Malaysian Wonders

This blog reflects on the wonders of Malaysia, sleeping giant, Muslim mecca with thick jungles, temples and 20% of the world’s species. It details our adventures exploring these wonders and getting to know the creatures.

After about 52 hours in Taiwan, we caught a midnight five hour Air Asia flight across the South China Sea to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Like Taiwan, Malaysia is an energy, resource-rich hotbed for wildlife that is affordable and another expat favorite for so many reasons.

AirAsia is on the economy side, but it was comfortable enough and who’s site and app were notably easy to use, even with flight changes. Uber isn’t currently in Malaysia, but there’s a few others that are similar, Grab being one I latched onto for rides for this trip. I learned the hard way from a driver that you have to match baggages with ride option and once I upgraded, it was a long hour+ drive to the central commercial zone of KL.

We got to our “hotel” and were greeting by armed guards in stand out front that gruffly let us through when we showed authorization of staying at The Manor KLCC. We went up a floor to a small hotel check-in place, realizing this place was more like executive residences than a true hotel. We paid a fee to check-in early and luckily could collapse in our unit, which felt like a luxury 1B condo overlooking the expansively growing skyline of KL, including Merkeda Tower (2nd tallest building in the world) and Petronas Towers (largest dual-connected towers in the world).

After a few hours of sleep, I set out to get a few essentials including an outlet converter as Malaysia has a different plug than ours unlike Taiwan. Malaysia is a highly Muslim country, which is evident by all the birkas on the flight, middle-eastern / conservatives appearances walking around, and the dichotomy of old world and all this new, modern construction and high fashion was fascinating.

Downtown KL has a ton of shopping and malls and the nearest grocery store was about a 25 minute hike away, past other executive residences.
I hit a food court in the mall and was lost trying to figure out breakfast options, went with what looked like the most similar and found myself trying to figure out what I got handed a hot water heater for boiling eggs with my toast and sandwich. I was able to finally figure out how to get a few staples, electric plug converter included to save the day. We learned that Malaysian food is like an Indian / Thai / Middle-Eastern collaboration, often quite spicy and there are markets dispersed for it around town. We tiptoed around it with some Thai and shwarma-like middle-eastern options.

The WOW moment downtown came at our rooftop pool – a stunning, relaxing experience to take in the sights all around.

After a day of adjusting, where we ordered in, our tour adventures continued starting with a visit to the legendary Batu Caves. We met our first Asian monkeys, who were very socialized and used to the many tourists, often opportunistically stealing bags for food jackpots and waters. We walked past the golden Lord Murugan Statue and up the stairs, where Alli was shift-grabbed by a monkey while trying to take a selfie. At the bottom and into the caves were these picturesque, colorful holy temples. Breathtaking to take it in and we had to grab a few souvenir gifts.

We stopped at a hand-painted shirt factory en route up north an hour and a half into the dense jungle for an epic elephant sanctuary visit. When offered the chance to bathe and feed young elephants as part of a private tour, we took it and didn’t regret getting soaked for the experience. Gandah, the only sanctuary-born elephant of the 40 in residence was a sweetheart. All of the gentle giants were there for injury or infringement on town areas and relocated for protection. We got to pet, feed and get to know about 8 elephants, who were eager for treats.

Off we left to fly out from there from the western peninsula to the island of Borneo, home to Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysian territory. At the KL airport, we had to pay to upgrade bag coverage past the tiny allowance. The domestic flight terminal was tight and cramped and I felt bad for the quiet, unassuming line of 15 short Muslim girls who got jumped by many others to get through the gate. Between there and the pool, where they could dip feet in only, the gender disparity gap seemed pretty wide and unfair, but not my place to judge.

We arrived in Sandakan in the state of Sabah on the northeast corner of Malaysian Borneo, caught some quick winks and were picked up for our all-included tour to experience the heart of where 20% of the world’s species reside. First stop nearby was the Orangutan Conservation & Rehabilitation Center. Orangutans are down in numbers to just over 100k and live on two islands, here and Sumatra. In this swampy, sticky jungle, organutans are fed and the sick cared for. They are free to go and the food is not what they’d consider top shelf, and they often have to fight off the local macaque clans to get it, which was fascinating to watch, along with the mom with baby and other cute, flexible, swinging relatives.

Nextdoor was a Sun Bear Conservatory, another fascinating animal nearing endangerment, who are secretive without much known about them. These guys are the smallest and most vulnerable of the bear species. We saw these little around 8 of these brown-faced critters munching on vegetation shared happily, including sitting up knawing on carrots. We saw a resource fight between two, which featured high-pitched squeals and screams and some chasing that felt more akin to badgers than bears.

From there, we drove to Sim Sim Jetty, a Chinese coastal neighborhood in the community, which featured some large Amazon pet fish and all kinds of beautiful potted plants lining this dock. Off we went staring at the mountains that fed into this coastal community with a scenic mountain island and speedboat ride sending us ripping our way an hour and a half into rivers with thick mangroves and trees lining the shore. En route, we spotted a large ~13 foot saltwater croc sunning on shore (the first I have seen!).

Our first river lodge (Kinabitu ?) had a lot of character, cozy cabins with AC and a fan, which helped in the sticky humidity. I appreciated getting to walk the labeled boardwalks trying to spot creatures, including at night with a headlamp, seeing tree frogs, spiders a lantern bug and more. At dawn and near dusk, we set out on our skiff to seek out wildlife near the shore at peak times to catch there. Our guide Lat knew so much about the species and both he and the driver were able to spot animals while moving fast, while also coordinating with other tour guides. The government protects the area with the help of tourist taxes, and it shows as the animals show little worry about nearby gawkers.

We quickly spotted Borneo-specific harems of Proboscis Monkeys, featuring an alpha and the mates and offspring. The pot-belied males feature the giant, long floppy noses and despite their figure, can launch themselves from tree to tree. The females have smaller, pointy noses. Reading Ancestor’s Tale, it details the divergence of humans down the line of primates and the Probiscus are a nearer relative not far off from the split from orangutans ~13 million years ago. Easy to see the resemblance, really started at you and sat there picking and eating leaves and you could confuse with people without too much imagination. We enjoyed watching babies doing acrobatics and bachelor groups as well.

Easy to enjoy the beauty of the river and sunsets, river inlets and quiet lakes off the main river and at dusk, the fireflies lighting up around a few trees and calls of the wild all around.

