2012 in Edinburgh

Coffee Stand in St. George's Square: Large Double Cappicino is  2 pounds 70

Spitfire on static display at EDI (Edinburgh Airport)

EDI Tower

Sleet and freezing rain greeted me on my return to Edinburgh in early January, after a hard transfer through Heathrow. I barely made my connecting flight through Heathrow despite having a full 2 hour layover! The reason was the woefully inefficient passenger security procedures. Every stage had problems.  It took about 45 mins. to clear a malfunctioning passport check line.  It took a full hour to scan my carry-on luggage. I  had to change terminals which took about 30 minutes, and was like being in a pin-ball machine as the bus careened to-and-fro. When I arrived in Edinburgh, I quickly hopped in a cab, and sped off to my apartment.

Now back at school, I am readjusting to student life in a medieval city.  The wind rips through the narrow streets, often at 50mph gusts which acts as a extra power boost in some cases, and a sudden impediment to forward progress in others. All of this dramatic weather makes calm, sunny days like today all the more valuable.

Holiday Cheer

I love the top picture, which was created by Cheryl and Jim for our Bradley family newsletter.  What a creative pair they are, and I was taken aback by each well-crafted headline and eye-catching article.  They also have considerable photoshop skills!

The lower picture is of our family gathering in Cameron Park.  It was great to see my grandparents again, and they are both doing well considering that they are 87 and 88 this year!

Tomorrow I leave for Japan for a 12 day stay, and I'll return by Jan. 10th to SFO.  I haven't visited since the earthquake in March.

End of Term MBA Celebrations

 

The winter holidays are always special and full of indulgence and in many cases, overindulgence, but this year is distinct in that as school-mates, the 2012 MBA class has just completed a series of team-building exercises and course exams.  Now that they are finished, its time to celebrate! 

Snow and Sailing in Edinburgh

 

I awoke to a beautiful sight: the crags outside my window were adorned with the first Winter snow. I went out to Port Edgar for one of the few remaining winter races, and raced on Hardslog and Hence Forth, both very competitive boats although rigged somewhat differently.  Hence Forth was very well laid out, but some controls such as the outhaul and spinnaker pole track were in new locations for me. On both boats I worked on the foredeck and got plenty of spinnaker packing practice. Although the morning race started out very cold, the temperature seemed to rise into the low forties (F) and my fingers soon thawed.

I found that last week's race footage aboard Hussy had been uploaded to Youtube by Rachel.
Here's the link.

Firbush Point on Loch Tay

Familiar Vista?  Its not West Marin, but Loch Tay in the center of Scotland

Before exam week began about 2 weeks ago, a group of students assembled by the Plesance Center for Sport and Exercise. It was a Friday, and as the sun set we were ushered into a utility van and driven North towards the dead-center of Scotland. After the 2 hour journey we emerged into another world of mist and mountains, sheep and rocky crags. This place starkly contrasted the dank and smokey streets of Edinburgh. Here there were more bicycles than cars, and many other things that I hadn't seen since California: catamarans! I brought my bike along and got a ride in during the following morning. During the ride, I saw modest brick and stone houses, walls and make shift fences were the only human contribution to the rugged landscape. Later that day I was given the opportunity to helm the Dart 16 on Loch Tay, and winds developed from the West to keep us moving.

Dart 16: single trapeze, Poly Propylene (Bullet Proof) hulls

The second day featured a few of us mountain biking and the remainder kayaking, canoeing and wind-surfing.  I was part of the wind-surfing crew, and we were mostly successful in getting up despite the meager wind.

Heightened Security, New Bike

New Bike with 4 new locks attached (for a total of 5)  Can you spot them all?

All of this focus on locks took my attention to what I was locking the bike to...

Upon closer inspection, the entire bar could be removed by using a simple "monkey wrench" or socket set!!

So the saga of measures and countermeasures continue. I think that with enough locks, I can deter theft, but the weakest link is really my complacency as I've now learned time and again. What is the balance that will allow me to keep my possessions from being taken?

Singing with the 2012 MBA Class

We had a blast on Thursday night, as we sang our cares away.  Thanks to Lucca for setting this event up, and managing the logistics of booking to singing-rooms.  I was impressed by the vocal talents of my classmates, especially when the canned-music cut off and Linda and Anna sang acapella songs from their native countries.  (China and Ukraine)  

Good times now that Semester 1a exams are finished



Best Buds