Farewell to Melbourne - Homeward Bound!

November 14, 2007

Hi All,
I am burning the midnight oil here on my last night in Oz - trying to get some work stuff wrapped up before I lose the day tomorrow in transit. However, before digging in to my follow up, I took one last walk through town -- going through downtown on Bourke Street, then down Swanston to Federation Square, and one final stroll along Southbank enjoying the beautiful Melbourne skyline.

After a light dinner and final performance of the fire-show out in front of the Crown Casino, I wandered to my holiday inn home for the final stretch of hotel living. It will be SO WONDERFUL to be home with Bobby, the kitties and our still-seems-new-to-me home.... plus, I can't wait to expand my wardrobe beyond the same 4 things I seem to have worn for the past 3 weeks.

So, as I close out this chapter of the "See Kim Trot" adventures I'm feeling very fortunate to be happy, healthy and having enjoyed a very productive trip with a good dose of fun squeezed in to all the available free slots in the schedule. My many thanks for all your good thoughts, warm wishes and encouragement -- until the next adventure....

Big hugs,
Kim

A Day at the Races - Aussie Style!

November 10, 2007

Hi All,


Just a quick note to share my photos from the wonderful day that Hatice and I spent at Flemington racetrack with my friend & consultant, Peter Askew, today.

Peter very kindly flew in from Canberra this AM to meet me for a good catch up on the trip, followed by a great outing to the races. We had gloriously gorgeous weather, a grand time and even a good run of gambling luck -- entirely due to the excellent "in absentia" handicapping of my beloved hubby -- using his tips, we had the chance to cash a number of tickets throughout the day!

Here's the link to my web album from the races: http://picasaweb.google.com/KimberlyBWeir/EmiratesStakesNov2007?authkey=fchNEM_hD3Q

My favorite part of the whole spectacle of the day was the unabashed style of the Melbourne crowd -- from the littlest wee one, to the awkward teens, to the dashing young men and glamorous girls -- the city clearly loves good fashion and a good time in equal measure. I simply don't think there is a place in the US where that many teenage boys would willingly and boldly put on suits, ties, cufflinks and hair product to rival the finery of their girlfriends' hats, heels and slinkly little dresses -- the people watching was simply spectacular!

On the horsie side, the track is beautiful -- set with the wonderful cityscape of Melbourne in the background, and covered with a rainbow of bountiful roses everywhere -- plus, all of their races were run on the turf -- so the green grass, blue sky, puffy white clouds were the perfect backdrop for the color & pageantry of the racing steeds and their fans.

Bobby's picks for the races were a huge hit -- as even the races where we didn't cash tickets, our horses were mostly in the mix at the end so we had much to cheer for. On race 3, we had 1st and 3rd (here they only say "win" and "place" - but place means 2nd or 3rd). In race 4, Bobby gave us the 2nd place horse -- but we dropped the ball with our bet. In race 5, we had the winner (but I forgot to cash the ticket before we left the track! I suppose the bookies will make the most of the $1.60 dividend that would've been paid for my $5.00 bet). Race 6 was the big race, the Emirates Stakes, and after putting our combined bet on Bobby's primary picks, I went ahead and bet $5 on his one long shot of the day... the 16... and she won!!! It paid $200 --- and made me very proud -- as you can see from the photo above.

Tonight I think Hatice and I are going to explore one of the famous greek or italian neighborhoods for dinner -- and I'm hopeful that tomorrow I can make a serious dent in some of my follow up as well as planning to visit a couple of the famous Melbourne shopping districts like Chapel Street and St. Kilda..

Happy Weekend to everyone -- I'm still happy & well, but looking forward to waking up next saturday in my own bed!

Hugs,

K.

Happy Diwali -- From Oz!!

Hi All,
Just a quick note from the capital of the land down under, Canberra! I hope this finds all my nearest and dearest happy & well.

I'm especially thinking of Padre Burgart as he is in the final days of preparation & packing for his return to Costa Rica for La Ruta de los Conquistadores http://www.adventurerace.com/eng/about-race.htm -- an epic mountain bike adventure race from the pacific to the atlantic coast of Costa Rica. Dad has riden La Ruta 7 times over the past years -- I am very, very proud of him (and a bit worried and anxious too), and I'd ask all my friends to wish him the very best of luck over the dates of Nov 14 - 17.... it's a superhuman undertaking, and despite my dad's amazing strength and conditioning, it's a brutal adventure and he'll appreciate all good thoughts. You can email him at calatlaruta@hotmail.com, or check his website for updates: http://eteamz.active.com/sites/calburgart/index.cfm?

It's been a very busy week for me, with not a lot to report under the "exotic travel" category -- despite the cool accent of our hosts, and the lovely locations of our meetings, it's really been a fairly unremarkable work week -- with nonstop meetings, presentations, dinners, lunches, and even breakfasts for schmoozing -- I've been in "meet and greet" mode for what seems a little like forever, but I must say I've been enjoying the fabulous local wines (all for the good of the cause, of course!).

I haven't had much time for photos, but here's my collection from my afternoon in Sydney Harbor and Zoo, enjoy! http://picasaweb.google.com/KimberlyBWeir/SydneyAustraliaNov5th?authkey=6y8cjxZZ44o

As a quick recap, I left Mumbai on Saturday AM after a wonderful dinner at the home of Mahijeet, Soina and Tarika Singh -- and began my travel to Aussieland. I arrived in Singapore to find a new boarding pass awaiting me, as my flight had arrived too late to catch my connection (and thus, I missed my chance to ride on the new A380, the "dreamliner", drat!). Of course, if one must spend an unexpected 4 hours in any airport in the world, I think I'd take Singapore any time -- it's positively gorgeous with orchid gardens, all the madison avenue shops, and even my favorite, Shanghai Tang! I enjoyed some decadent window shopping, and then camped in the very comfy lounge to get some work done before boarding at about 1am for Sydney.

I arrived in Sydney about 11am, thrilled to return to this beautiful city -- and especially the totally hip Taj Hotel Blue. The weather was glorious, and after a wonderful catch up with Bobby on the phone, I rounded up Hatice (my colleague from Fairfax County, who arrived from VA on Sunday AM) and we went out for an afternoon of "power-fun" on Sydney Harbor. We had a lovely lunch at Circular Quay (pronounced "key"), and then took the ferry over to Taronga Zoo -- the zoo with a view! We rode the aerial tram to the top and wandered our way back to the water, enjoying all the local fauna -- koalas, kangaroos, emus, crocs, elephants and even a wombat! Our time was pretty short, so we motored through the zoo and back across the ferry in time to walk back to the hotel through the botanical gardens and then met up with Morris (who had flown from India on Friday) and Geoff (one of my consultants based in Canberra) to review our game plan for the week.

