Cover: Dead End Street (The Kinks)

Check this out on Chirbit

Original on YouTube (sped up a bit relative to record)

Dawn to Dusk Ride through the North Valley

Pictures below say it all. :-)

Beer: Phoenix Ale Brewery Visit

Nice little place in Phoenix. Tried out 8 beers brewed by them, rated below:

Watermelon Ale - 6.5
Fretzy's English pale ale - 8
Camelback IPA - 6.5
Hoppy Valley - 6
Fretzy's Hef - 7
Ironwood - 4
Wheatstalk - 6
Uptown Amber - 7

Arizona Bike Rides (2012)

2012 Amateur Road Race Calendar (Arizona)

Jan 8 - 100/62/34 - Casa Grande Century - $30 - DONE (62)
http://www.active.com/cycling/chandler-az/casa-grande-century-cgc-2012

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/3188921

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Feb 12 (Picacho Century) - 100/63/40 - Tucson/Oro Valley - $25 - DONE (63)

http://www.bikegaba.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=1205&Itemid=27&year=2011&month=02&day=06&uid=69b4209d69f4da25989b84095eb1aaf2&catids=53

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/4104358

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Mar 10 (Mining Country Challenge) - 96/66 - Superior - $35 - DONE (66)

http://www.pmbcaz.org/miningcountry.html

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/5028905

March 24 (Tour de Cure) - 80/62/35/8 - Phoenix - $150 min - DONE (81)

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/NorthernArizonaArea?pg=entry&fr_id=7993

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/5665215

March 31 (Chandler Century Ride) - 39/65 - Chandler - $35 - DONE (65)

http://www.chandleraz.gov/default.aspx?pageid=454

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/5992784

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Apr 14-15 (Bike MS) - Day 1: 105/64/47, Day 2: 50, 32 - Sedona Verde Valley - $250 min

http://bikeaza.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BIKE_AZA_Route2012

My Results: Day 1: http://app.strava.com/rides/6824602; Day 2: http://app.strava.com/rides/6824598

Apr 14 (Holualoa El tour de Mesa) - CONFLICT

http://www.mesaaz.gov/transportation/gabfest.aspx

Apr 28 (Tour of the Tucson Mountains) - 70/27 - Tucson - $90 min - SKIPPED

http://www.perimeterbicycling.com/!TTM/TTMhome.html

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May 5 (Ride for the Children) - 65/25/10 - Scottsdale - $50

http://rideforthechildren.com/ride.html

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/7941005

May 11 (GABA Mt. Lemmon Climb) - Mt. Lemmon, AZ - $15

http://www.bikegaba.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=1620&Itemid=27&year=2012&month=05&day=11&uid=1262124020evt103

My Results: http://app.strava.com/activities/8327964
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July 14-15 (White Mountain 2 Day Tour) - Day 1: 63, Day 2: 38 - $60

http://www.pmbcaz.org/whitemountain.html

My Results:
Day 1 - http://app.strava.com/rides/13507062, Day 2 - http://app.strava.com/rides/13507064

July 21 (Taylor House Century) - 95/65/45/30- Flagstaff - $60 min

http://absolutebikes.net/taylor/

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/14080087

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Sept 16, Skull Valley Loop Challenge - 54 - Prescott - $30

http://www.prescottbikeped.org/prescottcycling/loopchallenge/index.html

Sept TBD (Magic Circle Bike Ride) - 66/33 - Wilcox - $TBD

http://www.digital-archive.org/WREDA/WC/event_special.html

Oct 13 (Cochise County Cycling Classic) - 234/157/92/45 - Cochise County (S. AZ)

http://www1.perimeterbicycling.com/cochise-cycling-classic/

Oct 14 (Tour de Scottsdale) - 70/30 - Scottsdale - $70

http://www.facebook.com/ScottsdaleCyclingFestival

Oct 20 (Sedona Century) - TBD - Sedona, AZ

http://www.sedonacentury.com/

Oct 21 (Tumacacori Century) - 100/64/24 - Southern AZ - TBD

http://www.bikegaba.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=1626&Itemid=27&year=2012&month=10&day=21&uid=1262124022evt167&catids=53|54|55|56|57

