I was planning to climb Kilimanjaro solo to raise money for Us Empowered but my friend, Ricardo Kawamura, decided to join me on this journey.  It was not easy to get to.  We flew 7 hours to London then 10 hours to Nairobi, Kenya.  In Kenya, we spent 36 hours on a safari in the Maasa Mara, a bucket list experience.  Here are some teaser photos but that experience is a different adventure.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we left Kenya on a 6 hour bus ride to Moshi, Tanzania on mostly dirt roads that became muddy after an early rain pour.  We spent 30 minutes checking out of Kenya and checking into Tanzania at the border.  It cost $25 to get a Visa at the border whereas I paid $150 in advance to get one from Tanzanian embassy in Washington DC. 

Sunday November 28, Day 1, we met our crew, which included our guide, Baricki, assistant guide, Stephen, cook, waiter, and four porters: a 7 to 2 ratio.  We got off to a late start but left at 2 pm and hiked 4 hours to the Baracco Huts.   We probably could have hiked faster but we walked slowly due to our concern of altitude sickness; prior to the trip, we received a prescription of diamox from our doctors.  That doctor’s visit included 6 shots in my arms ($600) including thyphoid, influenza, hepatitis, etc.  Both my arms and my wallet were in pain.

Machame, otherwise known as the “whiskey route”, is the most scenic albeit steeper route, of six routes, which is typically done in six to ten days. While the climb is technically easy, the altitude, cold temperatures, and shifting weather patterns make this a difficult and dangerous trek. Acclimatization is essential, and even then most experienced climbers suffer some degree of altitude sickness since Kilimanjaro’s summit is well above the altitude at which high altitude pulmonary edema or cerebral edema can occur. At 12,000 feet (3,600 m), the typical person has roughly 40% fewer oxygen molecules per breath and at 18,000 feet a person has roughly 60% fewer oxygen.  The climb up lasts for several days for our bodies to get used to performing with less oxygen.

All climbers suffer some level of discomfort, typically shortage of breath, hypothermia and headaches, and though most young, fit people can make the Uhuru summit, a substantial number of trekkers will abandon the attempt at a lower altitude.  18-time Grand Slam Champion, Martina Navratilova was hospitalized during her attempt one week after ours.

The first day hike was mainly in a rainforest, the vegetation was a lush green and trees were 25 to 30 feet tall.  We saw a few monkeys at the starting elevation of 1800 meters.  That day we hiked about 11 km to 3,000 meters.  It started to rain during this four hour hike; the tall trees and leaves protected us a little bit.  When we arrived, our tent was already set-up by our porters.  It was not a large tent, just enough room for two sleeping bags, our backpacks and daypacks.  I wondered if this tight sleeping area would test my friendship with Ricardo. 

Throughout the first day, I marveled at how the porters and waiters carried their backpacks on their backs and camping gear, cooking stuff, and our backpacks on their heads.  Despite having little to work with, our cook made relatively tasty meals.  Meals typically included something hot (soup or porridge, carbohydrates, hot drinks and fruit.  There are no places to buy food/drink on the way so the porters had to bring enough food for 9 of us over 6 days.  We re-filled our water bottles by purifying water from running steams. 

After our first dinner, we hung up our damp clothes.  We chatted about the next few days and watched a little Entourage on an iPad.  We joked that our sleeping arrangements were as good as the Four Seasons.  We had 4-Star service from our crew and after a hot and rainy first day, we expected to experience the full cycle of summer, fall, winter and spring weather.

Day 2 was an easy day.  We started hiking at 8:30 am and the trail was rocky that the dirt trail of the first day.  We hiked 6 km with 800 meters of elevation.  It was clear that we were two of the stronger hikers since we started last and finished near the front.  No feelings of altitude sickness yet.  This was the only day in which our porters didn’t catch us so we had to wait an hour at the campsite, Shira Caves, when we arrived at 12:30.  One of our porters felt sick and I gave him a couple Ibuprofen; he felt better the next day.  Even locals that climb for a living can be affected by the changing altitude.

After a warm lunch, we rested most of the afternoon.  I really started enjoying a book, Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom.  The first hundred pages of this thick book were boring but I started really enjoying the story that afternoon and had trouble putting it down the rest of the trip.  His story is inspiring:  nearly 3 decades in prison, yet Nelson’s commitment and resolve for freedom and equality are unparalleled. 

