27 April 2013 ~ Awards and Celebrations

Listening to: WALL ~ Something on Your Mind

The Company I work for, Workday, won for the third year in a row, the Best Place to Work in the Bay Area, for companies with 500-1500 employees.

BEST PLACES TO WORK Rankings 2013 — Intuit, Workday, XL Construction

At the company meeting, the Hong Kong Asia group won a Team Award. It was sad my HK co-workers couldn't be here to go on the stage with us. For our reward, we each get a team jacket and $200 dinner gift certificate. Unfortunately, this is the only picture I have with me on stage, and if I enlarge it, the picture is all grainy. Anyway, from left to right: CJ, Co-CEO Dave, Me, Judi, Marshall, and our President Mike S.

So it was a good week to cap off my "initial" birthday celebration. Celebrating while catching a few rays.

 

More Happy Toes!

 

 



 

24 April 2013 ~ Souvenirs

Listening to:  Como Mamas ~ Old Landmark (Get An Understanding)

I did buy a few things as a souvenir from India. I don't have pictures of everything, but I did buy some shirts (no saris), 2 rings and some sandalwood incense.

I love this statue. It's about 8 inches high.

These are carved from sandalwood. (The bell behind it is a drum bell from China I bought in Beijing).

These jars were a gift from the instructor I certified.

21 April 2013 ~ Brunch at the Marina

Listening to: Ian Fisher ~ Why Do I Go


I recently had brunch at the Berkeley Marina restaurant "Skates on the Bay".

Great window seat for brunch, so had a fabulous view while sipping Bloody Mary's.

Plants are in bloom.

 

 This statue is facing the Pacific Ocean. It is entitled "Guardian", by Frederic Fierstein

 

17 April 2013 ~ Farewell to India

Listening to:  Simon & Garfunkel ~ Homeward Bound


For the classes farewell dinner, we went to Nando's Peri Peri Chicken. I was told Peri Peri is a type of Portuguese style.

There was a duet playing.

The sauce selections were really hot.

Here was the dish I ordered. I did not use the hot sauces, and it was still spicy enough.

One of the students did use the extra hot sauce on this dish.

 After dinner a few of us went back to the hotel to sit by the pool and have a beer night cap.

Then an hour later I was on the plane back to the USA.

10 April 2013 ~ Toit Brewery

Listening to: Kate Earl ~ Stronger


The instructor I was certifying in India and one of the students took me out to a local brew pub, Toit.

There were lots of signs but this is the only one I took a picture of.

We ordered "nachos" but the cheese was strange.

Had a beer sampler.

 

8 April 2013 ~ Mysore ~ Part III

Listening to:  Jerry Garcia & John Kahn ~ Deep Elem Blues


After the temples, my guide dropped me off at the ParkLane Hotel Beer Garden for lunch.

My first taste of the India beer Kingfisher.

I ordered vegetarian chop suey...

and Sichuan chicken.

After every meal you are served mints...these pellets tasted like anise.

Then off to the Mysore Palace.

It incorporated 3 religious architectural structures.

Great trip to Mysore.

 

5 April 2013 ~ Mysore ~ Part II

Listening to: Grateful Dead ~ Estimated Prophet


Continuing on the Mysore trip, my guide took me to a Temple. I did not go inside as there was a religious festival going on (and I didn't want to wait in a long hot line). But it was still impressive from the outside.

Sellers of flowers and fruit outside the temple.

There is another Bull Temple here - similar to the one in Bangalore - but completely outside.

A view of Mysore from the road leaving the Bull Temple.