In one of my recent blog entries, I talked about a worldwide exchange that results in mellifluous harmony rather than monologues that result in cacophony. I think this video captures what I was talking about:
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Economic earthquakes
Susan Hough, a geophysicist with the United States Geological Survey, has written an op-ed piece in today's New York Times about earthquake prediction. In an earlier stage of walking within my life's labyrinth, I was involved in this line of research. Her piece makes interesting and insightful observations. It ends with the following sentences:
"The public would like scientists to predict earthquakes. We can’t do that. We might never be able to do that. What people and government can do is work to make sure our houses, schools and hospitals don’t fall down when the next big one strikes, and that we’re all prepared for the difficult aftermaths. We can look around our homes and our workplace and think about what would happen to them if the terra firma suddenly ceased being firm. We can stop worrying about predicting the unpredictable, and start doing more to prepare for the inevitable."
Imagine replacing the words "scientists" with "economists" and "earthquakes" with "recessions" (or "depressions").
"The public would like scientists to predict earthquakes. We can’t do that. We might never be able to do that. What people and government can do is work to make sure our houses, schools and hospitals don’t fall down when the next big one strikes, and that we’re all prepared for the difficult aftermaths. We can look around our homes and our workplace and think about what would happen to them if the terra firma suddenly ceased being firm. We can stop worrying about predicting the unpredictable, and start doing more to prepare for the inevitable."
Imagine replacing the words "scientists" with "economists" and "earthquakes" with "recessions" (or "depressions").
Monday, March 30, 2009
Infinite in All Directions
I have been on a whirlwind tour of South and Southeast Asia, some of it intentional, some of it unintentional. Within the span of 12 days, I will have visited Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Dhaka, Delhi and Singapore. Nine flights--two of them about 15 hours duration--and four addresses when all is said and done. Mix in a personal crisis and you have a recipe for complete and thorough exhaustion. While I wouldn't choose this particular pathway, I actually find exhaustion in some doses to be useful. It gives me a reality check on my willpower and stamina. It usually leads to strange but illuminating dreams. It's almost if my shields are stripped away and I'm forced to stare into a spiritual mirror.
As someone who likes to draw connections between seemingly unrelated items, I find Freeman Dyson's Infinite in All Directions particularly appealing. His preference for contradictions rather than clarity resonates with me. While I was in India heading to a workshop on digital preservation, my taxi was charged by a group of running bulls. My taxi driver navigated the situation brilliantly (I had the feeling he'd been through this before), but it still made me realize how odd it must be to focus on digital preservation in a country without clean water for all its citizens. Not exactly the running of the bulls that people seek in Pamplona--or on Wall Street.
I am struck, even dumbfounded, by how much so many people in Asia are trying to emulate Americans. I realize the US remains a dominant force in the world, but there's no denying that the lure of wealth rather than economic aid or military presence has driven this latest round of fascination. People throughout the region are trying so hard to speak, dress, and behave like Americans. And that's the tip of the iceberg.
There is a shiny skyscraper mall in Dhaka that features western retail shops and bright lights. Yet I experienced at least half a dozen power failures in my mother's house in Dhaka. My cousin told me that factories in Dhaka must run according to standards that include air conditioning, one restroom per four employees, an eight hour workday, and a cafeteria. All this so that one secure a contract with WalMart. Apparently, some factory workers rioted when they were served the same food for two consecutive meals. How soon we forget. There's bottled water everywhere which is great. Unless of course you can't afford bottled water in which case you're still dependent on local water supplies--that now may receive less attention given the proliferation of bottled water.
Mumbai is the seat of finance and entertainment in India yet it is still reeling from the horrific terrorist attack last year. My hotel had a metal detector at the entrance, my taxi was examined on the way into the hotel, and there was a guard on each floor. No matter how much everyone asked me in impeccable English if everything was perfect, it was disorienting to the say the least. Apparently, tourism is down in India, yet there's some evidence that high hotel rates rather than fear of terrorism is the main cause. Even now, it's important to maximize profit. Women working in hotels, with airlines, or in restaurants look like they've stepped out of Vogue yet in the newspaper, I read daily about at least two (reported) incidents of men brutally killing their wives for "disobeying" them.
