In the summer of 2011 two and half lads - Cuddles, Cheesey and Woody - travelled round South East Asia in two and a half months. In explicit detail, read about their encounters with Bangkok’s nightlife, tubing in Laos, Koh Phangan’s Full Moon party and much much more. Through the eight countries of their travel, meet a host of characters and delve into the culture and chaos that South East Asia has to offer! Written as a day by day diary there’s a mixture of the mundane to the outright insane, and a little bit of somewhere in between. Nothing is embellished and nothing is omitted, everything happened exactly as it’s written…

This autobiographical travelogue, written from time to time over the last fifty years, describes the continuous and ever changing journey of life. The different installments of this travelogue, directly or indirectly, reflect the evolutionary development of the author�s state of mind at the time of their writing.

This autobiographical travelogue, written from time to time over the last fifty years, describes the continuous and ever changing journey of life. The different installments of this travelogue, directly or indirectly, reflect the evolutionary development of the author�s state of mind at the time of their writing.

This autobiographical travelogue, written from time to time over the last fifty years, describes the continuous and ever changing journey of life. The different installments of this travelogue, directly or indirectly, reflect the evolutionary development of the author�s state of mind at the time of their writing.

This book combines the tale of a family with 3 children �growing up together� while living abroad for a period of 19 years in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia with the story of conducting business in many different countries with their cultures across the globe. When on �assignment� abroad the family aspects and business life are often intermingled. This story addresses the family life initially which explains further the title of the book and then covers many important aspects of business success abroad and the lessons learned through multiple experiences in different lands. Family Tale The opportunity of a lifetime began when Brad and Mary Lesher along with the first two of their ultimately three child family packed up in Baltimore, Maryland and left for Tehran, Iran. This was a rather substantial �jump� in cultures for a first time foreign assignment. It turned out to be a magnificent experience, however, for at that time the general population in Iran was very friendly to foreigners and to Americans in particular. The climate in the country was spectacular for a rainy year would mean more than 5 days of precipitation that year. Tehran is at 5000 feet elevation like Denver, Colorado and the mountains surrounding the city were 14,000 feet resulting in the city being overlooked by blue skies and snow caps 8 months of the year. By the middle of our five year tenure in Iran the family was well immersed in local customs and culture. It was at this time that the Leshers began to realize that in living overseas how important it is to absorb local culture while in parallel remaining true also to your background and beliefs. In other words �enjoy the best of both worlds- don�t isolate yourself on American habits exclusively or �go native.� This became the tenet of their lives for all 19 years abroad and each of the family members adhere to that belief today. Further to the above point they believed in enjoying as much of the local foods as possible wherever they have lived. In the case of Iran there were many good dishes. The Persian melons are truly unique in the world, for instance. This brings us to the title of this book. As any expatriate assignee in a foreign land will tell you after a period of several years a family develops a craving for some of the �good old specialties of home.� This is true whether you are stationed in far off lands or even in the culinary capital of the world, Paris. In particular, the kids miss some of their old standbys. For Americans the �King� is Peanut Butter, for the French its Cheeses, the Germans Gherkins and Sausages and the Aussies their Vegamite. Since this entire book has many humorous incidents included in it, the author chose as an appropriate title the last words an American expatriate businessman might hear as he goes out the door to fly back to the U.S. for a meeting at home headquarters, as his wife exclaims �Don�t Forget the Peanut Butter, George!� After five delightful years in Tehran the Lesher family reluctantly left Iran and moved to Paris along with their newly arrived third child. The first two children were 8 and 5 respectively and began their elementary education at the American School of Paris. The family lived not far from Versailles and weekends were spent extensively on picnics at many beautiful and historic sites in the Paris environs. This established a solid base of experience in France and an introduction to French culture. After the four years of this assignment it was determined that it was time to return to the U.S. after having been abroad more than 8 years in total between Iran and France. The return to the states at this point was a good experience for it gave the family a chance to establish some more solid roots in the U.S. particularly since the children had been so young earlier and never had developed a U.S. base. They bought a house in Westport, Connecticut, which they owned for twenty years but only lived in for ten of those years due to further foreign assignments. The opportunity to return to France came just two years later in 1974 and was a relatively easy transition for the kids returned to the same school with a number of the same teachers and even some remaining classmates from the previous time. It�s the next seven years in France where the greatest benefits of living abroad as a family were reached. In 1974 the kids were fourteen, eleven, and six respectively and when we left France in 1981 they were twenty-one (in college) eighteen and thirteen. During the seven-year period we traveled extensively throughout Europe skiing and touring as a family. A bond developed as along with our children we �grew up together� and took full advantage of everything Europe had to offer. Three years later in Hong Kong the older two children remained in the workplace and College in the U.S. but the youngest came with us to Hong Kong and we repeated the bonding process while traveling together as a family throughout Asia and sometimes we were joined by the older two children on trips as well. The underlying message in the above family tale is that the extensive sharing of the experiences abroad enabled our family to develop a unique relationship and to this day our children are our �best friends.