I won't bore you with the details of our work meetings, but we spent Monday & Tuesday in Sydney -- with a wonderful dinner at Darling Harbor with our partners from Sydney who had supported our seminar earlier that day with the highlight of fireworks over the water. Tuesday afternoon we had the chance to observe the phenomenon of Melbourne Cup activities as all the young professionals came pouring out of their offices about noontime, dressed to the nines, to gather in a myriad of watering holes to celebrate the "Race that Stops a Nation". We were at the Qantas lounge awaiting our flight when the pretty grey named Efficient made her bold move and won the race in commanding style, then we were off to Adelaide. We were in Adelaide less than 24 hours, but enjoyed it very much -- especially the very warm welcome of our partners there. We had gorgeous weather, great food, excellent attendance at our event and even a quick tour about town before dashing back to the airport en route to canberra. We were scarcely here in the hotel 5 minutes before our first engagement, a dinner for many of our partners here. Today, we had about 35 at our seminar -- which started promptly at 7:30am, and after a full day of meetings, I just got home about a half hour ago from a lovely dinner hosted for us by the ACT government. ... it's just about midnight on Thursday, Friday is Diwali -- I need to send a note to all my friends in India!

So, tomorrow we wrap up our time in Canberra and I take my last domestic flight of the journey as we travel to melbourne, where we'll get a nice weekend to catch up and take in some sights -- including the races on Saturday! Monday & Tuesday I'll do work in Melbourne, and then head home on Wednesday.

I'll send another missive before I fly home -- thanks for all your kind thoughts and notes.

All's well here in tomorrowland -- happy friday to everyone in yesterday!
Love,
Me

Magical Mumbai - Truly My Favorite Spot

November 2, 2007

Hi All,

Happy to report that I’m healthy, rested (as of last night), and finishing up the week in India in good shape. Tomorrow AM I’ll fly to Sydney, via Singapore – arriving in Australia on Sunday AM.

Monday through Thursday of this week was fairly non-stop motion with our seminar on Monday morning in Delhi, my trip to Gurgaon (one of Delhi’s biggest industrial suburbs) that afternoon, followed by dinner with my speakers on Monday night. Then Tuesday I had a couple of AM meetings at the hotel, traveled to Hyderabad in the afternoon, and a were the honored guests at a dinner/reception with AMCHAM and IACC upon arrival Tuesday evening. Wednesday’s seminar & luncheon in Hyderabad went very well (much better than Delhi’s), and after one office visit dashed to the airport for the flight to Mumbai (at this point our speakers all went their separate ways).

Yesterday I was able to a little bit of catch up work done, and I spent about 3 hours with one of our major prospects which was quite productive. Upon return to the hotel in the afternoon I did a bit of shopping near the hotel – no silk rugs or large purchases… I promise! (Although I did stop by the shop where I’d purchased a few of my rugs the first time, and I enjoyed a few minutes trying on a whole host of diamonds – at amazing prices…. One day I’ll have to get organized about sharing what you can find here in case anyone would want me to buy for them.)

Oh – as an interesting aside, I saw the Chancellor of Germany yesterday, Angela Merkel – she was here, staying at the Taj Palace, with a huge German trade delegation. http://www.mid-day.com/news/city/2007/october/166356.htm As I was waiting for a table for breakfast yesterday AM I noticed a number of guys in suits with wires behind their ears, and realized that at the table sort of directly in front of me (in the middle of the sealounge breakfast area – not quite a public restaurant, but not a private dining room either – it’s the Taj Palace “tea room”) was the woman whose picture I’d seen in the paper. As I stood there, she and her group (about 6 people) got up to leave and she walked right by me just like any other business person would…. My brush with global power, only in India!

Today I’m camped out in my favorite spot – near the gorgeous Taj pool, on the marble patio, with ceiling fans and tropical steam with horns & sounds from the nearby traffic creating the most unique office environment! I pretty much plan to tackle follow to this week’s events all day so that I can start “fresh” with Australia – beginning with work on my presentation on the way to Singapore tomorrow. Tonight I am being kindly taken to dinner by Mahijeet and Soina Singh – lovely members of the “Indian family” that has so kindly adopted me – they took Steve and I to dinner when we were here last time and I really look forward to the evening with them.

I have confirmed that Halloween simply doesn’t register here in India – I heard from a few of the guests at our seminars that their children learned about the holiday in school and a few had mini Halloween parties with costumes, but for the most part there was not a trace of the holiday to be found – at this point, all eyes in India are on Diwali – which happens on November 9th – I’m sure it’s an amazing thing to behold. Here’s a link to learn a bit about this most famous of Indian holidays: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali

I’ll check in from OZ – hoping to spend some of Sunday afternoon at they “zoo with a view” before the schedule of meetings, seminars, and dinners kicks in on Sunday evening.

Thinking of all of you – thanks for your kind notes & wishes!
Kim

Birthday Cakes & Polo Ponies – I love it here!

Hi All –

October 27th:
The 4th trip to Incredible India has started out great! Smooth sailing on my flights the whole way here – no delays, all my luggage, and no obnoxious seat mates. Yay! I met up with Morris DeFeo in Frankfurt. Morris is an attorney who will be speaking at my events here in India and also in Sydney – he was also in Canada with me on the FCEDA trip to the Maritimes. After settling into my room about 2:30am, I had a great sleep (love that Ambien) til about 11am, slowly started the day with some breakfast and an indulgent hunker-down to finish my book – a great gift from Diane “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert – perfect read for a big trip, especially to India! Eventually I got motivated to tackle all the work that I’d left on my plate in preparation for the seminars this week – my various presentations. Without any distractions I finally just attached my nose to the grindstone and churned all 3 of them out… for the most part, and felt much better by the time I met Morris for dinner at 6pm. OH – of course, I did have one lovely distraction – when the hotel delivered roses and birthday cake to me in the middle of the afternoon! I LOVE THE TAJ HOTELS! What a lovely, thoughtful gesture… they are just awesome. Just to add to my fan-club status, they also delivered a 2nd cake to Morris and I when we finished our HUMUNGOUS dinner of “unlimited dim sum”….it was an embarrassment of dumplings, but a very nice bday meal. See photo of BOTH of my bday cakes, plus flowers. A very nice, albeit unusually day to start my new age… 29, I’ve heard it’s a good year!