Around 5 pm, we took a one hour hike (a bonus one to stretch the legs) to Shira huts and back.  The sun was still out and we had great views of the peak of Kilimanjaro.   That night,  I woke up a couple times and when I went outside the tent to relieve myself I was amazed at the millions of stars throughout the sky.  I didn’t stand out there long because it was cold, a bone chilling wet cold.  I might have woken up due to the cold or perhaps a bit of jetlag but I was able to fall back to sleep. I normally only sleep seven hours a night;  I think the altitude required my body to rest more due to the lack of oxygen.

Day 3 was a more difficult hike.  We started at 8 am at 3800 meters and climbed to 4,600 meters and then back down to 3900 meters to sleep.  This was a day of acclimatization so we walked up slowly, about 3 hours.  At one point early on, I felt numb in my fingertips and toes.  I was nervous since there were 3 more days to go. After shaking my hands for ten minutes, the blood began to circulate to my finger tips.  My running shoes were slightly damp from an evening rain.  However, I wore the damp shoes because I wanted to save my hiking boots for the snow.  Plus, I wanted to support my friend, Natalie Spilger’s charity, by wearing green laces on my running shoes.

As we climbed up, the vegetation went from small brushes to stones.  The ground was wet from the rain and it was misting near the top so our outer layers were damp.  We ate a brown paper bag lunch at the top and then headed down;  downhill was wet and rocky.  I was nervous about my ankles since I’ve torn ligaments 3 times in my high school team sports days.  Ricardo was a competitive skiier a couple years ago so he went down as fast as our guide; I felt bad because they had to wait for me many times.  I am a strong climber but horrible at descending.  Anyone that has hiked with me knows this.

We arrived, at 1:15 pm, to base camp and found mice all over.  Later that afternoon, when Ricardo was in our tent, he noticed a mouse and squealed like a 5 year old girl.  He scrambled out and our assistant guide, Stephen, crawled in to remove the mouse.  I laughed so hard it hurt; I was hunched over and my stomach was cramping.  Later that evening while we were both getting ready to sleep, Ricardo pretended to see a mouse and I must admit that I squealed as well.  

When the clouds cleared, we got a closer glimpse of the steep glacier on the south side of Kilimanjaro, the sunlight glistened as it reflected off the ice.  After only three days, I noticeably missed the little comforts in life:  hot showers, a warm furnace, and a dry place to sleep (and my bed).  I missed the convenience of cell phones and internet access; it is nice to not be connected as I was making progress through my book and I had time to think about life.  However, it is also nice to be able to talk to friends and family. After three days, I can safely say that I was thrilled to have Ricardo with me on this journey.  I enjoyed the companionship, the conversations, and simply experiencing this climb together.

December 1st:  I woke up to discover frost all over the ground and tent; it felt like -10 C at night but after the earlier cold nights I wore many layers under my sleeping bag.  We left at 8 am this fourth day anticipating a six hour hike but we arrived early again at 12:45.  Both of us felt strong throughout this climb.  The first two hours were very steep in which we had to use our hands to climb some of the rocks. 

It was dry during the early part of the climb; clouds were both below and above us.  We experience rain and sleet the second half.  When we arrived to Base Camp, Barrafu, at 4,600 M altitude, stretched for thirty minutes, and took a two hour early afternoon nap.  The sun was bright but our bodies knew to rest to consume less oxygen.  Day Five begins at midnight so it was prudent for us to get some shut eye.  Besides slight difficulty breathing, I felt a cold developing, due to the wet shoes or cold nights from earlier days, so I started taking Emergen-C packs.  I was happy to not feel dizzy at this elevation.    In less than a day, we would attempt to summit to the peak.  I was excited so it was hard to keep sleeping after a two hour nap.  I ended up reading my Mandela book while Ricardo crashed.  At 6 pm as the sun was going down, I finally got some more shut eye.  Both of us woke up at 11:30 pm and ate some hot soup, bread and crackers.  Then, we started dressing in our winter gear.

