Joginder Madra's Place on the Web

Are You Kidding Me??

If I were a respected actor (Oscar winning) and director who wanted to be taken seriously as a musician, I would understandably want the focus of any radio interviews to be on my music and not my movies. If I were a douchebag I might sabotage an interview where the host had the gall to mention I had a career other than music. I would have to be a douchebag to do this because:

• I don't see the hypocrisy of performing as "Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters" while saying I don't want to draw attention to myself - Billy Bob Thornton
• I don't realize that no-name acts that have only been together for a couple of years do not usually get interviewed on nationally-syndicated radio shows. You also wouldn't see Dogstar play on the Tonight Show if Keanu Reeves wasn't the bassist...but I digress.
• I don't understand that while I may be a star in the acting world (and could conceivably expect special treatment) I am a nobody in the music world...hell I probably don't realize the host has played to bigger audiences and sold more albums than I have!
• Despite having no cred as a musician, I compare myself to Tom Petty as in "...you wouldn't ask Tom Petty that question would you?"
• I refuse to play with the band at the end of the interview giving some lame excuse about not hauling drums around at 6:00 am...despite the fact I am also the singer in the band
• While I say I want the focus to be on the band and not me, by being an ass and having a little temper tantrum I made the whole thing about me and not the band...I'm so sadly narcissistic I think this is Jian Gomeshi's fault...and if the "I cannot believe we are going through this again" sigh at 7:09 is any indication...this isn't the first time...

Version with subtext subtitles here

Three Months - 35,000 miles

Let's three...three months....35,000 status miles...a constant struggle to find something to watch on the in-flight entertainment system that I have not already watched...a chance to spread my hotel love around in Toronto (King Edward, Marriott Eaton Centre, Marriott Courtyard, Sutton Place, Suites at 1 King West and the Royal York). Each time I get off the plane at Pearson International, I wonder when HSBC is going to change their ad campaign - I get it...things can be perceived differently depending on where you stand and HSBC is diverse and worldly enough to understand this..but at least get some new pictures :-)

Life in T.O. is otherwise uneventful...my typical day goes something like this:

• 7:30 am - meet MvC for breakfast if I'm at the King Edward...otherwise consider getting out of bed at this time.
• 8:50 am - get off subway at Bloor/Yonge station...take wrong exit and walk the long way to the office
• Noonish - grab some lunch...usually Subway or Quasi Quasi
• 7:00 pm - grab dinner with MvC and/or JKB...usually at Richtree if we leave the decision up to JKB
• Midnight - catch the Daily Show
• 1:00 am - despite best intentions...watch TMZ before going to bed...feel dirty afterwards

Hongkong/Thailand vacation

Vacation time! Off to Hong Kong to visit with relatives and then some R&R in Thailand. Our Hong Kong itinerary:

• Dec 16 Flt AC233 from Edmonton to Vancouver
• Dec 16 Flt AC007 from Vancouver to Hong Kong
• Jan 6 Flt AC008 from Hong Kong to Vancouver
• Jan 6 Flt AC238 from Vancouver to Edmonton

We did discover that the International Air Canada Lounge doesn't open until 9:00 am and is significantly smaller than the Domestic Lounge. No matter, the international terminal is actually quite nice - we quite enjoyed checking out the aquarium. The flight to Hong Kong itself was quite nice - getting the upgrade to business class will do that I guess. The experience did ruin Charlene as I was discover later on in our trip.

Hong Kong itself was quite nice. It was the quite that family reunion:

• Mom and Dad
• Donald, Carla and Baby Alex
• Carla's parents
• Charlene and myself
• plus all of the Hong Kong relatives

The main point of the trip was to celebrate MK and Emily's 25th anniversary. That night was the first real opportunity for us to meet up with everyone. The kids had gotten so much bigger!

We stayed with Calcium an Imma this time. It a while for the security staff to recognize us (though apparently Charlene was easier to remember), but after a while we were able to come and go without too many hassles. We enjoyed staying at Calcium's...it was nice that there were pets for us to play with.

