Another visitor

Getting visitors is always a good thing (well, almost always).  Getting a visit from a friend who flew half way around the world just to hang out with you for a few days is probably the most flattering thing that can ever happen to you.  This happened for us this past week when our friend from Austria took a detour from his business trip in Shanghai to pay us a visit for a few days.

The visit started precariously.  Thanks to heavy traffic, he missed his flight in Shanghai.  The airline told him he could still get out that night, but he would have to connect in a tiny little town in southern China.  He would have one hour between flights and if he missed his connection, he'd be stuck in that tiny town for two days before he could get another flight.  Obviously, that wasn't going to work.  That's when he called me.

I logged on to Orbitz and found a flight on a different airline.  Of course, Orbitz wouldn't let me book a same-day ticket, indicating instead we should contact the airline.  I told him the flight numbers and he went to the counter in Shanghai only to be told they could not book international flights on that floor.  So he went to the second floor counter.  There they told him he had to go to the other airport in Shanghai to get an international ticket.  UGH!

Plan B.  I called our travel agent in Jakarta.  They were able to book the flights, but the cost went from $300 to $1,300 because the ticket was originating in Jakarta.  Bet you didn't realize that the price of the ticket is based on where you buy the ticket as much as it is based on the departure and arrival cities.

Plan C.  By this time, his travel agency in Austria arrived to work and they were able to book him on a new flight.  The wrinkle was that he would no longer arrive on Tuesday night as originally planned.  He would now arrive Wednesday morning....an hour before our scheduled white water rafting adventure was to begin in Sukabumi, a 2 hour drive from the airport.  He booked it, spent seven hours on a layover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and finally made it to Jakarta Wed. AM.

The rafting trip was rescheduled to later in the day.  Thankfully, because I had to prepay the trip and they have a five person minimum.  I didn't want the other three seats to go to waste, so joining us on the trip was my driver, and our waiter from Hacienda and his fiance.

We picked up my friend at the airport and made the trip to Sukabumi.  Heavy traffic on the way there turned a two hour drive into a 4 hour drive and we made it just in time for our departure time - the last one of the day.  The rafting itself was amazing and fun, albeit surprising.  The water levels were quite low.  With all the rain we have had in the last several months I thought we'd be fighting raging rapids. Instead, we rafted a gurgling creek.

After Wednesday's adventure, we took Thursday easy, doing a tour of the city.  I took him to Sunda Kelapa, Cafe Batavia, and Jalan Surabaya, so he would have a taste of what old time Jakarta was like when it was originally settled by the Dutch.  Thursday evening, he learned what it's like to play rugby in the jungle heat.  He walked of the field ten minutes after we began.  My daughter asked him "what is all that smoke coming off of you".  He was literally steaming.

Friday we took a trip to Taman Safari for yet another close encounter with the animals.  This also happened to be our son's first visit and he wasn't sure he liked having zebras and large deer put their heads inside the car.  By the end of the safari portion, however, he was laughing and smiling.  Our guest, like all before him, took advantage of the petting zoo and had his picture taken with the animals:  full grown lion, a tiger cub, baby orangutan and a full grown leopard.

Saturday was the end of the visit.  We ate lunch at one of the local malls so he could peruse for souvenirs and then took him to the airport that evening.

It was a great visit and we really enjoyed seeing him again.  Now that he has left, it is time for my travels to begin.  I leave for Papua on Sunday night and will be there through Wednesday.

Is History Repeating?

Everyone knows the old adage: Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. There is a lesser known corollary (probably because I just made it up): Those who are unable to recognize historical patterns in the present day are doomed to repeat the historical result.

In the eighteenth century, European nations were establishing settlements throughout North America and beginning trade with the various Indian tribes. Initially, the trade benefited both parties: Indians gained advanced technology like metal fish hooks, steel traps and guns to replace their bone hooks, snares and bow and arrows; Europeans gained the furs of animals long extinct or in short supply in their home lands - skunk, muskrat, fox, mink, wolverine, etc. – they could once again use in ostentatious adornment. This mutually beneficial arrangement made Indian lives less arduous and increased the wealth of Europeans. Everyone was happy.

For many years, the relationship flourished. Both sides content with the arrangement and the minor adjustments each had to make to their lifestyles. They were on equal footing, both needing the other. Eventually, it changed. The Indians became dependent on the Europeans for their technology. They were unable, or at least unwilling, to use bone knives and fish hooks when they knew they could acquire steel and iron from the Frenchman up the river, or from the Spaniard in the south. They also were unable to make these goods for themselves. Conversely, because Europeans were establishing settlements throughout the American Midwest, they were able to find, trap, and shoot their own animals. They no longer needed Indian expertise for finding resources in the new frontier, and a power imbalance ensued.