 At half past midnight on Thursday December 2, with four layers under our ski jackets, we took a few photos in the pitch dark and began our last climb.  We could see snowflakes coming down from the light from our headlamps.  Within the first hour, my head was pounding and stomach felt nauseous.  I felt like I was slowing down our group, Ricardo and two guides as the rest stayed at base camp.  My head was playing tricks as I wondered about my safety since I could not see peripherally as my headlamp was aiming directly in front of me so I could follow in the footsteps of our guide.  I was feeling both physical pain and mental nerves.  When you climb for hours in pitch black at this time of night, many thoughts race through your mind; Ricardo gave me a good tip by suggesting that I count to a hundred so my mind would wander less.  At times I felt tired from lack of sleep, the start of a cold, nauseas and diarrhea.

The last ascent was 1,300 meters to 5,985 m over 5 km so approximately a 22% slope.  Each step forward was approximately 8 inches and for parts of the climb our feet would slide backwards in the soft dirt so it almost felt like going backwards.  I remember counting to a thousand three times to pass the time and occupy my mind. It was -15 C outside so too cold to take long breaks but short breaks were necessary to get enough oxygen.  We stopped to rest a minute or two every 15 minutes.   Around 5 am, we made it to Stella’s Point, which was once believed to be the highest point in Africa.  At 5:48 am, I made it to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa; it was still dark outside and the sunrise was starting to creep above the clouds, which were below us. 

I made it to Uhuru a few minutes ahead of Ricardo, and felt a huge rush of emotion.  I hugged Baricki, our guide; he offered to take a photo, while it was still pitch black.  A couple of climbers that arrived before us already decided to start their descent down because it was simply too cold at the top, around -20 C.  A few minutes later, Ricardo made it, we hugged, and started screaming, “We made it!”    We stayed at the peak for nearly 30 minutes and saw the sunrise at 6:12 am.  It was tranquil up top and the 360 degrees views were breathtaking. Except for the cold, the view felt like what heaven might look like.  For a few moments, I totally forgot about the pains that I experienced a few hours earlier.  We were above the clouds, the sun rising on the east, a sparkling glacier on the south, the Uhuru Peak sign on the west and the peaceful volcano, Kibu, on our north.  I lasted just over 30 minutes on top and my hands and face were almost numb so I started the descent before Ricardo.

Ricardo and Baricki passed me as they were walking downhill at a faster pace.  Stephen stayed with me me at my slower pace.  Going down was easier as the soft dirt made each step 6 inches longer as slid down.  We arrived at base camp just after 8 am.  My adrenaline was no longer flowing and I was tired.  Breakfast was ready but I didn’t eat much because my stomach was still feeling nausea.  We started hiking down at 10 am and were at the next campground by 1 pm.  I was cursing most of the way down because my ankles were sore from all the rocky trails, I had blisters on the bottom of my right foot and a black toe nail forming on my left foot Ricardo wanted to try and hike all the way down to finish a day early; he was so accommodating the first four days and this experience together made me agree to push myself through my pain.  The last few hours were mostly on trails, of which some were muddy after an hour rain fall.  We arrived at the bottom at 4:30 pm so our 5th day lasted 16 hours.  By the end, the pain that was in my head and stomach transferred to my feet as every step was painful (blisters, toes, and leg muscles).  We started the morning in 4 layers and ski outfit and finished the afternoon soaked in shorts and a T-shirt.  Despite the pain, the adrenaline rush at the top of Kilimanjaro ran through my blood at the bottom of the mountain.

Conclusions:

There is a saying that ”a picture is worth a thousand words.”  In the photos below, I used a simple digital camera that I purchased four years ago.  It was so pristine at the top that the photos turned out National Geographic in quality.

Over the past five days, I had a wonderful escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life.  Africa is a beautiful continent and this was an epic adventure.  It was also nice to have a lot of time to think:  I thought about family and what mine means to me.  Recently, my aunt passed away from cancer and I thought about her and the Hsia family as we decided to skip the Hsia X-mas reunion tradition.  I felt lucky to have my friend Ricardo share this journey and I also thought about many friends and the wonderful experiences we shared over the years.  I thought about work and how lucky I am to enjoy the people I work with and how rewarding my career has been and can be.  I thought about the success and impact that Us Empowered is making and the social movement in education reform that we are seeing.  Our fellows have a lifetime mountain that they have to climb and joining Us Empowered is the first step up that mountain.

