The Monthly Rundown: January 2018

by | Feb 2, 2018

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I left Turkey. At long last. On the 11th I flew from Istanbul to Mumbai via Kuwait (with a sweet layover). So far, have explored Mumbai, Pune, South Goa and North Goa. Mumbai was awesome! Pune was solid and South Goa is nicer than North Goa. luckily I’ll be spending most of Feb in South Goa.

kuwait towersCities Visited

(the links takes you to the location on Google Maps)

Stadiums & Arenas

  • Indoor volleyball at Burhan Felek Sports Hall in Istanbul, Turkey
  • Water polo at Galatasaray Kalamis Facilities in Istanbul, Turkey
  • Basketball at Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul, Turkey
  • Football at Mumbai Football Arena in Mumbai, India
  • Football at Balewadi Stadium in Pune, India

    • >>>The Highlight Reel<<<

    Layover In Kuwait

    kuwait city harbour

    The harbour looks alright in Kuwait City

    I spent way too much time looking at flights to India, but finally decided to go via Kuwait with a 15-hour layover. I got into the Kuwait City at sunrise and had a full day to explore. I wasn’t expecting so many beaches in the city (many you weren’t allowed to swim in). The Kuwait Towers were cool to tick off and eating dates is always a favourite in the middle east. I’m not eager to go back, but everyone was friendly so can recommend using the city as a layover spot if it’s convenient.

    Hostels In India

    the hopping frog in india

    The sign outside Hopping Frog hostel in North Goa

    It’s safe to say I wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops in Turkey. A few hostels were an exception (like the Lotus Garden in Izmir) but in general the social scene in many hostels was non-existent. It wasn’t helped that it was offseason, but the vibes were pretty dull in most of them. It got to me.

    Since getting to India, the hostels have been great! All seem have a social vibe and I’ve met some great people who I’ll keep in touch with. It hasn’t been great for the productivity, but that’s ok.

    Visiting Shivaji Park

    practicing on his own at Shivaji Park

    Shivaji Park

    Nerded out here for a couple hours in Mumbai. I wish I spent more time, but it’s cool just to say ‘I’ve been here’. Now whenever I hear the park mentioned in the cricket commentary, it’s relatable. Being able to see something in person really does make a difference.

    RELATED POST: VISITING SHIVAJI PARK

    Swimming Again

    sunset at palolem beach in goa india

    Beautiful waters of South Goa

    It’s been long since I’ve been in water that I consider swimmable. The Goa waters aren’t as warm as I thought they’d be, but they are at a temperature you can run into without shrieking at the coldness as it goes up your body with every step. I’ve been getting back into the floating drills I can remember from the Total Immersion book, but need to give it a reread.

    RELATED POST: A REVIEW OF TOTAL IMMERSION SWIMMING

    >>>The Fumbles<<<

    Having To Catch A Taxi In Kuwait

    veg thali in north goa

    When in a taxi, think of good things. Like a veg thali.

    Kuwait was awesome as mentioned in the highlight reel. I spent 7.25 KWD for the whole day, including a bus to and from the airport and a visa. When I got back to the international airport, things took a turn …I was at the wrong terminal. FlyDubai has their owned terminal on the other side of the airport, 15km away. They state on their website there’s a free shuttle between terminals, but I couldn’t find that, nor did any staff member know about it. So I had no choice but to catch a taxi…which cost 7 KWD for a 13-minute drive. 7 KWD cost 23 USD. That pissed me off big time and a nice layover in Kuwait finished on a sour note. Damn, taxis are the worst.

    Going To North Goa Early

    sunset in north goa

    Sunset in North Goa is still pretty good looking

    South Goa is the best! I spent a week there, met awesome people and chilled out. Beach, read, run, repeat. In a slight rush I went to book another night at a hostel in South Goa, but accidentally booked for the hostel in North Goa going by the same name. I decided to head to North Goa the following day rather than cancel the booking. I totally should have canceled the booking! North Goa is alright, but the south is magically relaxed with fewer people, partying, and commercialism.

    Fucking Coca Cola & Dehydration

    drinking coconuts in india

    Must stay hydrated.

    Finding Coke Zero in India isn’t easy. I thought that’d be me all done and dusted on the coke especially as I found the best beetroot juice maker in all of Mumbai (they’re all the best, let’s be honest) near the hostel. But at some point, I seem to have started drinking regular Coca-Cola full of all the sugar. I’m disgusted with myself. It’s weird, but I know I’ll stop drinking it when my buddy Stefania gets here on the 3rd! I tend to be healthier surrounded by my friends…pretty sure that isn’t normal.

    What I Finished Reading In January 2018

    local bus ride in india

    Catching the local bus to North Goa

    I’ll start expanding more on books I’ve read in upcoming editions of The Monthly Rundown. I highlight lots of passages as I read, how to curate that information and my lessons. Hmm…

  • Winning The Money Game by Adonal Foyle – 8/10. This guy reminded me of Tony Robbins new book, but Adonal is a former pro basketball player himself so his advice in this book is legit. He basically is convincing athletes to spend wisely, knowing that basketball is a finite career and if you aren’t careful your living costs will soon go well beyond your means post-career. The case study used at the end of each chapter shows exactly how so many players go broke. A good read, even as a non-pro athlete as the principals apply everywhere.
  • Lewis Hamilton: Champion Of The World: The Biography by Frank Worrall – 7/10. Lewis Hamilton burst onto the scene in 2007 and this book was written in 2009, following his first F1 crown. Some of the nuggets in here are gold, with some interesting stories about the inner workings of an F1 team, but it labours a bit too much in times with filler chapters.
  • Ric Flair: To Be The Man by Ric Flair – 9/10. If Adonal Foyle read this book (author of Winning The Money Game, he would be crying. It’s ridiculous the sums of money Ric spent, especially early in his career. The stories in this book are incredible as wrestlers are so passionate about what they do. Ric doesn’t hold back on some of his opinions on others either. He drops in some life lessons learned throughout, but it’s all about the stories for me.

  • Find Your Yellow Tux: How to Be Successful by Standing Out by Jesse Cole – 7/10. A solid book about how Jesse goes about his work. It’s inspiring and Jesse encourages you to take risks which I love. I’d loved to have seen a few stories from other businesses on top of his own. He’s young and learning, his next book will be epic.
  • On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft by Stephen Kind – 9/10. I guess I didn’t realize this was a memoir before purchasing it as recommended countless times. It’s obviously classic Stephen, and provided lots of insight into his life you don’t normally see as much. I just wish there was a workbook or something of some kind that distills the tips from out of the stories concisely.

    • New Blog Posts From January

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