ouroboros

Filed under "Better than a stick in the eye"

W+K = Adweek's global agency of the year.  And we have our founders to thank.

people get a hold of tools and use them to create new vehicles of value

SMS was originally defined in 1985.  Originally envisioned as a notification system to announce email or voicemail receipt, the tool hit kids, they ingested the capability and spat back out a new form of communication - TXT.  It became an $80 Billion dollar industry.  Here in the village below Devi Garh, a silversmith in a storefront uses a piece of brass pipe tubing (into which he blows) and a lamp to create a blowtorch.

Below, his shop, wife, counter display and end-aisle.

India Continued

for all the helpful folks who reminded me that this blog "isn't flickr", I really appreciate your support.  And just in time - a few more images of the shenanigans:

Morning:

Nusrat, Claudia and Iris:

a Royal Enfield motorcycle - still being made the same way after decades,

Tom in the streets:

Ganesh getting ready for dinner

Tuesday Devi Garh

Why is the blog covered with sweeeeeeet pictures of India?  Because the heads of each office get together once a year to talk about the current and future state of W+K.  And this year we're outside Udaipur at the Devi Garh. 

Below, Shanghai supertroopers Iris Lo, Kel Hook and Frank Hahn ponder presentations on the parapet.

The recently installed fire supression system:

The back porch:

The side porch, looking down, mid-afternoon:

Sunset, upper back porch:

We are incredibly lucky to be here.  Boggling place. 

The rooms are cheaper than the carbon credits we had to buy to offset our air travel.

 

Tuesday Morning, Devi Garh

Morning in Devi - Dave Luhr arrives...

Monday in Davi Garh

Kel goes local.  Frank non-plussed.

PB+J

Driving back, from the temple to Devi Garh

These young folks chased our car asking for my kidney.

The ceremony in which Jelly was anointed God-King of Udaipur. 

A surprising twist for the evening's end.

 

Mumbai to Udaipur

Boarding at 5:55AM local

Takeoff

Udaipur airport, 7:55 AM

5:55AM local, Mumbai Domestic airport

Our flight to Udaipur was scheduled to leave at 5:55AM.  After spending four sleepless hours in the lounge, home of delicious muffins and loudly snoring folks, it was off to the boarding area.  Notice how tired and blurry everyone looks.  Except John.

Airport Wall Carving

Jelly, learning there's a chance he might have had to sit next to me for the Mumbai/Udaipur flight.

Mumbai Domestic

Dan, John, Me, Tom and Jelly, after flowers grew from our chests in the 18th hour of travel.

Mumbai domestic was under construction only weeks ago.  New rooms, gleaming marble, fresh concrete and paint.  And at 3:15AM local, some parts of the place are pretty dark and freaky.

Mumbai Airport, Pt.2

We made our way through the post-midnight dark to the minibus.

Jelly loads up some bags:

Then Tom gets lei-d by the driver:

Jelly smiles for the multimedia computing device, Frankfort airport, 1PM local

Frankfort bus high muckety-muck confab

Tom Blessington, Dan Wieden and Claudia Villareal on the Frankfort terminal tram.

  How Claudia looks this fresh after 10 hrs and 58 minutes in the belly of Lufthansa's finest is beyond me.  A secret known to her alone.  And John Jay.

Frankfort Airport - John Jay on the move

Don't even try to keep up with John.  Because you can't.  You just can't.  Here he is moving at just below the speed of light on his way to (a) the exclusive launch of a new Lufthansa scented manfume at a Frankfort airport duty-free shop, (b) take in the opening of a young undiscovered german artist/designer who crafts busts from his own bellybutton lint and shredded birken bags, or (c) open up an ultra-exclusive underground dance club near terminal B.  Or all three.  And he'll do it ALL before you catch up.  And he'll look better than you doing it.  trust me.

Trip to India: PDX, dan checks his N95

Flight to India