The year in review - Oddball Style

This link will take you on a silly ride through humerous media clips of 2007: http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=66e01328-b3eb-4831-8c3e-e313b7cffbe2

Shuffling of the Deck

Goodness Gracious It Is Almost 2008!

Father Time has kept things spinning once again.While Mother Moon silently soothes...

I offered these questions to be answered for anyone who was game last year and thought I would follow suit before another shuffle.

Completing This Year -2007

What was my biggest triumph?

What was the smartest decision I made?

What one word best sums up the year?

What was the greatest lesson I learned?

What was the most loving service I performed?

What is my biggest piece of unfinished business?

What am I most happy about completing?

Who were the 3 people that had the greatest impact on me this year?

What was the biggest risk I took?

What was my biggest surprise?

What important relationship improved the most?

What compliment would I have liked to receive?

What do I need to say or do to be complete about the year?

CREATING THE NEXT YEAR - 2008

What would I like my biggest triumph to be in the coming year?

What advice would I like to give myself?

What are my financial aims to the year to come?

What am I most committed to completing?

What major indulgence am I willing to experience?

What would I most like to transform within myself?

What am I looking forward to learning?

What risks will I be willing to take?

What is an undeveloped talent I am willing to explore?

What brings me the most joy?

How will I experience that in the coming year?

Who or what am I committed to loving and serving?

What word will I have as my theme in the upcoming year?

I wish all of you a delightful 2008!

The cookie is crumbling..

http://www.truemajority.org/oreos/

The Joy of Music

Feeling a little down the other day I heard some music and walked toward it. I was pleasantly surpised with what I found. A family band was performing on the street and their presence and music instantly lifted my spirits. Ahhh the power of music....

The Beginning

Have you ever felt drawn somewhere you have never been or when you go to a particular place you feel like you have been there before?

This week I was in Europe and spent a few days in Brussels where I was born. I lived there for around two years as a baby and then my family relocated to Washington, DC. I have always been drawn to explore the country as some of my personal history rests there yet I have no memory of it. So this, my 4th visit to the country (counting my birth). I returned to the hospital where I was born. Walking the halls of the maternity ward gave me a surreal feeling and I relished the experience. If you have never visited the hospital you were born in you might want to give it a go…

Drunk All Over...

I just finished reading a fascinating book about something I have loved but not really understood… Natalie Maclean’s book Red, White and Drunk All Over is a must read for anyone who is a wine enthusiast or would enjoy learning more about a topic that has captivated the hearts, minds and palates of people for centuries.. Much like wineries blend various grapes to make a good wine, Maclean takes snips of history, interesting stories, fun facts and personal reflections to make a tasty concoction the mind will savor.
In one of her many adventures Maclean heads to the Bonny Doon winery in the Santa Cruz valley of Northern California. Napa and Somona are the famous valleys of Cali for wine, however San Cruz is a hidden gem with a handful of great wineries. After reading about MacLean’s experience at Bonny Doon I was eager to check it out. I used to drink one of their wines often that I enjoyed for its taste, fair price and creative packaging. You might have seen and drank it. The bottle has many fortune cookie sized messages stuck inside of its clear transparent bottle for reading pleasure and used to be easily assessable.
The creator of Bonny Doon doesn’t have a pretentious cell in his body, something hard to find in wine lovers. Randell pokes fun at the often times pompous industry with quirky names (in French) and labels for his wines. Bonny Doon was also revolutionary as one of the 1st wineries to bottle their wines with twist off caps rather than corks. As a cork collector I understand how not having that part of the wine drinking ritual could cause dismay, however there are reasons to go with the twist off cap. You can read more about this if you like but for now I will leave it at that. Just for the record I still prefer corks.
Luckily I didn’t have to wait long to check out the winery as I was in the bay area for work this week. To get there I drove down the twisting lanes of ice cream road…If there was a flavor that kids sold from a stand on the side of the road it would be called Christmas, which comes from the omnipresent smell of the pine trees that I inhaled as I cruised with the windows down to my destination. I was pleasantly surprised as I pulled up to Doon’s tasting room which is a quaint cottage with a small picnic area. As I explored the inside I was equally impressed by the laid back staff and friendly fellow tasters. I sipped 8 of their diverse wines, had nice conversations with the staff and other visitors, none of which were over snobby or trying to flex their wine connoisseur muscles. After being warmed by the vino and company and getting a to go box I headed back on the road for some desert.

https://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/index.html

Singapore

Normally I travel through Europe on my way back and forth between India and the US. I decided to break that pattern and head the other way via Singapore to San Francisco. Never visiting the country I chose to take advantage of the route and stop there for a couple days. I have been doing a lot of research on culture lately and to spend some of my time constructively I coordinated a meeting with an organization I have worked with, have always respected and are world renowned for research in a vast array of subjects, The Gallup Organization.