The lodge offered great fresh-cooked delicious meals featuring steamed veggies, rice, noodles, fish, shrimp, fried wontons, and delicious local fruits and tasty deserts. There was a special night that we all wore the native Sarongs and enjoyed a meal with local women old and young playing soothing music with their instruments.

At this point, we were seeing a number of sub-species of Horned Bills, one of the few species that picks and stays with a partner for life. We saw a pair of grey langurs, one grooming the other. In a palm tree at the second lodge, a staffer pointed to a flying lemur that was probably nearly 4 feet long, waiting for the chance to soar when night fell. We were seeing so many macaques that they were becoming pedestrian. At the second lodge, they gave us sticks to beat them off as they are known to go after bags for food. Alli stayed in the pool when everyone else went to lunch and the pack jumped right in, partying like it was spring break – hilarious!

On the reptile front, there was an emerald green pit viper sitting in the same spot daily near the kitchen with a lump of a catch from recently, fascinating to see it sitting in the bush like a stick a few feet away. We saw numerous skinks and geckos and were lucky enough to watch another nearly 10 foot croc from close before he spooked, snapped and leapt in the water.

What really made this incredible experience all the more special was that on the way back, the 1st lodge reported an orgunutan visiting, and we were able to zip back and watch him in the canopy near our breakfast spot the previous day. Part of the group instead followed a pygmy elephant, who came to the riverbank. As we waived at the staff sending us off and zipped past the floating bottles with fish flying off the wake, looking at the islands of the coast, we just smiled having experienced a truly incredible part of the world. I hope gets the protection it needs to stay that way.

Taiwan – Hidden Lion & Gem

Taiwan is not what you may think. This place is an incredible infusion of old ways and progressive living, lined with national parks, vibrant night markets and more.

Delta’s flights, which we connected in Seattle with a manageable layover with 3 separate Skyclub visits en route. I was lucky enough to be sitting behind a Michigan grad from Ann Arbor flying to China with his folks and we split the $40 internet fee to watch UM / OU (even though they announced that internet wasn’t available for the flight, this feed came through with regular manual refreshes).

Once we finally figured out our Arrival Cards and how to get out of the airport, we were eager to get to our hotel, the Miramar Gardens Taipei for some rest and adjustment to the 13 hour time difference. Luckily, Uber served Taiwan and we had about an hour ride to get to the Zhongshang District in the heart of the city. We found this to be a very nice, comfortable, convenient choice and cool neighborhood to explore. Highlight was the “Japanese Style” spa (read: had to sign-off on being naked to utilize the hot and cold tubs, steam & sauna rooms, etc. It was a very relaxing and soothing experience. The outdoor pool area with lounges was also very relaxing and appreciated, as was the bidet with all kinds of settings (we got quite used to having these regularly).

Taiwan is known for having a leading amount of convenience stores and the trip to my nearby 7-11 turned out interestingly. We brought a lot of snacks but I wanted to supplement a few meal with finds from there and what I got was not what I expected upon picking. Instead of cheese, I got an egg product another weird protein product that was like tofu, beef gizzards, sparkling wine in a can with bobas (they also invented Boba/Bubble Tea), crab flavored corn nut like and other chip-like things.

Another local staple is beef noodles and I tried it nearby and enjoyed the pho-like dish (although wasn’t willing to wait outside this famous noodle house and found another I could get served quickly). The Liaoning Street Market was a short walk away and fun to walk the streets seeing what the locals were dishing out and feeding folks. Visiting the night markets is a must in Taipei as they’re buzzing with energy and interesting vendor finds. We also checked out Raoshe, which was much bigger and more action-packed. Nextdoor was a fabulous 300 year old temple with a ton of intricate special details in the design.

We opted for a few photos out front and not the ride up what was the world’s tallest building in Taipei 101. Notably, Taipei despite being a top population dense city also felt green and sustainable with lots of parks.

The biggest highlights came via our private Viator custom tour, of which we had the best, most engaging guide in “Nicolas” (after Cage, who along with other Hollywood movie stars taught him his great English)., who left a career in business for the flexibility and change of pace in providing special tours. Despite his Lakers hat (sensitive subject with me historically), Nicolas connected well with both of us – he loved his baseball (following Taiwanese stars especially), the NBA and playing badminton regularly.

He taught us a lot about the culture while taking us to the Houtong “Cat Village”, an old coal mining town turned tourist attraction with community cats and related local ties. He also took us to Yangmingshan National Park, a mountainous volcanic forest with geysers and hot springs that fed right down into the north side of Taipei. One hot spring pool had a small temple to honor the ghosts of residents with no families. Volcano Island appeared off the rocky north shores of the island. We saw a big Formosan Rock (or Taiwanese) Macaque on a fence near the road, several skinks and an egret. For $34, we had an upscale 90 minute private spa soak room with a hot and cold tub piping mineral water.

Taiwan has a number of other national parks including Turtle Island, named after it’s appearance of a partially submerged turtle. It’s temperate semi-tropical climate make it a very comfortable place and its easy to see how why it’s a surging place for expats.

Lions are a key symbol for Taiwan, known for warding off spirits, being brave and courageous and lucky. We had good luck exploring this special place and think you would too.

First Asia Trip: Holistic Reflections

Travel adventures across Southeast Asia: introduction to our journeys.

Not too long ago, I set a goal of visiting a new country yearly and other new places along with it if going abroad isn’t in the cards. When I caught a flash deal via SLC’s newest international direct flight to Seoul for around $700-something, I jumped on it…that is until another flash deal for 36k Skymiles (Delta “Main”) popped up and I made the switch. I can’t even get to Chicago for that, no brainer! The timing was off-peak in September once school and fall slate begins (would prefer summer but I follow the deal!).

I talked to my world traveling friends about potential itineraries and reached out to the family travel agent that helped us with a Viking cruise for tour options and prices. I realized that we had to whittle down our list significantly and that the tours were a whole lot more for an area that I thought was supposed to be more on the affordable side.

We opted to visit countries that Alli, my wife, hadn’t yet and to save the China, Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam and opted for southeast Asia. I took the top recommendations and tours and started reverse engineering, looking for as many direct flights as possible, adding tours via Viator, tracking and booking flights and hotels in centralized, accessible areas via Expedia (which had the highest Rakuten rebate %). We did choose to keep one tour that had a lot of components in Borneo, having to pre-pay to hold it as spots and date availability was limited and we planned around that in the middle of the two book-end flights. Doing so allowed savings of ~50% from the tour packages.