When the European nations began fighting for ownership in the New World, they exploited this power imbalance to create allegiances the various tribes otherwise were uninterested in forging. Over time, this continued dependency on goods the Indians could not produce for themselves led to forfeiture of land, cultural assimilation and, eventually, ruination. Europeans settled the Americas and the various tribes either fought to extinction, dissolved, or otherwise became historical footnotes.

Fast forward three hundred years. Western companies, driven by market forces and consumer demand, begin an endless pursuit of high profits with low costs. Developing nations fill the demand by offering low cost labor in exchange for technology. If Western multi-nationals will agree to build factories on their land, and train their populace, they will create and enforce labor laws the suppress wage growth.

Initially, this was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Western companies gained a competitive advantage of having low cost labor and third world nations benefited from the acquisition of advanced manufacturing technology. Slowly, quietly, inconspicuously and almost capriciously, the benefits shifted.

It began with a trade imbalance. Western nations ran trade deficits with their low cost manufacturing partners. A few expressed concern and were quickly dismissed as alarmists. The smart money said that Western society had technological and social advantages that would, in the long run, overcome short term deficits. But the deficits not only continued, they grew. And they grew at an accelerating rate.

Undeterred, Western nations increased their manufacturing presence in developing nations, lured by the ever-enticing price of labor. As more manufacturing jobs moved to poor countries, decreased levels of unemployment in those nations led to increased demand for goods. Luxury goods. Western goods.
Western multi-nationals were elated. They looked at the size of these untapped markets and had visions of doubling, tripling and quadrupling of revenue. Emboldened by the sales projections, they predicted deficit reductions were just around the corner. They moved even more manufacturing to these nations to prepare for the onslaught of new demand. But a funny thing happened.

The technology they had exported was no longer their own. The technological barriers to entry were gone. It was not a difficult task for local companies to acquire the laborers trained by Western companies and utilize their expertise to develop and produce competing products. Western companies had lost their advantage. Local companies, national companies, could produce the same luxury goods, and do it with the same quality. In fact, the luxury goods these new markets demanded were already being produced locally, because Western companies had built factories there.

Today the transition is nearly complete. The mutually beneficial arrangement is eroding. Developed economies are dependent on cheap labor, and many developing nations are no longer dependent on developed nation’s technology. They have their own technology. They have monopolies on raw materials like rare earth minerals used in everything from iPhones to fighter jets. They lead the world in the production of alternative energy solutions like wind turbines and solar panels. They are driving the global economy.

They don’t need foreign expertise in the new frontier of advanced technology. They’ve established settlements in the world’s most prominent universities and have their own expertise. They don’t need foreign financing. They hold large reserves of Western currency thanks to decades of trade surpluses. They don’t even need Western influence. Their economies are growing at such a high rate that, in many of the key metrics, they are the top global consumer.

Do you see the pattern? I hope so, or you are doomed to repeat it.

Catching up

With the holidays over, we've been getting back to our normal routines, and establishing some new ones.  Our busy week now follows this routine:

• Monday - Daughter in drawing class and Tae Kwon Do
• Tuesday - Daughter has piano lessons, I play soccer from 7-9, my wife takes my son to Gymboree
• Wednesday - my wife and son have swim class, and then it's date night
• Thursday - Daughter has dance class and then ballet and I have Rugby (touch)
• Friday - Family movie night
• Saturday - Family activity and my wife and I usually go out for dinner
• Sunday - stay at home and I have tennis in the afternoon

Last week, my daughter and I did something together I haven't done since my freshman year in college; something you wouldn't expect to do in Jakarta, Indonesia.  We went ice skating!  One of the malls has an ice skating rink and we took advantage of our first free weekend in several months to pay a visit.  As expected, my daughter struggled at first, but by the end of our hour on the ice, she was able to complete one lap around unassisted!  She was amazing.

 Throughout the week, I've been teaching our kids some favorite activities from my childhood:  wrestling, football, soccer.  My son isn't quite sure what to make of it all, but he sure does enjoy wrestling his sister - especially if she tries to take away his blocks.  He also has found a new activity of his own he really enjoys.

This Saturday, we tried to go see the new Yogi Bear movie.  The website said the movie started at 11:30 AM so we arrived with enough time to drop our son and nanny off at the indoor playground, get some popcorn, and watch the movie.  Of course, the actual showtime of the movie was at 10:30 PM.  The ONLY showing of the movie was at 10:30 PM.  For a kid's movie.  Then today, she went back to the same theater with her friend to see Tangled for a second time.  They arrived in time for the movie, only to learn that the movie theater was closed for renovations.  Lesson learned:  don't believe the website, make a phone call.

