The Greening of Aberdeen

Tuesday evening in Aberdeen I had a little walk about. That’s when I found the neighborhood store to get my junk food dinner (see below).

I saw a lot of other stuff too. One of the more interesting things about Aberdeen are the houses. Most private residents are constructed with granite. There are even streets paved with granite. Why? Because It is readily available and very strong. I’ve been told by the locals that the gray color on most of the buildings and some streets around town with only a few hours of sunlight in winter and what sunshine is available reflecting off gray, gray and more gray is somewhat depressing.

Aberdeen and the rest of the United Kingdom are also getting very green. They already have small uncomfortable fuel efficient cars but now you see solar panels, water saving bathroom fixtures, and passive heating systems. The office building we visited was new and had many energy efficient aspects designed into the building. The building has room for 900 workers and only 300 space in the parking lot. Most workers ride the bus.

As an outsider looking in I think I discovered a energy source that the Aberdeenians are missing. I think that in each of those granite houses there is enough NORM* in the granite blocks to light up the house and it's inhabitants.

* Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material.

My last meal in Aberdeen, UK

Anyone can eat the local fare and I have tried a few things. Last night I had a British staple, Fish & Chips with mushy peas. I’ve passed on the haggis and blood pudding. I have discovered that there is a much larger selection of “chips” or crisps as they call them here. They have plain potato “crisp” although they are not too easy to find but for lunch I had broasted chicken flavored crisps. They also have Doritos with all kinds of pepper flavoring.

I went for a walk just before sundown and came upon a small neighborhood market and decided to select local junk food for dinner. Here are my selections. 1) Diet Coke, bottle in Scotland, 2) a snicker bar, packaged in Edinburgh,3) a chicken salad sandwich, made by the in store staff, but my greatest find was 4) Kettle chips with Sea Salt and Crushed Peppercorns. Mmmmmmmmmmm---Good

Tree Top Hilton – Aberdeen, UK

I like the people that work at this hotel, there nice and attentive to your needs and always smile but if I ever come back I think I’ll stay somewhere else. I stayed here about three years ago and it was my first trip to Aberdeen and it was a charming place but now it’s just old. I think it must have been a private mansion at one time and then it was converted to a hotel and rooms were added and added and added. There are long dark halls, fire doors and fire extinguishers everywhere.

On Monday afternoon they have fire drills. Do they know something I don’t? Yes I think it is a fire trap. I’ll be leaving in the morning. Yes, I’ll miss Clara the desk clerk, Edwardo, the bellman and Anyah the Russian waitress in the restaurant, but I shall not return. I look forward a few modern conveniences like a shower bigger than my travel trailer shower. There are two things that I will not be able to find in hotel this side of the Atlantic and it’s a common problem. That is ice and A/C. The A/C is not necessary in Aberdeen and ice? I guess when you have two seasons, winter and July ice is the last thing you want to see.

Lament of a Business Traveler

I always arrive early at the airport. I don’t want a 9 car pileup on the Katy freeway ruin a trip that took months just to plan the logistics alone. Upon arrival I learn that my flight to London Heathrow airport had been delayed by 40 minutes. That’s OK, I have a two hour layover before my plane leaves leaves London for Aberdeen and a 10 hour flight can easily make up an hour. We finally get a board and we wait, and wait, and wait. Then the captain comes on and says, “Houston, we have a problem”. We have a hydraulic pump not running and normally with multiple redundancies that would be OK, but one of the backup pumps is not running either. So we wait some more. Later comes on and says “we’re ready to go”. Then we get in the 9 plane traffic jam getting to a suitable runway.

On many flights there is a video screen that tracks the plane progress, altitude, speed, and estimated time of arrival. As woke up from my 3 hours nap that is supposed to represent my Saturday night’s sleep and it's was obvious that we have made up little or no time. I checked the itinerary and deduced that we had 1 hour from touchdown to takeoff on the next flight. Sounds like a lot of time but as aliens entering a foreign country we had to go through the British Passport control and another security check.

Surprisingly at this major international airport the plane stopped and they drove a stairway up to this jumbo jet and off loaded us onto busses.

To rush through customs, immigration and security has its own peril. Last month when I was is Singapore I was in a rush trying to catch up with my group and got hung up because I could not remember the Hotel I was staying in. My secret weapon, smile a lot. We made it to a Aberdeen plane just before they shut the door, sat down and waited for a half an hour on the tarmac.
We did make to the Aberdeen Hilton just in time to find out our rooms were not ready.

So if anyone wants to know what I saw in London, it wasn’t Big Ben or Buckingham Palace. All I saw was the inside of this bus.