I’m going to reflect on each stop separately, but what resulted was an amazing trek of adventures prioritizing visiting exotic animals in their mostly native locales while still possible. It was designed to be a combination of cities, cultures, tours and downtime for personal activity choices.

We purposely didn’t try to come off as Americans, yet didn’t hide it when it came up in conversation and had a lot to dispel in a tense global political situation to say the least. In fact, there was a shooting involving a political zealot in Utah while we were there, which put us on the map in the wrong way. Hard to ignore the flare-ups happening despite our wishes of international immersion…

Not surprisingly, we ran into a ton of Brits as we visited many former British colonies. They always seems have a nearly unlimited amount of “holiday” time for vacations and a dry sense of humor about things. Often, there was just enough English and signs able to be picked up to get around and some accents were tough to work with.

All-in-all, it turned out to be 10 flights, 4 separate islands, 1 peninsula and ~ 3 days between places. The airports were cleaner, more efficient and effective to navigate through. Each new country required an Arrival Card submitted beforehand in place of needing visas. Weight more often than number of bags was the limitation (usually ~25 kilos per international flight). Once for a domestic flight we had to pay for more baggage. We tightly rolled and bagged clothes and should have opted for doing laundry vs. bringing enough to last as we had some bags breaking down and it always took awhile to re-pack.

It helped to convert cash into native currencies at my bank before going. We found that bigger businesses took credit cards but “mom and pops” shops were cash only. This happens to be the low point for the $ in a long time, but most places were still affordable at ranges.

Unforgettable memories resulted from a trip of a lifetime celebrating an anniversary and birthdays – stay tuned for the individual location breakdowns!

The Next Life Chapter: No Pain No Game

Shutting a door with a bang and opening a new one going into 40.

I was embarking on a monumental life chapter on paper. A confluence of factors had me push myself on my New Year’s Resolution going into my turn going “over the hill.” I set out to step up and make it a transformative turn and it sure proved itself as the most difficult, challenging stretch of my life.

Immediately after the Cuba trip in mid-June, I tore the achilles lunging playing pickleball for the first time. It felt like a weight dropped on the back of my leg and I immediately felt a pop, yelled and looked around for someone that kicked me. I’m lucky it didn’t happen before the trip as it well could’ve. Sad moment for a proud athlete who prides himself in skiing 50+ days a year and never getting a real injury to date.

After limping around doing yard work hoping it was maybe a high ankle sprain, icing and sleeping on it hoping the issue would subside, I was proven wrong: this turns into a key metaphor for life and the moment. I woke up, the swelling moved down my league and bruising of the “cankle” was significant. A little Googling had me worried for the worst – a torn achilles. Urgent care got me a quick MRI that I ultimately didn’t need, but it showed a clear rupture. Because I got in early to my doctor, I got the option to not do surgery and just do physical therapy. Doing the research (re-injury rate is 3x less via surgery ) and my father-in-law felt like his ankle came back stronger after surgery and I flipped.

A friend recommended the new “speed bridge” surgery that Aaron Rodgers famously came back from, but that wasn’t readily available locally. I (half) jokingly had my screened and validated OSU grad doctor mark the correct leg to operate on to avoid the accidental procedure on the wrong leg. Luckily the surgery went well, I was wheeled home and fighting the pains trying to minimize the opioids for recovery as much as possible. In short, I’m very thankful for all the help from my father in law Peter, who pushed me to stay on regiment to the exact rep, not put weight on it and helped with chores. I can thank U of Utah’s Dr. Dave Carter (PhD. in achilles recovery), who Peter swore by, Peter and my wife for the support. I hit a flooring low point hope-wise early on knowing my summer and fall were shot, but I was focused on skiing come winter and I sucked it up, worked hard on my PT, hit the weight room hard to build the strength (and then some) and somehow in just under 6 months, worked my way back on the mountain and wrapped up a ski season skiing 54 days and nearly 800k vertical feet. To date, it’s no Rodgers story of non-field heroics, but I’ve just passed a year since surgery (about the date you can said to be recovered) and I’ve had no setbacks aside from sporting a purple, scarred bulge and the humbling life moment escapade that came with it.

A lot of mental work also brought me to forcing myself to step up, realize my needs and what I believe in and take a stand instead of quietly taking the easy way out. Just like hobbling on a leg I knew in my gut was shot and possibly extending the damage and thinking I could “sleep it off,” I had a tendency to internalize. What do I believe in? What breaks the code?

I needed to learn a key lesson when it comes to self-actualization and speak up for what and whom I believe in. Over the course of the year, I transparently called out my closest friends, family and coworkers. I stated my piece instead of allowing the status quo or playing both sides and it led to a ton of pain, heartache and feeling alone with a number of my closest relationships feeling very much in limbo.

I forced myself to start instituting and enforcing boundaries. I’ve realized that you can only control yourself and that people won’t change unless they are open to it. This is a work in progress. The truth is that many of those relationships will never be the same, people come and go and show their true colors. ‘Tis life – stay true.

The world has drastically changed dramatically politically, economically and socially. Many are feeling hopeless and forgotten and it’s easy to get sucked into deep despair following the news: I sure did. It’s ok to not be ok, just know what outlets are available.

While/when it may seem hopeless on a macro scale, it’s okay to tune out and focus on the micro. I just read “Go-Giver” and “Infinite Game” in my summer hammock. I’m a firm believer that karma is real, providing “glimmer” moments – small periods of joy and striving to find ways to give back can help lift spirits. Those can include dropping messages of goodwill, making random people laugh, compliments, gifts, giving time or feedback (transparent) pay dividends in “life purpose equity.”

Give and live! Take stock in what you have with gratitude and not the social comparisons – what a decade and chapter. Stand up for yourself and what you believe in.

You may feel ripped to shreds and alone in the world, but work the process and come out of it a new person; epic comeback story in the making.

Cuba Libre (Reflections from my 2nd Visit)

Cuba is open for business! Yes, still (despite what you may think, Americans). Sadly, since Obama opened the gates to American tourists to come visit again, his successor and even Biden since haven’t helped matters and the new cruise infrastructure that millions was dumped into sits empty and tourist visits have trickled, but that didn’t stop us.

