Trip Report: NOLA, May 2013

Attendees: Ajay, Alex, Fu, Zhi

Activities: Eating, Drinking, Jazz

Random Notes:
- Renting a house is definitely the way to go if we can not crash at someone's house.

- Not having an itinerary is OK as long as you have some patience to try new things.

- The New Orleans Convention Center is huge.

- Food in NOLA is the tits.

- Food and Wine fest was a great idea.

- Thanks to Alex for booking the house and bringing all that wine.

Kilimanjaro Update [UPDATED]

Here is an update in the planning for Kilimanjaro.

* Attendees

So far, everyone has expressed an interest in going, making 8 of us (Ajay, Alex, Azim, Cinar, Fu, Jack, Kanna, and Zhi). Unfortunately, due to timing and monetary constraints, not everyone might be able to make the originally planned August time frame. Please see "Next Steps" after the jump for how this affects the current stage in planning.

* Considerations

* What route do we want to take?

This is important because it will affect how long it takes as well, how much we see, and how much it costs. There are certain routes which are more popular (i.e. crowded), certain ones which are easier, certain routes which are more scenic etc. etc. This will largely depend on whether the guiding companies I contact are able to lead us on those routes. See Wikipedia for a list of possible routes and brief descriptions. My current order of preferences (from looking at what are available for the guiding companies listed below):

Lemosho (best option)

Rongai

Machame

Marangu (worst)

* How many days do you want to take?

Again, this largely depends on the route we take, but most accounts say that trying to tackle the climb in less than 6 days leads to a very poor chance of making it to the summit. The optimum number of days for each of the routes listed is:

Lemosho, 8

Rongai, 7

Machame, 7

Marangu, 6

* Private or shared expedition?

At 8 people, we are probably near the number of people to warrant a private expedition. However, I suspect this will cost more. It does give us greater flexibility. I am waiting to hear back from the guiding companies regarding this possibility.

* What is this going to cost?

See "Guiding Companies / Options" for a summary of potential costs.

* Guiding Companies / Options

* www.nomadicexperience.com

+ Comes highly recommended from Jerry (Alex's father).

+ Does Lemosho, Rongai, and Machame.

+ Provides a cultural experience as well as the climbing.
+ Can organize a private Machame climb 7-Aug to 15-Aug for $3,025pp.

+ Seems to be the best.

- But also most expensive.

Costs / Days:

Lemosho: 11 Days (8 climbing), $3,800

Rongai: 10 Days (7 climbing), $3,325

Machame: 10 Days (7 climbing), $3,425

Action Items: I am waiting to hear back from them regarding our options in August.

* WhiteMagic (http://www.whitemagicadventure.com/details/kilimanjaro.html?Itemid=0)

+ Recommendation from Ricky (Ajay's father).
+ Can do a private tour for us at not much more cost.
- Only does Rongai route.

Cost / Days:

Rongai: 9 Days (6 climbing), $2,172 ($2,572 for a private tour).

* Intrepid Travel (http://www.intrepidtravel.com/tanzania/kilimanjaro-marangu-route-49625)

+ Lots of flexible dates.

+ Cheapest.

+ Shortest.

- Cheapest and shortest.

- Only does Marangu.

Costs / Days:

Marangu: 7 Days (6 climbing), $2,195 in Aug

* Other

Obviously, I have only begun searching. Once we have a better idea on what route we would like to take, and how many days to do it in, I can better pinpoint some guiding companies which would be suitable for us.

* Next Steps

I have reached out to each of the three companies listed above and wait to hear back. I will update this post when I hear back. Regardless of any other future decisions, I will continue to do planning and research for this trip.

However, given the tenuous nature of everyone being able to make this trip in August, we need to decide what we really want to do: Climb Kilimanjaro in 2013 or Do Something As a Group in 2013? I do not believe these will overlap.

This is unfortunate, but to be expected trying to get everyone's schedules to line up. My personal preference would be to push this out to 2014 and instead try to do something in 2013 where we can all hang out together. Climbing Kilimanjaro would be a great experience, but the biggest selling point was to be able to accomplish something with you guys.

Trip Report: Bali, Dec 2012

Attendees: Alex, Azim, Zhi

Activities: Eating, Drinking, Surfing, Hiking Mt. Agung, Chillaxing, Followed by more drinking.

Random Notes:
- Alex's Dad's house is awesome. Everyone should get their dads to move to exotic vacation destinations and build awesome houses we can crash at. (Seriously though, Thanks Jerry!)
- Bintang is awesome.
- I'm a little bitch when it comes to climbing Agung.
- Setting off illegal fireworks on the beach is awesome.

Kilimanjaro

Recently, it was decided amongst a majority of the Beeler Boys, that we are all getting old. In an effort to stave off our inevitable mortality, the best course of action was to do something bold, something that challenged our bodies, but more importantly, challenged our courage. Thus, it was agreed upon that 2013 is the year we climb a mountain.