Singapore is a testament to planning, discipline and commitment to society. No doubt that there are tradeoffs involved, particularly related to personal liberties, but I'd love to see an open, honest debate about how their society compares to the US (yes, I realize this debate would probably have to take place outside of Singapore). Yet even in Singapore there is concern that the global financial crisis might lead to "four to six years of recession" in a worst-case scenario. Strange. I don't read such honest assessments in the US press.
The US is a wonderful place in so many fundamental ways. But is it really the only pathway for the entire world to emulate? Do Asian societies really need their own equivalent of "Will it Blend?" How interesting to read articles that some in Asia now believe that the US has its own brand of "third world cronyism" protecting the financial sector.
Freeman Dyson stated: "If it should turn out that the whole of physical reality can be described by a finite set of equations, I would be disappointed." Indeed. While he may have meant this from a scientific perspective, it's highly relevant to consider statement from our current economic lens. The finite set of equations that drove the current financial mess turned out to be nothing more than fantasy. But it seems that we're dealing with a worldwide hangover with very real effects.
Yet even before the economic meltdown, there were signs of doubt. Even with fast food spreading like a virus, there remains incredibly rich diverse local food. While the officials languages at India's national level are Hindi and English, there are dozens of state recognized languages and hundreds of local dialects. The jingle of bangles reminded me that local fashion trends still include Asian elements.
There is a discussion--and in many circles concern--about a global culture. The only global culture that would frighten me is one where Madison Avenue dictates how we behave and Wall Street allocates our resources. If we can have an exchange between different cultures as opposed to a monologue we might have a chance to turning a cacophony of voices into mellifluous harmony that celebrates the diversity of our world.
The world may be flat, but it is still definitely infinite in all directions.
As someone who likes to draw connections between seemingly unrelated items, I find Freeman Dyson's Infinite in All Directions particularly appealing. His preference for contradictions rather than clarity resonates with me. While I was in India heading to a workshop on digital preservation, my taxi was charged by a group of running bulls. My taxi driver navigated the situation brilliantly (I had the feeling he'd been through this before), but it still made me realize how odd it must be to focus on digital preservation in a country without clean water for all its citizens. Not exactly the running of the bulls that people seek in Pamplona--or on Wall Street.
I am struck, even dumbfounded, by how much so many people in Asia are trying to emulate Americans. I realize the US remains a dominant force in the world, but there's no denying that the lure of wealth rather than economic aid or military presence has driven this latest round of fascination. People throughout the region are trying so hard to speak, dress, and behave like Americans. And that's the tip of the iceberg.
There is a shiny skyscraper mall in Dhaka that features western retail shops and bright lights. Yet I experienced at least half a dozen power failures in my mother's house in Dhaka. My cousin told me that factories in Dhaka must run according to standards that include air conditioning, one restroom per four employees, an eight hour workday, and a cafeteria. All this so that one secure a contract with WalMart. Apparently, some factory workers rioted when they were served the same food for two consecutive meals. How soon we forget. There's bottled water everywhere which is great. Unless of course you can't afford bottled water in which case you're still dependent on local water supplies--that now may receive less attention given the proliferation of bottled water.
Mumbai is the seat of finance and entertainment in India yet it is still reeling from the horrific terrorist attack last year. My hotel had a metal detector at the entrance, my taxi was examined on the way into the hotel, and there was a guard on each floor. No matter how much everyone asked me in impeccable English if everything was perfect, it was disorienting to the say the least. Apparently, tourism is down in India, yet there's some evidence that high hotel rates rather than fear of terrorism is the main cause. Even now, it's important to maximize profit. Women working in hotels, with airlines, or in restaurants look like they've stepped out of Vogue yet in the newspaper, I read daily about at least two (reported) incidents of men brutally killing their wives for "disobeying" them.
Singapore is a testament to planning, discipline and commitment to society. No doubt that there are tradeoffs involved, particularly related to personal liberties, but I'd love to see an open, honest debate about how their society compares to the US (yes, I realize this debate would probably have to take place outside of Singapore). Yet even in Singapore there is concern that the global financial crisis might lead to "four to six years of recession" in a worst-case scenario. Strange. I don't read such honest assessments in the US press.