The name Singapore is derived from the Malay word “Singapura” or lion city. It is a home to around 4 million people comprising of mostly Chinese, Malays and Indians. There is also a big group of expats as many large corporations have an Asian/Pacific hub here. Just to give its size some context its population is 1/5 that of Bombay, India and it is one of the world’s smallest countries in geographic size; the US is about 15,000 bigger. It is also the 18th wealthiest country in the world in terms of GDP.

I felt like Michael J Fox in Back To The Future as I stepped off my 150 seat time machine from India into Singapore. If there were any potholes in the road, I would have bit my tongue off as I was flabbergasted by pristine and lavish environment Singapore provides.

I was lucky to have a friend of mine who worked with us in India and is now living in Singapore show me around the city. It was great reconnecting with Ozana and she offers interesting perspective on life being from Romania, and having lived in the US, India and now Singapore.

Before I knew it the time arrived for me to board my flight back to the US. Not looking into the details and thinking it was a direct flight from Singapore to San Fran, I almost choked on my peanuts when I heard from the captain that we were stopping in KOREA!?! The most eventful part of my hour in Korea was trying to communicate with the currency exchange lady as I tried to get some Won...

So here I am, back in the US.

Things that make you go hmmm...

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired,read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We havemultiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you...

Pass this on, it is thought provoking...

The OSHO Experience

People and things that are interesting can be controversial. Things that are controversial are often misunderstood. I like to form my own opinions though experience rather than someone elses account...Futhermore perceptions often stay fixed when everything constantly changes...Take a father who always sees their daughter as a little girl even at age 30, people stuck replaying the past like a broken record rather than embracing the present or a someone who knows you as who you were not who you have become.

Recently I ventured to OSHO's meditation resort in Pune. His story is a fascinating one some might say interesting...One of the many of books he wrote : From Sex to the

Superconscious propelled him sky high. This was back in the age of Aquarius, bell bottoms, the merry pranksters, and free love. I have heard interesting stories of once upon a time at his centers where people were very open and free with their expression of sexuality. Well those were the 70's and thirty years later things have changed, drastically.

I bring this up due to the fact that before you enter his meditation resort in Pune you must take an AIDS test. Which of course brings people back to the idea that there is a orgy going on inside the gates. His point in doing this was to increase AIDS awareness in the world as he predicted in the early 80's it was going to be a epidemic in the future.

It is also been called "the Armani of ashrams" as it is compared to most ashrams very lavish and expensive. With that cost comes an amazing zen environment with great facilities. There is the omnipresent sound of water, an abundance of flora, conscious design and incredible programs.

During the day everyone wears crimson robes, for an evening meditation white robes and than at night people dress "normally"...this was interesting.

My time there was filled with various types of meditation, dancing, philosophical lectures, a diet of vegetarian food, interesting encounters and an overwhelming sense of actually living as a human being not a human doing.

You can learn more about the center and OSHO @ http://www.osho.com/Main.cfm?Area=MedResort&Language=English

शरणं गच्छ

Shangri La

The northernmost region of India has always been a mystical area people have been drawn to. The Himalayas are not the easiest to get to and this is what has preserved much of its charm. People tend to journey there to find peace and I was no different as I ventured there last week. One of my stops was Dharmsala, the home of many Tibetan exiles and the Dali Lama. In 1960 India was gracious enough to permit to Tibetans to settle in this area which is often called “Little Lhasa”.

It was interesting to learn more about the Tibetan culture and spend time with a diverse array of Tibetans and travelers. If you ever come to India I highly recommend spending time there, it is a special place. After a few days in Dharmsala I headed out for a three day trek which was one of the most challenging and fulfilling I have ever done. The cotton candy clouds, blankets of wildflowers, breathtaking vistas, entertaining guides and fellow trekkers made for an unforgettable experience. I must confess I have never been sorer than after this trek and I hobbled around for the next three days all the while grinning as the juice was worth the squeeze…

I ended my travel with a brief stop in Shimla which was the summer dwelling for British Raj while inhabiting India. It is also a popular honeymoon destination for India newlyweds and home to many entertaining monkeys. I enjoyed seeing the British crafted city and imagining what it used to be like back in the day but it paled in comparison to the tranquil space of Dharmsala.