Alli, my wife wasn’t happy that I went to Cuba without her and had been dying to return, this time with close friends of ours known for globe-trotting in Andy and Lisa. We connected in Miami (one of 3 U.S. cities you can enter from), got our tourist visa at the airport for $100, reason for the visit being to support the Cuban people.

After waiting for an extra 25 minutes on the side, while sweating for being overdressed for the tropics, to clear customs (they had some fun with me for a blurry initial photo). Then like that, we were cruising down the scenic seaside Malecon past the occassionally updated ruins to our casa in Habana Vieja.

This trip, we were much more centralized to the action then last time, when we stayed in Central Havana in a busy, noisy neighborhood (still walkable – just much less centralized). Within a 10 minute walk was the waterfront and view of the old fort and all the historic sights of Habana Vieja, tons of bars and restaurants competing for your business via English-speaking street help ($10-15/per gets you an amazing meal with a drink or two and live musicians playing for you). The “real (ie. local) downtown,” Central Havana was also closely connected as was the government center and fancy classic car tours waiting to show you around anywhere for $1.

Highlights were rooftop dining with city and water/fort views and watching a Afro/Cuban parade (orisha / Santeria) with procession dancing by on stilts, having the famous cocktails at the original source of the rum (aged rum tastes like good scotch), mojito and daiquiri with the likes of the statue (and spirit?) of Hemingway, all the food and musicians and the sheer beauty of the old ruins, city parks including a Gaudi Park Guell-like porcelain creation and restored historic grandeur.

Having experienced the vibrancy of Havana nights (and days), I was most excited about the chance to get out of the city and experience the countryside, beaches and towns. Luckily, as part of our 8 day tour, we had 4 nights and an extra day to sightsee across the largest island in the Caribbean. Highlights included: exploring the West Cuba mountains and caves by boat and a special Cuban cigar farm and tour (here’s how they do it), visiting the endangered Cuban Crocs at the Zapata Swampswimming in the legendary reefs around the Bay of Pigs and Fish Cave cenote, learning about the war history around the Bay of Pigs at the Garon Museum (years of civil war of which we unsuccessfully intervened) and popping through the old colorful colonial French town of Cienfuegos.

For this pirate-aficionado, I especially enjoyed the Caribbean town of Trinidad. Trinidad’s ancient streets are cobblestone and labyrinth, to mitigate pirate invasions back when. The history was rich and thick in and around the town square. We were served seafood and cocktails under cabanas on the rustic beach and the town was the birthplace to the famous “Canchancharra” medicinal cocktails (Black Tears rum, honey and a spritz of bubble water and lime). We returned from the beach to an extended rolling blackout, but found our way back to the town square where the owner of a new place recruited us to at the beach, where we found Cuba’s top singing talent (who could sing Adele in Italian, English and Spanish with soul) and a tropical storm around sunset under a roof with mountain, see and town views for many miles. We finished the night watching the tropical sky light up with lightning flashes in the distance from the roof of our place and trying to grab a few winks with no air conditioning.

The mountain pass we went through heading north was scenic and we stopped in a sugar cane factory en route to Santa Clara, where we took in famous communist revolutionary Che Guevarra’s monument while learning more about his contributions in the fight to bring education (he had a doctorate himself) and a reprieve from poverty and indentured servitude to the masses. The Che and revolutionary themes are everywhere in Cuba, despite the fact that he had a falling out with Fidel before he was assassinated in Bolivia.

We concluded our trip in the best possible way – relaxation in the beach peninsula paradise of Veradero off the straights of Florida (Atlantic side). The fine white sand beach was clear and waters crystal blue – much like the Florida panhandle beaches. We stayed a block from the beach, rented cabanas for $1 for the day, refreshed with 80 cent pina coladas and $3 burger lunches, popped by the Beatles Bar, and had nice sunset dinners after driving the strip in a convertible or horse-drawn buggy. It was very relaxing and a worthy Cuban send-off.

Cuba is a very mis-understood place. A friend was jailed for weeks there back in the day for putting up posters promoting a gay party. Beware as there is no extradition. When we asked our guide about facts, the answers were all over the place (ie. unemployment rates) and talking government policy is taboo. Today, it’s unsure of itself and who it wants to be, with a more active black market environment – elements of our market-driven economies and small businesses becoming a lot more accepted, even since the last trip.

True to our visas (which you’re supposed to back with non-government vendor receipts for 5 years), we readily supported musicians and anyone helping make the experience better with $1 or couple hundred pesos, which go oh so long a ways. Occasionally, we got hustled, which entails being led to a restaraunt/bar and overcharged. When the average monthly salary is $30 and doctors make $87, your perspective changes. Monthly rations (including “Vitamin R” and tobacco) are covered for all, as is housing, employment and medical (Cuba has one of highest doctor to citizen ratios and treatment levels).

Cuban industry has shrunk considerably (many people ask for medical and US logo/city products as they are scarce and expensive). Tourism has taken a major hit and all the hotels and resorts are government owned. Despite everything, life is simple, the reefs are still pristine, food (always get the pork) and drinks are as fresh and tasty as they come and the people are smiling, happy and full of soul and charm.

I recently read Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman (no surprise that it was written by a Dutchman). The premise is that society co-existed and thrived when sharing and started coming a part once individual possessions started to become a theme. There are some very evident, exponentially scary flaws to capitalism and clearly communism is a flawed ideology that far from achieves its means.

While I nurse my surgically repaired achilles of which I’m on the hook for thousands and dealing with the stress of all the missed agenda items and months-upon-months of recovery ahead, it’s hard to not think of the the different world-view such an injury brings about for someone in a place like Cuba!

Revolutionary!?

Football Dream Achieved Over Another Year Around the Sun

Well, another birthday has just come and gone. I love summer, but October is a bit more special for so many reasons for me: thrills, chills and football spills. One away from a big one and here I am sizing up my progress report.

Every kid has a dream.  My passion was sports and after I hung up the pro playing dreams,  I set out to be special off the field and on the business side where my hope was to someday run an organization, player personnel and business operations by making my up the business side.  I made the hard transition and some amazing senior ticketing leadership opportunities (like one I had teed up for years with my hometown NFL team) because I wanted to carve my niche out in the more strategic sponsorship side, with expertise in the two key revenue cogs for pro teams.

I passed up a great opportunity with a much-respected industry leader in the S.F. Giants because the role turned from manager to seller when the team won it’s first of three World Series in 6 years. Despite the hankering to be heading west after my study abroad experience in Australia, family proximity, program prestige and a chance to work in football swayed me east.

