Helms Family Photos

It had been some time since we had family photos done. These pictures were done by Tom Froom and Michael Moore, F&F Foto, Inc. in Rowlett, Texas.
You can see more of the pictures (including versions in black & white) at http://bothphoto.smugmug.com/F&F%20Foto/394688 using a password that is our second youngest child's first same - in all lower case. If you would like a print of any of the photos, please send us an email.

Triniti Diving

Our little Triniti is now a diver and swimmer.

Frappuccino Heaven

On Sunday nights Brittany, Shawn Jr., Noelle and Triniti go to a program at our church called Awanas. It is a great program where the kids get to play games, learn bible verses and be with their friends. Another nice aspect of Awanas is that for the hour Misty, Skylin and I get to spend some time together without all the other kids. Tonight we went to Starbucks. I ordered a Orange Cream Frappuccino for the girls and a green tea for myself.

This was Skylin's first taste of Starbucks - ever. As you can see, she liked it.

Church Bells – A Reminder of Fellowship, Community and Love

As I am sitting here in my hotel in Munich working on a document with the window open. At 6:00 pm I hear church bells chiming. It makes me pause. For some reason the bells make me feel connected. Connected to the thousands of people in Munich that just heard those same church bells. Strangely, hearing those bells made me consider those around me. We are all hearing the bells together. A universal connection to the community. For a moment, I thought about all the people that were hearing the bells. People in their homes, apartments, cars, riding their bikes or walking on the street. I wondered why I had this feeling. Then I started to realize that I don’t have this feeling very often. Our culture and technology has really taken away most of these experiences. We have no connections to our local communities. Sure we are “connected.” If by “connected” you mean that you can reach anyone by email, wireless phone, Internet, etc. But is this really community? No – this is the ability to reach other like-minded individuals in a communication network. Maybe a virtual community, but not a local community. It is an ability to communicate, but not a means to really connect with others.

There is something special about feeling a sense of connection to those you are physically around on a daily basis. Consider the universal appeal and emotion around the final episode of the TV show M.A.S.H. Why was this so special? Because EVERYONE watched the last episode of M.A.S.H. Sure it was a fine TV show, but what it really represented was a chance to connect with everyone around you. You could talk about the characters and emotions with anyone. The preverbal “water cooler” talk. It was a connection to those in your physical presence. We don’t have that anymore. The Internet, video games, cable, satellite radio, and iPods have made us a world of specialized and targeted entertainment and communication. The news is even targeted to your personal preferences (e.g. CNN vs. Fox). My generation has not had a TV show with universal appeal. There is no more water cooler talk. When you want to discuss a TV show or movie with someone, you can never assume they have seen it. You don’t feel connected. We have no common experiences . . . except for tragedy.

Consider the emotions that were generated after 9-11 and the shared remorse when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded. Everyone saw the country “come together.” In a strange way, while these were terrible events, they made us feel good. People talked about common courtesy being on the rise. We cared for others. We connected with our neighbors. This shared experience made us think about, and appreciate, those around us. It connected us.

These days how many of us spend time with and actually know our neighbors. I don’t mean know their name and occupation, but know who they are - what they like, where they grew up, their world view. I think we are creatures that desire fellowship. God has wired us in such a way that relationships are the most important thing in our lives. Relationship with spouses, friends, family, and those around us that do not share our common view. I believe that feeling connected to the local community has never been harder then it is today.

Hearing the church bells also makes me appreciate the things that last in this world. I know people 100 years ago, in this same town, heard those same church bells. It’s really amazing. A connection to the past. Long ago the church bells told everyone the time and called entire communities together. People of all different walks of life and views on the world. They were called together for church, together for events, together for dinner. What calls us together now? Almost nothing. If you are like my family, we rarely even have dinner together. These church bells give me a sense of community with those who lived in this city many years ago. We have now shared an identical experience and it makes me consider their lives. A sense of community.

Interestingly, it was also fortuitous that I heard them at all. If I would have had the air-conditioning on, my window closed, my iPod going, or any of my other modern distractions, I would have never heard the bells at all. I would have never considered the people of Munich.

It seems that today's culture and technology are taking away the things that connect us. The connections that bond us together. Make us feel included and loved. Certainly we have improved communication (you are reading this blog), but this is not community. Maybe this is one reason people commit crimes against others in their own home town. Maybe this is why people are constantly seeking out new relationships (good or bad) to fill the void in their lives. We need fellowship with those around us.

It is a shame that today’s society is eliminating common experiences that help create fellowship, community and love.

German View

Yesterday when I was in downtown Munich I was talking to the checkout clerk at a book store. She was a well dressed, 25 years old who spoke fairly limited English. I was trying to purchase a German children's book for T and Sky (even through it is in German and we won't be able to read it) and was going to pay with my American Express card. She said they only take cash. Jokingly I said I had American dollars? She laughed and said she wishes that they could still take the German Deutsche Mark. She said the Mark was one of the few things their country was proud of. I must have had an odd look on my face because she then followed up with a most amazing statement. She said, "Unlike Americans, we Germans hate our country. We are not proud of who we are." She was serious and I found it to be a striking statement from an otherwise cheerful young girl. For a country with such a strong history, heritage and current economic and cultural prowess, this was a very telling statement. Clearly the Germany of World War II and the acts of Hitler still weigh heavy on this country.

I hope someday they can be proud of their great country.

Homeschooling

I saw this and I could not help but laugh . . .

A Traveling Man

I have been traveling a ton for work. In the past month I have been to Florida, North Carolina, Helsinki, Finland and Munich, Germany. It is crazy. I have been meaning to blog about my trips but I just have not had the time. I am working on two large deals and they are taking nearly every waking minute.