Puja Ceremony

“Puja is the act of showing reverence to a god, a spirit, or another aspect of the divine through invocations, prayers, songs, and rituals”. There are various types of Puja's for certain stages of life, holy days and daily offerings to god. The Satyam School of Leadership is about to open and there recently was a Puja to bless the building (there was also one before ground was broken on the site for the building and I am sure there are more to come). The four hour ceremony consisted of chanting, lighting candles, offering food, money and flowers to the creator, cracking of coconuts (to symbolize breaking the outer shell or ego and connecting with the spirit), ancient storytelling and many other interesting rituals. It was fascinating to be apart of and I was fortunate to have a colleague translate for me so I could better understand the meaning of each part of the intricate process. Check out this link for more info on Puja’s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puja

Amsterdam

After two months in the U.S. I decided to head to Amsterdam for some relaxation prior to returning to India. Every time I arrive in Amsterdam a warm and peaceful vibe washes over me (which is not from inhaling the smoke wafting from the coffee shops, but I have heard it can have a similar effect). With more bikes than people, canals than Venice, friendly people and beautiful architecture it is not hard to fall under its spell. My Uncle Roger has lived in Amsterdam for over ten years and is always gracious enough to open up his home. I was fortunate to spend time with my Dutch friend Caroline that I met in India and my buddy Nate who is working in London this summer. It was splendid to catch up with both of them and enjoy the relaxed pace of life in Holland.

Leadership Without Borders

My friend and colleague Ed Cohen recently wrote a book on Global Leadership. These days many western corporations are keen to reap the benefits of setting up operations in developing countries for obvious reasons. However, one consideration that some corporations tend to neglect is truly understanding the culture of the countries they are trying expand in. Numerous companies fail and others struggle for this reason. Leadership Without Borders discusses the concept of being a Global Leader from the perspectives of executives all over the world. Check it out!


http://leadershipwithoutborders.com/

The Speed of Change

Check out this 8 minute presentation on the the present and future. It contains some flabbergasting figures....

If nothing else you will enjoy the music.

It does take a few minutes to upload and ignore the 1st 42.3 seconds or so...

http://www.lps.k12.co.us/schools/arapahoe/fisch/didyouknow/didyouknow.wmv

Lelia Jane's

If you are ever in Chicago and looking for a chill place to hang out, head to Lelia Jane's. This lounge is owned by my buddy Greg and he will be happy to show you a good time.

Both ends of the spectrum

In the same week I was fortunate to see both my 92 year old Grandmother and witness the birth of Zachery Roy (my cousin Caity’s second child). At the end and the beginning of life; being with them was a reminder of how precious life is.

Indian Wedding

Today I was privileged to attend the wedding of a co-worker. I continue to be impressed by how everything in this culture has symbolism and meaning…names, spices, colors, fruits, time of day, grains, thread, you name it and there is a story behind it… It makes every little action purposeful and rich. For example, the bride and groom go around a ceremonial fire seven times. Each round about the fire symbolizes a part of life. The groom leads in first three rounds symbolizing that the earlier part of marriage is led by the groom. The bride leads in the last four rounds symbolizing that the latter part of life will be led by her. When leaving the event their hands are tied together with string and there garments as well to signify their unification. We all had the opportunity to approach the bride and groom, give them a gift, say a few kind words and then sprinkle or throw rice over their heads as blessings.

The wedding was overflowing with vibrancy. From the elaborate clothes worn, the resonating music played to the amazing flowers adorned everywhere.

Outside there was a parrot tarot card reader, assisted by a gentleman. When you sat down the bird would come out of his cage approach a set of cards, pick one up with his beak and hand it to his counterpart who conducted a reading about your future…

Context

Sharing my experiences in India with friends and family back in the US has proven difficult. It is hard to truly express what life is like for me here when people lack 1st hand experiences that allow them to really relate with the drastic differences. Sensory experiences provide people a richer understanding that resonates within and adds depth.

