My last week in LA... just wrapping up on some work during the day (I've been working at our family firm since coming back) and packing my things to be shipped out.  For some odd reason, I've been experiencing the lowest energy I've felt in a while.  I thought I would be pretty excited about my move; perhaps the trip to the Bay Area was more exhausting than expected.  For the remainder of the week, I'm going to catch up with a few friends and spend some time with grandparents.

On a separate note, I've been able to catch up on a few DVDs through Netflix.  One particular movie, 21 Grams, was quite good, but awfully depressing.  It stars some of my favorite actors, like Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts, and also the ever eccentric Sean Penn.  If you're feeling a little moody and down, and would like to wallow more in despair, I would highly recommend this movie as a perfect dose of depressant.  And for others, it will provide some perspective on how bad life can get if you think yours is lousy.

I've been in the Bay Area since Monday, doing a lot of catching up with people, and even met with 2 of my Montmelian friends (making it the 3^rd and 4^th continent on which we've hung out). I took Stan for a walk on Castro street in downtown Mountain View, and gave him some tips on places to eat and shop. As I gave him the tour, I couldn't help feeling excited for him, just moving here and about to start a new life.

As I drove away, I thought about my past decade in the Bay Area, and couldn't suppress a pang of sorrow for leaving it. Just yesterday I visited two friends in San Francisco and thought how much I enjoy the city. For the second time in one year, I am leaving this place and feeling a sense of bittersweetness about it. This time, it'll be more permanent and the time frame for return unpredictable.

Given that, the title of my blog became a misnomer. Some of you may have noticed I removed “from Silicon Valley” from it. I thought about the title last year, about the possibility of not having a career here after graduation, but it was so uncertain. And now that the time has come, I'll have to give more thought to a more apropos title. Your suggestions are welcome.

Back in France, I got a call from one of my best friends in San Francisco.  “Johnny, we’re going to Odessa.  You have to join us there.”  The first thought to flash in my mind: Where in the world is Odessa?  Before I knew it, I was booking flights to the popular summer hotspot in the Ukraine.  After all, I’ve yet to regret traveling to unknown destinations, especially with this guy.  Despite having no expectations and not speaking Russian, upon arrival I immediately got into it, and my adventuring mood came full swing.  This curious, outgoing energy led me to meet some of the friendliest locals who showed us around, sharing with us their culture, music, and of course good times.

One day, we asked two law students for directions.  As we talked, and realized how well they spoke English, the exchange grew interesting.  Despite their initial timidity, they opened up and then graciously offered to show us their beautiful city in a few days.  Of course we accepted their kind offer, and the ever studious Katya even showed up with a history book of their city.  I can’t think of a better way to discover a new place.

Later that same night, another friend whom we met, the jubilant and garrulous Nikita drove us around the entire city for the night tour.  I saw some of the same sights as earlier in the day, but under a different light.  He even took us to a military museum where we climbed tanks, artillery, and other Cold War era military vehicles.  On a side note, one annoying aspect about being a foreigner in Odessa is the constant hassling we received from the cops, asking for our passports and wanting to see visas.  Since they had no clue about visa requirements (US citizens don’t need one for 30 days), they were clearly looking for bribes.  Anyhoot, since I had to carry mine, I found it most fitting to flash my passport while sitting atop the Russian tank.

While walking around town one day, I discovered an Indian restaurant.  So I suggested that we try it out.  Rage Tandoori became our daily eatery for the remaining of our trip.  Not just because the food was great, but the people we befriended there.  Eloquent Ragu, the owner, talked to us about his investments all over the world.  And then Neeraj, from the same town as my buddy, became our goto guy for any logistics or questions.

It’s true that I had been very clubbed out by the time I arrived in Odessa.  INSEAD will do that to you.  But there was a stretch along the beach, called Arkadia, that hosted 5-8 large scale clubs that simply would not stop.  Everyday people would party until the sun came out of the Black Sea.  It’s an experience that cannot be missed while there.  Nikita and Peter made sure of that.

Our time there definitely cannot be categorized as the typical tourist experience.  And that’s simply because the people we met made it so wonderful.  I had not met many Ukrainians in my life before.  Now I can say that those in Odessa are genuinely hospitable and warm once they open up to you.  They’re a bit shy at first, feeling apprehensive about their English ability.  But give them some encouragement, and they will communicate with you just fine.

Had to share this with you... usually, when I get spam in my inbox, I just delete it immediately.  But usually you can't avoid reading a few lines, due to the sheer fact that in one glance you take in quite a bit.  This one however, caught my eye and its wording had me baffled long enough to not hit the delete button instantly.

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Johnny,

        As a past ticket holder, I want to personally let you know that the 2006-2007 NBA schedule has just been released. I want to make sure you are aware that all the big games for the upcoming season, including Opening Night against Kobe and the Lakers, are now on sale.... blah blah blah

Signed the Manager of Season Ticket Sales for Golden State Warriors

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Why was the sales manager a past ticket holder?  Why does the Warrior organization torture their employees like that?  And what does being one have anything to do with letting me know about the newly released schedule?  Oh, he meant that I (not him), being a past ticket holder, might be interested in the new season.  My mistake, please excuse my poor comprehension skills. 

But you have to give him credit; writing confusing sentences in his sales pitch not only saved it from immediate deletion, but also garnered him a posting on my blog!

Full disclosure: I was never a Warriors season ticket holder.  I did purchase a mini-package with a friend so we could watch some hoops.  And my favorite quip to Warrior fans when they rag on the Lakers, "We'll see you in the playoffs!"