� Business Experience. This book details the author�s experiences and lessons learned during more than thirty years of working internationally on site in more than forty countries around the globe. It emphasizes that the key to success is to understand and respect the various unique characteristics and culture in different countries and then demonstrate that understanding without compromising fundamental principles or ethics. That may sound like it could be difficult to achieve but actually a proper approach can yield some surprising results. The lessons learned from these experiences should be of benefit to Business School students or business executives faced with the opportunity to go on an international assignment. The book includes many specific stories that are both informative and in certain cases quite humorous as it travels from Iran to Paris and to Hong Kong. The author contends that his first international assignment in Tehran, Iran, was an ideal forum for learning to bridge cultural and environmental gaps. Middle Eastern cultures and Western culture tend to be at opposite sides of the spectrum. In Iran it began with the basic questions of how business is conducted, i.e., �Who you know versus What you know.� There are detailed examples in the segment on Iran of how IBM met that specific culture difference. Another specific issue in business dealings is the question of �Flexibility.� This euphemism for bribery is sometimes used in the Middle East and elsewhere and international companies would upon occasion receive subtle hints or in some case not very subtle hints during business negotiations. When questions arise along these lines either from potential customers or in some cases employees IBM�s approach has always been to be perfectly clear up front that there is no latitude for even slight departures from sound business practices. There is a dramatic example in the book of how this posture and the well-established knowledge of how IBM does and doesn�t do business was of major benefit after the Revolution when the new powers to be stamped down on U.S. and other foreign companies. From the first day of the Revolutionary Government�s takeover the local IBM company and personnel were treated with unique respect as a result of long term business practices and tradition in the country. After Tehran the Leshers moved to Paris in 1968 and Brad began working with IBM�s operations in Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Once again, each country had its own unique characteristics. Even our own employees in those countries would tend to stonewall you if they felt that you were lumping them in one big bucket with the others as regards to their opinions, cultures and ideas. In the Eastern Bloc, Brad worked with Czechoslovakia before and after the Soviets ousted Dubcek. The second time around he found the populace totally devastated. In Hungary, on the other hand, despite the occupation the spirit of the people never diminished. In Bulgaria, the IBM operation functioned as a bicycle repair shop during the war which enabled the personnel to survive economically and kept the operation together. When the war was over IBM Bulgaria resumed operations with the same people and didn�t miss a beat. Yugoslavia was still under the Tito regime in the early seventies and was continuing to function well at that time. The author has cited these countries for it was very impressive to see how diverse each one was and yet working for common goals. The key to mutual trust was to understand their differences and demonstrate that understanding. This is the basic theme of this tale and is a very fundamental message to the international businessman. After a couple years back in the states, the Leshers returned to France for another seven years. During the initial part of that period Brad worked more extensively in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Once again these three major European operations were quite different from one another and by this time adjusting to and working with unique differences had become second nature to him and so he was accepted and was able to function successfully. Of all the different environments in Europe, the author lists the Italian one to be the most fascinating. Through the years one Government after the other in Italy would collapse and yet the business would continue to do well. The author finally concludes it must be a living example of �The Power of Positive Thinking.� In 1976, Brad assumed the role of pursuing and managing IBM�s business in the then Soviet Union. Although I had by this time had many fascinating jobs and experiences he considers this job the most fascinating of his career. He thrived on dealing with the Russians for although they were extremely difficult to finalize negotiations with, once you had concluded, �A Deal was a Deal� and they were absolutely impeccable business partners. They were highly sensitive to their reputation in business dealings since they were under fire on everything else from human rights to political ideologies. They always paid on time and in full. Unfortunately today�s Russia is completely different and in subsequent business dealings in the late nineties after he had retired from IBM, he would have been glad to negotiate once again with the old Soviet regime. After returning to the U.S. in 1981 the Lesher family got the opportunity for one more assignment and in 1984 moved to Hong Kong. Without beating the theme to death the reader can imagine the unique differences in a Korea to a Philippines to a Thailand to a Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. It was a great final assignment abroad. In summary, the basic premise throughout this book is that to be successful in international business you have to put in the time and effort to understand the unique differences country by country. Moreover, you have to demonstrate this understanding and your respect for the individual characteristics and people. If you do that, you will be accepted in each country and be successful in your endeavors. As a reminder �how not to do it� the author closes the book with the fundamental message best illustrated by the words from the Irish ballad, �Galway Bay� For the strangers came and tried to teach us their way/ They scorned us just for being what we are/ But they might as well go chasing after moonbeams/ Or light a penny candle from a star/ Don�t be a stranger!