Recently my girlfriend Gina ventured to India for the 1st time. Prior to her arrival we had talked extensively about my experiences and life here, but that was just talk… I am extremely grateful she had the experience to absorb it all personally. Doors that were previously closed are now open in terms of relating to me. Gina spent five days exploring the North with her friend Jivan and then flew down to the South to spend time with me. I had the opportunity to show her some of Hyderabad, where I live and work, introduce her to my colleagues, take her to some of my favorite restaurants and expose her to some of the crazy contrast of India. After two days in Hyderabad we flew to Goa to find peace on the coast. The next four days were just what we had imagined; relaxing and restorative. Like the difference between looking at the ocean on the surface and diving into its depths, Gina and I now have a deeper relationship and understanding of each other. I am thankful she was willing and open to explore mystic India….

After six days of adventure, discovery and connection with Gina, I thought to myself:

Is it possible to feel empty and full at the same time?

Training Futures

Friends,

Below is a link to a short clip by the channel 9 news in Washington, DC on Training Futures. The organization is especially close to my heart because my mother founded it and continues her quest to empower and equip individuals so that they can live more fruitful lives.


http://www.wusa9.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=56576

Impressive: Wade Davis

Take a gander at this piece from Wade Davis of National Geographic. It is rich!

http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=w_davis

merry go round

Do you remember the dizzying effect of riding a merry go round as a child? This is how I have been feeling of late. The merry go round moves fast, creates this euphoric type sensation and when it is over you get to deal with trying to stabilize on solid ground.

This most recent trip took me from India to the Rocky Mountains, onto the dreamland of Mickey and Mini, a few days in the motor city and then full circle back to India (all within 11 days). Needless to say it was dizzying with many people and magical moments energizing the ride. While in Colorado I had the privilege of connecting with my girlfriend Gina, family and Mother Nature. Gina and I went to Steamboat for a quick trip to ski and bask in the natural hot springs. After one missed flight (due to the fact my travel agency in India booked my reservation under my first name and the airline could not find the ticket?!?) I arrived in Orlando at a conference where the top 125 corporate universities in the world are ranked. 2007 was the 1st year our organization was ranked and we came in at #15. This was impressive; due to the fact we had never been ranked before and are the 1st ever Indian company to make the list. There were five of us in Orlando to receive the award and we all dressed for the black tie affair in Indian formal attire to reinforce the message that India had arrived! As for Detroit, well…it was Detroit.

Like a sour patch kid (which saturates your taste buds with sweet and sour simultaneously) I am chewing on the fact that consistency is not possible in this chapter of my life and still deciding if I like the way it tastes.

Regardless of my palate and its uncertainty; I continue to be humbled and grateful for the many gifts and opportunities I have been given.

R&R

After being in Europe and the US for seven weeks I experienced culture shock once again during my re-entry into India. Everyday aspects of living in India (such as no hot water for a morning shower) frustrated me like when I 1st arrived here almost a year ago. After being back in the swing of things in India for a month I was in need of some serious R&R.

My pal Seth could relate…The past eight months he has been making his way around the world. During the last few weeks he has been exploring the diverse states of India. He arrived this Wednesday from Mumbai for a brief stay with me in Hyderabad. Then on Friday we caught a flight to Goa. This Portuguese colonized region of India is well known around the world as an enjoyable holiday destination. Regardless of your tastes and budget you can find what you’re looking for along this coastal area. The north provides a more crowded and party atmosphere and the south is more laid back and peaceful. We did not hesitate to head south.

We arrived in Palolem, one of the southern most towns in Goa after an hour taxi ride from the airport. As we set foot on the coast, one of our 1st sights was a crew of cows sunbathing on the beach...

Upon arrival at our humble abode for the next three days, we were pleasantly surprised. Our beach front hut was situated no more than 30 feet from the ocean. The next few days were spent soaking up RA’s rays, swimming, reading, enjoying live music, eating fresh seafood, watching the sun rise and set and enjoying good company. I left Goa revitalized and grateful for the opportunity to decompress.

The Living Dead...

Sitting at a coffee shop in DC recently a picture on the wall seized my attention. The image was of a dazed and confused person and the caption below read: “God Save The Living Dead”.
I stayed at that coffee shop a few hours and every so often I found my attention gravitate to this picture on the wall. That curious experience birthed a thought process on the topic of: What makes me feel most alive?
After some reflection, I realized that one of the ways I feel most alive is when I am doing things that give me a natural high. For me this often manifests when doing things I am afraid of or have not been exposed to…
So embracing this concept, I recently purchased a 1973 Enfield Bullet Motorcycle(http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/bzz_history.html). Having never rode a “real chopper” this experience has been invigorating and frightening. I am taking it real slow and sticking to the back rodes until I have a fair amount of muscle memory built up... As navigating the main rodes in India are like playing the old school video game frogger.