The US is a wonderful place in so many fundamental ways. But is it really the only pathway for the entire world to emulate? Do Asian societies really need their own equivalent of "Will it Blend?" How interesting to read articles that some in Asia now believe that the US has its own brand of "third world cronyism" protecting the financial sector.
Freeman Dyson stated: "If it should turn out that the whole of physical reality can be described by a finite set of equations, I would be disappointed." Indeed. While he may have meant this from a scientific perspective, it's highly relevant to consider statement from our current economic lens. The finite set of equations that drove the current financial mess turned out to be nothing more than fantasy. But it seems that we're dealing with a worldwide hangover with very real effects.
Yet even before the economic meltdown, there were signs of doubt. Even with fast food spreading like a virus, there remains incredibly rich diverse local food. While the officials languages at India's national level are Hindi and English, there are dozens of state recognized languages and hundreds of local dialects. The jingle of bangles reminded me that local fashion trends still include Asian elements.
There is a discussion--and in many circles concern--about a global culture. The only global culture that would frighten me is one where Madison Avenue dictates how we behave and Wall Street allocates our resources. If we can have an exchange between different cultures as opposed to a monologue we might have a chance to turning a cacophony of voices into mellifluous harmony that celebrates the diversity of our world.
The world may be flat, but it is still definitely infinite in all directions.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sleepless in Singapore
I've traveled through Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Dhaka and Singapore in eight days. I've discovered that eventually one's body stops trying to figure out time zones. An interesting way of dealing with jet lag. There are so many feelings, thoughts, emotions, observations...I feel overwhelmed. I haven't been to South or Southeast Asia in a long time. Madison Avenue and Wall Street now seem to be Asian addresses, yet there remains a certain respect or attachment for distinctly Asian ways--especially now as the world watches the US with bated breath.
I just re-experienced a tropical rain storm. It was quite something seeing the dark, gray clouds eventually encompass the impressive Singaporean skyline. As if nature wanted to remind us that she continues to have dominion. The sound of thunder and raindrops flowing through leaves and bouncing off concrete, steel and glass had a lyrical feel. It was almost enough to make me fall asleep.
I just re-experienced a tropical rain storm. It was quite something seeing the dark, gray clouds eventually encompass the impressive Singaporean skyline. As if nature wanted to remind us that she continues to have dominion. The sound of thunder and raindrops flowing through leaves and bouncing off concrete, steel and glass had a lyrical feel. It was almost enough to make me fall asleep.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
A Touching Valentine's Day Story
Valentine's Day is the second most marketed event after Christmas. It shows. It has become a celebration of consumerism rather than romance or love. The economic meltdown has dented spending on this Valentine's day. The New York Times reported on couples that had to forgo thousands of dollars worth of gifts and dining out. Only in the New York Times would one find a story describing one couple's choice of store bought foie gras as a sacrifice. I can't help but imagine that once upon a time Valentine's Day was more genuine, sincere, and heartfelt. That it was about true displays of love and commitment and not about contrived or artificial romance.
Where can I find a touching Valentine's Day story?
On the other side of the world, there are men in India who are beating up women celebrating Valentine's Day and destroying Valentine's Day cards. As one of my friends pointed out, if they really wanted to be "efficient" they could beat up the men who purchase the cards in the first place, but I sense that there's something deeper going on. It's gratifying to see how some Indian women are responding. But it is within neighboring Pakistan that I find inspiration. Not that Pakistan is faring any better with women's rights.
ABC News ran a story today about acid attack victims in Pakistan. Apparently, 80% of women in Pakistan are victims of domestic violence. A young woman who married told her husband that she would not move into his family's house. He decided that an appropriate response was throwing acid on her face. Most women who are victims of this reprehensible abuse end up being ostracized or outcast. There is at least some movement in Pakistan to deal with this horrific problem. ABC described a "beauty salon" (for lack of a better term) that offers beauty treatments, medical care, and job training for acid attack victims.
The young woman in the story is part of this beauty salon. Her father is supportive of her involvement, but his support goes well beyond this. When asked about how he feels about his daughter, he said the following:
"My daughter is very beautiful...I'm even MORE proud of her than I am of my sons..."
