Top Ten 2009

Top Ten List 2009

Hi Everyone:  Now into the second decade of my New Year’s traditional Top Ten List.  It is my chance to reflect back on the people and events of the past year and to inspire me for this years list!  Once again the blessings are many and I am thankful and appreciative to you for them!  Let’s make 2010 a year of growth and good health (especially friends recovering from illness as I write this)   

10.  Engagements - there is something about being married that makes you want to initiate other people into the club.  I could have phrased that many ways but its a good thing!  My brother broke down first as he traveled unannounced to a mountain in Bethany’s home state of Virginia – where she was surprised to find him on his knees holding a ring.  Ankur and Devi had a traditional Indian engagement ceremony which provided a chance for me to see the extended family.  And Babi and Bhavi made the commitment and we celebrated with a traditional Korean barbeque followed by Karaoke.

9.  Honeymoon in Mexico – Yu Fen and I took advantage of the swine flu scare and the global financial meltdown to spend a week in a brand new Dreams resort located just north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  The cherry on the cake was the hot tub sunk in the balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  The hotel was only 30% occupied which allowed the staff to treat us extremely well.  It was an all-inclusive, stress free vacation with no swine flu – just  traditional Montezuma’s revenge for Yu-Fen who bravely chose the ham sandwich on our day of sailing.  We’ll have to check out Africa next time there is an Ebola outbreak!  

8.  Sedona, Arizona – In July we spent a week in HOT Arizona.  They say that dry heat is not so bad - sorry 114 degrees is stifling no matter how wet or dry.  It was great though to spend time with my family including Bethany who unwittingly by sending us a NY Times article on 36 hours in Sedona became our cruise director.  Among the highlights was the drive to the Grand Canyon and the water gun battle on the “raging” river. 

7.  Investments - While I had made an investment decision some years ago to put my money where I have more control, I re-connected with Mark Brasher who convinced me that some stock investments were worth making in the context of a properly allocated portfolio.  It was good to re-think this philosophy and put in place processes to extract and build wealth from these investments as I do with the ones I control.  I hope that everyone reading this has recovered from the disaster leading to March.  Thanks Mark for helping me play offense again!

6.  Book Club - Of course this one makes the list because of my fellow book club members who keep me literate.  But I also want to add that Karin and I have adopted reading books on Kindle - NOT the separate Kindle device but Kindle for the iPhone.  It is the best app – and FREE!  Consider that I was able to buy a book seconds before boarding a plane and then without having to turn on any other light (letting Yu-fen sleep) I could read to my heart's content.  Oh and we read some good books this year, including the Weight of Silence and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (both available on Kindle for iPhone!).  

5.  Trip to Las Vegas - I must say that I have been a fan of Entourage and watch it when I have had access to HBO.  Early in the year I was fortunate to experience an Entourage type week when I headed to Los Angeles to meet with college friends Ed, Mark and Cliff.  Ed, Cliff and I continued on to Las Vegas by way of helicopter courtesy of Ed's business.   This was my first time flying on a helicopter and it was an awesome experience.  We also were able to take a helicopter into the Grand Canyon!  Yu-Fen arrived later in the week where we checked out her client's use of metal fabric at the new Wynn Encore.  We celebrated her birthday at the Mario Batali steakhouse at the Palazzo – the Carnevino - a fantastic meal as we were truly taken care of by my brother’s friend who was a manager at the restaurant!

4.  Visits – It’s always nice to have people visit us from out of town.  This year I was blessed to see Derrick – DJ.  I consider DJ my other roommate from business school even though we lived in the same hall, not room.  Also visiting or should I say returning was Jason and Barbara (his mom).  I also will put Mark Crawford in this category as he returned safely after spending the year in Iraq feeding the troops stationed there.  IF YOU ARE IN THE BAY AREA – PLEASE LET US KNOW!!!  Last minute is fine too…

3. Business – The chief revenue (and expense) generating activity for the year continues to be residential real estate asset management.  It is nice to know that through our efforts a growing number of people have a roof over their heads, investors (both debt and equity) are getting a fair return on their investments and the community benefits as homes are salvaged and put to productive use.  It was also a year where the Mother Teresa quote, retold to me by Craig, came into play which helped me deal with a situation that struck me as morally unjust (having to pay off an evicted tenant who lied, cheated and stole):

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway

Continued thanks to my father, Hemant and the entire Prajapati family, my investors and everyone else who helped achieve another successful year.  

2.  Traditions new and old.  Guys Night Out has become a monthly Palo Alto tradition.  Jaleel, Naseera, Safia – this time with Arshad and Saba - spent our 2nd consecutive Christmas skiing.  Michael and Karen who shared their home with us over a traditional Thanksgiving dinner - more Settlers of Catan?  We celebrated the wedding tradition of Mignon and Oliver and Jeff and Karen.  Peter and Laurie who continued their tradional Super Bowl ski weekend and Chinese New Year traditions while also giving birth to Lewis at the end of the year and finally Steve – The Biggest Loser award - who re-started the workout boot camp tradition by losing an amazing 80lbs!!!  

1.       As always all the people in my life who make life worth living