This book combines the tale of a family with 3 children �growing up together� while living abroad for a period of 19 years in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia with the story of conducting business in many different countries with their cultures across the globe. When on �assignment� abroad the family aspects and business life are often intermingled. This story addresses the family life initially which explains further the title of the book and then covers many important aspects of business success abroad and the lessons learned through multiple experiences in different lands. Family Tale The opportunity of a lifetime began when Brad and Mary Lesher along with the first two of their ultimately three child family packed up in Baltimore, Maryland and left for Tehran, Iran. This was a rather substantial �jump� in cultures for a first time foreign assignment. It turned out to be a magnificent experience, however, for at that time the general population in Iran was very friendly to foreigners and to Americans in particular. The climate in the country was spectacular for a rainy year would mean more than 5 days of precipitation that year. Tehran is at 5000 feet elevation like Denver, Colorado and the mountains surrounding the city were 14,000 feet resulting in the city being overlooked by blue skies and snow caps 8 months of the year. By the middle of our five year tenure in Iran the family was well immersed in local customs and culture. It was at this time that the Leshers began to realize that in living overseas how important it is to absorb local culture while in parallel remaining true also to your background and beliefs. In other words �enjoy the best of both worlds- don�t isolate yourself on American habits exclusively or �go native.� This became the tenet of their lives for all 19 years abroad and each of the family members adhere to that belief today. Further to the above point they believed in enjoying as much of the local foods as possible wherever they have lived. In the case of Iran there were many good dishes. The Persian melons are truly unique in the world, for instance. This brings us to the title of this book. As any expatriate assignee in a foreign land will tell you after a period of several years a family develops a craving for some of the �good old specialties of home.� This is true whether you are stationed in far off lands or even in the culinary capital of the world, Paris. In particular, the kids miss some of their old standbys. For Americans the �King� is Peanut Butter, for the French its Cheeses, the Germans Gherkins and Sausages and the Aussies their Vegamite. Since this entire book has many humorous incidents included in it, the author chose as an appropriate title the last words an American expatriate businessman might hear as he goes out the door to fly back to the U.S. for a meeting at home headquarters, as his wife exclaims �Don�t Forget the Peanut Butter, George!� After five delightful years in Tehran the Lesher family reluctantly left Iran and moved to Paris along with their newly arrived third child. The first two children were 8 and 5 respectively and began their elementary education at the American School of Paris. The family lived not far from Versailles and weekends were spent extensively on picnics at many beautiful and historic sites in the Paris environs. This established a solid base of experience in France and an introduction to French culture. After the four years of this assignment it was determined that it was time to return to the U.S. after having been abroad more than 8 years in total between Iran and France. The return to the states at this point was a good experience for it gave the family a chance to establish some more solid roots in the U.S. particularly since the children had been so young earlier and never had developed a U.S. base. They bought a house in Westport, Connecticut, which they owned for twenty years but only lived in for ten of those years due to further foreign assignments. The opportunity to return to France came just two years later in 1974 and was a relatively easy transition for the kids returned to the same school with a number of the same teachers and even some remaining classmates from the previous time. It�s the next seven years in France where the greatest benefits of living abroad as a family were reached. In 1974 the kids were fourteen, eleven, and six respectively and when we left France in 1981 they were twenty-one (in college) eighteen and thirteen. During the seven-year period we traveled extensively throughout Europe skiing and touring as a family. A bond developed as along with our children we �grew up together� and took full advantage of everything Europe had to offer. Three years later in Hong Kong the older two children remained in the workplace and College in the U.S. but the youngest came with us to Hong Kong and we repeated the bonding process while traveling together as a family throughout Asia and sometimes we were joined by the older two children on trips as well. The underlying message in the above family tale is that the extensive sharing of the experiences abroad enabled our family to develop a unique relationship and to this day our children are our �best friends.� Business Experience. This book details the author�s experiences and lessons learned during more than thirty years of working internationally on site in more than forty countries around the globe. It emphasizes that the key to success is to understand and respect the various unique characteristics and culture in different countries and then demonstrate that understanding without compromising fundamental principles or ethics. That may sound like it could be difficult to achieve but actually a proper approach can yield some surprising results. The lessons learned from these experiences should be of benefit to Business School students or business executives faced with the opportunity to go on an international assignment. The book includes many specific stories that are both informative and in certain cases quite humorous as it travels from Iran to Paris and to Hong Kong. The author contends that his first international assignment in Tehran, Iran, was an ideal forum for learning to bridge cultural and environmental gaps. Middle Eastern cultures and Western culture tend to be at opposite sides of the spectrum. In Iran it began with the basic questions of how business is conducted, i.e., �Who you know versus What you know.� There are detailed examples in the segment on Iran of how IBM met that specific culture difference. Another specific issue in business dealings is the question of �Flexibility.