October 28th:
Having been such a “good girl” and getting all my work done yesterday, I felt much better about dedicating today to adventure! I picked Morris up at his hotel at 10am, and we were off for the Red Fort – a major Delhi landmark that I’ve been driven by on each of my previous visits, but this time I was determined to explore. Red Fort (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Fort ) was the location of many different chapters in Indian history, but most notably it was where Shah Jahan (t he mughal emperor that built the Taj Mahal, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_Jahan ) established the capital of his empire after moving it from Agra (where Taj Mahal is located) and also, after the Sepoy Mutiny (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepoy_Mutiny_of_1857 ) it was the HQ of the British military. Weird note – I think I wrote one of my college entrance exams about the Sepoy Mutiny… go figure. At one point 6,000 people lived in it. My new plan for photos is to include links to my mini picasa web albums for various things – so here’s my web album of photos from Red Fort. Enjoy! http://picasaweb.google.com/WeirAlbums/RedFortOldDelhiOctober2007?authkey=5prcDQDaTNQ After our excursion in the Red Fort, I had our driver take us to the Gandhi National Memorial at Birla Bhavan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birla_House ) as Morris hadn’t been there yet, and I think it is something everyone that visits Delhi should see – it’s very moving, and extremely educational . Then, we retreated to the hotel for a brief rest and freshen up, before our POLO OUTING!! Much to my delight my friend (from the adopted Indian family I often refer to), Parmeet, had written last night inviting me to join him for the polo match today – and, of course, I jumped on the chance – while asking if I could bring Morris. Parmeet is simply a sweetheart of a guy and he was a fantastic host – we had a great time. By the way, the weather is PERFECT – warm, but not hot… and really super pleasant, it was even almost cool this evening, what a novelty! The match was between India and Australia, and Parmeet knows all the players & refs for India… and was a great guide to the game. It was a really good one, very fast & exciting, with India winning 6 to 4. I’ve attached one of my best polo photos, but here’s the album of my other shots, including me with Parmeet. http://picasaweb.google.com/WeirAlbums/PoloMatchNewDelhiOct282007?authkey=Rvm_WLsv11M Admittedly, there were no movie stars, elephants or camels at the match this time… but it was still extremely fun. Following the match, Parmeet took us to his riding club for a cup of tea and a visit with all his friends – more fun!

The day is still not actually over – although I gathered Morris and 2 of my other speakers, Shekar and Ravi, together at the hotel for a drink and “meet & greet” at 7pm just so they’d know each other before sharing the stage tomorrow. Meanwhile, I’m still waiting for Vivek to stop by for a final review of the game plan for tomorrow – he was a bit delayed flying in from Mumbai. And, poor Steve, he’s been trying to get here for days…. His entire plan to arrive on Saturday night fell apart so he’s been fighting his way through the UK and India Airlines… I know he is on the plane now.. but I’m not sure he’ll get in much before 2am – he’s going to have a really fun day tomorrow when we have to be on our way at 8:30am.
Anyways, that’s the detailed scoop on the first 2 days… I probably won’t have as much to report for a few days. Tomorrow is the first of the 2 seminars: www.ExpandinUSA.org/October_29 it seems like we’ll have a good turnout, and who knows, maybe some press coverage too? Wish me luck!
Signing off for now –
K.

A Few More Photos from the Big Trip

Hi All,

We made it home safe & sound on Monday night -- we enjoyed all the amenities of Virgin Atlantic (endless movies, music, games and fun food & drinks) although the legroom was a bit spare -- the good news is that flights were smooth, on time and we got our luggage! This week has been a whirlwind with all the work stuff and most excitingly with putting our house on the market the night we flew home, hosting the Brokers' Open on Tuesday, and happily having quite a lot of traffic through the house so far this week - with our Open House planned for Sunday.

Anyhoo, we wanted to share a few more photos to share the experience of the Derby. The one on the lower left shows Epsom Racetrack on Derby Day -- quite amazing! And best of all, although it's much harder to see on this small version of the photo, we really think we had the best seats in the house -- we were in the picnic area with the pink umbrellas on the left side of the track -- look at all the green around us, compared to everyone else! The next one above the aerial view, on the left, is from Ladies' Day, and these gorgeous girls are the finalists in the "Style on the Downs" competition on Friday -- and I'm proud to say I picked the winner before I even saw her in the finalists.... can you guess which one she is?

The one to the right of the girls is The Queen herself (or at least the Queen-mobile) -- on this little photo you'll have to take my word for it, but actually you can see her in the backseat (or at least the pink satin band on her hat)... she drove right down the track, about 10 ft from us, before the races began on Derby Day.

Above the girls in their millinery finest, I'm including a photo of me with our new friend, Joan, from the Epsom Racetrack -- she was our trip planning goddess. She gave us fantastic advice on all the tickets that we booked, she found our inn for us, recommended a pub in London, a restaurant in Esher, and she gave us all sorts of Derby goodies -- books, a scarf, trinkets and other fun stuff. What a dear!!

OK -- one last photo (at the top, in the middle) is of me in London, in front of Selfridges on Oxford Street, with my fabulous purchases for the Derby. What fun! Our trip was just great -- we had a great time, walked lots, ate all the typical pub fare, saw a fabulous performance of Les Mis, and really, really enjoyed spending a whole week away, together, from all the non-stop frantic busy-ness at home.

Lots more photos for anyone who might want to see 'em -- let me know and I'll burn a CD for you!

Our HEARTFELT thanks to Melanie for so generously sponsoring our wonderful adventure - although it took us a year to get our acts together, it was worth the wait -- and what a great way to continue the celebration of Bobby's bday!

Until the next adventure!

Love,

Kim

Kim & Bobby's Big Adventure "Across the Pond"

Hi All,

We're coming down the home stretch of our wonderful English Derby adventure and I wanted to share a couple snaps of our 2 wonderful days at Epsom Downs -- yesterday, Friday, was "Ladies' Day" and we had fabulous tickets in the Queens Stand. Today, we were in the Tattenham Picnic Area -- a bit more casual, but really wonderful -- we had our own picnic table! Tomorrow we go back to London for a few more days in the big city and travel home on Monday afternoon. Big hugs! K & B

Greetings from Calcutta - the home stretch!

Hi Loved Ones,

I've arrived safe, sound, happy & healthy in Calcutta for the last 2 days of my trip -- and I'm really sorry I've been so inconsistent with my blogging. Not only have I been busy, but since I've had fellow travelers for the whole trip, I am finding myself in my room a lot less than the last trip -- thus less time to do my blogging.

Mumbai was great -- it was like 2 completely different trips in one with the frenzy of the last 2 days of the Governor's Mission, and then the total change of pace over the weekend and the first 2 days of this week which have been much more manageable because I could set my own schedule.

A few highlights from Mumbai before I hit the hay --

My seminar on Friday was a big success -- great turnout and lots of good feedback from the attendees. It as a huge first experiment to incorporate the regional groups, along with Virginia Port Authority and the VEDP to present the case for expansion in Virginia -- and while I"m really pleased, it will be most interesting to hear what the regional folks say...

On Saturday, Steve Jast (my consultant based in Montreal) and I went on an adventure to the Elephanta Island caves. We took a 45 minute boat ride from the Gateway to India (right out the front door of the hotel) to the island, and we met a guide there to take us up to the caves which are full of 1600 year old carvings of the Hindu god Shiva. IT was really hot, but very fun.

On Sunday, I took a yoga and meditation class at the wonderful Taj Spa.... and loved it! Then, on Sunday night my friends (related to my wonderful "family" in Delhi and Chandigarh) invited me to their home and to dinner -- so I took Steve with me and we had a wonderful time, seeing Mumbai by night, enjoying their lovely home, and then off to a Chinese dinner!