Albert Einstein said, “Creating a new theory is not like destroying an old barn and erecting a skyscraper in its place.  It is rather like climbing a mountain, gaining new and wider views, discovering unexpected connections between our starting points and its rich environment.  But the point from which we started out still exists and can be seen, although it appears smaller and forms a tiny part of our broad view gained by the mastery of the obstacles on our adventurous way up.”

We arrived Thursday night 11/18/10, stayed at the Beverly Hills Hilton, and had a sushi dinner at Katsuya.   Then we stopped by the courtyard at the W Hotel for drinks and ended the night at MyStudio.  We ended up with Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino of Jersey Shore at our table.

Friday afternoon we stopped by a live taping of the Tonight Show.  We barely arrived to the NBC studios on time but we still had to wait in the “Green Room” , a staging area for friends since we were Ricky Minor’s guests.  The green room wasn’t green.  We were also informed that Ricky would meet us after the taping for an after show tour.

We had great seat (no cameras allowed).  The set held about 500 people.  There were several acts “to warm the audicience up” that lastede 30 minutes; these included an up and coming comedian who managed the show’s website, a comedian/musician who threw out T-shirts, a few Jokes and personal introduction of Jay Leno, and a song by Ricky Minor and his band.  I was impressed with the seamless and quick transition of the acts as well as the lighting and music of the studio and the high levels of security between the acts.

The “live audience show” was taped at 3:30 PST and goes on air a few hours later in the east coast.  Like clockwork, Jay’s kicked off the show with an introduction.  Later on, we learn that Jay has 8 writers for his opening monologue.  The guests tonight were country music star Garth Brooks and Mike “the Situation”.  Garth is a family man from Oklahoma; he is performing Live in Las Vegas and his wife just wrote a cook book.  “The Situation” was quite a character and was promoting his fitness video and his new book. 

After the show, Ricky Minor gave us a great tour and we had a chance to take some photos.  It amazes me that 150 people work full-time ont he show.  Jay is in his 18th year and produced over 3500 shows.

Firday night included a steak dinner at BOA stakhouse followed by a late night at Drai’s nightclub.  We partied with 10 of Peter’s college buddies and had the VIP table next to Ne-Yo.

Saturday was a chill day that included a two hour hike; Pieta and I had a good conversation about how to be more productive at work.  Saturday night dinner was at Nobu in Malibu; food was excellent but our chaffeur driver never showed up so we took a $100 taxi ride back to the hotel.  we took a limo to most places since we were drinking but we did rent a white SUV for $29/day.  I was almost coerced into renting a $150/day Black Escalade.  After a long drive back, we stopped by Voyeur for drinks and called it on early night since Sunday was the big event.

Sunday was spent browsing stores on Rodeo drive.  I made a point to check out the Made to Measure departments at Armani and Zegna stores.  Small change of plans as Ricardo got a couple extra tickets (row 2) and invited a girl so I also invited a friend last minute to enjoy the AMA experience.    We scrambled a bit to get ready for the event (6 people and 2 bathrooms) and arrived with 15 minutes before the show. 

The Red Carpet was a bit chaotic.  It was shaped in a U.  VIP ticket holders can walk in with the celebs.  A-list Celebs had a  different path with mainstream cameras (big networks and entertainment media).  Then, the paths combined with the VIP ticketholders…which means us.  The whole experience was quick and a little exhausting.  Cameras were clicking everywhere.  There wasn’t a clear path to the entrance.  Security guards were ushering celebrities around us.  These guards knew how to protect the musician while moving out of the way for a camera to take a photo.

We finally make it to our seats, row 14 center right section, and had great views of the stages.  It was interesting to see the project management required at this event which included 14 live musical acts and many awards over three hours.  There were many “fillers” that sat in empty seats when people would grab a snack or use the bathroom.  The place had to look “packed” for TV.  Most of the musicians were in the first ten rows in the center section but rotated for the cameras and for live performances.  The actual performances were impressive as they included the musician, band, dancers, backup singers, choreography, lights, videos, and props.  There were two stages (left and right) so the next act could get ready while one act was performing.  Some of the performancer included Katie perry, Taylor Swift, Usher, Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Santana, and Pink.  We stopped by the official after-party but didn’t make it to any unofficial after parties.

