What's up with this blog!!!

While I list this blog as one of my outputs in my CV and other places, it hasn't been updated in over a year. Many times I have started to post something, but have thought the better of it for several reasons.

As I stated before, I work in Singapore at the moment, a highly political place with a very low threshold for transparency (it is a country that has taught me the clear difference between transparency and corruption...they are definitely not corrupt; but they are also NOT transparent). My own workplace is particularly sensitive to any type of outspokenness (even when there is nothing to be afraid of), and I, like many others have learned this the hard way.

As part of my philosophy of living, I will be respectful of the laws of the land while I am here. And hence I am quiet...but not for too much longer...

Thanks for your patience; I will be back....soon enough, I hope...

Another update: focus switch

I've decided to change the focus of my blog to become more personal. When you come to my blog now, you'll notice a change in the header. It now says that I'll be blogging on new things I'm learning about, and thoughts on work and life. This change reflects the change in my work. I no longer have the time to read as I used to about a variety of things. But I'm learning a lot about management and leadership in my new position. And I'd like a place to archive these thoughts.

If you happen to listen, I thank you for your time and attention. Do lend me some of your thoughts in return. I am always grateful!

Why I've been quiet

A lot of people have been bugging me about my lack of writing on my blog. This is for two reasons:

• I am in Singapore
• I am supposed to start a blog around water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) issues where I work now. Since there was going to be this overlap, I've focused on the other one.

Singapore (where I am at the moment) is a very difficult place to write from...particularly if you like the idea of freedom and have an independent mind (as I do). Say something people don't like, and you get put on a watch list; sometimes punished severely. If you 'google' around, I'm sure you'll find more interesting information on the subject. Essentially, i don't know what will tick someone off and then I end up with my head on a cross bridge (they have a few here!).

On the second, things are moving slowly where I work. There are many reasons for this. They are restructuring, and there is a war about what we can and cannot post, and the process we have to use. And then there is a war about the name, because it has to represent several different institutions at once.

And while these two issues resolve themselves, I'm working feverishly on keeping the rest of my work going. So I've been quiet.

Update

I'm sorry I've been so quiet the past several months. I was in the process of jobhunting, interviewing and finally moving to a new country. I just moved to Singapore to take up a job at a startup water policy think tank. I'm planning on launching a blog for the organization. Lots of good water stuff will be coming up there. Look out!

My blogging here will suffer (no less than it already has!), but I will do my best to be more regular. Thanks for still sticking around...

Disappearing again for a bit, so...

...Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays to all :-)



though considering where I am, this is FAR more appropriate:

An Update: What's going on with Tworque and me??!!

India is beckoning. It is alive and buzzing with excitement (photo source: Dharmesh)


A few of you have been recently hinting that I have been a little too quiet (thanks for noticing and for the prodding). So I thought I ought to explain what is going on:

Since this blog is a side-hobby, it is extremely dependent on my availability of internet and free time. In the past several months, I have been traveling a lot with little access to the internet.

Right now, I am in India. I came here because I had heard that the place is buzzing with ideas, innovation, and vitality…something I have been waiting for years to happen. I had to see it for myself! Would I feel inspired enough to stick around??

Already in the past month, I have been so impressed by the energy of this place. So much enthusiasm and promise, as I have never seen before. Of course, I have also been very lucky to come across a lot of people wearing their passions and hopes boldly on their sleeves. Younger and older entrepreneurs alike are popping up all around, taking chances and doing something ‘different.’ For a country that is so gripped by conformity, this is a SIGNIFICANT indicator of the wave of change sweeping through.

If anything, India’s development is significant for the map of the world’s development. The world’s largest democracy has some of the greatest economic disparity, with some of the world’s poorest people living side-by-side with the richest. The enormous economic growth here against such a backdrop along with its mélange of castes, languages, religions, geography, and lackluster governance defies logic; probably as a result, India’s growth will provide a roadmap for the development of underdeveloped economies as we move forward.

As Hans Rosling predicted in his recent TEDIndia talk, its only a matter of time (July 27, 2048!!) before India (and China) regain(s) their original position(s) of leaders of the (free??) world. I’m here to see if I can be in the thick of things, if I may even venture to say…to lead a small part of it. But only time will tell. Hopefully, I’ll find enough internet and time to take you along for the ride...assuming I even have one! ☺

Lessons from my trip

I'm back from my trip. I think everyone should take some time off and do something for themselves. This long-ish break was a b'day present to myself, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I love traveling. There is SO much to be said for the education one receives while on their travels.

There is also a level of appreciation I feel for being back in the US (of course, the in-your-face advertising, and constant level of activity here quickly drained that out). Its nice to finally be in a place where I am understood immediately, rather than the wild gesturing and slow, repetitive speaking I've had to do. Where I can browse the magazines and books, and instantly understand what is written. And I like that everything generally works efficiently, sometimes 24 hours a day. But I do miss the European way of life; there is a tremendous emphasis on living well and a little more respect for human life there. People take care of themselves there, something that is completely missing here. Salaries aren't high there, but people seem SO much happier...continually reinforcing my belief that life isn't about money.