I think only South Asians might be able to appreciate the true power of this statement--one that challenges too many of 1.3 billion people to stop acting like jerks when it comes to gender relations. When this young woman was asked about her experience and the beauty salon, she said, "When I look in the mirror, I still ask myself 'why me?'...now that I'm here I feel courage...I have hope." I get the impression that with her father's love and support, she'll never remain a victim for long.
Public displays of affection, especially between men and women of any age or relationship, remain rare in South Asia. At the end of the news story, the father walks through a gate. His daughter sees him, smiles beautifully--some things even acid can't destroy--and hugs him. He warmly hugs her back.
Now that is a touching Valentine's Day story.
Where can I find a touching Valentine's Day story?
On the other side of the world, there are men in India who are beating up women celebrating Valentine's Day and destroying Valentine's Day cards. As one of my friends pointed out, if they really wanted to be "efficient" they could beat up the men who purchase the cards in the first place, but I sense that there's something deeper going on. It's gratifying to see how some Indian women are responding. But it is within neighboring Pakistan that I find inspiration. Not that Pakistan is faring any better with women's rights.
ABC News ran a story today about acid attack victims in Pakistan. Apparently, 80% of women in Pakistan are victims of domestic violence. A young woman who married told her husband that she would not move into his family's house. He decided that an appropriate response was throwing acid on her face. Most women who are victims of this reprehensible abuse end up being ostracized or outcast. There is at least some movement in Pakistan to deal with this horrific problem. ABC described a "beauty salon" (for lack of a better term) that offers beauty treatments, medical care, and job training for acid attack victims.
The young woman in the story is part of this beauty salon. Her father is supportive of her involvement, but his support goes well beyond this. When asked about how he feels about his daughter, he said the following:
"My daughter is very beautiful...I'm even MORE proud of her than I am of my sons..."
I think only South Asians might be able to appreciate the true power of this statement--one that challenges too many of 1.3 billion people to stop acting like jerks when it comes to gender relations. When this young woman was asked about her experience and the beauty salon, she said, "When I look in the mirror, I still ask myself 'why me?'...now that I'm here I feel courage...I have hope." I get the impression that with her father's love and support, she'll never remain a victim for long.
Public displays of affection, especially between men and women of any age or relationship, remain rare in South Asia. At the end of the news story, the father walks through a gate. His daughter sees him, smiles beautifully--some things even acid can't destroy--and hugs him. He warmly hugs her back.
Now that is a touching Valentine's Day story.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Bravo David Beckham
David Beckham reached an impressive milestone by securing his 108th cap for the English soccer team. Matching Bobby Moore's field player record for most caps--especially in this era of football--is quite an accomplishment. What's more impressive is Beckham's transformation. When he moved to the LA Galaxy, most observers (including me!) had written him off and cast him as an entertainer rather than a soccer player. Ruud Gullit has spoken about the difficulties of managing in the MLS. Aside from having its season at a different time than other soccer leagues, the games do not occur with any regular timing. I'm sure these factors make it hard as well for a player who grew up in European soccer.
Despite these challenges, Beckham has raised his game considerably to the point where he deserved to be on the pitch against Spain. In fact, he played better than most of the English squad. When he was captain of the squad, he seemed more intent on appreciating the elegance of his passes or free kicks rather than leading. It was quite something to watch him working the ref, yelling at his teammates, and floating toward the back line to get touches of the ball. He used to be too focused on his marketability. Even in this respect, he's raised his game. It's quite a gesture for him to donate his shirt from the Spain match to the charitable foundation bearing Bobby Moore's name.
I mocked David Beckham when he joined the LA Galaxy. I'll gladly eat some humble pie. I'm happy to admit that I'm cheering for him to make his move to AC Milan permanent and add more caps with the English national team.
Despite these challenges, Beckham has raised his game considerably to the point where he deserved to be on the pitch against Spain. In fact, he played better than most of the English squad. When he was captain of the squad, he seemed more intent on appreciating the elegance of his passes or free kicks rather than leading. It was quite something to watch him working the ref, yelling at his teammates, and floating toward the back line to get touches of the ball. He used to be too focused on his marketability. Even in this respect, he's raised his game. It's quite a gesture for him to donate his shirt from the Spain match to the charitable foundation bearing Bobby Moore's name.