The whole weekend was amazing . I’m glad I had a chance to experience the red carpet with some good friends and make a postive contribution to Us Empowered.

Woke up early and rented ski gear at Deer Valley, a high end ski-only resort.  Little did I know that Jeff snowboarded and has never skiied.  He was definitely a trooper and went on Green and Blue runs with no ski instruction.   Gorgous ski conditions after 12 inches of fresh powder the night before. By the afternoon, we split up so that I could hit some blacks.  Little did I know that Jeff took a wrong turn, went off course and fell about 5 feet.  Confidence shaken, he spent the rest of the afternoon drinking hot cocoa at the lodge.

My friend, Renee, flew in that afternoon.  The three of us had plenty of good conversations about the people we were dating.  We ended up going out for a fancy dinner at Park City and then out for drinks.  We spent the next two days skiing, enjoying the beautiful scenery, and having good conversation.  Next year, we are hoping to return during Sundance.

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A few weeks after skiing, I had a sun-filled vacation to Big Island, Hawaii, otherwise known as Kona, where the Hawaii Ironman takes place.  I was there for four days for my friend Lillian Kuo’s wedding.

Scuba-diving with dolphins…saw a ton of colorful fish around the reef.  Heard a giant whale was nearby but didn’t see it.  Saw three turtles around the reef.  and a baby octupus that was very shy.

The wedding was held on the west side of the island with gorgeous sunsets at the Fairmont Orchid.  Right before the wedding, a humpback whale decided to float its tail to the surface a couple times.  The wedding was fun and it was good to connect with some HK friends from ten years ago. 

After the wedding, I spent a day venturing the east side and hiked in a crater of the largest active volcano in the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.  It was eerie to hike in a dormant crater knowing that lava was 200 feet below and that steam from the lava was escaping the cracks.  It also amazes me that nearly the entire national park was created by lava for several centuries.  The last photo, where I’m promoting Jeff’s company AIS, shows the steam coming from the active volcano.

As you can see in the photos, the place needed a ton of work: concrete floors (since the wood floors were warped), dry-wall (not primed or pained), no electrical finishings,  lots of carpentry work required including baseboards, door frames and ceiling patchups.

However, the place had two amazing aspects: floor to ceiling windows throughout and a 600 sq foot private rooftop deck.  With a carefully thought-out rehab and interior design, I knew my next home would be a gold mine waiting to be uncovered.

I acted as my own general contractor and worked with four subcontrators and a designer.  Fortunately for me, my new place is four blocks from my office.  I picked out gorgeous Brazilian Cherry hardwood floors,  paint themes across all the rooms, and added new electrical and sound system through most of the house.  I was fortunate to have a great carpenter that helped me take care of all the details, like baseboards and door trim.  In fact all my contractors were fantastic.  Since I self-managed this process, I was able to finish all the repairs in 6 weeks. 

Once the construction was done,  I moved in and pretty much bought new furniture throughout. 

I was fortunate to not have to spend much money on the kitchen and I was able to keep the island intact which saved me about $10k.  Add a couple modern bar stools and the kitchen area looks fabulous.  The living room contains a couple of swivel chairs that I picked out from Room and Board.  Perfect for the room because they spin around 360 degrees and are low to the floor.   They are totally comfy and fits two people easily.  The designer couch was picked out by my designer from a Merchandise Mart sale.  She helped me negotiate a pretty good deal on it and it adds some curves and flair to the living room.  Add a modern lamp and table and room number 1 was complete.

Dining room furniture was pretty much re-used from my old place.  I will eventually change out the dining room table but not ready to spend there just yet.  Love the zebra print carpet.

I am pleased with the master bedroom.  The neutral colors give it a clean, pure look.  My designer liked the paintings and it took me a couple weeks to agree with her.  The red colors add some passion to the room.   The drapes were a nightmare because it was custom made so I will never recommend Boutique Hardware based in Lincoln Park on Clybourn.  They were late by two months and double the initially agreed to price.  I plan to add some custom closets and am keeping my private bathroom private.

The guest bedroom turned out great.  I kept the color patterns similar to the guest bathroom.  The guest bedroom art was designed by a friend of mine and brought over from my previous condo.  Funny story behind that; ask me and I’ll share it.