On Monday, I had a pretty full day of meetings that had been set for me by Steve's team in Montreal -- the good news is that they all showed up as planned, and they had all attended the seminar, so I knew they were really interested.

Today, the one remaining trade mission delegate, Terry Cunningham, joined me for a half day tour of mumbai with the India-based employees of another of the trade mission companies. Rohit took us on a fantastic tour of many of Mumbai's highlights -- today was a holiday here (May Day, and also Maharashtra Day) so it was a great day to do some touring because there was very, very little traffic -- and it was essentially impossible to book any meetings due to the holiday, so I'm delighted to have had such a great guide to help us make the most of our time.

The flight to Calcutta was easy and uneventful, and I've been welcomed very, very warmly to the hotel -- starting with having my driver from last time meet us at the airport, and followed by upgraded rooms, and even fresh cut mango to accompany my complimentary bottle of champagne!

I've posted a few fun photos -- me with the monkeys at Elephanta Island, me with the cows in Mumbai this AM, and a casual conversation between 2 women on elephanta, a colorful portrait of a woman I saw today as she waited to enter Mumbai Devi temple today ....

I'll write more soon!

All the best,

Kim

Happy & Healthy in Mumbai

Hi Loved Ones!
What a whirlwind it's been -- but I've made it through the Governor's Mission, sent (most) of the group on their way home, and am enjoying the weekend with a combination of touring, work catch up, and even a little bit of spa time (today). I'm sorry I wasn't been able to keep the blog up to date very well last week, but I really found that every spare moment not spent in a meeting was required to prepare for the constantly evolving schedule and never ending to do list related to my seminar. But, it's over and it really, in the end, went very well. YAY & PHEW!

Above all, I have to say that it is SO MUCH MORE FUN to be here when I'm healthy -- and so far, having been here just over a week, I'm doing great with not a single "gurgle"! (And I haven't even been eating my poptarts.)

So, to start the process of catching up on my adventures, I thought I'd run through a quick summary of what last week included:

Friday, the 20th -- I arrived very early in the AM, with 6 of my fellow travelers. Then, I spent most of the day having a typical work day full of email and phone calls, largely focused on reconfirming and adjusting our week's schedule in light of the Governor's decision not to travel. I had a meeting in the afternoon which finally got me out of my room, and out of the hotel to a local Indian coffee spot -- their local answer to the Starbucks phenomenon (as Starbucks is not yet here). That evening I very happily met up with my Indian family -- Parmeet, Nina, and 4 new friends (including Parmeet's brother in law, who lives in Mumbai, and who I'll be having dinner with tonight!).

Saturday, the 21st -- I had a full day of touring Delhi with my friend Sudhakar, who grew up here in Delhi. We went to the "South Ex" mall, which is apparently the premiere destination for the Delhi locals, and then over to Connaught Place, which is a huge market in the middle of a massive roundabout with hundreds of tiny shops as well as street vendors. We had a yummy Chinese lunch, and I was very well behaved with only a few minor purchases (for which Sudhakar proved a formidable bargaining force). That night a group of 12 or so of us met up for dinner at a wonderful place called Bukara in the hotel next door to ours, the menu is entirely Kebabs, and apparently all the heads of state that have visited Delhi have eaten there -- Clinton, Blair... and now the Virginia delegation too! It was a fun night as I met a number of the delegates that I hadn't known before -- mostly from Northern Virginia.

Sunday, the 22nd -- The mission officially began on Sunday, as most of the group arrived early Sunday AM. We met at 9:30 and took 2 buses full of merry travelers on a turbo tour of some of Delhi's touristic highlights -- we had about 40 people with us, and I found it lots of fun (of course, we all know I'm a tour junkie -- I just eat up all the juicy tidbits of info/trivia!). We had a really good guide, Sunny, on our bus and I learned alot. The weather was hot, as expected, but very pretty -- blue skies and lots of green & flowers. I enjoyed the excursion very much. Upon return to the hotel, I took a small group back out to do a quick bit of shopping based on my previous day's experience -- it was a bit rushed, but at least everyone came home with a purchase. Then, we had our first official "team briefing" with Secretary Gottschalk, Secretary Chopra and the Deputy & Assistant Secretaries, along with Paul, Rick, Vince and I from the VEDP team. We reviewed the plan for Delhi, then adjourned for the opening reception -- more than 100 people had arrived -- and then off to a really lovely dinner hosted at the Imperial hotel (the photo of those guys in the turbans and orange outfits was taken there).

OK -- I'm going to stop here for now (realizing I haven't actually shared anything NEW ... but merely recapped what I'd already shared with you) because I'm about to run off to my YOGA class! This has really been something I wanted to do -- yoga in India -- and today it's working out that I can do it here at the Taj spa. So, I'm off for some much needed stretching. And I'll continue the travel update when I get back.

Love,
Kim

Quick Check in -- The Race Begins!

Hi All,

Sorry to be a bit slow on the postings, things have been BUSY! All's well, and I'm having fun! Friday was like a regular day at the office in Tysons' -- on the phone and doing email all day to confirm and adjust the meetings for this week in light of the Governor's change of plans. Then, I had a fun dinner with my Indian "family" -- and learned from them about Sanjaya getting voted off, pretty funny! Saturday I spent with a friend on the delegation who is from India originally, he took me to a bunch of fun shopping spots (where I showed ENORMOUS restraint), but had fun. We also gathered with a bunch of the delegates for a wonderful dinner at Bukara -- which is apparently where all the heads of state have dined in India, yummy! Sunday the official stuff kicked off with a tour of delhi -- 2 bus loads of us, and while it was really hot, it was really fun (I'm such a sucker for a tour... just love all the juicy tidbits!), and saw lots of stuff I haven't seen on earlier trips... only to know there is so much more! Then, a quick shopping excursion with a few folks who had been told to look to me for guidance on such things! (again, I was restrained). Then, our first team briefing, then the opening reception -- we really area big group, about 100 of us, and then off to a really nice, fancy dinner where I took this photo of the musicians and tiny dancer there to entertain us -- more news & photos tonight. Hugs! Me

Safe & Sound -- I'm here!

Hi All,

Despite a somewhat inauspicious start, I'm here safe, sound, happy, with my luggage and a red dot on my forehead. Our departure was delayed 3 hours due to ominous sounding problems with the hydraulic system which were satisfactorily resolved, with some relief to me, in an equipment change (new plane). The good news is that we had an extra long layover in Frankfurt which really paid off... we made the connection with no trouble, and still had time to freshen up in the Lufthansa lounge before the last leg. There were 6 of us together leaving Dulles, and we picked up a 7th in Frankfurt -- a really nice group, all of whom I already know quite well -- and it really is such a treat to have travel companions to watch luggage and chat with. So far so good! In fact, I've already started documenting the journey with this (inexplicably blurry) photo of all of us with our dots and our flowers, in the Taj Club where we were welcomed and checked in, in typical Taj luxury -- I LOVE THIS HOTEL!