Shootings in Arizona

I'm shamelessly borrowing the FoxNews tagline for the events that occurred in Tucson over the weekend.  I will make the occasional foray into politics on this blog, and this will be no exception.  When I awoke Sunday morning in Jakarta and began reading articles on the attempted murder of Rep. Giffords my first thought was:  "Damn conservative radio".  While Congress debates whether this event is a result of the tone of national debate or the act of a deranged lunatic, you can count me among those who say:  Both!

It is this fact that so many groups have failed to understand over the years.  The tone of debate is what triggers the deranged lunatics to feel justified in their actions.  The fervent "defenders of life" who assassinate abortion doctors and bomb clinics do so because, thanks to the highly charged rhetoric of the Pro-Life movement, they feel their actions are justified.  When gays are beaten and dragged to their death behind a truck, it's because a religious zealot somewhere convinced them that gays are not human.  So when a right-wing fringe lunatic attempts to kill a Democrat, we should not be surprised.

Yes, the person involved is deranged.  Anyone who believes killing another person is the correct resolution is deranged.  The question is - what drove him to it?  There will be an abundance of factors, obviously.  He probably had an inadequate relationship with his parents.  He likely suffered from bullying or other trauma as a child.  A weak person with weak psychological fortitude who wants to fit in and will do something outlandish to demonstrate worthiness.

Analyzing what little facts are available to the general public at this point, I believe what pushed him over the edge are conservative personalities like Sean Hannity, Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh.  These bombastic fools who are capable of pointing out everything that is wrong but have no solutions of their own are the scourge of our society.  They do not foster or encourage dialogue - which is the claim they hide behind.  Quite the opposite.  They foster hate.  They foster sanctimony.  They encourage standing firm on misguided principles despite a preponderance of counter-evidence.

In 2010, we showed the political establishment, with our vote, that we would no longer stand for politics as usual.  In 2011, I think it is long past overdue that we show the media establishment, we are no longer willing to stand for biased, hate-filled dialogue on citizen owned airwaves.  This is not a question of Free Speech, it is a question of Capitalism.  Let's demonstrate that our demand is for something other than what they are supplying.  Turn off your radio.  Turn off your TV.  It is preferable to have NO information than misinformation.

It was bound to happen

When you live in a location long enough, you will get the local disease.  Whether it is Montezuma's revenge in Mexico, or Malaria in Africa, without the strictest of discipline, you'll get sick.  Most likely it will result from a behavior you've done hundreds of times before without incident - like not applying mosquito repellent for a thirty second walk across the street.

Last week, our daughter was diagnosed with amoebic dysentery.  She had a very high fever on Sunday (103+) but seemed fine on Monday.  Tuesday the loose bowels set in and by Wednesday it was bloody, so we took her to the clinic and received the diagnosis.  No one else in the family has the problem and we eat most of our meals together.  We feel the most likely location of contagion was the lunches she ate at the community center.  It is quite possible they do not adhere to the same level of food hygiene standards as we do in our home.

Thankfully, even with the powerful antibiotics our daughter is taking, she hasn't really felt sick - other than last Sunday.  She's been her normal, energetic self.  For a four-year-old, she sure is a tough little kid.

Since arriving in Jakarta, we've all had the head cold associated with our bodies acclimating to the pollution, I've had a bacterial infection and our daughter now has amoebic dysentery.  The only thing left that we cannot be inoculated against is Dengue Fever.  It's the wet season, however, and the daytime mosquitoes that carry Dengue are out in full force....so I'm sure it is only a matter of time.

A Year in Pictures

Son learns to lift his head for the first time and spends time in Ancol, Jakarta's answer to DisneyLand.

Son takes a bath in an Italian bidet and daughter takes ballet.

Son's first birthday and spending time at the Botanical Gardens

Hockey games in Arizona and sleeping on a train to Barcelona

Crafts with dad to make a dog house.  Posing with dad and making him wear mouse ears.

Pretending to be a Fire Fighter at Kidzania and wishing we were standing near a fire in Austria.

Sharing wine in Versailles and poo poo in Barcelona

Sangria in a Barcelona bar and Sass on a Barcelona beach.

Seeing the Singapore skyline and hanging with friends at the Singapore Universal Studios.

A surprise visit from the cousins and learning to have fun kicking.

Mining with the infants and viewing the Tuscan landscape.