The previous owner upgraded my stairwell with gorgeous railings and copper designs.   My designer picked the wall colors and I think the green really brings out the beauty of the copper.

The stairs lead to a fantastic entertainment room which has 8 speakers.  I picked out the dark brown color and the lighting.  The furniture mostly comes from Room & Board and is perfect for entertaining. 

The 30 x 20 roofdeck is so unique in Chicago.  I’ve already bought some awesome furniture (winter sale) and I expect to be doing a lot of entertaining up there this coming summer.  Who wants to come over for a BBQ?

The past months of rehabbing have been super fun and sometimes hectic.  I’m excited to finish up my place (custom closets, modern roller shades, more roofdeck stuff).   I wonder Architectural Digest or Dwell would want to feature my place.     It has been nearly 10 years since I lived in a highrise (penthouse in Hong Kong) so I think I’m going to enjoy this one and exploring the new neighborhood

I’m happy and sad to say that after ten years I am retiring my Pathfinder, supporting a greener world, and taking advantage of “Cash for Clunkers.”  Before I give my thoughts on this Government Economic Stimulus program, I’ve got to say a few words about my experiences with my Pathfinder (nostalgia settling in).  In the past ten years, I’ve put on 106,000 miles…Yes, my mileage is about to hit 209,000.    When I shut the doors of my venture backed start-up in 2001, I packed everything up in my Pathfinder and headed back to the Midwest.  My car has survived a summer in Las Vegas (110 degrees) and a bunch of winters in Chicago (snow, ice, and salt).  We have traveled together to and from about 20 triathlons including Ironman 2007 in Louisville.    Both my car and I barely survived Ironman (read my first Blog about my Ironman experience), I ended up paying $900 for a new drum brake in Louisville so that my father and I could drive back to Chicago.  Besides quarterly oil changes and a new set of tires, I’ve only had a couple of maintenance issues including a new clutch and the drum brake repair for a total of about $1,500.   A year ago, someone hit my passenger door so I received a $1,200 insurance check but I opted not to repair it and kept the money which basically cancels out the costs of my repairs.

However, I plan to take advantage of the Cash for Clunkers program so I can receive a $4,500 cash rebate on my Pathfinder.  Based on my math, I spent $5,500 in 1999 and will receive $4,500 rebate.  When you factor in repairs and the $1,000 of depreciation, I probably spent an average of $130 per year the past 10 years, or about $11/month.  WHAT A DEAL!

So I plan on trading in my Pathfinder next week for a 2010 Toyota Prius, which seems to be every car magazine’s “Green Car of the Year.”  I’m trading in a 9 mpg SUV for a 50 mpg Hybrid so I feel pretty good about its low CO2 output.  The 2010 Toyota Prius is in super high demand; I called 8 Toyota dealerships and no one has any inventory (new 2010 model came out last month coupled with Cash for Clunkers demand) so I am paying MSRP to secure one that is estimated to arrive this weekend. 

I’m a free-market capitalist and not a fan of all the artificial spending by Big Government to “stimulate the economy.”  And since I’ll surely be paying for all increased government spending via higher income taxes in the very near future, I am happy to say that I’m taking direct advantage of the one of the programs.  The government will be giving me $4,500 to trade in my clunker for a “green” car.  I’ll be saving $3,750 (since the value of the Pathfinder is about $750) but in reality I am spending about $21,000 since the Prius’ MSRP is about $25,000.  Without this program, I would not be buying a new car so the $21,000 would be sitting in my bank collecting 1% interest.  Lots of people will be getting a piece of my spending.   Sales tax of 9.2% would be about $2k to Chicago.  The American Toyota dealer will make about $2,500 of which the sales agent will receive about $750 in commission.  The dealer will have to pay corporate taxes and the agent would pay income tax. 

Given our economy and the government’s use of fiscal stimulus, I’m in favor of the Senate approving the additional $2 billion in spending.  Here is why:

The program is working much better than expected.  The first billion was gone in about a week as consumers poured into auto dealer showrooms (250,000 consumer purchases).  It has almost become a national pastime and a topic of everyday conversation.  After a dismal year of economic news, people  are excited about “spending” money.  Everyone knows the Big 3 need major restructuring and Detroit’s and Michigan’s economies are in the pits, yet it is a fact that Americans love their cars and that cars are one of the highest consumer dollar purchases.  Well, this particular fiscal stimulus results in a high dollar consumer purchase instead of simply being a welfare transfer program.