Meanwhile, there has been sad news with regards to the Governor's plans -- we learned just before departure that he had made the decision NOT to travel to India. Certainly all can understand the reasoning, but it really is simply heartbreaking for many of us who've devoted so much time and energy to making this trip a crashing success... of course, we'll still go ahead with most of the plans, but it feels like we're throwing a very big, long, and multifaceted party, knowing that the guest of honor can't make it -- it just takes the wind out of oh so many sails. The Governor sent a very nice note to all the delegates -- many of whom will be very disappointed, and some of whom will undoubtedly cancel -- but we'll sally forth and see how it goes. Tomorrow I'll spend much of the day updating my contacts here and making the necessary (or as they say here "the needful") to adjust.

Finally, just because we're all far away, we certainly won't forget the horror that seems to continue at home -- the video and photos from this monster are just beyond awful. It's simply hard to imagine how very completely broken a mind can be, while the body looks still so normal - -this individual was so clearly detached from humanity, and yet he walked to the post office looking like any other person, until he unleashed his madness. It's just so hard to take.

Friday will be an official day of mourning in Virginia -- those of us over here will be certainly keep the VA Tech community, and all of the affected friends and family, in our hearts. In closing, my friend Tom Garnett sent along this beautifully written article commenting on the impact and reaction of the VA Tech family -- and I thought it was worth passing along.

http://subscr.techsideline.com/news_archive/showArticle-2824.php

Good night!!

K.

A Somber Start

Hi All,
The tragedy at Virginia Tech yesterday has undeniably cast a pall on the excitement that had been surrounding Governor Kaine's mission -- we are so very shocked, stunned and sorrow-filled for the loss of innocent life in such a senseless, random act of violence. It is very hard to believe that this has happened at all, and even harder to accept that it happened to us here in Virginia. For those of you wishing to stay apprised of the news, I recommend the Governor's website: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/

At present, we remain hopeful that the Governor and First Lady will be able to travel to India at the end of this week in order to maintain as much of the Trade Mission itinerary as possible. Of course, we will all understand if this does not prove possible, but we will continue with the mission in light of the tremendous participation and extraordinary amount of planning that has been done to promote the ties of trade & investment with Virginia. A summary of the Trade Mission's goals is presented in the press release issued on Friday: http://www.yesvirginia.org/About_Us/NewsArticle.aspx?newsid=856

I leave tomorrow at about 6:30pm... with Bobby away in Denver, I'm thankful to Megerly and Ryan for taking me to the airport. We're going to meet for a late lunch -- if I get everything done in time -- and then I'll start the journey, via Frankfurt to Delhi.

I'll check in when I arrive.
Til then!

Returning to Incredible India - April 2007

Hi Loved Ones,
I'm 10 days away from my return to India, this time as a member of Governor Kaine's Trade Delegation. I depart on Wednesday, April 18th and return on Friday, May 7th. During this trip, I'll visit Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Calcutta . We have over 110 people traveling with the Governor's Delegation and a jam-packed schedule of events -- this week will be the final push to get all the remaining preparation complete, and it will take every moment, but I think it's all coming together well.

Thanks to all the kind feedback to my first blog, I thought I'd give it a second try for this trip -- with a few modifications. I THINK that you can now sign up somehow to be "pinged" when I post an update so you don't have to check it everyday to see if I've written anything new. I'll try to figure this out to give you some "quick tips" on how to do this. Stay tuned!

Home Sweet Home

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick, final post, as I happily hunker down on the comfy couch in our den with Bobby and the kitties to keep me company. The long trip home went well -- uneventful, productive (I got quite a lot of work done), pleasant (I had several very nice seatmates), on time, and I even got all my luggage! Best of all, it was wonderful to have Bobby meet me at the airport (he was even so thoughtful as to bring a parka for me!).

Admittedly, the jet lag was a bit rough yesterday (Saturday), but after taking an Ambien to make myself sleep a full night last night, I've been much better today... so hopefully the return to regular office hours won't be too bad -- and thankfully it's a short week, due to the President's Holiday. Yay!

My many thanks to all of you who have checked in on my blog and sent me your notes of encouragement -- it was a wonderful adventure, but a long one and a long way from home, so it really helped to know my home team had me in their thoughts and prayers -- they worked wonders!

Thank you for letting me share my stories with you -- and I"ll gladly bring you all along for the vicarious ride next time too (next trip -- India, with Governor Kaine, April 2007).

Until then, my warmest regards -- and one last photo of "India - the country that lives in many centuries" this shot was taken from our car on the way home from Agra.

Much love,

Kim

Last Stop - Magnificent Melbourne

Hi All,
In some ways it’s hard to believe I’ve reached the end of the journey…but in others it seems I’ve been on the road forever! Each day has, literally, had its own storyline with highs, lows, comedy, and happily, very little drama (knock on wood for the long trip home).

I’m here in Melbourne today, and this is truly a terrific place to conclude the trip – I really love it here, it’s such a charming city, so easy to navigate, lots of interesting architecture (both old world and very new), pretty streets with lots of trees, and a real sense of unique identity and charm – largely conveyed by the very friendly people of Victoria. (Photo on the left if of the downtown skyline with the Yarra river in the foreground).

My visit to Sydney was very good – on the work front it wasn’t an A+ (more of a B), but I truly savored the city as much as I could around my meetings. It is just so incredibly beautiful (photo on right is just a teaser) – and this is the perfect time of year to be here, smack dab in the middle of summer with crystal blue skies, puffy whisps of clouds, sparkly harbour water and beautiful people all about. I was so very, very happy in my hotel, the Blue Hotel, which is located in Woolloomooloo in the renovated wharf that juts out into the ocean. Apparently it is knows as the destination for all the celebrities – and most of the wharf, beyond the hotel, are privately owned apartments for the whos who of Sydney (I heard various rumors about Nicole Kidman, Russell Crow and Hugh Jackman owning places there), plus there was a gorgeous marina alongside the wharf with huge glamorous yachts (reminded me a bit of Hurricane Hole in the Bahamas) and a whole long row of lovely outdoor eateries. I walked as much as I could – around the marina, over to the botanical gardens, around to the Opera House to Circular Quay (pronounced “key”) where all the ferries come & go. In my one free afternoon (Monday), I trotted over through the garden to the ferries and took the “commuter” ferry to Taronga Zoo which crosses the harbour to the north side and then came back. Next trip I’d really love to go to the zoo – it’s knows as the “Zoo with a View” because it’s right on the harbour and one of the ways to get about it is to take the aerial tram, so you can see the animals and the amazing Harbour View too! I discovered that right across from the Woolloomooloo wharf, there is a yoga studio that looks right out on the water – if I’d only known I would’ve dropped in on a class, it is such a great spot – so that also goes on the list for next time! On Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, I had my only truly “off” night… in that I was supposed to meet a gentleman who is actively evaluating Virginia as a location for his new factory (a true blue Aussie prospect), and somehow we miscommunicated so I spent 45 minutes waiting in the bar (looking much like I was being stood up by a blind date on Valentine’s day) while he apparently waited at the reception desk without walking around to find me. Despite the kind reception desk person’s best efforts – he urged him several times to “go check the bar” (I even heard this in the background on one of the messages my prospect left in my room), he never did and I went with the wrong instincts to “just stay put – to be easier to find”, only to finally give in and go to reception just after he’d gone on his way. Suffice it to say I was really, really upset with myself – this was perhaps the most important meeting of my trip, and somehow, I blew it…. I’m still having a hard time shaking it, although I’ve been in touch with him and he seems to not hold me responsible for the mixup…. Grrr. Meanwhile, the other downside of this mini fiasco is that it left me without a plan for dinner – and I was apparently in the most popular spot for Sydney couples to plan their romantic outings – as I took a twilight walk around the harbour and the park, I felt like a beacon of pathetic-ness as a lone waif amidst all the happy, valentines…. I almost felt like I was making them uncomfortable, so I opted not to have dinner outside, but rather packed it in for a quiet night of room service and I got some work done… but, really, this is not the way to enjoy Sydney – it’s made for being out and about!!! On Thursday, I had a few meetings and then walked back from down town (Martin Place) to the hotel – such gorgeous, warm, sunny weather – and I enjoyed more views of the parks and places of interest (despite being all dressed up for business). I had one last meeting at the hotel, which gave me a chance to grab a quick bite at one of the lovely restaurants on the wharf because I had company, and then off to the airport. I caught a 5:30 flight (instead of my planned 7pm), and made it to my hotel here in Melbourne by about 8:30.