While pursuing a global MBA in the nation’s capitol, I had to swallow my pride of being an NBA-record ticket seller to start all over as an unpaid sponsorship intern, commuting on my own dime sometimes 6 days, 3 hours in traffic and 40+ hours per week in office for the pro football team who’s advertised claim to fame was being the most profitable team. I was shocked to discover everyone running around in fear, with no CRM or tech systems competing against each other and interns doing it all including managing the salary cap. I finally met the hiring manager and reference my program director connected me with, who was advertising for paid positions and was let go after introducing myself for “going behind the back” of my current direct report. In front of the office in the hall, the owner made fun of me for not having the rally shirt on (as these were cut out for interns).

From there, I was lucky to get on with NFL Players sponsorships to help manage deals involving 5+ players signed on with the Union. Day 2: I’m surrounded by Buckeye grads and we’ve started a friendly rivalry discussion. It was 2010 and my Wolverines were getting owned by the sweater-vested Tresselites of OSU. My only argument was that if you stacked up NFL depth charts at the time, that we had a stronger list of superstars. Scottie Graham, head of player engagement and proud Buckeye and NFL former player and New Yorker, gets involved in the discussion and soon seemingly starts to have steam coming out his ears from getting worked up on the topic (missing the “present day” context, he was bringing up past legends). To add to it all, Eddie George happens to walk in the door and get inserted into the conversation. OSU had just lost a tough one to Wisco, but he just said how big of magnitude The Game had. Class act with some great rivalry jokes that would come up when I later saw him while volunteering to work Player event appearances around the Super Bowl (which Jerry outsold the game and there was no ticket for me through the Players nor one available for the $1k in cash I had in my pocket, tough pill to swallow for a Steelers fan who paid his way down there to schlep event-to-event after a snowstorm and long drives with no salt).

NFL Players only paid a metro card for what would have normally been a full-time coordinator role, but I started learning the ins-and-outs of managing official league partnerships and all the moving pieces (emphasis on paperwork from disparate systems – lots).

I left with incredible stories (ie. approaching the #1 most expensive player on our appearance list, Kurt Warner who gave me the time of day despite it being his wife’s big celeb fashion show fundraiser to spell out why it’s family first unless you’re offering $150k/2 hour appearance). A lockout between the largely-black Players Union and old-boys NFL owner club was on the brink – but the group was very tight-lipped. I then went to help put on, sell and market the inaugural AT&T Nation’s Football classic at “historic” (read: dump) RFK Stadium, a foray into the traditions of HBCU culture – Morehouse College vs Howard University. At one point, it felt like the concrete was giving out in our 3rd floor office and we were marched onto the middle of the field after the 2nd earthquake wave (maybe not the best place with all the concrete facing inward).

I motored through and graduated with 2 separate degrees in 2.5 years total as the fear of my mounting loans were kicking in (both of which were designed individually to take 2 years each). Despite all this, I had my eyes on being on that Sports Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” prestigious list. I still wanted to work in football and here’s a few search highlights:

  • I studied the landscape and keyed in on one of the biggest upcoming opportunities in sports – the developing LA NFL situation. While in school, I got an internship interview with Lagardere – leaders in player representation. The assignment was to present a SWOT analysis on that developing landscape. Student life is for the experience and exposure at the sacrifice of your time, skills and ideas – indentured servitude to “pay your dues.”
  • Previous collegiate experience in football ops and with an agent friend showed me what an entry-point for football ops was often like. “Runner” agent interns will go to any length for contact info and access – no job security as “sharks never sleep.” Scouts live on the road for years to work their way up for peanuts.
  • While volunteering for the MIT Sloan Sport Analytics Conference and rubbing elbows with founders and sportsbiz stars Darryl Morey and Jessica Gelman, I got a surprise call from the Dolphins for an open role I had positioning myself through my Michigan network for months. I could never get back in touch with the hiring manager (who has a similar come-up story in sportstech and later told me he was dealing with some tough family issues at the time).
  • After months on end back home in Michigan to save $ applying for various positions and getting no hits, I realized that I had to go on a roadshow to churn up traction. I met a few team business execs at the NFL at conferences, who encouraged me to reach out when in NYC. Along with some other interviews, I informally interviewed at the league office on Draft Day in 2012 for hopes of getting a shot at a few open positions around the league.
  • On the tail-end of the NYC/east coast “lightning strike,” I interviewed with Matt DiFebo, the original outsourced ticketing leader who was in the process of signing Pitt athletics by way of a former colleague. We ate Italian and talked about my candidacy for the GM role vs. a local favorite. I dropped Matt off at the airport and completed the days drive spanning from Maine to Michigan.

The very next morning, I was on a flight out to Utah to visit the Maverik Center and Utah Grizzlies, where I was being recruited for an open sponsorship sales role. Long story short, I accepted a sponsorship role before I had another offer – done waiting at that point. I was ready to be full-time employed in sponsorship (and to ski the “major leagues” of ski slopes) but not ready for the culture shock and adjustment to the minor league model. As an AEG arena, I was plugged in and trying to be a visible contributor with key players at the global entertainment group that led the Staples Center / LA Live efforts who were the known favorite for the NFL-to-LA bid.

From there, I took a job for an MLS leader in sponsorship metrics (and pressure) in Real Salt Lake. In a year, I interviewed in-person at Staples Center twice – the appeal of a new progressive tech-driven ownership profile in Steve Ballmer was appealing. I struck out twice, though. I struck out trying to work my way into leadership and ownership via sweat equity and resume after a short stint with the first “Fan Controlled Football Team” where video games meet live arena-style play and ownership democratization.

All of a sudden, I came back from the holidays and found myself abandoned and jobless. I was floored and humbled down to the studs of dignity.

Luckily, I got a chance to build a better workplace/workflow solution realizing project management hadn’t reached sponsorship and filled a big gap left by CRMs. Over almost 8 years, I’ve worked my way from unpaid consultant of Sponsorship Buddy to CRO and a top cofounder and CRO (formerly CMO) of Trak Software – we wisely rebranded.