Car companies recently reported higher than expected sales for the month of July and they are increasing production.  This could mean better employment.  Of the top 10 new car purchases, only one, the Prius, is manufactureed overseas.  The others including the Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Dodge Caliber, and Chevy Cobalt are manufactured in the US…i.e. more jobs.  Not only are new cars being sold, it seems that used car prices are also sustantially up year over year as those that can’t afford brand new cars are buying used cars.

Besides increasing tax revenue and boosting the auto industry, other benefits of the program: 1) Americans are buying new vehicles that average 9 mpg better than their trade in clunkers thus reducing US dependence on foreign oil, 2) Besides reducing gasoline consumption, the new vehicles have better anti-pollution equipment thus lowering harmful emissions significantly so less pollution, 3) Americans are saving more, about $800 annually assuming 12,000 miles per year and a 9 mpg improvement and $2.75 per gallon.

The House approved an additional $2 billion with a vote of 316 to 109 a week ago.  Come on Senate why are you taking so long?  We have already poured $64 billion in federal loan guarantees to GM and Chrysler and the TARP has budgeted $700 billion for the financial institutions (AIG and banks).

Though a little self-serving since I’d like to turn in my Clunker, it seems so obvious that the additional $2 billion should be approved.  Come on Senators help me out and approve the funds so I can be one of the 500,000 additional consumers to spend money in the economy.

BCS CHAMPIONSHIP

In January, my brother and I took my father to the BCS Championship game.  It was a surprise birthday surprise for his 70th.  We flew to Florida and spent a couple quality days together…just the boys.  We had huge steaks at a fancy steak restaurant and then enjoyed a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean from our hotel suite.   We passed the time by telling stories and playing cards. 

My dad is a huge OU Sooner’s football fan but he has never been to a game.    Unfortunately, the BCS Championship game location was a hostile environment for the Sooner fan base.  From our fine perch in the 3rd level hovering the 50 yard line, approximately 80% of the fans were wearing Gator colors.  In the end, Tim Tebow led his Gators over the heisman winner, Sam Bradford.   While the game was disappointing, the trip was once in a lifetime for my father, my brother, and I. 

SUPERBOWL

Less than a month later, I was in Florida for Super Bowl 43 to watch my Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Arizona Cardinals.  This time I went with my work family, OCA Ventures.  We were celebrating our Fund II final close and decided to wait until after the holiday season to celebrate.  We spent 3 days in Tampa and partied with the thousands of Steeler fans (6:1 Steeler to Cardinal fan ratio).  I didn’t actually go to the game because ticket prices surged before kickoff because of Steeler nation so most of my work colleagues didn’t want to pay the high prices.  I was torn about whether to sit in the stands by myself or go to a bar with my work colleagues.

It was an awesome game and a super finish.  As a lifelong Steeler fan, I was more than pleased with the outcome.  I probably could write on and on about the Steelers, perhaps another time.

NCAA Final Four

Two months later, I was in Kansas City for a work event.  That night, we went to the NCAA basketball hall of fame.  I competed in a 3 point game where you shoot as many 3 point shots as you can in 40 seconds.  I tried about 5 times and on my last time I made 13 out of 16 for 39 points; the second high score of the evening was 24 points.  Ironically, I got a call from my lawyer buddy, Al Liou, later that night.  Al and I met in Taiwan back in 1992; we spent the better part of that summer playing hoops. 

On a night in which I was at the college basketball hall of fame, my 3 point shooting buddy tells me that he has tickets to the Final Four in Detroit  the upcoming weekend and that he couldn’t go.  Al offered me the tickets so I called my brother up and he re-arranged his weekend as well so that we could go to Detroit to watch UNC, Villanova, Michigan St, and U Conn.  My brother and I both arrived on Saturday and watched a close game as the Spartans upset the Huskies.  In game 2, we snuck up close to the first level and watch NC defeat Nova pretty easily.

Not much to do in Detroit on our day off, we ended up finding a Bikram Yoga studio.  Monday night, we watched Roy William’s Tar Hills beat the local Michigan St team.  While the Spartans had 80% of the crowd, the Tar Hills was clearly the superior team.