In particular, this mountain. Kilimanjaro. 19,341 ft (5,895m) above sea level. Tanzania.

Since I have been tasked with organizing this sojourn, I lay out a few facts:

• Most of the research I have read suggests that it can be summited with little to no technical climbing.
• However, this is not to say it will not be challenging. We will need to be in excellent physical condition to climb that high. It will not so much be a challenge of fitness, but whether we have the endurance to walk 6-8 hours per day for 6 straight days.
• Even if we are in the best shape possible, it is still entirely possible to succumb to altitude sickness. Each year, around 15,000 people attempt the summit. Around 40% succeed.
• Every year, about 10 people die while trying to summit.
• It will require between 6 and 9 days to climb to the top, depending on which route we take.
• The cost of hiring a guiding company will be between $1500 to $3000 / person.
• With flights and accommodation, it will cost about $4000 to $5000 in total. This will obviously go up if we decide to do anything else before or after ward.
• The best seasons to climb are Jan-Mar or June-Oct, the two relatively dry periods of the year.

Just to get a count going, who is willing to commit to climbing? I know Alex, Ajay, Jack, and myself were in agreement. We were also drunk. Given it is already Oct now, should we say something like Aug or Sep 2013?

Who's in?

Trip Report: San Diego 2011

Attendees: Ajay, Alex, Azim, Fu, Zhi

I had deemed this trip "Beach, Beers, Bros" for obvious reasons. However, in retrospect, we didn't spend much time on the beach, some d-bag didn't actually drink, but it was still great to be with my bros*.

Assorted observations and anecdotes:

- Good idea with the shirts, Alex. Although I'm not sure there was much impetus to wear them again. I did wear mine to the airport to drop people off on Tue. Regardless, way to take the initiative, Champ.

- Thanks for bringing the poker chips, Alex. They did come in handy.

- Getting a house where we can all stay is a nice feature. We are not separated and it really cuts down on coordinating logistics. Plus, with a kitchen area, we can stock all sorts of supplies.

- Having no planned activities is fine. Anything is fun as long as we end up doing it together.

- I was disappointed by the Mexican food I found in San Diego. Maybe I have to look harder next time.

- Former professional athletes are poor restaurateurs.

- Remember that time I nearly shit my pants? All I have to say is thank goodness for Panda Express.

- Phil's BBQ was totally worth driving to.

- I am much more awkward around [very-]underage girls than Alex is. He seems very comfortable with the prospect.

- Kanna and Jack, we missed you guys.

Did I miss anything? Where to next, Fellas?

* Shut it Alex. I say 'bros'. Get over it.

Toastmasters - My back

Yeah I know it's not what you were expecting.

Who among us, at least once in their youth, thought they were invincible? In my teenage years I certainly behaved that way as I ate, slept, ran and leapt through life. While I was running up and down stairs two steps at a time, I always wondered as I breezed past the elderly how they could possibly be so feeble and slow. I vowed that in my later years I would never become THAT silver haired geriatric holding up the line to get on the bus. Fatefully, just a few days ago I sprained my lower back and finally understood how everyday motions can become arduous performances. As we all age oh so gracefully we should become more aware of many aspects of our deteriorating health. I hope that I will be able to enlighten you about lower back injuries today.

The reason why I want to focus on the lumbar is because acute lower back pain is one of the most common reasons for physician visits. Additionally, it is the area of our bodies that allows for flexibility and movement in bending and supports the upper body and head. Indeed it is vital to almost every movement we make. This also makes it more likely to be injured. A pain in this area can be caused by a stretched or torn muscle or ligament and even though a muscle strain doesn’t sound like a serious injury, the pain can be surprisingly severe. Simple tasks need to be planned out in steps to find transitional positions that minimize the agony. Beginning the morning by rising from the lying position is no longer a simple fluid motion. I had to start on my stomach and raise to a crawl position before I could attempt lifting my upper body. Bending down to put on pants became an excruciating chore, especially with two legs. An unconstrained flop onto the couch is an invitation to a sharp hellish suffering that will make you curse the heavens and lay down to seek sweet relief. Which of course means you have to get back up. Even sitting on a chair is not a pain-free activity.

It is because of this massive reduction in the quality of life, we strive to prevent such injuries from occurring. Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and none of this should be construed as professional medical advice. Of course regular exercise and stretching will result in well conditioned muscles that are much less likely to suffer from strain. Exercises and stretches such as the upward dog position, plank, rotational stretches, sideways bending stretch and abdominal crunches all exercise the lower back in varying degrees. I used to snicker when I saw my grandmother doing these each morning but too late do I realize she was wise and experienced.

If prevention fails you as it did with me. The goal becomes to recuperate as quickly as possible. Using ice packs to reduce inflammation and resting will relieve the pain. However, unused muscles will start to atrophy which increases the likeliness of subsequent injuries. Therefore you should only rest for a day or two, and try to do light stretching and exercising. Of course all exercises should start light and gradually increase in difficulty as you become more comfortable. What you do not want is to be pushed into hardcore interval training when you haven't worked out for a couple of years. This of course also happened to me.