Before the world fell to its knees during covid at top sponsorship conference IEG in 2019, I met and developed a relationship with “Coach” aka Sean Gannon at the (who resembles Rams Coach Sean McVey, who happened to be in the same building in Washington as I was around the same time working on his own path). Relationships at that same show helped us land a covid lifeline in the Broncos, who took past experience using us with the Memphis Grizzlies – our first paid client and my former Grad Assistant sponsor, to setting a new standard for NFL sponsorship management when it was needed most.

4 years after that internal Rams introduction after a move, stadium, Super Bowl trophy, parades, much due diligence, back-and-forth, reference conversations and an intense legal negotiation, the eagle finally landed in record-fashion for Trak. We are now working with some of the most iconic, innovative NFL groups spanning the 49ers, Patriots, Chiefs and 16 of 32 clubs. On the global football note, we also signed Inter Miami FC just weeks before the biggest sports headline of the year – Leo Messi’s arrival to the club.

In February, I was recognized at the National Sports Forum on the field at SoFi Stadium. Quite a night highlighted by tours, amazing food and being a kid again playing on the field – winning retribution on the 40 yard dash after an epic slip up in my dress shoes.

I learned that no if no one wants to give you the role you believe you deserve – go make it happen yourself. Use your inner “Chip” to prove them wrong.

Yes we’re a vendor but we are valued as a team extension behind the scenes. Game days are great, we can still get those by choice but so is helping people achieve their dreams by making digital transformation dead-simple with technology.

Trip of the Year: Alaskan Escape by Van

Trip of the Year: Alaskan Road Trip

Chip & Alli experience Denali National Park

As a vaccinated and cooped up adventurer, 2021 has been a rebound year on the travel front for yours truly. Since that second shot in my arm in April (and knowing that I couldn’t live with the thought of collateral damage ensued by not doing my part to get it), I’ve experienced the spring slopes of Steamboat Springs, heat of St. George, diverse corners of Seattle, title town of Tampa twice, lakes of Michigan and Wisconsin, mountain lakes and woods of the Uintah Mountains, an east coast swing to see family, friends and work contacts in Boston, Maine and NYC and a sports/work trip to Denver.

It’s been a welcome reprieve but all paling in comparison to the big one, of which I had to detail before the calendar flipped to 2022. With all the international limits on travel with the pandemic still raging, I had to get creative to hit my goal of one new place per year (country, territory or state).

Lucky for my wife Alli and I, we subscribe to a newsletter called Flights From Home, which notifies of the best flash deals on flights from local airports to our home in SLC. You basically get 24, maybe 48 hours, to book before the rates flip. When they posted a $225 Delta roundtrip deal to Fairbanks, Alaska – we hiccuped a little trying to figure out schedules, but ended up booking it in time. Because we hesitated, we got a direct flight going there but had to add a connection on the return with both flights being overnight red-eyes.

We watched them change the timing of the return flights maybe 20 times before departure. We also started hearing more and more about the influx of tourists to U.S. National Parks and Alaska – many parks, restaurants, hotels and vehicle rentals were booked out weeks if not months in advance.

Ultimately, it could have all been a bit more unnerving but we found through social media that our U of M/SLC friends happened to be road-tripping Alaska and overlapping on timing. Not only that, but they had put months of research into their spreadsheet-based itinerary with every distance, budget, restaurant, adventure, campsite/hotel and even shower mapped out (which is important when you’re living that #vanlife). No holds barred – they were going for it. It helped me establish a baseline of stops to research (along with Facebook Groups like the All About Alaska Travel group and some insights from friends and relatives who had been or lived there).

We lucked out and found Roobie via Outdoorsy. At $100/day (plus a mileage fee and mandatory insurance), this 1993 church van was owned by a handy family that was putting in the work to put a big bed in the back and rig it with all the essential supplies like camp chairs, a propane burner and grill, pots, pans, etc. – heck, even the all important can of bear spray. The family ran the business on the side and had multiple rigs and lots of advice had communicated throughout to make sure the supplies were up to standard and my only request was a covering for the windows knowing we were looking at summer sunshine nearly around the clock.

A quick five hour flight later, we touched down in Fairbanks and had to start getting used to dusk at midnight. After an interesting stay in a converted fraternity house turned small hotel, Roobie was dropped off and I got my bearings taking her to make a massive Costco run for snacks, meals and refreshments to take on our way out of town – we had 7 hours on the road ahead of us and off we went.

Interviewing Uncle Tom of Chitina – home of famous legendary Copper River red salmon

The next day, we had a shuttle arranged to get us into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (as the old railroad turned road was too rough for Roobie). We made it to our pickup area of Chitina (pronounced “Chit-NA”) and poked around the ghost town and quasi-maintained historic buildings before being directed over to Uncle Tom’s Tavern.

We didn’t mess around at Tom’s and drew out some fascinating life stories of locals like Tom, the pilot, gold mine owner, bar owner and fisherman/outdoorsman extraordinaire (who shot the bear above outside his cabin door in the park). We met three local fishing guides who told us how out-of-staters could hire a local and pull up to 30 fish a day out of the river by fishwheel or net (no reels needed here). The legendary Copper River commands more $ per pound for its red salmon swimming upstream at $45/pound! Being right outside the park, there was so much access to the resources around the park – including the grizzlies who tore into one fellow townie’s face. The people were genuine, stories were amazing of how people got there (including one local in George who had killed a man in Oregon at 17 — we didn’t ask for details). So much character and the highlight of Alli’s trip!

The wonders of Wrangell St. Elias National Park – moose, Root Glacier, McCarthy swimming hole

Our friends were missing and cell service was spotty across the state but luckily we caught them in the shuttle en route to the park just in-time. Our day in the 2nd largest National Park in the world (#1 in U.S.) was incredible from start to finish. Per owner instructions, we couldn’t take Roobie down the McCarthy Road, a 60 mile rough gravel-surfaced road connecting Chitina to the historic ghost town of McCarthy and took a group shuttle. Along the way, we met a Canadian Lynx, who came out of the bush and strolled right by our van before hopping back into the bush after a bird. What a sight! We also saw a moose calf grazing in a field and got out of the van to watch a very large bull moose cool itself in a pool nearby.

We crossed a rushing river, passed through the restored ghost town of McCarthy and hiked through the expansive restored ruins of the Kennicott copper mining empire, protected as a National Landmark since 1986. Next to the trail was what looked like a ridge of churned up dirt and gravel but in actuality, the Root Glacier of which we hiked down to the base of. Crampon-equipped explorers hiked up the glacier whereas we got to the edge to sample the pure water from the melt. It was an incredibly picturesque and satisfying journey although sad as the photos in the buildings showed how much more expansive the glacier terrain had been that they previously skied on before climate change melted it down to its current state.