Singapore Flyer

Singapore is a beautiful city/state. I’ve been to other far eastern countries and my 6’3” large frame stood out among the Asian people. Singapore is Asian but it is Indian, and British and many other nationalities so I don’t stand out too much until I open my mouth. It is an expensive city to live in but it is growing to max out its 275 square miles of land. It is a modern city. There are lots of new hotels, transportations and entertainment projects under construction. One that can’t be missed as you drive around is the Singapore Flyer, reported to be the world’s largest giant observation wheel. At 165 meters (541 feet) it is almost three times taller that the Texas Star in Dallas which stands at 65 meters (213 feet). When anything outside of Texas claims to be the “Biggest” anything I feel obligated to check it out. It was a mere 10 minute walk from my hotel so myself and two of my colleagues that convinced that this was important thing to do went along with me. As we approached the base of the wheel it was obvious that this was not the Farris wheel I first rode at the first goat roping and county fair that I went to as a young Texan. The cars had room for 30 people, or enough room for a dinner party of 20 and it was air conditioned. As near as I could tell (count) there were 25 cars. It was a slow ride. It was slow enough that you walked on the car and the wheel never stopped and about 30 minutes later you walked off. As you went around the wheel to could get a good view of the city, the harbor, the new hotels going up and the construct site for a new theme park.

Is it truly bigger than the Texas Star? Maybe they made a mistake in converting meters to feet or something.

An Affront to the National Dish of Texas

Tonight at the Singapore waterfront I was at the scene of a crime. It seems that the most popular seafood dish in Singapore is a crab the size of a dinner plate covered to what is reported to be chili. One of my colleagues and fellow Texan Bill of Plainview put forth the theory that the mud crabs smelled so bad that they had to something to cover it up to make it more palatable. To further support the “odor” theory the next crab that hit the table was the “Chili” crabs first cousin the “peppered” crab. It had so much pepper on it that it looked like it survived the Valdez oil spill only to be missed by the PETA wash crew.
…and to top it all off! I got chili on the front of my shirt.

Singapore Airlines

We left Houston at 6:00 PM and arrived at LAX about 8:00 PM California time. All that was left was the 18 hour leg to Singapore. As we boarded it was obvious to our group of seasoned travelers that this was a new Singapore Airline plane. I’m not sure what kind it was but it was big. The entire “ship” was business/first class and the seating was new to me. I basically had a “cube” to myself. All window seats were singles seats and the center had two seats in the “cube”. One of the struggles with international travel is the inability to get any sleep at all, but these seats made out into completely flat beds. These beds are not nearly as comfortable as your own bed at home but so much better than I’ve ever seen on a plane. (I’ve never been on Air Force One.) How much did I sleep in 18 hours? About 5 hours. But I did see the new Star Trek movie and 3 chick flicks. I enjoyed them all.

What did I forget?

It’s time to dust off the passport and hit the rode. When traveling around the US if you forget to pack your socks you can just go to Wal-Mart and pick some up but when traveling to Singapore you better have what you need. Of course they sell lots of stuff in Singapore but if you’re looking for a 2X Tall shirt there are not very many 2X or Tall folks there. Did I remember my cell charger? How about the adapter to the Singapore 220 volts outlet that is standard there? I’ll only be gone a week but the stuff I’m packing makes me think I’m packing for a month.
I’m leaving my house at 3:00 PM and I’ll spend 2 hours in the Houston airport, 3.5 hours in the air to LAX, 2 hours in LAX and 17.5 hours in the air to Singapore arriving at 5:35 AM Monday in Singapore. Total hours 23.
Then I get to go to work. (Tuesday morning) What fun. I’m home sick already.

Mission Galveston - My last day

My part of Mission Galveston is over. We got a lot done in the 4 houses that we worked in however they are not complete. Others coming in after us will do what they can do. There are still hundreds of homes that look fine on the outside but have no sheet rock on the walls. There are many sponsoring groups working in the Texas Gulf coast almost continuously since hurricane Rita. The group that we worked with was “Nehemiah’s Vision”. This group was started in Vidor, Texas to help rebuild New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast after hurricane Katrina (2005). Just a few weeks later hurricane Rita ripped through Southeast Texas including Vidor and Western Louisiana. Then there was Gustav and Ike (2008) their work has never stopped.

As for me I’m very sore. I used a lot of muscles I don’t normally use. I met and got to know a lot of people on my team. We worked all day, car pooled to the work sites and the entire team at our evening meal together. With distances and logistics our days started at 6:00 am and ended about 8:30 pm everyday so even blogging as been a challenge.