Today was a great day to wrap up the trip – I had 3 excellent meetings – including one with a company that is actively considering VA right now for a manufacturing operation, and another that made a big announcement of a new facility in VA last November. Plus a great meeting with my counterparts at the Victoria government, and a lovely lunch with a new found friend, Crystal Johnson – a transplant to Melbourne from Zimbabwe – and we are both blond, only children who speak Spanish… with a penchant for the international. What a treat! After my last meeting, over a couple of local “coldies” (it was a 5pm Friday afternoon meeting after all), I headed out into the warm summer evening for a “walkabout” along the Yarra river – fabulous evening, and I even got to partake of a Chinese New Year festival!!

I may jot one more note before I hop on the plane tomorrow – but for now I need to sign off and try to get a few more work-related loose ends tied up before I finish my first “circumnavigation” of the globe – I’m continuing the journey EAST via Sydney and then on to San Fran, and then home sweet home – it’ll be a long day, but I can’t wait!

G’day & Much love,

Kim

Gidday from Woolloomooloo!!

Hi All,
I'm happily settled into my super cool digs here in Sydney -- this is such a beautiful place! It's fun to think that both Padre and I have been here within the past year. Admittedly, it would be a lot more fun with Bobby here to enjoy this with me... maybe next November when we try to make it here for Melbourne Cup? Anyhow, I arrived about 7ish after my puddle jumper flight from Canberra, and after a quick unpacking, I stepped out for a bit of a walk around the wharf and then a bit of dinner -- pizza, salad & beer -- what a treat!!! My theory is that tomorrow I won't want to be the only single person out for dinner by myself, so tonight I sat outside and did some reading... all the while enjoying the San Diego-like weather. As much as I'm counting down the days to be home after so long, I confess I'll miss the balmy weather -- the cold in VA is going to be such a shock!

It's almost Valentines' Day here in OZ... so I'm wishing everyone back at home a happy Heart & Candy filled day... with big hugs from me. I miss you!
Me

Greetings from OZ!

Hi All,

I'm here in Canberra, happy & healthy and on the homestretch toward home! The trip from Mumbai was good, uneventful (no crazy finger mishaps - yay!) but a bit long. I confess I was a bit put off by my arrival in Sydney -- first of all I'd gotten used to standing out like a sore thumb (and now I'm back to blending in) and I was clearly getting spoiled by all the people standing by to help me in India (porters, drivers, etc). None of that nonsense in Sydney -- just me, my many bags, several buses, an assortment of obnoxious travelers, some very inquisitive customs agents, and several flights of stairs stood between me and my temporary home here in Canberra. Anyhow, I made it just fine -- had some lunch, took a shower and then a truly transformational nap -- which put me in a much better mood to dive in to work here down under. I had a nice dinner last night at the restaurant on Telstra Tower which is on Black Mtn above Canberra, and it spins around so I had a fantastic tour of the whole area while enjoying a nice dinner with the consultants we've engaged to help our efforts here. Today was just like a normal work day -- all very well and good, but decidedly less exciting and exotic than India. I'm looking forward to a few days in Sydney -- and then just one short day in Melbourne before the long trip home sweet home! I've attached a photo from my room at the Taj Palace in Mumbai -- pretty amazing place. The momument is called Gateway to India. Hope everyone is well -- I miss you!!!! Me

Signing off from India -- on my way "down under"

Hi All,

Just one last note to conclude my two week trek through Incredible India -- and I'm happy to say I seem to be heading out with my health on the upswing. With any luck, I will be positively SWEARING by Zithromax as single most valuable key to success in India -- with thanks to my friend Steve Jast from ROI for the good drugs -- I seem to be really on the mend, at last! So, on this happy note I had a good, final day here in Mumbai. The weather has been absolutely perfect -- which I've particularly appreciated in light of all the notes I've had from home telling me about the super frosty temps. I got a few hours of work done in the middle of the day after my morning meeting, then two really productive meetings focused on specific plans for Governor Kaine's visit in April. Ultimately, I opted not to go to the big Nasscomm dinner as it was very far away from my hotel and I found the time better spent doing a bit of work, jotting a few postcards and having dinner -- such a great concept (the eating of food, that is). Just now I've finished the major repack and I'm ready to call it a night.

This has truly been a wonderful trip -- I've met SO MANY great, friendly, enthusiastic, kind and hospitable people; I've seen so much; and I've taken a gazillion photos which I'll put into a picasa web album to share through the blog when I get home -- for those of you with alot of time on your hands! While my first trip was entirely too short, it may be that 2 weeks is just a bit long -- or perhaps that's only true because I know I still have another week of hotel hopping to do.... but the challenge is there is so much to see & do here. The demand for the information I am here to provide is voracious -- there is SO MUCH interest in growth, particularly closer to the US market, that I can only hope that some of my efforts will turn into results (sooner rather than later).

OK -- enough boring stuff. I'm signing off and really looking forward to my nice long flight on Singapore Air tomorrow -- my flight path is Mumbai - Singapore, Singapore - Sydney, Sydney - Canberra. Arriving at my hotel about 10:30am Sunday, after leaving this hotel at 8:30am Saturday. Wish me luck -- I'll give y'all a holler once I'm settled in.