I generally have 3 rules when I am out traveling:

• Eat locally.
• Limit gadget use to 10-30 mins per day (I stick to the lower end usually).
• Use as much public transit, and walk as much as possible.

This allows me to be quite away from my life at home (a true vacation), and be fully immersed in another culture. This is how my greatest learning happens.

From a "Tworque" point-of-view, most of my education came from understanding the points-of-view of colonial powers. I am continually curious about what prompted Colonization, their later cessation, and generally where these "Powers" are now as a result of their past actions. Are they really better off?? How do the citizens feel about their past? And where did their methods of governance come from. Being the product of a former colony myself, has allowed me a great understanding of why my country is the way it is. It also allows me to forgive and move on, and figure out the best way to deal with the current situation. 

Of all the places I visited this time (France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany), Belgium was the most fascinating. 

Belgium is utter chaos now. And I was shocked that such a small and chaotic country could have have colonized a significant part of Africa. Probably not so surprisingly, looking at Belgium today reinforced the fact that chaotic colonizers tend to transfer their chaos to their colonies (Portugal is another perfect example of this). No wonder former Belgian African colonies are still in a state of extreme and violent chaos (Rwanda, Central African Republic, and Congo).  I would highly recommend reading the book "King Leopold's Ghost" further on this subject. 

Knowing England, France, Portugal, and Belgium as I do now, I'm glad I came out of a former British colony. I can honestly say that their high-nosedness, and class-based governance combined with their interest in advanced science, technology and education (ironically) created better colonies than any others. If you look at colonies that have best survived the tests of time, former British Colonies are probably most stable.  Of course there are exceptions, and I want to make it clear that colonization, British or otherwise, did TERRIBLE, terrible things. I do not sanction the act at all, but it did happen, and it sometimes needs to be analyzed at a distance.

Finally, its a pleasant change to finally have people think positively of the US. Obama has significantly "upped the ante." The past eight years were a particularly miserable time to be traveling around. I heard every kind of anti-American sentiment (quite rightly so) when I was out-and-about, particularly in the developing world. But it does get tiring, and it is SO refreshing to not have to deal with it any more.

Catching up and a Tworque Beta update

I'm back, and its time to catch up.

Here's the promised update on Tworque Beta:

My original concept was put on hold to address more important related issues that happened to be closer to the professor's heart. We agreed that so little was known about what really works in the field; and that this was a direct result of the lack of documentation of field projects. Our goal, therefore, was to develop some sort of a tool to aid and incentivize documentation. In fact, I learned that this is the key step required to develop better technologies. If you want better designed, sustainable, and implementable technologies, then find out what has already been developed, where the pitfalls are, and what needs to be changed.

We spent a week intensively brainstorming and finetuning our new concept. This was presented at an educator's retreat last week, where educators/academics sought ideas and feedback from their peers on ideas such as these. Feedback was extremely good and encouraging. Everyone agreed that we were onto something critical that could change the world of "aid" if it worked.

Unfortunately on return, I heard that the project had run out of funding; and so this project has been put on hold until further funds can be collected. Ah, the fickle world of "aid"!

To celebrate being back and having a bit more time to blog, I wanted to share my favorite video. It plainly and simply identifies what works for when you want to connect with people, regardless of where you are in the world...ENJOY! (and if you've seen it before, try it again...it always puts a smile on my face!)

Apologies, thanks, and what's happening...

Many apologies for my long silence. I was on vacation until June 1. Vacation is my cut-off time. I try to disconnect from my regular life, rarely using a computer, television, telephone, or other technology that keeps me connected to the world in any way. Instead I retreat into my thoughts and the landscape I am around.

Upon return on June 2, I flew headlong into a new assignment. And here's something for any other visionary hopefuls out there who don't believe that lightening can strike... A prominent university professor heard about Tworque, and contacted me asking to set up a beta version. Turns out she's had the same idea for a few years now, but didn't have the time to implement it. So three weeks later, I'm in Boston working to churn out a tangible concept. Our goal is to use Tworque within a teaching environment, and maybe tweak it into working condition, at which point it will just market itself.

This week has and will continue to involve brainstorming and setting up the "ghost" Tworque (a precursor to Beta). Next week, I will present the ghost version at an educator's retreat. The goal will be to get feedback, and possibly even interest in incorporating Tworque Beta into their curriculums.

Tworque Beta will hopefully launch in the fall, for exclusive use in an MBA International Development (ID) class in the Fall. I'll let you know what happens. But wish me lots of luck, because I need it!

Thanks, as always, for your continuing support. Special thanks to those of you who wrote asking me to continue posting. I will do my best to keep you updated.