I definitely feel alive when I saddle up and go for ride.

What makes you feel most alive?

Confirmation (Indian Style)

Today I had the privilege of attending the confirmation ceremony of Christopher and John (the two sons of my driver Steven). The church was packed with over 500 attendees, 99.6% Indian (There were 3 Americans, including me). All of the children were dressed in white and excited to go through this rite of passage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rite_of_passage).

The two and a half hour ceremony was primarily conducted in English with brief sprinklings of Hindi. At the alter, the cross was wrapped in neon lighting and Christmas tree lights adorned the surrounding area. The sound system would rival any night clubs and the hymns were sung with dance music background beats. It was fascinating to see the similarities and differences of a Christian church service in the east vs the west. The experience also triggered flashbacks to my own confirmation 16 years ago...

The after party was at a gathering hall in Stevens neighborhood. Both Steven and his wife come from gigantic families (Steven noted that he has 70 cousins!). There was great food, music and family bonding to celebrate the two boys confirmation. John and Christopher were treated like kings with thrones they sat in and friends feeding them by hand.

I also got the opportunity to see Stevens home, meet his parents, seven siblings and many of the 70 cousins....I left the party around 4pm however the next morning Steven gave me the recap and noted they partied until 3am. These types of celebrations in India are like a meal after fasting. You savor it...

Sri Maheshwari School Visit

Last week members of the School of Leadership volunteered at a local school. We were invited to teach lessons for grades K-6 on reading and writing, help the kids think and plan for their futures, talk about what it is like to work in an corporation and have some fun.

We all walked away energized and humbled as the students were eager to learn and thankful for our contribution. I look forward to returning and continuing to interact with the children.

Decisions Decisions..

Internal conflicts arise on a regular basis. The struggle between logic and intuition, body and spirit, responding vs reacting, yada yada yada. I had one of these moments this past Friday morning at 4am when my alarm clock yanked me from dreamland. My body pleaded for more rest (as I still was struggling to get back on a indian sleep schedule) and at the same moment my spirit yearned for exploration and adventure. My spirit triumphed in the case as I arose, threw a few items in a backpack and headed to the airport. The destination was Varanasi which is considered one of the holiest cities in all of this spiritually saturated country. My fellow explorers were Ibanga (friend and co-worker) and Seth (Pal who is traveling around the world for a year).

Varanasi is by far the dirtiest city I have traveled to thus far in India. The cows are abundant and roam freely. Hence, landmines in the form of cow shit are everywhere. I came outfitted only with flip flops and miraculously made it through three days of roaming this dangerous environment unscathed....

On the other side of the spectrum, the energy and vibeof varanasi (also referred to as benares) filled my spirit with peaceful acceptance of everything and everyone. And that should not be take lightly...considering the plethora of shocking, strange and intense experiences one encounters during a visit to "the holy city".

The city sits on the ganges or ganga river which flows from the Himalayas and is believed to provide life to mother india. Similar to Mecca for Muslims, Hindus come to the ganges for cleansing of their spirit and take "holy baths". People that know me understand that baths and spirituality are to of my favorite pastimes...So what better than to join in a "holy bath"?!?

Well my friends, the problem is that the ganges is really dirty. There is a 7km stretch of river kissing the shore of Varanasi. In this same area, over 30 large sewers are flow in the river. The water is septic meaning no dissolved oxygen exists. Water samples show it has 1.5 million fecal coliform bacteria per 100ml of water. Water that is safe for bathing, based on the above stats should have less than 500 FC! To make matters worse, Hindus believe that being bathed in the ganga and then cremated in wood burning fires is a way to break the cycle of reincarnation and achieve "moksha". So people bring their family members here and other places along the ganga for this intricate process which is omnipresent 24/7, never stopping. Babies that expire (the term for death) are often put in the ganges for rebirth...

So taking all this into account and just looking at the pollution that hangs out on the surface of the river I was perplexed. Again an internal struggle... This time between logic and spirit. My mind and senses told me: you would be cuckoo for cocco puffs to do this and my spirit said let go, surrender to "the holy dip"...


I must confess, in this situation logic overtook spirit and I chose not to take a "holy dip". Although, on a side note: after three days of not bathing, when I returned to hyderabad I had what felt like a spiritual experience as I washed my body...

I would recommend Varanasi to any traveler exploring mystic india, as it will provide you with resonating experience.

There are some good pics and videos in the links if your interested in seeing some of what varassi has to offer.