function initialize() {
	if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
      var side_bar_html = "";
      var gmarkers = [];
      var htmls = [];
      var i = 0;
  
      var potsdamerIcon = new GIcon();
      potsdamerIcon.image = "http://www.ngn-global.com/wp-content/themes/iblog2/images/map/map_a_disp.png";
      potsdamerIcon.shadow = "http://www.ngn-global.com/wp-content/themes/iblog2/images/map/shadow.png";
      potsdamerIcon.iconSize = new GSize(20, 34);
      potsdamerIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(38, 34);
      potsdamerIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(10, 17);
      potsdamerIcon.infoWindowAnchor = new GPoint(10, 17);
      potsdamerIcon.infoShadowAnchor = new GPoint(14, 25);
	  
	  var portlandIcon = new GIcon();
      portlandIcon.image = "http://www.ngn-global.com/wp-content/themes/iblog2/images/map/map_b_disp.png";
      portlandIcon.shadow = "http://www.ngn-global.com/wp-content/themes/iblog2/images/map/shadow.png";
      portlandIcon.iconSize = new GSize(20, 34);
      portlandIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(38, 34);
      portlandIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(10, 17);
      portlandIcon.infoWindowAnchor = new GPoint(10, 17);
      portlandIcon.infoShadowAnchor = new GPoint(14, 25);
	  


      var icons = [];
      icons[0] = potsdamerIcon;
      icons[1] = portlandIcon;
      function createMarker(point,name,html,icontype) {
        var marker = new GMarker(point,icons[icontype]);
        GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
          marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
        });
        gmarkers[i] = marker;
        htmls[i] = html;
        side_bar_html += '<a href="javascript:myclick(' + i + ')">' + name + '</a><br>';
        i++;
        return marker;
      }

      function myclick(i) {
        gmarkers[i].openInfoWindowHtml(htmls[i]);
      }
      var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map_canvas"));
      map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl());
      map.setCenter(new GLatLng(50,-35), 3);
      var request = GXmlHttp.create();
      request.open("GET", "http://www.ngn-global.com/wp-content/themes/iblog2/js/custom.xml", true);
      request.onreadystatechange = function() {
        if (request.readyState == 4) {
          var xmlDoc = GXml.parse(request.responseText);
          var markers = xmlDoc.documentElement.getElementsByTagName("marker");
          
          for (var i = 0; i < markers.length; i++) {
            var lat = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lat"));
            var lng = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lng"));
            var point = new GLatLng(lat,lng);
            var html = markers[i].getAttribute("html");
            var label = markers[i].getAttribute("label");
            var icontype = parseInt(markers[i].getAttribute("icontype"));
            var marker = createMarker(point,label,html,icontype);
            map.addOverlay(marker);
          }
          document.getElementById("side_bar").innerHTML = side_bar_html;
        }
      }
      request.send(null);
    }

    else {
      alert("Sorry, the Google Maps API is not compatible with this browser");
    }
}