If you ever get the opportunity to do something like this, just do it.

Surprise in my Soup

I went from Pusan, Korea to Yantai, Provence China and our host worked very hard to impress us with good food. I was careful not to offend the extremely polite citizens of Korea and China during the time I was in their countries, but I had to draw the line at the multi legged creature I found in my soup. My colleague seated at my right was a vegetarian (I wanted to convert on the spot.) my colleague seated on my left ate his surprise whole, pretty brave for a Missourian who didn’t have to say “Show Me” because it was there staring at him.

As I weighed the possible offence to my guest before I made my decision, I decided that not eating the little marine animal would be less offensive than if he reappeared with the rest of my meal on the way back up.

After 26 hours of travel I’m back in Texas. Today at lunch I went out and had a Whataburger, with cheese and jalapeños. Texas is a very nice place to live.

The Korean People

I had hoped to take more pictures while in Korea but I've mostly been in Ship Yards during the day and doing paper work at night. The ship yards build everything from container ships to submarines. No pictures are allowed.

It is exciting to travel to different parts of the world but for me it is also part of my job. Not much site seeing.

I can tell you that the Korean People are the most gracious people I’ve ever met. This is a picture of the elevator attendant at the Lotte Hotel in Pusan. She is dressed in a traditional Korean dress. Tradition and structure is a mainstay in the Korean culture. They take a lot of pride in their work. For example our first social gaff in Korea was our attempt to tip the bell man for bring up our bag. That was a bad idea and embarrassed him terribly. The house keeping staff at the Samsung Hotel had their "motto" on their badge. It said, "Our Tip is our Pride in our work". They are paid for what they do and their pay is not dependant on tips. I like it. I wish it were like that in the US.

Tomorrow we leave for China and our last ship yard. I'm ready to come home to Texas

Global Plumbing

In my travels I have learned that plumbing, primarily bathroom facilities, come in different variations around the world. Sometimes language is a problem. When I was with a group of Americans at a Korean place of business there came a time when we had to ask where the “Facilities” were. So, what English word would you use to ask some Koreans with limited English language skills, "Where is the (fill in the blank)?" I’ll give you a hint “rest room” does not work. As a matter of fact I was visiting their onsite medical facility, basically a small hospital, and I saw a room with the words Rest Room on the door. So I stuck my head in and what did I see, a small room with a bed in it. That makes sense to me. So what English word do Koreans use to describe a small room with a toilet in it? I’m not telling, you will have to find out your self when you come to Korea.

Back at the hotel, it is always a challenge to try and figure out the shower controls without scalding yourself. Whatever you know about hot on the left, cold on the right, right is off, left is on, forget it. It may not be true. I just get in the shower, with my glasses on, and figure it out.

I’ve always been fortunate to visit countries with modern infrastructures; you know the basics, water, electricity, flush toilets etc. But my room in Korea had something I had not seen before. It had a toilet that had a control panel that looked like it belonged on a Maytag washing machine. I’ve seen toilets with a “washing system” but never one with an electronic control panel. Did I mention I was staying at the Samsung Hotel? It had buttons, lights and controls like “Water Temp”, “Wash”, and “Dry”. I can tell you that it is a nice alternative for "John Wayne" toilet paper. (Ruff, Tough, and doesn’t take nothing off anybody.)

I think my bathroom at home is due a remodel.

당신 좋아한다 그것을 가진 튀김을 하고자 했는가? (Would you like Fries with that?)

In the past ten months I done a lot of traveling, I’ve been to Akron, Ohio; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Oslo, Norway; Dubia, United Emirates; Posan, Korea; Ulsan, Korea and in a few days, Yantai, China.

In my travels I’ve gotten a good education. The first thing I already new but only on faith but now I know through experience that Texas is home.

The second thing that I learned was something I thought I knew then I found out I was wrong. If I were to ask you, “What is the most common food in the world?” you might have believed as I did that the correct answer is “Rice”.

In volume, rice probably is the most common food available in the world, but I have learned that most consistently available food around the world with very little variation is a Big Mac from McDonalds. I’ve seen the Golden Arches everywhere I’ve been and many times a Burger King nearby and occasionally a Pizza Hut.

Anyone that knows me knows that I have seldom darkened the door of a McDonalds. I don’t really like their burgers and if I’m going to eat a fast food hamburger it’s going to be a cheeseburger with jalapenos from Whataburger, that great burger chain based in Corpus Christi, Texas since 1952.

