Brown Motion

From North of Davidson to the South End.  'NoDa' as locale acronyms go to geographic markers for cities around the country. That was our domain this long weekend in America. We ate and ate and ate some more. What good is life if you cannot live in it to eat?  Our family motto! Last night was Korean inspired cuisine in south end of Charlotte at Bonchon. Shrimp Shumai Chicken Tacos (spicy) Pork sliders means 'my home' This AM was spicy chicken southern kind.. with pickles and a side of cheesy sweet potato dumplings. Place was Haberdash. juicy thighs! Later some strolling amid fall color and abundant sunshine inhaling CBD centric vapors all around.

 Among Carolina's many wonders are a multitude of water bodies. Some horizontal in the form of lakes, one we are lucky to live by and some vertical in nature. The latter was what was on this Thanksgiving day agenda.  We drove north some 100 miles to witness a 200 foot long cascade flowing down a million year old granite face. Not huge in terms of gross tonnage it makes up for in its sheer tranquil surrounds and a gurgling that can lull you to sleep.  It is a steep hike down the hill made easy by our state funding the wooden stairs to take customers down gradually and safely. Stone Mountain State Park is on the south fringe of the Blue Ridge Mountains that run up the spine of Virginia State.  Our visit was on a day when roads are largely empty and so are the parks.  There were some families making most of the wonderful fall day but it was largely quiet and picture perfect. cascade at Stone Mountain We then traveled south to see a former mill town called Wilkesbor...

 So say today's headlines in America's business newspapers or journals or channels.  The headline refers to Bob Iger making a comeback as CEO of the venerated consumer brand Disney.  He ran that company in the chief role for a decade or so if I remember till Covid hit. Then wrote a book about leadership or some mumbo jumbo and blabbed about never going back to that role ever! Also on the way out hand picked a successor.. as far as succession plans go.  Coincidentally another Bob.  This version without any hair on his dome.  Supposedly a veteran at entertainment.  Two years after. Gone. And Iger is back baby.  Florida does that to people?  Remember Brady?  When Robert becomes a Bob is another question nagging me for sometime now but let me try and focus. This hilarious premise of making returns does tickle my funny bone or scratch where I itch. See, America was my first hand experience in the idea that customer is indeed king. This when y...

 This weekend kicks off with attending a jam session with local musicians in Charlotte area. The instruments being used are percussion. Specifically the West African originals called Djembe. Much similar in sound to dholaks of India or bongos or large drums these are made by a hide stretched over a specific type of wood shell' a log that is turned into large goblet shapes. These are people from various day job/ profession that come to my neighborhood club and just hit it for a couple hours.. form of meditation for some.. similar vibe to a Durga Puja ambience with its rhythmic dancing along with with Dhaak drums in eastern India. Below some pictures of the instrument and the way they are used. Reminded me of an old Richard Jenkins film called 'The Visitor' about an African immigrant who plays this drum. It was a fun hour of rocking to some serious vibrations.

 Title might suggest a blog for a local school in the Denver, CO area. It is about anything but. A recent work visit took me back to this city located a mile above sea level at the foothills of the Rockies. Named after a 19th century Governor of the Kansas Territory, James Denver, which included the land mass we know today as Denver. Denver is now a fairly large metro area and state capital of Colorado. Not many American capital cities are as prominent. Atlanta, Santa Fe, Honolulu are some of the other exceptions. This visit happened as fall was giving way to the onset of winter. Evidence was felt in the mercury barely making it past the high 40s by mid day and a chilling wind would often accompany the deceptive sunshine. That said, it was a worthwhile adventure. I got to visit with a former colleague from my days in San Francisco. She seemed to have adjusted after moving herself to this weed infused rarified atmosphere from the sea level breezy locale she was accustomed to. W...