Cultural change

I think we can all agree that there is no 1 silver bullet solution to the tragedies that we as humans inflict on ourselves.  The Sandy Hook school shootings, the India rape and other heinous crimes don't occur from 1 thing gone wrong, but from a series of incidents, and often times there are warning signs ignored.  For the sake of being actions driven, here are 2 reflections on what a solution set must entail:

Firstly, we as a society, need to highlight more role models.  4 year old girls want to be princesses and 4 year old boys want to be superheros.  Who do 18 year old men and women aspire to be?  I'm not proposing we create fictional heros for adults.  I believe there are enough real-life heros to go around, but they seem to get less media attention than criminals.  Here's my proposal: each city highlights the local hero of the week.  These highlights can be shot by local aspiring journalism students and aired during primetime television.  I'm not talking about the Olympic hero or someone who saved lives.  I'm talking about every day heros like the single mom working two jobs to give her daughter a better life.  It's a hard life, and she could have chosen a less righteous path, but she's setting a good example for her daughter.  Why should this example be limited?  Why shouldn't it be shared with the community?  I highly admire such heros.

Secondly, enforcement and punishment.  This is stating the obvious, but those who have committed a crime must be pursued, arrested, given a fair trial, and if convicted, fairly sentenced.  There needs to be clear processes and procedures that the police must follow, and, it should be a criminal offence if these procedures are not followed.  This is one way to ensure credibility that actions will be taken to deter would be criminals.  In addition, I believe criminal investigations, trials and punishments should be publicised (even if it's anonymous).

By no means are these solutions exhaustive, nor do I believe they will solve all problems, but it's a start.

Outside in

I went to hear Pinchas Zukerman play Bruch tonight. A great piece that always makes me happy. But perhaps the more interesting thing tonight was what was happening across the street. It was opening night at the San Francisco Opera. I stood outside and watched the parade of poofy dresses, peacock colours and men in white gloves and monocles. Why do people dress so extravagantly for the opera?  Music and dress have no natural correlation. It must be society. It seems people can derive happiness through acknowledgement by 5 key sources
- from within
- from family
- from friends
- from those who you would like to be your friends/family
- from strangers

For me, I'd gladly sit alone, naked, in a concert hall

Return to writer

After a 4 year hiatus, I've decided to write again.  It's a great way of taking a snapshot of my thoughts at a moment in time.

I spent the day thinking about Magda.  I first met her over 3 years ago.  My encounter was so inspiring, I remember every detail vividly.  It was early evening on April 19th 2009, I was walking home from work when I passed by Wigmore Hall.  To my pleasant surprise, there was a music competition starting in 15 minutes.  I bought a single ticket, made my way to the third row and sat down just as the lights dimmed.  Magda walked out on stage with a violin in her left hand and a bow in her right: she looked stunning.  The next 14 and a half minutes changed my life.  She chose for her first piece, the Bach Ciaconne, my favourite piece of all time and perhaps the greatest work yet written for solo violin.  Her playing was so captivating, in a full concert hall, I felt she spoke only to me.

Magda and I kept in touch over the years.  We met last night and caught up on various aspects of our lives. She told me she may lose her beloved violin, a N. Gagliano from the 1700s.  The despair in her eyes told it all.  She had grown close to this instrument, but unfortunately it's on loan to her.  A joint deal between two charity foundations was supposed to purchase this violin for her continued use, but fell through.  This means she will have to return it.  I spent the day thinking of ways to raise the funds, including selling my flat and giving her the proceeds.  Unfortunately, in this instance, I have to say my head prevailed over my heart.  It is a shame that this artistic expression is so strongly controlled by commerce.  In this industry, money, not talent, unjustly rewards.  I am determined that within my lifetime, I will find a way to ensure she has the violin she rightly deserves.

A year and two on

I'm reading through my previous blog entries and it is clear that the last 3 years can be broken into 3 distinct pieces: pre-INSEAD, INSEAD and post-INSEAD. The first two were definitely great. 2008 is the first post-INSEAD year and now that it's drawing to a close, I'm reflecting on just how good of a year it has been. Though I'm back in London, I now live in a world I never dreamed of pre-INSEAD. To any outside observer, 2008 must have been a great year for me. Old friends, new friends, family and colleagues all concur. Unfortunately, the feeling inside couldn't be more different, for in post-INSEAD, I have been humbled. While I generally regard being humbled as a good thing, my humbling also came with an unhealthy dose of shattered confidence. Where do I now find the strength to rebuild the confidence I once had? Is it in my heart, my gut or my mind? Wherever it is, I have a feeling the success of 2009 will depend heavily on me rediscovering it. Let 2009 be the year I reinvent myself...again.

Tomorrow I leave for a week in St. Petersburg and Moscow for a long overdue trip to see Tchaikovsky's home and visit some friends. A long needed break. Hopefully I'll get alot accomplished in the 5 hours of sunlight and freezing weather.

Music Festival

In my job, I spend my days running in and out of meetings and my nights either preparing for the next day's meetings or flying around the world going to meetings.  In this hectic career, I have actually - I'm sad to say - forgotten how much I love music.  But then again, like all things driven by passion, all it takes is a gentle reminder.  In this particular case, 4 days in Kitzbuhel Austria at a Music Festival aka 'Music Meeting'.  We spent our mornings making music and our afternoons hiking in the Alps.  Standing high atop a mountain after a morning's rehersal, I exceeded cloud nine.