� This euphemism for bribery is sometimes used in the Middle East and elsewhere and international companies would upon occasion receive subtle hints or in some case not very subtle hints during business negotiations. When questions arise along these lines either from potential customers or in some cases employees IBM�s approach has always been to be perfectly clear up front that there is no latitude for even slight departures from sound business practices. There is a dramatic example in the book of how this posture and the well-established knowledge of how IBM does and doesn�t do business was of major benefit after the Revolution when the new powers to be stamped down on U.S. and other foreign companies. From the first day of the Revolutionary Government�s takeover the local IBM company and personnel were treated with unique respect as a result of long term business practices and tradition in the country. After Tehran the Leshers moved to Paris in 1968 and Brad began working with IBM�s operations in Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Once again, each country had its own unique characteristics. Even our own employees in those countries would tend to stonewall you if they felt that you were lumping them in one big bucket with the others as regards to their opinions, cultures and ideas. In the Eastern Bloc, Brad worked with Czechoslovakia before and after the Soviets ousted Dubcek. The second time around he found the populace totally devastated. In Hungary, on the other hand, despite the occupation the spirit of the people never diminished. In Bulgaria, the IBM operation functioned as a bicycle repair shop during the war which enabled the personnel to survive economically and kept the operation together. When the war was over IBM Bulgaria resumed operations with the same people and didn�t miss a beat. Yugoslavia was still under the Tito regime in the early seventies and was continuing to function well at that time. The author has cited these countries for it was very impressive to see how diverse each one was and yet working for common goals. The key to mutual trust was to understand their differences and demonstrate that understanding. This is the basic theme of this tale and is a very fundamental message to the international businessman. After a couple years back in the states, the Leshers returned to France for another seven years. During the initial part of that period Brad worked more extensively in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Once again these three major European operations were quite different from one another and by this time adjusting to and working with unique differences had become second nature to him and so he was accepted and was able to function successfully. Of all the different environments in Europe, the author lists the Italian one to be the most fascinating. Through the years one Government after the other in Italy would collapse and yet the business would continue to do well. The author finally concludes it must be a living example of �The Power of Positive Thinking.� In 1976, Brad assumed the role of pursuing and managing IBM�s business in the then Soviet Union. Although I had by this time had many fascinating jobs and experiences he considers this job the most fascinating of his career. He thrived on dealing with the Russians for although they were extremely difficult to finalize negotiations with, once you had concluded, �A Deal was a Deal� and they were absolutely impeccable business partners. They were highly sensitive to their reputation in business dealings since they were under fire on everything else from human rights to political ideologies. They always paid on time and in full. Unfortunately today�s Russia is completely different and in subsequent business dealings in the late nineties after he had retired from IBM, he would have been glad to negotiate once again with the old Soviet regime. After returning to the U.S. in 1981 the Lesher family got the opportunity for one more assignment and in 1984 moved to Hong Kong. Without beating the theme to death the reader can imagine the unique differences in a Korea to a Philippines to a Thailand to a Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. It was a great final assignment abroad. In summary, the basic premise throughout this book is that to be successful in international business you have to put in the time and effort to understand the unique differences country by country. Moreover, you have to demonstrate this understanding and your respect for the individual characteristics and people. If you do that, you will be accepted in each country and be successful in your endeavors. As a reminder �how not to do it� the author closes the book with the fundamental message best illustrated by the words from the Irish ballad, �Galway Bay� For the strangers came and tried to teach us their way/ They scorned us just for being what we are/ But they might as well go chasing after moonbeams/ Or light a penny candle from a star/ Don�t be a stranger!

This book combines the tale of a family with 3 children �growing up together� while living abroad for a period of 19 years in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia with the story of conducting business in many different countries with their cultures across the globe. When on �assignment� abroad the family aspects and business life are often intermingled. This story addresses the family life initially which explains further the title of the book and then covers many important aspects of business success abroad and the lessons learned through multiple experiences in different lands. Family Tale The opportunity of a lifetime began when Brad and Mary Lesher along with the first two of their ultimately three child family packed up in Baltimore, Maryland and left for Tehran, Iran. This was a rather substantial �jump� in cultures for a first time foreign assignment. It turned out to be a magnificent experience, however, for at that time the general population in Iran was very friendly to foreigners and to Americans in particular. The climate in the country was spectacular for a rainy year would mean more than 5 days of precipitation that year. Tehran is at 5000 feet elevation like Denver, Colorado and the mountains surrounding the city were 14,000 feet resulting in the city being overlooked by blue skies and snow caps 8 months of the year. By the middle of our five year tenure in Iran the family was well immersed in local customs and culture. It was at this time that the Leshers began to realize that in living overseas how important it is to absorb local culture while in parallel remaining true also to your background and beliefs. In other words �enjoy the best of both worlds- don�t isolate yourself on American habits exclusively or �go native.� This became the tenet of their lives for all 19 years abroad and each of the family members adhere to that belief today. Further to the above point they believed in enjoying as much of the local foods as possible wherever they have lived. In the case of Iran there were many good dishes. The Persian melons are truly unique in the world, for instance. This brings us to the title of this book. As any expatriate assignee in a foreign land will tell you after a period of several years a family develops a craving for some of the �good old specialties of home.� This is true whether you are stationed in far off lands or even in the culinary capital of the world, Paris. In particular, the kids miss some of their old standbys. For Americans the �King� is Peanut Butter, for the French its Cheeses, the Germans Gherkins and Sausages and the Aussies their Vegamite. Since this entire book has many humorous incidents included in it, the author chose as an appropriate title the last words an American expatriate businessman might hear as he goes out the door to fly back to the U.S. for a meeting at home headquarters, as his wife exclaims �Don�t Forget the Peanut Butter, George!