Oct 21 (Tour de Safford) - TBD - Safford, AZ - TBD
www.tourdesafford.com

Oct 27 (FASTER Gran Fondo with Bob Roll) - 100/55 - Scottsdale, AZ - $100/75

http://www.fastergranfondo.com/schedule.html

My Results: http://app.strava.com/activities/26256244

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Nov 03 (Cycle for Life) - 30/65 - West Valley, AZ

http://www.cff.org/Chapters/arizona/index.cfm?ID=20365&blnShowBack=True&idContentType=1239&Event=20365

My Results: http://app.strava.com/activities/26852497

Nov 04 (Silverbell Century) - 30/67/82/100 - Tucson, AZ - $25

http://www.bikegaba.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=1625&Itemid=27&year=2012&month=11&day=04&uid=1262124022evt376&catids=53

Nov 17 (El Tour de Tucson) - 111/80/66/42 - Tucson, AZ - $100

http://www.perimeterbicycling.com/!ETT/ETThome.html

My Results: http://app.strava.com/activities/28144245

Album Released Online!

Download Here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dhruvbhate

All proceeds to benefit math and science projects at www.donorschoose.org

CDs Arrive in the Mail!!!

"Verses and Visions" Songlist!

Album releases digitally on cdbaby.com on April 15, 2011!!!

1. Get You
2. 20/20
3. Dream
4. Terrorist?
5. Consumption Disease
6. Ode to Mediocrity
7. Waiting for You
8. One of Us
9. For A Ditty

Singapore/China Trip: Day 2

Flight landed in SIN on time at 6am, made it to the hotel by 7:30am via MRT train ($3 only) - was packed with folks going to work - all kinds of people - Kannadigas (I heard yerdu), Malayalis, Malays, Chinese and the odd westerner. All important signs are posted in 4 languages - and it's funny how Tamil needs twice the space of the other 3 (English, Malay, Mandarin) to say the same thing! From the train, Singapore looks and feels exactly like Bombay, only cleaner and less crowded!

The Beijing airport was very COLD - no heating/AC I guess, and temperatures dip to about 0-5C at night, though it may have been closer to 10C in the airport. All my China warm clothes were in the packed bag so I had to make do with what I had on - thankfully I had my warm cap with me! I guess I've been spoiled in the US with on demand HVAC everywhere you go. Had a very nice meal of warm curry beef and white rice (32 Yuan). Food on the flight was pretty repetitive: white rice with chicken, white rice with pork, and finally I ventured white rice with fish. They didn't serve tea or coffee which was strange. And in-flight entertainment was really sad. Could barely even see the TV from where I sat.

Have taken a few pics, will post soon. Looking forward to Singapore for now. The hotel looks nice - though it is a mess from the behind, which is where I came from since I took the train instead of the more common taxi drop off outside the grand lobby. I guess judge a hotel from it's rear. :-)

Singapore/China Trip: Day 1

At Beijing airport now, awaiting the next flight to Singapore. Woke up at 3am and it's already 24 hrs since I left home, and still another 12 hrs till I get to the hotel! Ah well. Air China is very reminiscent of Air India (or at least what I imagine Air India would be). Also, realized that CHINA and INDIA have 3 alphabets in common (I, N, A) and the other two follow exactly by 1: D follows C, and I follows H. :-)

Anyway, so far so good - Beijing was a smoggy city from the sky, but the scale of everything, including the airport is immense. Some of the apartments looked like Vegas casinos from the sky.

More later, for now will try to get some CNY and buy some grub and tea. Will shoot a note next when I get to the hotel.

"One of Us" Vocal Overdub in Studio