Flower girl at a wedding and flower girls in Yogyakarta



A medieval Italy

A little bit of everything

I have so many different topics I want to write about I don't know where to start.  I could write an entire post on each of them.  Instead, since I have limited time, let me just hit on the key items:

1)  I'm ecstatic that Congress is focusing on the elimination of earmarks.  I really hope it sticks.  Earmarks are how we get 5-lane highways in rural Alabama that have never seen a traffic jam while Los Angeles and Phoenix suffer gridlock.  Earmarks are the result of backroom handshakes on how to spend federal dollars - and it needs to stop.  A better approach:  appropriate funds to broad categories - transportation, energy, medical research, military, etc.  Define a set of objective criteria with which to judge projects.  The projects that have the highest match are the projects that get done.  If it works for corporate America, it can work for our government.

2)  I'm very curious to see the downstream effects of repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell.  The implications are far broader than many realize.  For example, spousal benefits, marriage ceremonies.  With military bases in nearly every state, I wonder how quickly federal law will begin to supersede state law and how quickly this will cause problems.  With 70% of America supporting gays in the military, I think it's the right thing to do and the right time to do it.  I'm interested to see how it plays out.

3)  Jakarta is absolutely empty at Christmastime.  I showed up for rugby on Thursday and I was the only one there.  My normal 45 minute commute has been a mere 20 minutes.  Except for the day Indonesia played Malaysia for the soccer championship.  That took me over two hours.  Inopportune time for traffic, too.  We were supposed to pay a visit to what we hope will be our new house.

4)  Did I mention we're moving?  Since we will be in Jakarta for another 18 months, we want to move to a location more amenable to our lifestyle.  Climbing up and down four flights of stairs with two children, and a third on the way, is not ideal.  We found a one storey house that we like a lot.  It's very similar to our home in Arizona (though about 50% larger).  It also has a backyard, a nice long driveway, and a private pool.  Next step is to negotiate rent and furnishings.  We hope to move in sometime in February.

5)  2010 was an excellent year for us - and full of travels.  We went to Yogyakarta, Paris, Barcelona, Austria, Florence, Rome, Singapore several times and even back to the US.  I don't expect as much travel in 2011, however.  2011 promises to start with a bang.  We bought a franchise in 2010 and, as soon as we can find a location that can sign a lease without a bankruptcy judge, we'll be opening our doors to business.  Hopefully in April.  Before that, we should be launching my game for the iPod/Phone/Pad.  Quality Assurance is complete and we just need to finalize the graphics.  We're targeting a mid-January release.  In July, we'll welcome another addition to our family (again in Singapore).  Who knows?  Maybe I'll even get one of my books published.  2011 is looking like it will be a great year.

6)  My team at work has had a tremendous year, and I'm not the only one who noticed.  Our management team in Phoenix has recognized the value our team in Indonesia provides and is doling out assignments accordingly.  I am incredibly proud of the effort my team has put in the last 18 months to achieve our success.  I expect more of the same in 2011.

7)  The rain here has been relentless.  It's rained nearly everyday, and rained hard.  I've lost track of what should or should not be the wet season.  No one here seems to know.  What I do know, it is raining a lot now.  Three floods in my neighborhood since October.  I'm glad we're on high ground.

8)  I am having far too much fun with two of my Christmas gifts: Madden NFL and Mario Kart for the Wii.  I spent much of my childhood conquering games on the Atari 2600 and Nintendo, and then far too much of my college days conquering worlds on the PC (Civilization and SimCity).  The Wii tops them all.  I wish I had invented it.

9)  It's fascinating watching our two kids develop.  They are such different people already.  For example, they both play with my daughter's dollhouse.  But they play with it in different ways.  Our daughter creates stories - mostly involving Peter Pan - and uses her characters to play out her stories.  Our son likes putting things in order - the kitchen pieces must be in the same room as all the other kitchen pieces.  They've developed different skills at different rates.  By the age of one, our daughter was already communicating her needs quite clearly, but struggled with dexterity.  Our son can throw a ball, climb stairs (up and down), and use a magnet on a string to pick up objects, but is still learning to communicate.  It will be fun to see how they both are in elementary school.

10)  Children say the darndest things.  Our daughter's dollhouse came with a catalog of all the other accessories you can buy.  She's flipping through it and sees an African American family.  The dad is sitting in the office and the mom is playing with the kids.  She remarks:  "Look!  You can get them a nanny!"  When friends of ours returned to New Zealand for the holidays, the wife drove.  Their 4 year old son remarked:  "Why are you driving?  Women don't drive."  It's amazing how much kids assume based on the world around them.  Our son has never really known anything other than Jakarta.  I'm curious to hear his comments when return to our normal life in Arizona.