� After five delightful years in Tehran the Lesher family reluctantly left Iran and moved to Paris along with their newly arrived third child. The first two children were 8 and 5 respectively and began their elementary education at the American School of Paris. The family lived not far from Versailles and weekends were spent extensively on picnics at many beautiful and historic sites in the Paris environs. This established a solid base of experience in France and an introduction to French culture. After the four years of this assignment it was determined that it was time to return to the U.S. after having been abroad more than 8 years in total between Iran and France. The return to the states at this point was a good experience for it gave the family a chance to establish some more solid roots in the U.S. particularly since the children had been so young earlier and never had developed a U.S. base. They bought a house in Westport, Connecticut, which they owned for twenty years but only lived in for ten of those years due to further foreign assignments. The opportunity to return to France came just two years later in 1974 and was a relatively easy transition for the kids returned to the same school with a number of the same teachers and even some remaining classmates from the previous time. It�s the next seven years in France where the greatest benefits of living abroad as a family were reached. In 1974 the kids were fourteen, eleven, and six respectively and when we left France in 1981 they were twenty-one (in college) eighteen and thirteen. During the seven-year period we traveled extensively throughout Europe skiing and touring as a family. A bond developed as along with our children we �grew up together� and took full advantage of everything Europe had to offer. Three years later in Hong Kong the older two children remained in the workplace and College in the U.S. but the youngest came with us to Hong Kong and we repeated the bonding process while traveling together as a family throughout Asia and sometimes we were joined by the older two children on trips as well. The underlying message in the above family tale is that the extensive sharing of the experiences abroad enabled our family to develop a unique relationship and to this day our children are our �best friends.� Business Experience. This book details the author�s experiences and lessons learned during more than thirty years of working internationally on site in more than forty countries around the globe. It emphasizes that the key to success is to understand and respect the various unique characteristics and culture in different countries and then demonstrate that understanding without compromising fundamental principles or ethics. That may sound like it could be difficult to achieve but actually a proper approach can yield some surprising results. The lessons learned from these experiences should be of benefit to Business School students or business executives faced with the opportunity to go on an international assignment. The book includes many specific stories that are both informative and in certain cases quite humorous as it travels from Iran to Paris and to Hong Kong. The author contends that his first international assignment in Tehran, Iran, was an ideal forum for learning to bridge cultural and environmental gaps. Middle Eastern cultures and Western culture tend to be at opposite sides of the spectrum. In Iran it began with the basic questions of how business is conducted, i.e., �Who you know versus What you know.� There are detailed examples in the segment on Iran of how IBM met that specific culture difference. Another specific issue in business dealings is the question of �Flexibility.� This euphemism for bribery is sometimes used in the Middle East and elsewhere and international companies would upon occasion receive subtle hints or in some case not very subtle hints during business negotiations. When questions arise along these lines either from potential customers or in some cases employees IBM�s approach has always been to be perfectly clear up front that there is no latitude for even slight departures from sound business practices. There is a dramatic example in the book of how this posture and the well-established knowledge of how IBM does and doesn�t do business was of major benefit after the Revolution when the new powers to be stamped down on U.S. and other foreign companies. From the first day of the Revolutionary Government�s takeover the local IBM company and personnel were treated with unique respect as a result of long term business practices and tradition in the country. After Tehran the Leshers moved to Paris in 1968 and Brad began working with IBM�s operations in Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Once again, each country had its own unique characteristics. Even our own employees in those countries would tend to stonewall you if they felt that you were lumping them in one big bucket with the others as regards to their opinions, cultures and ideas. In the Eastern Bloc, Brad worked with Czechoslovakia before and after the Soviets ousted Dubcek. The second time around he found the populace totally devastated. In Hungary, on the other hand, despite the occupation the spirit of the people never diminished. In Bulgaria, the IBM operation functioned as a bicycle repair shop during the war which enabled the personnel to survive economically and kept the operation together. When the war was over IBM Bulgaria resumed operations with the same people and didn�t miss a beat. Yugoslavia was still under the Tito regime in the early seventies and was continuing to function well at that time. The author has cited these countries for it was very impressive to see how diverse each one was and yet working for common goals. The key to mutual trust was to understand their differences and demonstrate that understanding. This is the basic theme of this tale and is a very fundamental message to the international businessman. After a couple years back in the states, the Leshers returned to France for another seven years. During the initial part of that period Brad worked more extensively in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Once again these three major European operations were quite different from one another and by this time adjusting to and working with unique differences had become second nature to him and so he was accepted and was able to function successfully. Of all the different environments in Europe, the author lists the Italian one to be the most fascinating. Through the years one Government after the other in Italy would collapse and yet the business would continue to do well. The author finally concludes it must be a living example of �The Power of Positive Thinking.� In 1976, Brad assumed the role of pursuing and managing IBM�s business in the then Soviet Union. Although I had by this time had many fascinating jobs and experiences he considers this job the most fascinating of his career. He thrived on dealing with the Russians for although they were extremely difficult to finalize negotiations with, once you had concluded, �A Deal was a Deal� and they were absolutely impeccable business partners. They were highly sensitive to their reputation in business dealings since they were under fire on everything else from human rights to political ideologies. They always paid on time and in full. Unfortunately today�s Russia is completely different and in subsequent business dealings in the late nineties after he had retired from IBM, he would have been glad to negotiate once again with the old Soviet regime. After returning to the U.S. in 1981 the Lesher family got the opportunity for one more assignment and in 1984 moved to Hong Kong. Without beating the theme to death the reader can imagine the unique differences in a Korea to a Philippines to a Thailand to a Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. It was a great final assignment abroad. In summary, the basic premise throughout this book is that to be successful in international business you have to put in the time and effort to understand the unique differences country by country. Moreover, you have to demonstrate this understanding and your respect for the individual characteristics and people. If you do that, you will be accepted in each country and be successful in your endeavors. As a reminder �how not to do it� the author closes the book with the fundamental message best illustrated by the words from the Irish ballad, �Galway Bay� For the strangers came and tried to teach us their way/ They scorned us just for being what we are/ But they might as well go chasing after moonbeams/ Or light a penny candle from a star/ Don�t be a stranger!

