virtualDavis

Johnnie Mac (didgeridoo) busking in Prague. (Frugal Traveler)

When you travel, you see them everywhere: a guitarist strumming and crooning in the Paris Métro, a juggler in an Italian piazza, a human statue on a New York City corner. They are buskers, and these street performers are not necessarily locals; many are travelers looking to make a bit of extra money and prolong their journeys around the globe.

One of these is Johnnie Mac, a 40-year-old Australian singer-songwriter who, after some initial success playing with bands in Sydney in the late 1980s, decided to take his act to the streets of Europe. (“What are you doing that for?” he said his family asked him. “Are you mad?”) For years, he roamed the Continent, exploring the newly opening east and making it as far as Siberia and Mongolia.

Having settled down from his wandering ways, Johnnie Mac is married and fathering, but still finds time to assist fellow buskers. Visit his website BuskerWorld.com or read his eBook, “The Busker’s Bible”.

Read the full article at Frugal Traveler

via sf2010.drupal.org

Excited to accelerate my Drupal learning curve! I’ve just finished organizing my conference schedule at DrupalCon San Francisco next month. Flight? Check. Hotel? Check. Registered? Check. Sign-ups? Check. I’m good to go!

Ask people who have been there, and they’ll all tell you India is like no other place in the world, a land that stirs every one of the five senses and stays in your heart forever. It is this India that brought together three friends, Waris Ahluwalia, Mortimer Singer and Tina Bhojwani to raise funds, spirits, and awareness for the victims of the attacks in Mumbai in November, 2008.

The editors set out to create a scrapbook-collecting personal photos, stories, and memories from people who, like themselves, love India. The contributors include Wes Anderson, Adrien Brody, Francesco Clemente, Anthony Edwards, Jeanine Lobell, Natalie Portman, Yves Carcelle, Jean Touitou, Owen Wilson, Laura Wilson, Cynthia Rowley, James Ivory, Matthew Williamson, Rachel Roy, Tory Burch, Padma Lakshmi, Shobhaa De, Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani. This book declares to Mumbai and the whole country that we are all thinking of them and support them: hence To India, with Love: New York to Mumbai. Profits from the sales of the book will go to support families affected by the attacks. This book can truly make a difference, by opening eyes to the wonders of India and by once again letting the pen-or a camera-dominate the sword.

via mumbaiwegotyourback.com

Bravo, Tina Bhojwani! This is an exciting accomplishment and a creative twist on humanitarian philanthropy. I’ve ordered To India with Love, and I can’t wait for it to show up in the mail. I hope all you Indiaphiles will consider purchasing this dazzling publication and spreading the word to your friends. More once I’ve had a chance to meander through the colorful pages…

Fresh back in the USA after 2.5 weeks in India. Still sorting out the culture shock, etc. Soon Susan and I will start sorting through hundreds of photos, but in the meanwhile here are several daily candids snapped on my Blackberry to keep family and friends in the loop.

So how’s everybody coming on the NATO Phonetic Alphabet? Next time you book your airline tickets, read your confirmation code back to the attendant employing this new tool and she just may be so impressed she’ll give you your tickets for free. Maybe…

Just returned to the North Country after a couple of groovy skiing escapes. First a short week at Stratton in Vermont for the Philips US Open 2004 with my brother, and my buddy who works for Burton. He had volunteered us for the banner crew which meant we helped prepare all of the marketing banners, signs, etc. for the competition each day. And we skied. And skied and skied. We received plenty of fresh snow, and we threw ourselves into it like it was the last chance of the season. And it almost was. Except…

The following week I headed off to Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia with MHD for another short week of skiing. Spring conditions the first couple of days, but amazing snow since it had dumped just before our arrival. Then some base rain which was snow on the mountain. Skied the hell out of both hills including both glaciers. Visibility wasn’t always so great, and the bottoms of both mountains tended to mashed potatoes, but everything else was amazing. And hardly no lift lines since we went the week after most spring breaks. Then a stop-off in Chicago for several days to take a seminar on e-publishing at the University of Chicago. Also a chance to catch up with a couple of old high school buddies which was great fun. Then back to NYC and a long drive back to the Adirondacks where spring is arriving ahead of schedule.

Greetings from Urumqi, China. The clearest morning since I arrived in Beijing several days ago, due partly I suppose to a diminished smog level in this northwestern city. Will be heading off to Turpan (Turfan) today and then back to Urumqi on Saturday, Beijing on Sunday night. Some super photos this morning of the sunrise, but you’ll have to wait. Sorry. More when I return.