We were fortunate to visit during the holidays as it meant we were able to spend a lot of time with the relatives....lots of outings, including a group excursion to Macau. But first, it was time for a reunion gathering and posing for pictures. We all gathered at MK and Emily's for reunion pictures. When your mom is one of 13 kids, you know that there are going to be a lot of people. It was hours before all of the photos were done. Poor Hoyan got the most grief from the photographer...maybe that's why he looked like he wanted to kill someone :-)

Once in Macau, it was nice to revisit all of the usual sites like the Fort and the Church facade. An extra special treat this time was a visit with Dad's aunt who ran the coffee shop by the Fort. Of course, no trip to Macau would be complete without trying some almond cookies and beef or pork jerky. This trip also marked Charlene's food breaking point.

Soon our 13 days in Hong Kong had passed and it was time to head to Thailand. Our itinerary:

• Dec 27 Flt TG603 from Hong Kong to Bangkok
• Jan 4 Flt TG638 from Bangkok to Hong Kong

That's all we knew - when we were arriving and when we were leaving. All the in-between stuff was still to be decided though we had an idea of what we wanted to do. Once we landed in Bangkok, we decided to check out our flight options to Koh Phangnan as it was a place that Pat and Julie had recommended. Good thing we decided to do this right away as it soon became apparent that it was peak season and our travel options were very very limited. After quite a bit of scrambling, we were able to get flights in and out of Koh Samui as well as boat transfers to Koh Phangnan.

Bangkok was in a word - hectic. It's a much more modern city than one might expect and it was a major city with the vehicle traffic to match. Our first stop was at the Tavee Guest House. It was a nice, clean place that was a little removed from the travellers' hub.

We soon realized that we didn't care much for travelling around Bangkok at street level. It was crowded, crazy and every so often we would come across smells that one could call...um...interesting. For us, the better way to get around was by the fabulous river taxi system. The river itself was filthy, but the river taxis were a nice respite from all of the craziness.

life on the islands was bound to be more relaxing...though the start of our next leg was a bit sketchy. We weren't really sure how the whole transfer to from Koh Samui airport to Koh Phangnan was going to work. It turns out, we weren't the only ones. One of the companies running the transfer service clearly didn't know either as they dropped ourselves and (a little while later) a Russian girl off at some dive shop as opposed to the *big ass* ferry terminal about 20 km down the road. According to the people working at the dive shop, this was a common occurrence

Once we landed on the shores of Koh Phangnan, we were met by a driver from the hotel we were staying at. We didn't know much about the place as all of other places we tried to book were filled right up. When he told us to hop in the back of the pick up truck, we knew the ride up was going to be memorable. About 30 bumpy minutes later, we turned off the main road and headed off onto some unmarked and unpaved road. If you were the worrying sort, this is where you might worry about being led off to who-knows-where and getting robbed. Not us...and a few steep minutes later, we pulled up in front of our hotel.

The pictures on the Internet did not do this place justice. Even though the place was still under construction, it was clear that this was a very nice place to stay. The rooms were nice and airy and we had our own deck and a little pool that we shared with the unit next to us. The grounds, while unfinished, were clearly going to be spectacular. The staff really went out of their way to make our stay memorable. Noot, Sing and Oo really did make our stay at the Salad Buri Resort memorable.

And then there was the New Year's Eve gala dinner. We weren't particularly thrilled at the prospect of having to pay for the gala (it was a mandatory charge) if we were to stay at the Salad Buri. In the end, we figured that it would be a nice thing to attend...besides were were getting about 1/3 off the regular room rate because the place was still under construction. The morning of Dec 31 was pretty miserable..wind...rain. I was wondering what was going to happen to our outdoor gala. But sure enough, the weather lifted and every was ready when it was supposed to be ready. Kudos to the setup crew!

As we hadn't seen many others wandering around the grounds, we weren't sure how many people were actually staying at our resort. Well it turns out there were a lot! The gala was packed! The spread was amazing and our friend Sing was tending the bar and keeping the free drinks flowing. There were fire dancers, fireworks on the beach as well as lanterns that you could light and have float away. The lanterns floating away in the sky were an amazing sight...almost as amazing as the commotion caused by the firework that - instead of flying up into the air - decided to spin around the beach before exploding near us and sending a few tables scrambling for cover.

The process for heading back to Bangkok was a bit easier as we had a better understanding of what was going to happen. Still, there were some hiccups along the way. It turns out there was some sort of problem with our ferry so all of us passengers were transferred onto a smaller boat. This meant that our 25 minute trip was going to take a couple of hours. Surprisingly, it also meant a much rougher and more...um...interesting ride to Koh Samui.