On the way back to Chitina, we poked around in McCarthy, met a cowboy that was one of the original couple residents of the town, hopped in the scenic town watering hole to cool down from the heat (of which I was way overdressed for throughout the day). We then got to walk the picturesque bridge that Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is known for, staring down and the river and landscape below.

It took a few hours and a couple extra from summer construction to hit the coast in Valdez and we set up shop at a campsite right on the bay. What a sight it was, surrounded by mountains all around and chock-full of salmon plus the seals and sea lions that love to eat them. Nearby was the fishery, no stranger to bear sightings, where several obese sea lions gorged on all the fish trying to make their way up the man-made channel simulating an up-river spawn quest of which I could catch by hand as they were so plentiful. Nearby was a Glacier Lake with kayakers with ice islands and before heading out on our way, we took a spin through the sleepy downtown of Valdez.

The scenic Denali Highway was the direct way to make our way across the expansive state to our next meet-up point in Denali National Park. This was the 2nd road Roobie was not permitted as it is also unpaved. We opted for the paved AK-1 N and AK-4 W, which proved to be incredibly scenic with jaw-dropping mountain views abound until hitting the outskirts of Anchorage, then took AK-3 up north totaling 10 hours on the day to make it to the park.

Our campsite, booked weeks in advance because of the glut of national park tourist demand, was Savage River, the 1st site in the park. I was able to utilize the river for a quick, refreshing dip (especially nice without showers present). The highlight of the park was the pre-booked park shuttle, where we progressively got closer and closer to the animal action the deeper we got into Denali. We saw numerous Dall sheep, 6 caribou, 6 moose and best-yet, a total of 9 Grizzly Bears! We started spotting their golden coats off in the distance and progressively saw them gorging on berries closer to the shuttle. We arrived at the lookout point as far as the 92 mile road goes and with the luck of having a mildly overcast day, could see the south peak and lower part of the north peak of Mt. McKinley straight on. We saw two beers careening down the mountain, which ended up getting close enough to the overlook and pedestrian area that people had to be ushered back onto the buses by park rangers. What an experience of which I predicted as a “what if” could happen as we arrived!

We were so lucky timing-wise as that next week not only weather-wise, but that next week brought about also the borders opening back up bringing international tourists, there was a landslide that limited traffic to turnaround at mile marker 42 on the road, and a Grizzly attack on a lone hiker near the aforementioned overlook site.

From Denali the “Serengeti of the Arctic”, we headed down to the scenic coast and hit Seward some 8 hours south through Anchorage. We camped right in the town on the bay and river with no shortage of stunning views all around (ever-present theme in Alaska) for $8/day. Seward housed the only Olympic-sized pool in all of Alaska and as I was grilling burgers in the parking lot, a parade for Olympic gold-winning 17 year old hero Lydia Jacoby unfolded before us on the bridge we overlooked of which the state’s top politicians opened for.

The Seward highlight was the Kenai Fjords Peninsula & National Park cruise that we took, of which we took in majestic splitting glaciers, split rock seat-jutting landscapes and the multitudes of sea life enjoying the fair weather. Getting to watch porpoises swimming under the boat, 5 Humpbacks playing in the sound, puffins, sea otters and the like was truly magical.

From Seaward, we day-tripped up to the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center to see rescued wildlife of most native species including moose, elk, buffalo (aggressively in heat), wolves, coyotes, and napping/playing Black & Grizzly bears amongst others. We made it out to the picturesque glacier/fishing town of Whittier to poke around although would have loved to see it from the water. We also briefly stopped in Girdwood to checkout Alyeska Ski Resort.

Anchorage proved to probably the most picturesque large city I’ve ever been to, with roads curving around the waterfront. A walk through the 49th State Brewery offered no chance of seating (much like most restaurants booked out and short-staffed). We ate nearby and still got to sample the local beer, salmon and reindeer sausage before crashing in the parking lot of the Native Heritage Center. It was great to walk through the indoor museum with outbuildings, take the tour and hear about the 9 different cultural regions and tribes and clans still holding onto passed down customs to survive.

En route up towards Denali we hit the bohemian town of Talkeetna known for its shopping and McKinley peak overlook views and were not disappointed. We continued all the way up past Denali and past Fairbanks when we started having our first car trouble aside from nearly running out of gas (always fill up when you get the chance in Alaska). Ole Roobie started overheating and not wanting to make it up hills. We pulled aside and called the family contact who was nearby and ready to come if needed but who suggested just putting water in as a coolant substitute, which did the trick for us and we were off on our way down some back roads to get to Chena Hot Springs.

Chena Hot Springs served as our first hotel and shower since night 1 in Fairbanks and was equipped with not only large outdoor hot springs, an indoor pool fed from the springs and a bevvy of activities. I rode a horse with Alli around the area in guided fashion for the first time. We also enjoyed the Ice Museum, which consisted of all kinds of sculpted igloo palaces, knights and the like with a full bar with drinks in ice glasses.

Had we known our flight was going to get derailed and we would be stuck at the airport, it would have been much more of a relaxing relief to stay at Chena, but alas. We made it to the novelty town of North Pole, visited a few reindeer and Santa’s workshop gift shop for some choice items. Our last day was in Fairbanks, we poked around the waterfront a bit but it was a torrential downpour and we found ourselves napping while working on finishing off the ambitious Costco order of beverages and the like unsuccessfully before Delta finally put us on an Alaska Airlines flight (many more of those) to connect in Seattle and head home.

Thousands of miles by van an extra day at the airport, a few dim hours, much daylight and many an adventure later, we were back to reality.

I would easily put Alaska up with any other place when it comes to adventure potential and scenery and its no wonder so many find themselves not leaving!

First the Bomb Drop. Then the Reconciliation.

2020 was the year of all years where every sign of the apocalypse showed up at the doorstep.

In the isolated island that is Utah, not only did we have the devastation of the ongoing pandemic, but an earthquake with powerful tremors reverberating for weeks, a hurricane-like windstorm uprooting many massive hundred year old trees, political and social justice turmoil, armed militia-presence and progress denial and since, killer wildfires and avalanches.

It took the public police execution of George Floyd and countless others caught and shared on social media to collectively start forcing awareness and change on the law enforcement and social fronts.