Today's photo is from Chennai -- I took a walk on the beach on Sunday afternoon (with about 2000 of my closest friends), the one day that everyone has off, and it was as much of a full, direct experience with the regular working people of India that I have had -- it was a multisensory experience: sights, sounds, feelings (sand), and oh the smells (I skipped the tastes, don't worry). I thought this shot pretty much captured the whole semi-overwhelming mixture of chaos, color, contradiction, culture and community that contributes to India's magic.

Happy Friday everyone.

Love,

K.

Back in Bombay -- The Final Stop in Incredible India

Hi All,

I'm happily back in the gorgeous Taj Palace & Tower, and once again totally lucked out with an upgrade to the historic palace portion of the hotel... it's just amazing, and this time I have a sea view room which means I look out on the ocean, full of fishing boats and the magnificent Gateway to India monument. Too bad I'm so rarely in the room to enjoy it! Despite a rather really rough night on Monday following the big excitement of the Chennai event, I pulled off my biggest rally to date and made the flight to Ahmedabad (sans shower) and somehow kept up my game face through a series of meetings with the Gujarat govt folks arranged by our local host. The best part of the day was the punchy laughter with the VPA guys and Steve Jast from ROI at the airport -- it was much easier to face the chaos of the domestic airport scene with company! After a wonderful night of sleep (I love that Ambien!), I felt MUCH better and on Wednesday AM I had the chance to go see one of Gandhi's Ashrams in Ahmedabad, where he lived before leaving to lead the Salt March -- it was a very peaceful place, and I found this scene of his "office" quite amazing -- you can almost envision him sitting there in this simple spot meeting with people from all around the world. His spinning wheel is very famous. After another company visit, arranged by Partap (my Chandigarh host)'s sister, I then went off to Baroda to see the Sterling Gelating offices and then spend the afternoon meeting with my Gujarat host at his very lovely estate in BAroda -- it was truly gorgeous and without a doubt the most peaceful afternoon I've had. Then, we flew to Mumbai where I arrived late last night. I have 2 chock full days here, then head out on Saturday to Canberra. I am feeling better, but it seems like ages since I was 100%.... so I'm taking my vitamins and airborne and a new antibiotic in hopes of staying ahead of this bug for the final week of the trip. I miss everyone -- and I'm thinking of you all all the time. Love, Me

Success in Chennai -- and in Miami: YAY Colts!

Hi All,

I'm here in Ahmedabad, my penultimate stop in India ... and things are going well. Admittedly, I'm making the most of my rallying talents as my tummy isn't much approved and I'm on day 6 of very little food, but the good thing is that I generally feel much, much better during the day so I can function just fine for all my work stuff. I'm hitting the hay soon in hopes of getting a good night of sleep -- to make up for last night, which was pretty rough.

Yesterday was a success on several fronts -- first, I was so thrilled that Madre's colts did her proud and that Peyton got his superbowl ring. The game ended here about 8:30am -- a couple of the guys who were with me in Chennai got up at 4am to watch it! Also, my event was received very well -- by a large (140+) crowd that seemed to literally gobble up all the info we had to share. I'll try to attached the article from the local paper, including a goofy but not entirely horrible photo of me, plus I've attached a shot of the seminar room & audience.

Sunday, I arrived from Calcutta after a nice sleep on the plane and met up with Steve Jast, the president of the consulting company, ROI, that I engaged to help us identify prospects in Chennai to attend the seminar. He and I spent a few hours doing a quick tour around town, including a trip to the beach and a bit of shopping -- it was nice to be out of doors, in the sun, and in casual clothes -- and not with a local host just for a bit of relaxing.

OK, off to bed now -- I confess I miss home a bit -- especially Bobby & the kitties.

Lots of camels, donkies, cows, buffalos and monkeys on the streets here! I"ll try to get some snaps.

Hugs,

Me

Looking on the bright side... I may lose some weight!

Hi All,
It’s almost super bowl Sunday here in Calcutta and I’m getting ready to hit the hay before my early AM departure for Chennai. My visit here has been good, with many good meetings, very friendly people and beautiful-interesting-historic sights. Unfortunately, it’s all been a bit less fun for me because after dodging the infamous “Delhi Belly” I’ve been struck by the lesser known “Calcutta Crummies”… and it’s putting my rallying talents to the test. Ah well, at least there’s hope of coming home a few pounds lighter!

A few highlights of this trip were: lunch with the Consul General from the US Consulate, visit to the Victoria Memorial, Birla Temple and the Royal Calcutta Turf Club Racecourse – as well as a bit of long overdue handicraft shopping. The photo is of the Supreme Court building – one of many very lovely british-era buildings, and one of the best maintained. While I soaked in a bit more culture here, I can’t say I’ve partaken of much of the cuisine – maybe next time!

I’m both excited and somewhat apprehensive about the next stop in Chennai – I’m looking forward to seeing a few friendly faces from home as I’ll meet up with Russ Held from Virginia Port Authority, and his colleague Sunny How from the VPA office in Singapore, as well as my colleague & friend Steven Jast, President of Research on Investment, the Montreal firm we’ve engaged to lead identification for us in Chennai. The good news is that the program has come together quite well – the speakers I approached from the US Consulate and Sterling Gelatin (one of our success stories) have been great about preparing their remarks, and our partners at ROI and CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) have done a tremendous job promoting the event – such a tremendous job that now, rather than an event of 35-50, it appears we’ll have a ballroom full of 150-200 people! Yikes! I can’t wait to see what horrifying photos the press snaps of me this time! But, all for the good of raising the visibility of Virginia as the #1 Best State for Business.

GO COLTS – Madre, I’ll be thinking of you and hoping for the best for Peyton.

You say Calcutta, some say Kolkata... I'm here! Jan 31, 2007

Hi All,
Wow... it's amazing how many adventures and experiences seem to happen to me over here - I feel it would take 3 weeks to tell all that I've seen & done in the mere 3 work days I've been in Incredible India (and considering how much I can say in a week, trust me -- I've got alot to tell!).

Anyhoo, for now I'm checking in to let y'all know I've made it safe & sound to another new city - Calcutta (it appears to me that the "new" name for this city really hasn't stuck yet). I'm especiallly happy to report that my first (and hopefully only) domestic connection experience, through my fave, the Delhi domestic airport, was a success on all counts - -namely my bags and I both made the connection with no delays. Of course, there was a great episode of mayhem regarding my "expedited" transfer from one terminal to the next which I can scarcely begin to describe coherently but it involved a comandeered taxi, 2 guys that didn't speak english, a guy that looked like he might be a pilot, and a wild ride down the wrong side of the road around the terminal... it worked, but I still can't really explain it -- I'm just grateful that I asked for some help!

