Today Shakopee, tomorrow the world

This high-tech Malaysian software developer has lived and worked in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and Chaska, Minnesota. He has friends in Canada and Mexico. He's looked into the Grand Canyon, marveled at Devils Tower and stared at Crazy Horse. Worked in Japan after the tsunami. Visits friends in Cleveland. Waded the Mississippi headwaters. Loves Portland, Oregon. Was granted a USA work visa good for 10 years. Tonight he ordered a pan-fried Canadian walleye by speaking in Chinese Mandarin to a pleasantly-surprised Vietnamese waitress working at the Mdewakanton Sioux Little Six Restaurant.

Dozens of flags are sewn to
the backpack, each
from a country he's seen.

But somehow, this cosmopolitan world-traveler had never seen a horse race or hit a golf ball. We checked off both items during his three-day stay.
With the state now back in business, Canterbury Park is in full gallop, so Kathleen and Alim put $2 down on the Jake Mauer tip sheet's hottest pick. . . which then came in second to last. Jake is Joe's granddaddy, so Katie had to get a hug, renew her friendship and talk baseball with the old tout. But if they would have only bet on the pony in the photo above instead (No. 8) they woulda, you know, coulda won big.
Says Alim: "Joe who?"
Later, after a bucket of practice golf balls and half an hour of intensive instruction, Alim blistered a shot 125 yards with a seven-iron and thus qualified for the staged photo (below) on nasty No. 4, Stonebrooke.
Alim leaves town at midnight tonight, headed for (gulp) Texas.
He's going around the world in 18 months, fulfilling a five-year dream. He will travel south through Mexico and Central America, arriving in Peru for a freelance work assignment. Later, he will fly from Buenos Aires to explore South Africa and then go north. He'll eventually get to Egypt via the "safest" eastern land route through the Horn of Africa. Then on to Turkey via ferry ship from Aswan to Aquaba. In Turkey he has another work contract to perform, then he turns for home. He'll take bus, rail and car across Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, the "Stans",  China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and then reach his home in Malaysia. By land.
Come with? No thanks, Alim. Stay cool. It was fun getting to know you and Happy Trails.