“Sail Tales” is about the adventures a humble sailboat owner had over the years. So where does one start writing about these adventures? You start at the beginning. That beginning was in 1967 when I was helping a friend of mine, Frank, re-build an old wooden boat that he had bought. Frank took the whole boat apart and then rebuilt it from the frames up. It was a sleek little craft and I found myself involved in his project. Frank found a similar craft and with his promise of help, I bought it. I spent the whole winter and most of the spring doing the things that had to be done to the boat to get it ready for the summer of 69. I knew nothing about about sailing. But how hard could it be to learn? I soon found out.My sailing adventures started that summer. I learned quickly that unlike a power boat, a sailboat is not a craft that you get aboard, turn a key and then drive it like a car. You have to sail the boat. You have to do what the wind lets you do. You can’t go directly where you want to go because the wind won’t allow it. You have to finesse, you have be diplomatic, you have to learn to tweak a sail rather than over trim. Well, I learned to get that sailboat from point to point. I also learned that time on a sailboat is not the same as time on land and I learned this on my very first trip on my first sailboat. That three hour trip ended up taking thirteen hours. Read about it. The time of a sailboat trip can not be predicted. If you need to get to a certain place at a certain time take a bus not a sailboat. An afternoon trip has more than once become a late nighter. “ Leave your watches ashore.” That’s what I tell everyone before they step foot aboard. I don’t know what time we’ll be back but I’m certain that we will be back. My very first sailboat trip was not a late nighter but rather an early morning return.Speaking of time, How long does it take you to hang a calender on your wall? You get a stick pin and put it through a hole in the calender and stick the pin in the cork board. Thirty seconds? It took me the better part of three hours to hang a calender on the boat. First I had to get the tape from the old calender off the wall. For this project I had to find the razor blade scrapper. Then I had to run to the hardware store to get new blades for it. The scrapper got the top layer of the tape off the wall but the sticky part of the tape just rolled up into little balls. I had to go back to the hardware store for some solvent to get the sticky balls off the wall. Then and only then was I able to re-tape the new calender to the wall. I have since put the scrapper in it’s place so I can find it next time. I hope I remember that place. Imagine what a project it is to install a new pedestal steering system or an new diesel engine. Imagine the time it takes to make an old boat a safe craft, a boat ready to sail, and the keyword is safe. It took me the better part of four years to make my Morgan 38 the boat I wanted it to be. And notice I’m not saying anything about the cost. That’s another story. And these are some of the stories I tell. This is the third boat I have redone. But it is the last boat that I will redo. I’m getting too old for this rebuilding stuff. Parts of “Sail Tales” tells about projects such as what I have just described. But the majority of the stories are about sailing trips where something happens. If you are a sailor or if you own a sailboat, sit back and try to remember trips that were dull and boring. They don’t pop into your mind. But what does pop are the adventures, the thrill of the wind that is blowing just a bit harder than you would like. You remember the trips where the rail is in the water for most of the day and how you were able to keep the boat under control. You remember the trips where there was no wind and the day became a motor day. You remember entering an anchorage and finding someone there from your marina or someone there from two years ago that you met at a different anchorage. These are the tales you tell your friends, these are the tales you remember and these are the tales I tell.Where did you find the name for your boat. A name has to have some meaning and it has to be a name that does not demean the boat in any way. I found the name Felicity for my Morgan 30 from a poem by Emily Dickinson. I found the name Evening Star for my Morgan 38 at a store that sold pizza cutters. Both names were perfect. I say I found these names but in reality they found me. When naming a boat you have to have patience. Wait and the proper name, the only name, the magical name, will find you.My son Matthew grew up on my sailboats. He was born then he toddling around and falling and all of a sudden he’s sixteen years old, sitting at the kitchen table during dinner asking if he can take the boat out by him self. What do you say? How do you answer? Where did the years go? I bought a boat with the help of a bank. At that time I wasn’t making a lot of money. I was a school teacher with a sick kid. But the bank gave me the loan anyway. During the winter months I defaulted on the loan and the bank called and wanted me to sail the boat to a town near them so they could repossess it. I told them no way. It’s my job to make the payments and I didn’t do that. It’s your job to repossess it. This is not a sailing story but it is about a sailboat that I owned. Another story is about the time I had to abandon a bachelor cruise because of a death in the family. I insisted that my crew take my boat and continue. They had one great adventure and I missed the whole damn thing. And the “Sail Tales” go on and on. They are stories about the things that I remember. They are all sailboat stories. These are my stories but I know that they will start you remembering your sailboat stories, your Sail Tales.

