist

Oooooh - - very nice...

My lovely sister Rachel is getting married in August. It will be THE summer event of the Milwaukee social calendar.

It's time to prepare. I am having a new tux shirt made. Sophia is scouring Asia for the right outfit. Here are a few pictures of a some lovely Shanghai Cheongsams. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheongsam The light one is the one being made for her. She was trying the dark one on for size. The shop is in a mall filled with tailors. It took us about ten laps around the place to find the one Sophia was looking for.

She also has a very cool sari but it is rather difficult to put on. We tried and she looked a bit like a mummy. Dancing would be hard, sitting would be impossible, going to the bathroom.... priceless. The jury is still out on what she will wear to the big event.

Stay tuned....

I'm Big in China, as far as you know...

A very eloquent article - sure to win the Chinese Pulitzer. (click on picture to enlarge)

In my work life we had an exciting announcement this week. An acquisition that if all the approvals go through will really increase our business in Asia. As the head of Corporate Affairs I get to be the media spokesman. I did several interviews with various papers but the one shown above is my favorite so far. Lucky I had our China Manager Lingping to translate during the interview. I am sure she made my answers sound much better in Mandarin then they did in English. I actually have no clue what the article says, if its good or bad, but I am very happy to see my name mentioned 9 times. Because, as my friends tell me - It's all about me!!!!!!!!!!!!!