At home I’ve not been to a McDonalds in years but when I travel overseas I usually eat at McDonalds at least once. The reason I do is because when you are in a foreign land there is something about those golden arches and a Big Mac in a box that reminds me of home. Step into a McDonalds off a street in Ulsan, Korea and you will see the same signage and goofy cartoon characters that you would see in Anycity, U.S.A.

It is kind of sad that the U.S. exports to the world some of the unhealthiest food in the world, but then we have also developed and exported the latest technology in heart bypass surgery.

We’ve had a lot of experience in both areas.

Chopsticks

Our Korean host took us to fine Chinese Restaurant on the top floor of the Hyundai Department store in Ulsan, Korea. The table was finely set with white linens, small white teacup, a large spoon and a pair of chopsticks.

Our server came out and served steaming hot tea that was about the color of a brown chicken egg, just a little bit of brown color to it. It was almost too hot to drink but I drank it. Then out came a small bowl of what I would call “relish” but not finely chopped.

I’ve always been taught to use the right tool for job, don’t use a pipe wrench for a hammer (unless you just can’t resist), don’t use a screw driver for a pry bar, and don’t bring a knife to a gun fight. That said, I picked up my chopsticks attempted to eat my “relish” and although the young man sitting next to me was thoroughly entertained with my lack of chopstick skill, I thought I did well.

The next course was a bowl of “stuff” which contents was not fully known to me, except for some small shrimp. As I pick through the different bits and pieces with my chopsticks there were some black pieces that I could not pick up. I notice that my colleague, who had lived many years in the Far East, was not eating the black pieces, so I quit trying. We discussed each course in an educational sort of way and the conversations turned to the black pieces. I don’t remember the Korean name for the black pieces but I think loosely translated it means, “One who eats off the bottom of the fish bowl”. I don’t think that it was catfish.

The dishes, I think there were eight courses, became more difficult for me to manage with what I regarded as an improper tool, chopsticks, but I was pretty determined to complete the meal in a traditional manner. Sometime during the long meal I think my gracious Korean host must have signaled the server because she brought me a fork and a “Coke Light”.

It was a wonderful meal with new friends. Even with the language barrier we got to know each other much better.

End of a Long Day

When the call was made to board Continental Flight 7 non-stop from Houston to Tokyo, we all scurried down the ramp as if it were a one-hour flight to Dallas. It was as if we could not wait to sit down for the 13 hours. In the end, a dead end I might add, we could not wait to get off that plane.

The passengers of Flight 7 to Tokyo, was a unique mix of businessmen from the Far East and Texas good ole boys complete with gimmie hats. In a very small area of a very big Boeing 777 I saw one University of Texas cap, two Texas Tech University caps and one Acme seed cap. What are these guys doing on this plane? It’s not the Southwest Airline non-stop to Midland.

On the Boeing 777 if you removed the seats and the partitions it’s not quite big enough for a Rodeo but I do believe it could host a six-man football game between Penelope and Abbott.

I had an on time arrival in Tokyo and was exhausted. The realization that the day was far from over made my fatigue wear like a heavy lead coat, slowing every move. I have a four-hour layover and I’m trying to stay awake. I boarded Northwest Flight 6 to Pusan, Korea with a different mix of passengers. Asian businessmen, Korean citizens returning from Holiday, and teenage Korean girls returning home from a school event, this was what I expected when I left Houston. The seat next to me was empty until a group of Americans from a delayed flight out of Los Angeles boarded the plane. The passenger next to me had left Katy, Texas about the same time I had. He was also wearing a lead coat.

I arrived at the Pusan airport and as I was going through customs I came to the realization that in the general scheme of things in this world people come in all sizes…and I am a big guy.

The Pusan Lotte Hotel is very nice but all I want to see now is the insides of my eyelids.

…more later.

Schiphol, Texas

Another day, another airport. Leaving Dubai at midnight (Dubai time) and arriving at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam at 5:00 AM local time is a cruel joke of a nights sleep. KLM serves business class a meal after takeoff, lets you sleep about four hours, turns the lights on about an hour and a half before landing and starts serving breakfast. The good news is that in a mere five hours, the wheels will be up on KLM Flight 0661 non stop flight to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. With the magic of East - West air travel the 10.5 hour flight will only take 3 "clock" hours as we arrive in Houston a little after 1:00 in the afternoon. After passport and emigration checks and a long wait for luggage we leave the airport just in time for Houston rush hour traffic. Fortunately I'll be looking for a guy in a suit holding a sign that says, "TexasBob". Seeing that sign will make me happy! I may even give him a hug because he will drive me home and in just about 45 minutes to an hour I'll be HOME, drinking a cold Dr Pepper with the only decisions to ponder is whether to go right to bed or stay up and savor the moment.