For our last couple of days in Bangkok, we decided to leave the craziness behind and stay at the Marriott Resort in Bangkok. The place really was an oasis amidst all of the chaos. The service was also quite outstanding...as we would learn as I was completely laid out with some sort of fever - between running up with a thermometer, getting us ibuprofen, room service, etc. But despite what some people were thinking, I was not dying ;-).

A couple more days in Hong Kong...a couple of more gatherings and it was time to head home. Natie, Romy and my parents came with us to the airport to see us off. This time, no matter how much Charlene wanted it, we weren't going to be sitting in First Class...no more coupons...I was still coughing and hacking and I'm certain I still had a bit of a fever. However, I noticed that almost all of the passengers in economy were coughing or hacking at some point. It really was a bit of a cesspool back there. I'm actually surprised there aren't more communicable diseases spread on planes. After a bit of a delay in Vancouver (first our flight and then needing to wait to de-ice), we were finally back in Edmonton where Carla and Alex met us and gave us a ride home. I was happy to be back home and Charlene was not only happy to be home, she was itching to get back to work!

Partnership Meeting in Montreal

This time the Partnership for Information Standards held their conference in one of my favourite Canadian cities - Montreal. My itinerary:

• Oct 19 Flt AC8151 from Edmonton to Calgary
• Oct 19 Flt AC186 from Calgary to Montreal
• Oct 22 Flt AC1149 from Montreal to Ottawa
• Oct 22 Flt AC143 from Ottawa to Edmonton

I'll be staying at the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure.

Interesting partnership meeting as I spent most of my time with SCWG 2 and very little time with the Claims or Pharmacy groups. A few random thoughts from my time in Montreal:

• Some presentations still manage to polarize
• Eating in the dark can be interesting...and troubling - lines can be crosse
• My kingdom for a smoked meat sandwich from Schwartz's
• I can give up Coke...even though I love the fizz, the colour, the sweet sweet taste as it flows across my palat
• Sophia had an idea none of use even considered - who knew you could get smoked meat brisket to take home?

Who's booking up all the hotels in Toronto?

I don't know if it was a holdover from the Film Festival or what, but there were no rooms to be had (for a reasonable price - i.e. less than $800/night). Thankfully Louise and Monica came through for me. My itinerary this time:

• Sep 22 Flt AC1184 from Edmonton to Toronto
• Sep 25 Flt AC1179 from Toronto to Edmonton

No hotel this time...just a place to stay at Louise's Mom's. Not staying at a hotel meant we got to save a bit on travel costs, but it does mean that being connected is a bit harder. Luckily I was able to find some unsecured networks that I could use. Each evening did end up being a bit of a game...moving around the apartment...trying to get a strong enough signal to use. Yes, I know...it's kinda sad.

HL7 WGM in Vancouver

It's nice to get to an HL7 meeting outside of the US. My itinerary:

• Sep 14 Flt AC247 from Edmonton to Vancouver
• Sep 21 Flt AC8556 from Victoria to Calgary
• Sep 21 Flit AC8158 from Calbary to Edmonton

No more trekking across town from the host hotel...no sirree. I'll be staying at the Sheraton Wall Centre. Thoughts on the week:

• Is it campaigning when you go up to people and say, "...so are you going to vote for me?
• Much like dinner with Dan Akroyd, we dined with Owen Wilson
• I was a little suspicious of the fish being served at the Vancouver Aquarium for the social event...was it warning to the others?
• The visit to GPi World Headquarters was really nice. Michael and Marc really took good care of us
• I should have taken better care of my knee while wakeboarding...though I might have made out better than Louise
• Steve is probably still recovering from Charlene screaming in his ear

August in Toronto

Seems like I spent the entire month of August in Toronto. If it didn't before, travel on Air Canada really did seem like taking a bus...though I won't complain...flying with a flight pass does make for a more flexible and comfortable trip. My flights:

• Aug 4 Flt AC178 from Edmonton to Toronto
• Aug 8 Flt AC1161 from Toronto to Edmonton
• Aug 11 Flt AC1184 from Edmonton to Toronto
• Aug 14 Flt AC1161 from Toronto to Edmonto
• Aug 18 Flt AC1184 from Edmonton to Toronto
• Aug 21 Flt AC159 from Toronto to Edmonton
• Aug 25 Flt AC1184 from Edmonton to Toronto
• Aug 28 Flt AC159 from Toronto to Edmonton

All stays at the Toronto Marriott Eaton Centre. Random thoughts:

• It's still surprising who you meet on the streets...even when it makes perfect sense
• It was really nice to catch up with Krista over Japanese food. If only she'd stop breaking her mother's heart :-)
• I've stayed a time or two at Marriott hotels, but I was still surprised when one of my rooms turned out to be a hospitality suite...that thing was so ridiculously large!
• Mr. R. Scott sounds a lot like Mr. Arscott
• The NFL game in Toronto was a pretty big deal with street parties and tailgates the *day before* the actual game...still wouldn't shell out the money to see a preseason game though

Edmonton Folk Music Festival

Another year, another trip to Gallagher Park for the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. This time though, the trip was a bit farther as we no longer live in the neighbourhood. Random thoughts on the weekend:

• Missed Thursday as I was still in Toronto and missed a chunk of Friday returning the rental...grrrrr
• Laura must have been transporting dead bodies with that tarp of hers. I swear at least 10 people passed out aroud me when I opened up the tarp.
• Witnessed perhaps the greatest workshop ever when Broken Social Scene, Serena Ryder and Royal Wood made up a song on the spot.
• A Folk Festival without harrowing weather just doesn't seem right
• I thoroughly enjoyed getting out of the heat and eating Earl and Marilyne's food
• Another Folk Fest and another Leslie sighting
• Who the hell ate my cousin?
• Notable acts: Broken Social Scene, Royal Wood, Serena Ryder, Andy McKee, Colin Hay, Michael Franti and Chris Isaak

Tanya and Chris's Wedding

July 18 to 20 - Tanya and Chris's wedding in Toronto. It's always good to be able to tie in some fun with some business. Our itinerary:

• July 17 Flt AC154 from Edmonton to Toronto
• July 20 Flt AC127 from Toronto to Edmonton

This time, we're staying at the Cambridge Suites. Spent Friday in meetings, but we were able to meet up with Carl for dinner and some Batman. We got tickets for the 11:15 pm show and started lining up a bit before 10:00 pm. I think the line-up experience was a bit new for Charlene (who secretly wanted to be there despite all of her protesting). Good to see some people in costume, but I didn't get the guy dressed up all in red. I was secretly hoping to see some guy in a costume that had nothing to do with Batman at all....kinda like the guy showing up at about 4 minutes into this classic video.

Saturday was the wedding itself and it was very nice to hang with some of Charlene's McGill friends. Somehow, we kept going back to what our wedding was like.

Sunday was breakfast with Jackie before heading back home. The return flight was nice as we won the "Air Canada Lottery".

Back in the Saddle

There are certain advantages to having friends working in certain industries (getting good deals on stuff). There are also certain disadvantages (getting good deals on stuff). For a couple of years now, Gary has been trying to entice me back into the motorized, two- wheel world. Now that Charlene has her motorcycle license, it seemed to be a good time to get back in the game. Off to the local Honda Powerhouse to start gearing up. She tested out the little CBR and I got to rediscover my skills on a Honda Shadow (just prepped...0km on the dial). Then it was time to try the CBR.

It was a hoot! A tiny little engine, but the bike's performance was impressive considering it's small displacement. Acceleration was pretty zippy...not neck-snapping zippy like a 600 cc or 750cc sport bike, but adequate for city riding. Gets up to 85km/h pretty quick. Acceleration at 100km/h and above is - as expected - much slower. Can't beat the price (less than a scooter), the fuel economy (estimated 100 mpg) or the fun factor. I suspect I'll have more fun zipping around for the summer on the bike than I would driving.

After visiting a number of dealers with Charlene, I'm really amazed that so few will allow you to try a bike prior to buying (unless you happen to catch their demo day in May). Who would buy a car without test driving it? I think it's absolutely critical to try out a motorcycle before buying one as each make and model has their own fit and handling characteristics. You just can't tell what riding a bike will be like by sitting on it in the showroom. This is where I think the powerhouse dealers have an advantage...if it wasn't for a Honda Canada ride, Charlene wouldn't have become "sport bike girl".