7 years ago, I played my last orchestral piece, the first violin part of Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony.  Last night, I picked up right where I left off, this time, taking on the second violin part of the same symphony.  It was a treat for all the senses: the feel of the violin, the sound of the orchestra, the sight of the conductor, the smell of the rosin, and the taste of the chocolate mint I had just before.  Ok, so the taste is unrelated, but it was a mighty fine Austrian chocolate.

Extra Extra

Its been a while since I last wrote. For some reason, I'm just not in the writing mood these past few months. That's not to say not much has happened, quite the contrary. In fact, at the moment, I'm sitting at Cannon Street station being an extra in a film. I will play 'man in tube station'. Now I can cross off number 11 on my todo list.
As for work, tonight I fly to Dusseldorf, Thursday to Kitzbuhle, then back to Dusseldorf and back to London 2 weeks after. Funnily enough, I now find this travel schedule quite normal and enjoyable. I can barely remember what life was like back at an 8 to 6 job in one office.

Culture

For some reason, my desire for writing is directly correlated with how busy I am. I've also just noticed that busy-ness spelled with the 'y' changed to an 'i' is business. Hmm...I wonder...

The past few months have not been busy at all. That's not to say that not much have been happening. Since my last post, I've traveled to Guadeloupe, graduated from business school, became an uncle, moved to London and started work.
Having spent the last month or so in NY, I've noticed that NY culture is heavily driven by media. That's not to say this isn't true elsewhere, but my non-scientific observation is leading me to believe it is much more so than anywhere else. I've been finding it very difficult to meet someone who's interests and hobbies aren't plastered on billboards and airing on prime-time television. It certainly is taking me longer to peel away the outer layers of these walking commercials to get to know the real person underneath. On the surface, everyone either is a foodie (quoting me top-10 lists from the food network), enjoys traveling (listing the hottest destination from the travel channel) and/or likes music (rambling off the latest awards or American Idol episodes). Where are the real foodies who have homemade recipes to share, travelers who've been to rarely-heard-of remote locations, and opera goers who can tell you some history of music that spans more than 3 weeks?

The List

Today, I started to make a long-term 'todo' list. As I started jotting down the things I wanted to experience, the list seemed to grow exponentially. As such, I'm only including things that are possible today, within my control, non-professional and non-travel (these things are far too numerous). I'm hoping to cross off at least 1 item each year. Here are the first 15, in no particular order:
1) Defy gravity
2) Swim with a family of wild dolphins
3) Buy a Stradivari violin
4) Give away a Stradivari violin to a deserving violinist
5) Drive a supercar in Germany
6) Observe whales in their natural habitat
7) Fly a plane
8) Travel to the end of the earth and spend time with someone on a beach so isolated we feel like we are the only people on earth
9) Shower under a waterfall
10) Do a random act of kindness that will change the course of someone's life for the better
11) Be an extra in a film
12) Watch Wagner's complete 'Ring Cycle' in Bayreuth and be able to appreciate it
13) Buy a home and spend time fixing it up just the way I like it
14) Cook an 8 course international meal, a different ethnic dish for each course
15) Learn to tango

Here are some of the things I can now cross off my previous list:
1) Conquer my childhood ailments
2) Scuba dive
3) Run a marathon
4) Listen to the Bach Ciaccone live in a church
5) Meet Maxim Vengerov
6) Eat a meal I'd be satisfied if it was my last
7) Scale temples in the jungles of Angkor Wat
8) See the Taj Mahal
9) Attend graduate school
10) Have friends in each of the 6 inhabited continents

Marathon to Athens

In 490 BC, Phidippides ran from the battle fields of Marathon to Athens to tell the Greeks that they have defeated the Persians. In 2007, I ran from the battle fields of Marathon to the Olympic Stadium in Athens to tell myself I could do it. The experience was unreal.
From the starting line, excitement filled the air as the athletes saluted the Greek National Anthem and took their starting positions. By the 10km mark I was running swiftly and feeling confident that my months of training was paying off. This sense of confidence turned to joy as I crossed the 21.1km mark, the half way point and the furthest I have ever run. I carried on until the 25th kilometer when, faced with a giant hill, I ran out of steam. Joints hurt, muscles ached and stomach cramped. This joy I had just recently experienced quickly turned into a grave feeling of complete and utter helplessness and despair. I tried occupying my mind with other thoughts which included family, friends, and even my stuffed animals. Somehow, I pushed forward, at first one kilometer at a time, then one step at a time.
Then, all of a sudden, a ray of light shined through the parting clouds as I stepped past the 40km mark lifting me from despair - the Greek Gods were smiling upon me. With only 2km to go, my fellow runners cheered me on and the locals handed me olive branches shouting 'Bravo Bravo'. I turned into the old Olympic Stadium and headed down the final straightaway floating towards glory. I crossed the finish line into the welcoming arms of a Greek woman who congratulated me and placed a medal around my neck. In that moment, wide-smiled and teary-eyed, I felt immortal.

My Domains

Exactly 365 days ago, I resigned from my job. I was running multiple teams, was in charge of recruitment and played a vital role in the development of a growing department. I was the king of my domain. I left this safe and comfortable environment seeking adventure, fresh perspectives and personal development.
Exactly 365 days later, I accepted a new job. I now realize that my domain one year ago is but a mere speck, a single island amongst continents. To quote Issac Newton, "if I have seen farther it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." INSEAD has been my giant and McKinsey will be my colossus. I am ready to survey and conquer my new domain.