So, just a little bit about the last 2 days before I go down to have Kingfisher in the bar and do some catch up stuff (expenses & business card data entry). In sum, my presentation yesterday at the CII offices in Chandigarh went quite well -- so well that I found myself covered as "news" in all of the local newspapers -- complete with a really horrifically embarrassing photo! I will attach the articles as soon as I get the scanned copies -- but just for fun here were the headlines:
1. "Seminar on Advantages of Virginia in CII" - Chandigarh Tribune
2. "Virginia can be ideal business destination" - The Tricity Times of Chandigarh
and, of course, my favorite
3. "Virginia best bet for business: Weir" -- Correspondent Chandigarh

And, to give you a feel for the coverage, one of the guys that attended sent me a nice follow up saying "I really appreciate the way you delivered the lecture on your lovely state Virginia and every body in the meeting was very impressed." and letting me know he'd posted a briefing about my seminar on HIS blog(s) -- and here are the links.

http://www.chandigarhcity.com/blog/2007/01/31/virginia-is-best-place-for-chandigarh-business-to-start-in-us/

http://blogs.indiabook.com/2007/01/31/virginia-is-best-place-for-indian-to-start-business-in-us-ms-kimberly-weir/

All in all it's pretty neat -- and hopefully my boss will read this and decide that despite how much fun I'm having over here, I'm also making some decent progress on the "awareness raising" side of my job.

The hotel here is wonderful (but still no molton brown!), I'm happy to get to unpack for a few nights. My day today was also quite amazing -- I got a complete tour of a true blue BPO firm and and Indian textile factory which was all really quite amazing (and my host from the Taj Mahal trip is the president). Plus last night I was officially the "Guest of Honor" at a dinner party at the lovely home of one of the most prominent families in Chandigarh -- I met all sorts of interesting people... and the city of Chandigarh is truly a FABULOUS place -- it's slogan is "City Beautiful" and it really is. Just to challenge everyone's ideas of what India looks like, I'm attaching the above photo of the Rose Garden in Chandigarh -- one of the many parks that the city is famous for, and I think I heard Neeru tell me there were several thousand different varieties of roses in this particular garden.

I am still so sad about Barbaro, but I'm thankful for the nice notes from everyone letting me know you're sharing my thoughts. That's all for now -- I miss you all, but I'm happy & healthy! K.

Beloved Barbaro - A Heartbreaking Hero

http://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2007/01/30/news/sports/sports05.txt

Today began with a terribly sad shock as I learned the news of Barbaro's final chapter from a friend who very thoughtfully sent me an email to let me know she was thinking about me...and unwittingly broke the news to me with her kindness. While today has been a perfectly pleasant, successful, busy day -- including a much better 2nd visit to the Delhi domestic airport (the business lounge made a huge difference) -- I am really just so very sad and of course it makes me feel very far away from home to not have anyone to share my grief. Much to my surprise, and disappointment, there hasn't been a word about Barbaro on any of the international news stations and it seems that horseracing is not a sport that the Indians follow. While we all knew he was fighting against the odds, it just seems so cruel that he'd come so close to going home to have things go so wrong, so quickly after he'd fought so valiantly for so long. It may sound weird, but I really feel his absence. Today's photo is from the lobby of my hotel here in Chandigarh -- I probably would have snapped it anyway but it sure felt like a memorial when I walked in this afternoon.

And I’m telling you….. (Dehli – Jan 29, 2007)

the most crazy fun things happen to me in Delhi!!!

Once again, my first full day in Delhi has been a doozie (in a good way!)… and while I didn’t see the President or the biggest Bollywood star, I did have a whirlwind of good meetings followed by dueling invitations to either see one of my new friends in a play (he was in the newspaper this AM) or to join other friends to go to a Hindu wedding! Decisions, decisions, but despite a pretty low quality night of sleep and a serious consideration of a “jet lag recovery massage” (something about that 2nd night seems to get me)… I rallied and opted for the wedding – which was here in the hotel – the same place I’d been to the fashion show last time. This is definitely the “happening” hotel – make a note: Taj Palace, the place to see & be seen! So, with yet another wonderful Indian family adopting me as the long lost blond daughter… I had a lovely time gawking and being gawked at. My hosts were the delightful Choudhary family – and they are close family friends of the bride & her family. I thought you’d enjoy both photos of me with my hosts, and the gorgeous, regal wedding couple. For those of you scoring at home, there were probably between 400 – 500 people at the wedding and the bride and groom met each other for the first time in September 2006!! OK, off to bed – tomorrow is a big day – traveling to Chandigarh with a seminar in the afternoon and a dinner with Partap and his associates tomorrow eve. Love y’all! Me

Kim & Friends at the Taj Mahal - Jan 27, 2007

Hi All,

WOW -- I saw it, and it's amazing! As proof here's one (of about a zillion) shots I snapped yesterday during my wonderful adventure to Agra. In this photo you'll see my fantastically kind hosts Partap Agarwal, his wife Neeru and her sister, Nina.

I'll write more soon -- but for now I'm back in Delhi (Sunday evening) and need to get ready for dinner with Neeru, Nina and her husband Pam and son Arjun (both of whom I met with Partap on my first trip). I feel honored and fortunate to have been adopted by this very kind family. I'm healthy & happy and I'll write more soon.

Arrival in Delhi - Saturday the 27th, 3:15am

Hi Loved Ones,
Just a quick note to check in and tell you that I've made it back to "incredible india" -- my trip was very easy, pleasant and uneventful -- and very happily all my luggage made it with me! I read 2 magazines, started a new book, slept & ate, and even did a little work on one of my presentations -- and no medical mishaps on the airplane! ;-)

I'm at a different hotel this time, same chain just a different location (in fact this is where I attended the fashion show last time). Room is very nice, but I have to admit that there is a bit of a difference from the fancy "club level" where I was spoiled last time -- no molton brown, but still very lovely.

I'm going to take a shower and a tylenol pm so I can get some sleep (it's 3:15am here) so I can get up, dressed and repacked for my trip to Agra! My newfound friends (who I met last time) are picking me up at noon and it should be a 4 hour drive to Agra, we'll stay there overnight, and tour the Taj Mahal and other fun things before coming back here tomorrow.

Oh -- I actually made a phone call on my blackberry (and left a message for Bobby on his cell phone in Vegas!)-- as I've been tasked with testing all of our technology tools in advance of the Governor's visit. So, it appears that if you really need to get me you can call my work cell 703 424 3888, but now that I know it works I won't be using it much as I have to guess the calls are super expensive. I'm planning to rent a local cell phone for my 2 weeks here so I can communicate with all my contacts without the long distance issue.

So, here I am -- thinking of all of you, and looking forward to this new adventure!
Love,
Me

Kim's Return to India - January 2007

Hi Loved Ones,

I'm setting up my first blog on the eve of my departure for a 3 week trip to India & Australia. In hopes of bringing you all along with me, and to share my experiences with you, I'm going to give this new-fangled communication tool a try!

I depart tomorrow, Jan 25th, at about 10pm from Dulles to Delhi, via Frankfurt. I arrive in India about 1am on Saturday morning and the fun begins at noon when my friend Partap Agarwal's wife, Neeru, will meet me at the Taj Palace Hotel to begin our journey to Agra -- and the Taj Mahal!!

Wish me luck with the last 24 hours of getting-ready frenzy!!