I mocked David Beckham when he joined the LA Galaxy. I'll gladly eat some humble pie. I'm happy to admit that I'm cheering for him to make his move to AC Milan permanent and add more caps with the English national team.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Philosophy of life
I've looked to many sources for inspiration about living life. I recall reading in Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth, Bill Moyers' account of a response from a Japanese Shinto priest. When asked about his ideology of life, the priest apparently paused as though in deep thought, and then slowly shook his head. "I think we don't have ideology," he said. "We don't have theology. We dance."
I'm not there yet.
I've always been drawn to the visual over the textual for inspiration. Joseph Campbell provided context for my reactions to the archetypal messages from the original Star Wars that inspired me as a child (no, I'm not going to use the Lucas revisionist renaming scheme). The title of this blog is inspired by my favorite scene from the Lord of the Rings movies (though it is true that I first experienced those stories in print). Perhaps the most intense textual experience came from Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning.
Music has always been an inspiration, ranging from a spellbinding moment of Branford Marsalis' improvisation during a rendition of Fauré's Requiem with the Baltimore Symphony to Tim Finn's lyrics from his song Through the Years:
"I want to be oblivious,
To everything that worries us,
I want to learn the secrets of the universe."
Tim Finn also added:
"I'm never gonna find the answer;
It's never gonna be
Exactly what I hoped it was,
But it's good enough for me."
I like to think that I'm half cat, but that doesn't quite capture my philosophy either. More than anything, I find that my friends are the greatest source of inspiration. Recently, one of my friends wrote a wonderful piece about living life that cites Lin Yutang:
"Lin Yutang’s ideal is the ‘scamp’ – an amiable loafer who wanders through life, learning, loving, living. He is a good-natured Renaissance Man, dabbling here and there, connoisseur of nothing, dilettante extraordinaire. He is earthbound, a man of his biology and of his senses. (For Lin, happiness is “largely a matter of digestion.” He favorably quotes a college president who admonished his freshmen that “There are only two things I want you to keep in mind: read the Bible, and keep your bowels open.”) Lin’s loafing scamp is a profoundly embodied mind, not a brain on a stick. And most of all, he’s eminently ‘reasonable’ – a trait Lin mentions throughout, and points to as the very foundation of the Chinese character."
A loafing scamp. I like that--a lot. Now if I could only learn how to dance...
I'm not there yet.
I've always been drawn to the visual over the textual for inspiration. Joseph Campbell provided context for my reactions to the archetypal messages from the original Star Wars that inspired me as a child (no, I'm not going to use the Lucas revisionist renaming scheme). The title of this blog is inspired by my favorite scene from the Lord of the Rings movies (though it is true that I first experienced those stories in print). Perhaps the most intense textual experience came from Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning.
Music has always been an inspiration, ranging from a spellbinding moment of Branford Marsalis' improvisation during a rendition of Fauré's Requiem with the Baltimore Symphony to Tim Finn's lyrics from his song Through the Years:
"I want to be oblivious,
To everything that worries us,
I want to learn the secrets of the universe."
Tim Finn also added:
"I'm never gonna find the answer;
It's never gonna be
Exactly what I hoped it was,
But it's good enough for me."
I like to think that I'm half cat, but that doesn't quite capture my philosophy either. More than anything, I find that my friends are the greatest source of inspiration. Recently, one of my friends wrote a wonderful piece about living life that cites Lin Yutang:
"Lin Yutang’s ideal is the ‘scamp’ – an amiable loafer who wanders through life, learning, loving, living. He is a good-natured Renaissance Man, dabbling here and there, connoisseur of nothing, dilettante extraordinaire. He is earthbound, a man of his biology and of his senses. (For Lin, happiness is “largely a matter of digestion.” He favorably quotes a college president who admonished his freshmen that “There are only two things I want you to keep in mind: read the Bible, and keep your bowels open.”) Lin’s loafing scamp is a profoundly embodied mind, not a brain on a stick. And most of all, he’s eminently ‘reasonable’ – a trait Lin mentions throughout, and points to as the very foundation of the Chinese character."
A loafing scamp. I like that--a lot. Now if I could only learn how to dance...
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