TexasBob

Dubai in July

Could I say HOT! The temperature today was 115° F with a humidity of 95%. In that heat I spent several hours climbing all over a ship in Dubai “Drydocks World”. Yes that is what they call it and I have the tee shirt to prove it.

Dubai is the “Disney World” of the Middle East. The buildings are unbelievable. As I look across the skyline from my 28th floor hotel room in the “Jumeirah Emirates Tower” I can see 15 high-rise building under construction, many slated to be taller than this 50-story hotel. . I could probably see more if it were not for the “dirty sky” that looks like the sky in West Texas on a sandy, windy spring day.

The Jumeirah Emirates Tower hotel is the best I've ever stayed in. The rooms are large, the staff, which numbers in the hundreds, is attentive to every detail. Your wish is there command. No task too large or too small. You want it, they’ve got it.

...unless you want a cold Dr Pepper.

Road to Dubai

With our work finished in Oslo we had the afternoon open. It gave us a chance walk around the city. The weather has been picturesque and the street full with people enjoying all there is to enjoy in this beautiful city. Street musicians and living statues ply there trade for Kroners.

My colleague and I were discussing the sights we had seen and the rich food we had devoured in the past few days. At that moment we found ourselves in front of a McDonalds and promptly went inside and ordered a "Big Mac". I haven’t darkened the door of a McDonalds in years and didn't intend to on this day. But there was something "American" about it that attracted me. The casher had to do a double take and shift gears into English when she heard our American "draw".

Back at the hotel I entered the incredibly small elevator with a 10 year old boy. I noticed that he had on a pair of rubber sandals with "Batman" across the back strap. I said, "You have Batman shoes." trying to make a little conversation. He said, "No English, Fin" I said, "Batman shoes" trying to complete the connection. He said, "No 'Crocks'".

With our activities finished in Oslo, the morning brings another trip to the airport to board a plane to Dubai via Amsterdam.

I'm still looking for that Dr Pepper.

Texas Bob
On the road.

Boogie on the Foard

Last night everyone involved in our activites, about 20 of us, went out to eat at a sea food restaurant on the Oslo waterfront. It was a very fine meal we all enjoyed. We were all told where to sit in order to mix our company with theirs. I was seated next the only woman in the group. Did I tell you that most women in Norway are younger than me (how hard is that!) and blonde? She is a former history major turned lawyer. We discussed "History" from Eric the Red, a great Viking warrior, to the Battle of the Alamo.

After dinner we all walked the boardwalk on the water front. When the weather is this nice in Norway everyone is outside. At one point there was a large deck closer to the water and the music of 1950's rock and roll was playing loudly. More than a hundred couples were dancing the swing. It was a great sight. I wish I could have intoduced them to Bob Wills and Western swing. I think that they would have liked it.

We strolled about 6 blocks and the group began to breakup. Some of our host headed home, a few went in a bar to sample the local brew. It was still very light but approaching 10:00 PM so I elected to head back to hotel. As walked along I spotted a 7-11. The signage was the same as in the US. I stopped to see if I could find a Dr Pepper. I was not to be. I settled for Coke Zero.

I'm still looking for a Dr Pepper.

TexasBob
On the road in Oslo

Texas Bob in Oslo, Norway

Here I sit in a European hotel room. No A/C, bad TV, and funny bed clothes. Last night I ate an expensive piece of fish from the local waters. (Lots of Bones) It is cool here, so cool that I leave my room window open to keep cool. The only problem is that the trolley cars run right under my window. I woke up at 1:00 am only to discover that it was still reasonably light outside and there was a party going on somewhere.

It is all very interesting, but right now I just need a cold Dr Pepper

TexasBob
On the road

The Netherlands

I would never complain about a country that starts its name with “The”. There is boldness to it. No, it’s not Texas but it is where I find myself this week. The Netherlands is a friendly place visit, everyone here speaks English, although it’s not my English. Between their accents, my accent and me being generally hard of hearing communications can be a challenge. I have learned a few linguistic tricks. When you ask for water in a restaurant your server will say, “With or without gas.” A logical question when you think about it. What they mean is carbonated or non-carbonated water.

Most of my life my preferred beverage has been Dr Pepper. In later years, in order to keep my cute figure I have switched to Diet Dr Pepper. Dr Pepper in Europe? Forget about it. A good second choice is that global beverage from Atlanta, Coca Cola, better yet, a diet Coke. You can find them almost anywhere go in The Netherlands, but you have to know what to ask for. The correct request is, “Coke Light” please and they will bring you one. Did I mention that you still have to have a bottle opener?