It’s forced us all to be real about what we truly believe and who we are instead of hiding it in the shadows.

The sports and entertainment world is traditionally the great melting pot where even political and social differences could be overcome by collectively rooting for the home team. However, organizations were largely not forced to choose sides and bigotry and hostility often swept under the carpet and left to fester. Until 2020.

With that, longstanding oppressive actions of controlling elites have become exposed. Notably, two of the sports organizations I had been involved with came under fire and investigation for racism, sexism, bullying and abhorrent cultures created under the old guards. Scrappy local reporters and brave former employees stuck their necks out and via social media spurned “Me Too” movements that caught so much traction that they could not be denied. Feel free to read into the Washington Football Club and Real Salt Lake sagas independently as there is plenty there from countless employees and fans.

The precedent is shifting and it’s no longer an acceptable practice to abusively get away with being bigoted, self-centered, controlling tyrants.

There are consequences to pay because transparency is here to stay.

While the gap has widened considerably between the haves-and-have nots, through this mess of a year, change is happening and the messages of the slighted are now being surfaced, and in some cases recognized and even prioritized. There are no easy fixes and change takes time.

Purpose and character – where do you stand? Individuals and companies were all put on the spot transparently. If you’re hiding in the shadows, you’re considered guilty. If you don’t come off authentically, you get called on it.

There’s too much on the line: lives, jobs, daily, travel, norms, environmental sustainability, and family routines.

Real change has taken place and there’s no going back from here.

It’s a new era – Derek Chauvin, the police officer that infamously killed George Floyd on camera has been convicted and not let off the hook.

Now, as we continue climbing out of the hole with the mass 2021 vaccine rollout, issue prioritization and economic recovery, lessons have been learned and there’s no going back.

What happens when the lights go off? … Time will tell.

Since The Bomb Dropped

So much has happened since my last post.

“The Ugly American” stereotype was the understatement of them all. We were going backwards and showing our ugly side, handicapped by a retaliatory gesture to thwart progress made during the Obama era and preserve dying industries like coal while propping up our racist roots. People lost the ability to be civil, work together and decipher what’s real vs. manufactured with an angle on the news front.

Surface-level indicators like unemployment % and stock market gains were touted by the nationalistic administration. Under the surface, however, the seams were bursting and blood was boiling.

Our approach to the pandemic, now a year in, has made us the world’s pincushion. We pushed to keep business and life normal while the virus took over and such a short-sighted approach has cost us now over 500,000 (of the over 2 million global) lives and counting with all kinds of collateral damage including a mounted financial debt (and even more foreboding, mental health debt).

I had a near breakdown in April when reading into the trajectory and impact it would have on sports and entertainment, where my company does business. Sure enough, many of these tea leaves turned out although sports did find a way to return – to entertain, distract or for some, employ us.

Hateful conspiracy theory-spewing groups like QAnon have thrived on spreading misinformation and cling to holding the pandemic around as long as possible by demonizing masks, covid-19 vaccines and preying on the vulnerable.

Oh, did I mention that my own college-educated uncle and aunt reached out last week – in February of 2021 mind you. Somehow, they have come under the impression from these conspiracy theorists that covid is a hoax and ploy. Meanwhile, my year of staying home sequestered aside from masked errands and my ski release caught up to me and that as I write this, I’m battling the virus myself – or “the flu” in their eyes. My wife the social worker had a real scare tied to her work in the schools as a result of also picking up the virus.

The irony…

Is it all doom-and-gloom, though?

No, there is a silver lining. Stay tuned for more.

Global Reckoning Period – Adapt or Die II

It’s like a bad sequel.  Groundhog Day: Return of Ned Flanderson (sans Bill Murray).

Just when you thought we were turning the corner to stop the gore and the killer had disappeared, we stumble, trip and allow for the villain to catch back up.

We have now entered into the eye of the storm.  It’s quiet.  Too quiet. And peaceful.  But just you wait.

Experts and past leaders knew a pandemic was well within the cards. Luckily, we were prepped for past threats in SARS and Ebola.  When the world watched China and Europe get decimation, we hesitated, thumbed our nose and got crushed.

Instead of a World War II-like rallying behind our leaders and mission, our Fake News fragmentation and direction for states to figure it out independently kicked in.

Sadly, the fact that it’s a crucial election year and prospects of a depression took precedence over public health and getting mass testing and herd immunity to where it needs to be.

“Liberation” of our freedoms, opening up non-essential businesses and protesting from close distance is the obvious death trap.  Just ask John from Ohio.  Oh wait…

No, we won’t save ourselves from UV light or drinking bleach.  Please don’t try it (although do go outside – sunshine helps your mental psyche, although it won’t defend much against viruses).

The U.S. (and much of the world similarly) has now far eclipsed the quickest unemployment rate drop.  Time and decisions made by all of us will tell whether we eclipse the peak rate of 24.9% during the Great Depression.  Hopefully those affected will learn valuable new skills and trades in the meantime while growing relationships at home to evolve and come out of this stronger.

The economy is vital to us all, but we have to trust the scientific experts and the math (see Domo’s live trend visuals).  A few weeks of apprehensive business openings isn’t going to be worth the collateral damage we face by being premature and negligent.

Chances are, many more of us have had it than we know.  We need mass testing and antibody testing to tell us that as and we still don’t understand what level of exposure (if possible at all) we need to have had to mitigate the threat of a second mutated bout.

We’re working feverishly to enable a vaccine but best case scenario to get one is by almost all accounts is a year from now – around April 2021.  Then it has to be mass distributed to the public.

Life as we knew it in terms of going to the flights, concerts, games, bars and restaurants we so loved won’t be the same.  We’ll have to adapt to the new normal, even after the vaccine.

We are seeing heroes and valiant, selfless acts happen all around us.  It’s the medical, grocery, delivery workers and average Joes going to get groceries for their elderly neighbors that are making the difference and deserve to benefit when the dust settles.

If we’ve learned anything through this, it’s the danger of not educating and equipping the poor and ignorant.  If we don’t give everyone access to accurate information, health care and the means to work and live, everything else is threatened.  Billionaire Mark Cuban (story of past encounters with him to come) has been a voice of reason for the people, making a public play for trickle-up vs. trickle-down economics.

Maybe we will swallow our pride and step up together when it counts.

Regardless, the shark will be stalking the shores and connected rivers beneath the surface.