“Sail Tales” is about the adventures a humble sailboat owner had over the years. So where does one start writing about these adventures? You start at the beginning. That beginning was in 1967 when I was helping a friend of mine, Frank, re-build an old wooden boat that he had bought. Frank took the whole boat apart and then rebuilt it from the frames up. It was a sleek little craft and I found myself involved in his project. Frank found a similar craft and with his promise of help, I bought it. I spent the whole winter and most of the spring doing the things that had to be done to the boat to get it ready for the summer of 69. I knew nothing about about sailing. But how hard could it be to learn? I soon found out.My sailing adventures started that summer. I learned quickly that unlike a power boat, a sailboat is not a craft that you get aboard, turn a key and then drive it like a car. You have to sail the boat. You have to do what the wind lets you do. You can’t go directly where you want to go because the wind won’t allow it. You have to finesse, you have be diplomatic, you have to learn to tweak a sail rather than over trim. Well, I learned to get that sailboat from point to point. I also learned that time on a sailboat is not the same as time on land and I learned this on my very first trip on my first sailboat. That three hour trip ended up taking thirteen hours. Read about it. The time of a sailboat trip can not be predicted. If you need to get to a certain place at a certain time take a bus not a sailboat. An afternoon trip has more than once become a late nighter. “ Leave your watches ashore.” That’s what I tell everyone before they step foot aboard. I don’t know what time we’ll be back but I’m certain that we will be back. My very first sailboat trip was not a late nighter but rather an early morning return.Speaking of time, How long does it take you to hang a calender on your wall? You get a stick pin and put it through a hole in the calender and stick the pin in the cork board. Thirty seconds? It took me the better part of three hours to hang a calender on the boat. First I had to get the tape from the old calender off the wall. For this project I had to find the razor blade scrapper. Then I had to run to the hardware store to get new blades for it. The scrapper got the top layer of the tape off the wall but the sticky part of the tape just rolled up into little balls. I had to go back to the hardware store for some solvent to get the sticky balls off the wall. Then and only then was I able to re-tape the new calender to the wall. I have since put the scrapper in it’s place so I can find it next time. I hope I remember that place. Imagine what a project it is to install a new pedestal steering system or an new diesel engine. Imagine the time it takes to make an old boat a safe craft, a boat ready to sail, and the keyword is safe. It took me the better part of four years to make my Morgan 38 the boat I wanted it to be. And notice I’m not saying anything about the cost. That’s another story. And these are some of the stories I tell. This is the third boat I have redone. But it is the last boat that I will redo. I’m getting too old for this rebuilding stuff. Parts of “Sail Tales” tells about projects such as what I have just described. But the majority of the stories are about sailing trips where something happens. If you are a sailor or if you own a sailboat, sit back and try to remember trips that were dull and boring. They don’t pop into your mind. But what does pop are the adventures, the thrill of the wind that is blowing just a bit harder than you would like. You remember the trips where the rail is in the water for most of the day and how you were able to keep the boat under control. You remember the trips where there was no wind and the day became a motor day. You remember entering an anchorage and finding someone there from your marina or someone there from two years ago that you met at a different anchorage. These are the tales you tell your friends, these are the tales you remember and these are the tales I tell.Where did you find the name for your boat. A name has to have some meaning and it has to be a name that does not demean the boat in any way. I found the name Felicity for my Morgan 30 from a poem by Emily Dickinson. I found the name Evening Star for my Morgan 38 at a store that sold pizza cutters. Both names were perfect. I say I found these names but in reality they found me. When naming a boat you have to have patience. Wait and the proper name, the only name, the magical name, will find you.My son Matthew grew up on my sailboats. He was born then he toddling around and falling and all of a sudden he’s sixteen years old, sitting at the kitchen table during dinner asking if he can take the boat out by him self. What do you say? How do you answer? Where did the years go? I bought a boat with the help of a bank. At that time I wasn’t making a lot of money. I was a school teacher with a sick kid. But the bank gave me the loan anyway. During the winter months I defaulted on the loan and the bank called and wanted me to sail the boat to a town near them so they could repossess it. I told them no way. It’s my job to make the payments and I didn’t do that. It’s your job to repossess it. This is not a sailing story but it is about a sailboat that I owned. Another story is about the time I had to abandon a bachelor cruise because of a death in the family. I insisted that my crew take my boat and continue. They had one great adventure and I missed the whole damn thing. And the “Sail Tales” go on and on. They are stories about the things that I remember. They are all sailboat stories. These are my stories but I know that they will start you remembering your sailboat stories, your Sail Tales.