Europe

For those that have not been, let me tell you a little about Europe. As most people know, Europe it not a country but rather a group of countries. One thing that binds countries in Europe is the European Union or EU. Not all countries in Europe are members of the EU, but 27 are a part of the EU. Below is a picture of the EU building in Helsinki, Finland.

13 members of the EU have adopted the Euro (€) as a common currency. The Euro was introduced in 1999 and has performed very well compared to other countries currencies. Below is a picture of a 1€. Unlike the US, the 1€ only comes in a coin. The smallest Euro in a bill is a 5 € bill.

Below is a 2€, 1 €, 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, and 20 cent piece.

Below is a 10 € and 20 € bill.

You can learn more about the Euro at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro

1 € is worth $1.35. Therefore, while things may seem somewhat comparably priced (in € as compared to $) you really have to add a 35% premium. Some examples of things being crazy expensive in Europe:

• I paid 122€ to have 3 days worth of laundry done
• I paid just over 35€ for a hamburger in the hotel
• I paid approximately double that I would have paid in the US for the digital camera I used to take these pictures
• My hotel room in Helsinki cost more than a high end hotel in New York, New York.
• Below is a picture of a radio. Misty purchased this radio for me at Restoration Hardware 4 or 5 years ago. The cost in the US several years ago was around $150. In the Helsinki airport the exact same radio was 239€ (that is $322)!

• Below are some Converse All Star shoes. Normally around $20. In Munich - on sale - 50€.

In Europe they generally tell time in 24 hour blocks instead of 12 hour blocks (a.k.a. military time). Can you figure out the times on the clocks below?(answers at the bottom of the blog entry)

Clock #1

Clock #2

Below is a picture of the Europe version of Diet Coke - called Coke Light.

Europe uses a different kind of electricity system than the United States. First, and most obvious, the plug is different. Second, a standard outlet in Europe is 220v compared to 110v in the US.

I thought these Levis shoes were interesting. I have never seen these in the US.

Lets talk about transportation in Europe. In the cities, people most often either (i) drive a really nice European car (BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc.), (ii) ride bikes, or (iii) take public transportation (train, subway or bus). I will note, the entire time I have been here I have not seen a single SUV. Therefore, while our Suburban is just one of MANY in Rockwall, Texas - it would be totally unique here.

Below is a typical car in Munich - Audi A6. Below is a picture of me by a "Smart" car. This is a brand of car sold primarily in Europe but is coming to the US.

Below is a Spider that I saw in Germany. Very cool.
Now this is totally crazy, but taxis in Europe are almost always really nice, high end cars. Below is a line of Mercedes taxis in Munich. It is the same in Finland.

If you are ever looking for the bathroom in Europe, look for the WC sign (short for Water Closet). Now I understand why Tudor Cojan (a guy I worked with at Williams & Connolly who came from Romania) did not want Williams & Connolly to have the domain name wc.com. I got it anyway.

I had some people ask me about flying to Europe. It is true that if you fly Business Class you do have significantly more room. Below is a picture of my seat when I flew to Finland.

Germany

Today (August 18th) was my first day in Munich, Germany. Great place. I will be here all week working on a deal. I expect that today will be my only day to get out and about. My friend Mauricio and I basically just walked the downtown area. Because I have never been to Germany, and might not be back anytime soon, I thought I better take some pictures. What follows is a little sample of my day eating, drinking and looking at old buildings. It was a good time.

One thing Germany in known for is, of course, its beer.

** I didn't really drink both of these. . .

Below is an Oktoberfest 2007 mug. As you would expect, Oktoberfest is a huge event that attracts millions of people from around the globe to Germany each year.

Here is an example of a typical road in Munich. Notice all the people on bikes, the separate bike lane on the sidewalk and the stone walkways.

I don't know how they lay this stone but it is amazing.

This is a group of bikes outside a mall. I have never seen so many people on bikes.
Below is a quartet playing in the City Center area of Munich. They were really good.

I thought my Dad and brother Jerry would like the next one. This is a picture of the bottom of a escalator. The company name is Thyssen, the German company that formally owned Stahls. Nearly every escalator and elevator in Munich is made by Thyssen.

This is a picture of the beer hall we were at.

Here are some of the incredible buildings in Munich (if I knew anything about them I would provide more information . . . but I don't)

The river beside this building ran through downtown.

It is hard to tell in this picture, but notice the red flowers below every window in this building. They were very bright and beautiful. I would hate to water those every day. We have a hard time keeping a couple house plants alive.

Notice that this huge tower is made entirely of brick. That must have taken forever to build.

Below are some pictures of an beautiful old church. It is hard to appreciate through this pictures but it (and other churches in Germany) are incredibly ornate.

Finland

Before Germany I spent several weeks in Finland. For those that don't know Finland is way up North and is one of the Nordic countries. Finland is very clean, modern place. It get very cold in the winter, but is great in the summer. I think I will be spend a lot more time here over the next few weeks.

One interesting thing about Finland is that because it is so far North, at certain times of the year it does not get dark at night. I took this picture at just after 3am. It was raining and it still looked like it could be 3pm!

For some bizzar reason they never cut your pizza in Finland.

Nokia is a Finish company and basically dominated the Finland economy.

Iittala is a very famous company in Finland. They make high end glassware and other household items.

Reminders of United States

Even though many things are differentin Europe, many things are the same. Most people speak English along with their native language. People love sports (mostly scoccer). Most movies are American. Many TV shows are American. And for some reason, you see a ton of people with Yankees hats (no Cardnials, no Cubs, no Royals). I am serious. It is odd.

Pictures of McDonalds and Starbucks. Yes, its true, they are everywhere.

Answers to Clock Questions:
Clock #1 - 3:37 pm
Clock #2 - 12:05 am