Jasper

Tia's in town and that means a trip to the mountains...at least it did this time. Since it was during the work week we had to stay at a place where I could hook up and do some work. It was interesting to actually stay at the JPL and not just pass through. Still love the Fairmont Fit proram. Some highlights:

• Despite what every one else seems to think, the Northface Pizza vs. Jasper Pizza debate has not been settled
• Maligne Canyon is still spectacular in the winter
• It was really nice to meet Tia's cousin for dinner
• You haven't experienced the internet until you've stumbled upon YouTube

Spring 2008 Partnership

Apr 7 to 9 - Spring Partnership Meeting in Toronto. My itinerary:

• Apr 6 Flt AC126 from Edmonton to Toronto
• Apr 9 Flt AC1157 from Toronto to Edmonton

Ths time I'm staying at the Marriott Eaton Centre. Caught a couple of movies on the plan that I've been meaning to see. I really enjoyed Juno, though I agree with those that thought the dialogue was a little too precious in the first 15 minutes or so. I find that Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino are guilty of this as well. Thankfully it subsided as the movie went on. August Rush was shamelessly sentimental, but it was so skillfully crafted and the performances so good that it didn't matter. I figure if you didn't like it, you don't like warm cookies or new-born puppies either. Those that faulted it for being unrealistic simply missed the whole point of the movie.

The social event at this conference was a visit to the Sky Dome to watch Toronto vs. Oakland. It definitely wasn't a pitcher's duel...that's for sure. Oddly enough, I met the Quebecois TdJ...

Some other random thoughts:

• The ability to connect my laptop to TV was something I really appreciated
• It seemed that people on Rogers had trouble with their cell phone reception. No issues with Telus...weir
• Loving the Telus Visual Voicemail.
• It was really good to see successes celebrated at this conference

Man, that's a lot of movies...

Just checked...over 850 movies. And those are just the ones I remembered to rate...Maybe I need to get out more ;-)

Off to Saskatchewan

Eater Weekend and time for a road trip. Off to Saskatchewan...again. This time we packed upthe dog and drove toward Zealandia to visit Carrie, Al and their kids Payton and Riland. Instead of taking the more usual drive through Lloydminster and the Battlefords, we took a more scenic route using Highways 13 and 14 through Provost. Some random thoughts:

• Time on the farm always seems to do Charlene good
• There were an astonished 9 girls for every guy at the Saskatoon Hot Rod Show...really...ok, not really
• While, durum climbing was pretty fun, durum gum worked pretty good but wasn't that flavourful
• What does it mean when a 4-year old kid pats you on the stomach and walks away?
• I've gotta get me a remote controlled helicopter
• My ringtone idea might just have some traction

Back in Burnaby

Feb 18 to 20 - Panorama Outbreak workshop in Burnaby:

• Feb 18 Flt AC235 from Edmonton to Vancouver
• Feb 20 Flt AC246 from Vancouver to Edmonton

Once again, I'll be staying at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown. Weren't sure we were going to make our landing in Vancouver due to weather. The pilot mentioned the possibility of landing in Victoria if the weather was not good. I looked out the window and all I could see were mountains and clouds...barely any land. I guess we decided to go for it, but that was probably the hardest landing I've experienced in a while...my guess is that the ground snuck up on the plane a bit.

The return flight was fairly uneventful...listened to a podcast, watch an episode of "The Office" and played a bit on the PSP. As we made our approach into Edmonton, I packed everything up, skipped the luggage area (as I only had carry-on) and popped into a cab to go home...but I left the PSP in the seat pocket...crap. Hopefully Air Canada's lost and found will come through...

Vancouver...or Burnaby?

Feb 11 to 15 - Panorama Outbreak workshop in Burnaby:

• Feb 11 Flt AC235 from Edmonton to Vancouver
• Feb 15 Flt AC244 from Vancouver to Edmonton

I'll be staying at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown. These meetings at the IBM Pacific Development Centre are always a bit strange for me. My connection to the outside world never quite works, there's not a lot of food choices for lunch and it always seems to be a struggle to arrange for taxi service.