“Sail Tales” is about the adventures a humble sailboat owner had over the years. So where does one start writing about these adventures? You start at the beginning. That beginning was in 1967 when I was helping a friend of mine, Frank, re-build an old wooden boat that he had bought. Frank took the whole boat apart and then rebuilt it from the frames up. It was a sleek little craft and I found myself involved in his project. Frank found a similar craft and with his promise of help, I bought it. I spent the whole winter and most of the spring doing the things that had to be done to the boat to get it ready for the summer of 69. I knew nothing about about sailing. But how hard could it be to learn? I soon found out.My sailing adventures started that summer. I learned quickly that unlike a power boat, a sailboat is not a craft that you get aboard, turn a key and then drive it like a car. You have to sail the boat. You have to do what the wind lets you do. You can’t go directly where you want to go because the wind won’t allow it. You have to finesse, you have be diplomatic, you have to learn to tweak a sail rather than over trim. Well, I learned to get that sailboat from point to point. I also learned that time on a sailboat is not the same as time on land and I learned this on my very first trip on my first sailboat. That three hour trip ended up taking thirteen hours. Read about it. The time of a sailboat trip can not be predicted. If you need to get to a certain place at a certain time take a bus not a sailboat. An afternoon trip has more than once become a late nighter. “ Leave your watches ashore.” That’s what I tell everyone before they step foot aboard. I don’t know what time we’ll be back but I’m certain that we will be back. My very first sailboat trip was not a late nighter but rather an early morning return.Speaking of time, How long does it take you to hang a calender on your wall? You get a stick pin and put it through a hole in the calender and stick the pin in the cork board. Thirty seconds? It took me the better part of three hours to hang a calender on the boat. First I had to get the tape from the old calender off the wall. For this project I had to find the razor blade scrapper. Then I had to run to the hardware store to get new blades for it. The scrapper got the top layer of the tape off the wall but the sticky part of the tape just rolled up into little balls. I had to go back to the hardware store for some solvent to get the sticky balls off the wall. Then and only then was I able to re-tape the new calender to the wall. I have since put the scrapper in it’s place so I can find it next time. I hope I remember that place. Imagine what a project it is to install a new pedestal steering system or an new diesel engine. Imagine the time it takes to make an old boat a safe craft, a boat ready to sail, and the keyword is safe. It took me the better part of four years to make my Morgan 38 the boat I wanted it to be. And notice I’m not saying anything about the cost. That’s another story. And these are some of the stories I tell. This is the third boat I have redone. But it is the last boat that I will redo. I’m getting too old for this rebuilding stuff. Parts of “Sail Tales” tells about projects such as what I have just described. But the majority of the stories are about sailing trips where something happens. If you are a sailor or if you own a sailboat, sit back and try to remember trips that were dull and boring. They don’t pop into your mind. But what does pop are the adventures, the thrill of the wind that is blowing just a bit harder than you would like. You remember the trips where the rail is in the water for most of the day and how you were able to keep the boat under control. You remember the trips where there was no wind and the day became a motor day. You remember entering an anchorage and finding someone there from your marina or someone there from two years ago that you met at a different anchorage. These are the tales you tell your friends, these are the tales you remember and these are the tales I tell.Where did you find the name for your boat. A name has to have some meaning and it has to be a name that does not demean the boat in any way. I found the name Felicity for my Morgan 30 from a poem by Emily Dickinson. I found the name Evening Star for my Morgan 38 at a store that sold pizza cutters. Both names were perfect. I say I found these names but in reality they found me. When naming a boat you have to have patience. Wait and the proper name, the only name, the magical name, will find you.My son Matthew grew up on my sailboats. He was born then he toddling around and falling and all of a sudden he’s sixteen years old, sitting at the kitchen table during dinner asking if he can take the boat out by him self. What do you say? How do you answer? Where did the years go? I bought a boat with the help of a bank. At that time I wasn’t making a lot of money. I was a school teacher with a sick kid. But the bank gave me the loan anyway. During the winter months I defaulted on the loan and the bank called and wanted me to sail the boat to a town near them so they could repossess it. I told them no way. It’s my job to make the payments and I didn’t do that. It’s your job to repossess it. This is not a sailing story but it is about a sailboat that I owned. Another story is about the time I had to abandon a bachelor cruise because of a death in the family. I insisted that my crew take my boat and continue. They had one great adventure and I missed the whole damn thing. And the “Sail Tales” go on and on. They are stories about the things that I remember. They are all sailboat stories. These are my stories but I know that they will start you remembering your sailboat stories, your Sail Tales.

If ever there is a place on earth for a man that was as close toperfect as possible, it would have to be Thailand. This is a land thathas all the ingredients he could ever want for a life in paradise.A tropical beach lifestyle on a reasonable budget with all yourfavorite activities, incredible food, spectacular scenery, and beautifulwomen surrounding you. You might think it sounds too good to betrue, but this dream can absolutely be a reality, and this book is yourinsight to the many options you will have in Thailand. The information Ihave comprised has been test proven to guide a man to what I like tocall “the vacation of a lifetime.” Whether you just need a break or arelooking for a place to retire, this book will show you the way to get yourown piece of paradise.

If ever there is a place on earth for a man that was as close toperfect as possible, it would have to be Thailand. This is a land thathas all the ingredients he could ever want for a life in paradise.A tropical beach lifestyle on a reasonable budget with all yourfavorite activities, incredible food, spectacular scenery, and beautifulwomen surrounding you. You might think it sounds too good to betrue, but this dream can absolutely be a reality, and this book is yourinsight to the many options you will have in Thailand. The information Ihave comprised has been test proven to guide a man to what I like tocall “the vacation of a lifetime.” Whether you just need a break or arelooking for a place to retire, this book will show you the way to get yourown piece of paradise.

If ever there is a place on earth for a man that was as close toperfect as possible, it would have to be Thailand. This is a land thathas all the ingredients he could ever want for a life in paradise.A tropical beach lifestyle on a reasonable budget with all yourfavorite activities, incredible food, spectacular scenery, and beautifulwomen surrounding you. You might think it sounds too good to betrue, but this dream can absolutely be a reality, and this book is yourinsight to the many options you will have in Thailand. The information Ihave comprised has been test proven to guide a man to what I like tocall “the vacation of a lifetime.” Whether you just need a break or arelooking for a place to retire, this book will show you the way to get yourown piece of paradise.

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