Now that we better understand lumbar sprains and strains, I hope all of you can avoid one of the most problematic and pervasive injuries. By exercising and being active you can preempt the suffering and continue enjoying a quality lifestyle. If you do become an unfortunate victim to lower back pain, remember to rest but do not let the muscles atrophy. It is my sincerest hope that using this knowledge I will heal and be waiting for the next obstacle in my slow and inevitable descent towards one of life's only guarantees. No, I'm not talking about taxes.

Decision Made

Just to get the word out early:

In September, I will be more than like (>90%) back in the US for two weeks for another work thing. 10-Sep to 23-Sep most likely. As previously discussed with BSW, the tail end of that would be an ideal kick off for our next Boy's trip: San Diego. Then, since it will be the first time in three months I'm allowed to take time off, and seeing as how I'm probably not going to be stuck in the prison colony for much longer, this is my upcoming schedule during that time:

10-Sep to 23-Sep: Conference in SF/MTV
24-Sep to 27-Sep: San Diego
28-Sep to ??-Oct: New Zealand

Just FYI.

HC

Curious? You'll find out soon.

Golf is not a Sport

I wrote this for toastmasters. Besides the first sentence the rest of it is filler so I can hit the time requirement. Australia summary will be posted when I stop being lazy.

Golf is not a sport. Oh I'm sure you may have tuned onto ESPN and watched a round of golf. Perhaps when checking the sports section in a newspaper you noticed that they also reported golf scores. However, when I compare golf to other popular and accepted sports it simply doesn't equate. Many people are unhappy with my dismissal of golf as a sport and seem to think that I'm implying that there is little to no skill required to be proficient at the game. I can personally attest that this is not the case. I'm simply not placing the activity of golf in a category that I label sports. Of course this then requires me to define what I consider a sport. I define a sport as an individual or team athletic competition that requires skill, agility and stamina. There are many reasons brought forth as to why golf should not be considered a sport. Arguments from the necessity of direct competition, the excitement and noise level of the spectators to the age and athleticism of the players. Let's take a closer look at these arguemnts to clearly identify why people vehemently argue about this topic and why I am so opposed to labeling golf a sport.

One of the more popular arguments against golf as a sport is the lack of direct competition. In basketball, soccer, baseball, cricket and all the others I could name, there is a head to head competition between the offence and defence. Often the same players will take on both roles. In contrast, golf is an indirect competition where there are no defenders. This of course brings up the comparison to track and field or swimming competitions. Events such as running or swimming would not be sports simply due to the fact that there are no attackers or defenders. I do have friends who abide by this strict view on sports but, they're not very good ones. I do consider track and field and swimming competitions to be sports so for me, it's not the lack of direct competition which sways my opinion.

Another reason given is that sporting events have excited fans who make a lot of noise and express their emotions vocally. When this is used to distract or encourage players, it can become an integral part of sports. During the game of golf, spectators are told to be quiet as the golfer addresses the ball. The excitement level and vocal support is certainly a departure from a loud basketball or football arena. However, tennis matches also require silence from the spectators and I would certainly qualify tennis as a sport. The silence required in these activites seems to originate from their traditional roles as a "gentlemen's" activity and a “gentlemen” does not interrupt the concentration of his opponent. Tennis also provides a counter-example to the point that sports must be played by members in a standard uniform. In fact, many individual sports such as skiing and swimming will allow a variety of styles.

All of the reasons previously presented can be refuted by examples of activities that I do consider sports. One that cannot be contradicted by such an example however, would be that in every sport the player must carry his or her own equipment when standing on the playing field or court or pitch or diamond. In the game of golf a caddy is allowed to carry the player's equipment as they traverse the course. You will never see someone holding a hockey player's stick for them as they skate around the rink only to hand it back when the puck is in the vicinity.

It is a continuation and expansion of this argument that brings us to the crux of my issue with calling golf a sport. Golf IS a competition and DOES require skill and perhaps a modicum of agility but simply does not meet the requirement of stamina. In fact a court had ruled that golfers do not actually need to walk the course because it does not "fundamentally alter the nature" of the game. In no other activity that I consider a sport can a 60 year old man still be considered one of the best active players. Age will degrade a players agility and stamina to the point where they are no longer competitive at a professional level long before then. In the professional golf however, John Daly, who is overweight and can't run for 20 seconds without being short of breath is still considered highly competitive. He has even stated that he does not work out because gyms do not allow smoking. He is not, by any definition of the word, an athlete. Unfortunately by extension, neither is Tiger Woods; at least not in golf.

There are many faulty explainations as to why golf is not a sport. Among them is the need for direct competition, allowing spectators to express their vocal support and standard uniforms. But the fact that a hefty person can slide off a cart, be handed a club from a caddy carrying all their equipment to take a skill shot 3-10 times a hole for 18 holes must preclude the game of golf from being a sport.

Minor differences (source The Oatmeal)