Going Coco Nuts?

So I was in Fort Lauderdale recently for thanksgiving and I was desperately craving some fresh coconut to drink and eat. We stopped at this roadside shack(an American version..with coconuts in refrigerators). The lady at the counter tells us that the guy that cuts the coconuts is not around...so we get the brilliant idea to cut it ourselves with a 'machete.' Its at this point in my life that I realize that I've never actually cut a coconut myself. You will notice on the picture that one side of the coconut is in pretty bad shape..a result of the haphard hacking. Suffice to say that the fruits of my efforts definitely tasted sweeter.

Inspiration

I haven't posted for a while, but today definitely warrants one. I just got done with a conference today on Entrepreneurship and the new market landscape organized by Entrepreneur Magazine. Firstly, I was amazed that this event was FREE! Yes, thats right, FREE! This was done through just a single sponsorship by 'The UPS Store'. Just to get you a feel of the flavor of the event, the keynote speech was given by none other than Robert Kiyosaki, author of 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' (the bible/Quran of any entrepreneur/investor). There were a bunch of sessions on marketing, sales and money management and off course there was a lot of networking going on. I met quite a few interesting folks, some just getting started on the road to paradise (not getting told what to do) while others were already ready to launch their products. We all shared a common drive though, the drive to succeed, to become our own bosses and off course it wouldn't hurt to make some green in the process. I came away from the conference more inspired and energized than I already was and with some handy tips to put to use straight away in my life and business.

Funny joke I heard: When an entrepreneur starts a company, the company PBX(phone system) might say something like 'For Sales press 1, for marketing press 1, for Customer service press 1...

Globe Trotter - by Taha Jiwaji

We begin our journey at home
A quite suburb of Dar-es-Salaam, on the edge of the city center
Traces of development; finally a tarmac road outside my gate
The exploration, the adventure begins
What’s next on the itinerary?

The souks of Dubai are bustling with activity
Gold litters the windows I pass
On the horizon gigantic glass skyscrapers
A perfect mesh of east and west, tradition and modernization

An overwhelming stench as soon as you step out of the airport
Flyovers zig-zag this bulging, bulging city
Mumbaites cram the local trains
I pass the corner store with the mouthwatering ‘mithais’(sweets)
Ancient temples next to glitzy malls, says it all

Next stop, Piccadilly Circus
People of all shades flock to watch the jester
A short nap in Hyde Park on a beautiful summer day
Grab the tube, I’m late for tea with the Queen.

The Big Apple, just woke up
The Wall Street types swarm the city
But wait, a quick stop at Starbucks for overpriced coffee
The Nigerian cab driver doesn’t have a clue where I want to go

My first steps on Latin American soil
Replace the Spanish with Swahili and you’d be mistaken it’s Dar.
Water for the people of Yoro!
Stomach get ready, it’s a heavy dose of rice and beans.

I can see why the Spanish conquered these lands,
The balmy winds, the white beaches, cascading waterfalls
There’s more public holidays then weekends in Puerto Rico
If only our journey weren’t about to end.