NBA Championship Game 1

Fast forward to June and I have to thank my friend Al again.  He hooked me up with NBA Finals Game 1 tickets in LA…Lakers vs Magic.  It was pretty amazing to watch a determined Kobe Bryant score at will.   The Lakers took game 1 pretty easily.  It was cool to see all the stars…Jack Nicholson (in row 1 courtside), Billy Idol, Kevin Connolly of Entourage, and Randy Jackson of American Idol. 

It has only been 6 months into 2009  yet it has been a  year of championship highlights!

My observations (video):

1)  It was amazing to watch our fellows mix and mingle with business professionals, donors, board members.  One of the fellows told me that he had no idea how “big” this would be.  One of the donors commented to me how “well-spoken” our fellows are.  In the past two years, our fellows have gained a tremendous amount of self-confidence.

2)  Despite being in the worst recession in my lifetime, we surpassed our fundraising expectations substantially.  I think we have a magical equation = great mission and cause, coupled with amazing social leaders, and an active board reaching out to its network. Thanks so much for all the attendees and their generosity.

3)  Our live auction yielded over $100k…I believe the ROI of our auction leader was about 33X in 18 minutes

4)  We recognized my partner, John Dugan, for his contributions from the beginning.  John is an amazing person and mentor.  I especially enjoyed seeing seven of John’s O’Connor & Associates partners attend and support this cause.  It was nice to see a mini-reunion amongst partners.  It was a nice example of how work partners can be friends for life.

At this event,  our fellows from ACE Technical Charter HS, Corliss HS, and Southshore School of Entrepreneurship celebrated their entrance to college.  For those readers that haven’t heard about the success of our program, here are some of our cohort’s significant accomplishments: 

-100% of our Fellows has been accepted into college

-ACE Tech cohort improved its ACT scores by 30%, 4 points

-South Shore cohort improved its GPA by 40%, 2.21 to 3.08

-One of our students received the Gates Millennium Scholarship (full tuition to undergraduate and graduate studeis) and one became a Posse Scholar (full tuition leadership scholarship)

Fortunately, it was a chilly morning, 42 degrees, so we didn’t sweat too much. We started at 7 am and finished right before the high school football team was about to start practice. The entire climb lasted 2 hours and 38 minutes. I wonder if I made the Guinness Book of World Records. By the end, my quads and calves were burning and the event was a huge success.

Why 10,000 stairs?

Two new skyscrapers, currently under construction, will forever change Chicago’s famous skyline. The Trump Tower is estimated to rise 92 stories and 1,360 feet. The Chicago Spire will be 115 stories and 2,000 feet when completed. These two structures will stand amid the most famous of Chicago’s buildings, the John Hancock Center, the Aon Center, and the Sears Tower. Together, these five skyscrapers measure over 7,000 feet, 500 stories, and encompass approximately 10,000 stairs.

NICE PRESS:

http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/museums-culture/68800/any-volunteers

http://usempowered.blogspot.com/2008/10/climb-to-empower.html

Cousin reunion is a miniature version of our larger “X-mas family reunion.” It is a reason the older cousins to get together mid-year; it pretty much consists of two to three days of playing games, telling stories, and eating lots of food.   Now, X-mas reunion is a much larger production lasting 5 or 6 days.  In recent years,  30-35 family members get together.  The last 2 years (and this coming X-mas) have been held at Oceanside, CA . We rent a 5 bedroom house on the beach.  Except for an occasional meal at a restaurant or shopping at the outlet mall, the house tends to be the center point of the reunion.  At any given time throughout the day, you can expect a board game or a Ma-jong game to be going on.  There is always food on the center table.  When the sun is shining, family members are taking a walk on the beach or playing sand volleyball (there is a court in the backyard).  

My grandmother, Wai-po, passed away about a year ago.  She was the mother of the Hsia  family consisting 9 children, my uncles and aunts.   We miss her very much but the tradition will continue and her spirit will be with us forever.  I can go on and on about the Hsia family but I’ll save that for a different time.

I’ve attended Cousin reunion the past 7 years and X-mas reunion 36 out of 38 years!  Next year, I hope everyone will make it to my lakehouse in Indiana!