On the flight over, I noticed my jeans felt a bit breezier than usual...will need to get a replacement pair, but where? I was probably two days in before I realized there was this massive shopping mall right across the street from the hotel. How did I miss it? Not sure, but I'm guessing tunnel vision.

It's also the first time in a long time that I saw any sort of confrontation on the plane. My seatmate had quite a row with the person in front of her...with him leaning back...her pushing his seat forward...him slamming his seat back...her pushing harder forward...what are you two...8 years old?

Managed to get on an earlier flight home, but that flight was delayed (of course). Could have kept my seat on the other flight and got in at about the same time...oh well..

The Suite Life - revisited

Once again, we succeeded in our quest to support the United Way. This time we get to see Edmonton play the New York Islanders from the sky suite. Good game. A few rarities on this particular evening:

• Four goals for the Oilers
• A shutout for the Oilers
• A regulation time win

I can't believe that after all these years people are still booing Mike Comrie...time to get over it don't you think? Besides, you would have thought that Chris Pronger would have taken all the heat off of Mike Comrie.

Family Vacation Time!

Dec 15 to 22 - The first family Vacation in years. Destination - Puerto Vallarta...more specifically, the Riu Vallarta. Our first foray into the world of all-inclusive living. I was pleasantly surprised by the flight out on Air Transat...and I had plenty of time to catch up my episodes of Entourage and Weeds. Some highlights and random thoughts:

• Being away during what is usually the busiest time of the holiday was a little weird. Relaxing, but weird nonetheless
• We loved the trip out to see Rhythms of the Night. Found out what Diana has been calling me is *very* hilarious in spanish. I'll have to speak to her about that the next time I see her.
• Zip-lining was a lot of fun. Charlene was the tour guide's favourite. Apparently a guest like her doesn't come along very often.
• We found a nice little french restaurant in PV when we needed to get away from all-inclusive eating
• Didn't head out to Sayulita, but I did catch up on my boogie boarding
• Of course, we had to cram one week's worth of Christmas prep into 40 hours after we got back home, but the mission was accomplished...bags of perogies, 20lb turkey and a Christmas tree were acquired.
• We were a bit disappointed that the renos weren't further along, but we were amused when we heard our housesitter pulled a muscle Wii-boxing...

A Quick Little Trip to Victoria?

Dec 3 to 4. Destination: Victoria.

• Dec 3 Flt AC241 from Edmonton to Vancouver
• Dec 3 Flt AC8067 from Vancouver to Victoria
• Dec 4 Flt AC8088 from Victoria to Vancouver
• Dec 4 Flt AC246 from Vancouver to Edmonton

It seemed easy enough...Fly in on Monday...Meet with MvC...get back to the hotel and catch the Patriots-Ravens game on TV. Meet with the BC-folk the next day and fly home. That was the plan. Alas, things do not always go as planned. My flight out of Edmonton was delayed for about an hour and then another hour once we boarded for de-icing. This caused me to miss my original flight to Victoria. Once I landed in Vancouver, I found out that the next flight to Victoria was cancelled and I would have to try to find my way on the one after that. The line up at the airport wasn't looking very good, so I called the super-secret AC Elite number to see what they could do. Well, I got a standy ticket...one of 150-some-odd standy passengers for a little Dash 8. With frequent flyers given priority, I was able to get on. Not long after settling in, we all had to leave the plane. Apparently someone backed a truck into the plane...back to the waiting area. We finally got another plane - but not before the merits of bussing everybody out and across on the ferry was considered.

Back home was a little better. This time, only my original flight out of Victoria was cancelled...no problem...I got on the next one. But apparently, the gate agent also cancelled my spot on the Vancouver Edmonton flight as she didn't think I would make it. Well, we made it on time but now I had no confirmed seat on the Edmonton flight...sigh...after some sweet talking, I found myself on my originally-scheduled Vancouver to Edmonton flight. My luggage would make it home one day later.

I did learn that it is possible to send a text message to a land line.

The Big Move

The day finally came...time to move on out. Goodbye Cloverdale, Hello Rio Terrace. Moved the office on the weekend of Nov 17. Moved everything else Nov 24. Still can't reconcile how someone so little...living in such a little place could have so much stuff. And this was *after* Marilyn had went through pruned Charlene's stuff.

Thank goodness we had a good supply of free labour. We'll have to thank our help more appropriately once the renos are done.