A Good Head Cleansing

by derhur

It looks kinda like this.
Got here the day before yesterday. Spent yesterday exploring Phi Phi Le on a Longtail boat driven by a very patient man and today diving among some of the most beautiful coral I’ve seen. It’s gorgeous. It’s packed. But not as packed as you might expect given the all the hype, folklore and Leonardo Dicaprio muchness. That said, lots of anchors on coral, reckless boats, and careless divers make me wonder if it’s going to last very long. Careful with the jewels people.
Anyway, this has been a great chance to get away from some distractions and make sense of things. It’s been time well spent and frankly, I can’t wait to release a lamp into 2009.

Starting To Feel A Bit Like… Thailand

Photo courtesy of Slaps

Christmas eve at the beach in Thailand looked a bit like this. Lots of lanterns. Lots of Germans at war with each other over prize lounge chairs. And lots of warm Thai people determined to do this holiday justice even if its purpose wasn’t entirely clear. It was magical in a way that could only have unfolded in Thailand. And frankly, not all that far off from Christmas in Miami. Salty hair. Sandy feet. Christmas lights strung up on palm trees. With the exception of Cuban food and immediate family, this is the kind of Christmas I’m used to. Starting to think I could happily call Southeast Asia home for quite some time. Merry Christmas everyone.
p.s., Come to Thailand. This place is far too special to have so few visitors at this point in the year (read: low fares, no crowds, lovely people, get yourself on a flight here immediately).

Year In Geography

At the end of the year, Dopplr puts together this nice little map to show you where you’ve spent your time. It also lets you calculate the carbon footprint of all that travel. It’s all nifty and well designed, but hasn’t served much of a purpose over the past year. I think Dopplr may have just been one online tool too many. Here are some ideas for Dopplr going into the new year:
1. Help people brag. Whether it’s the asshole in business class harassing the flight attendant or the guy in media glasses on a macbook, travel is a badge. Help people show it off.

2. Make stuff happen. When I sign on to facebook, I can always expect something. Whether it’s a silly gift I don’t want from someone I don’t really know or a message from an old friend, Facebook makes logging on worth my while.

3. Eliminate the need to log on. Mobile people need mobile applications. Dopplr could be a beautiful little window that constantly updates itself on my desktop or iPhone. There’s a brilliant online/offline dopplr travel guide begging to be invented.

4. Be present in the lives of travelers. Why haven’t I seen you guys at the airport?

5. Create a class system. Model yourself after the airlines and give people a hierarchy to engage with. Maybe you can even reward them at a time when most travelers are having their privileges and rewards scaled back

6. Stay beautiful. The fact that the homepage was gorgeous made me assume the site would be good.

7. Partner with these kinds of companies.

8. Find new uses for what you sell (could be a nice way of managing large departments that travel lots).

Off to the beach in Thailand for two weeks starting tomorrow (dopplr already knows this) where I plan on closing down 2008 and giving some thought to a much more considered, effective, inspiring, entrepreneurial and focused 2009. If 2008 was about breadth and experimentation, I think 2009 needs to be about depth and focus. It also needs to be brought in with lots and lots of champagne.

There’s A Thought…

Saw this on the street and a number of thoughts fluttered through my head. I thought of the poor soul who walked past it, snatched up the number and walked home confident that they’d resolved any pressing career issues. I wondered if this would be a huge symbol of progress to anyone who remembered the days when the penalty for bankruptcy in Singapore was life in prison. Then, I wondered what people from my office would think if they saw me snapping a photo of this with my phone.

After that, I took my favorite route home past a great old man who sells the most “sweet sweet” mangoes I’ve found in Singapore. Arrived home just before a rainstorm, and just in time to intercept a call from a friend. I love hearing from people these days. Everyone seems to be at an interesting transition point. And with the more boring options being less safe than they once were, more people are entertaining stuff I find really exciting. Good or bad, it’s going to be an interesting year ahead.

A Great Re-Ordering Of Things

Amen

“I think there’s going to be a big correction in the world,” said a small business owner here in Singapore. “The richest men are going to be the poorest. The pyramid is going to flip and we’ll be on top.” I’ve been talking to lots of small and medium sized businesses lately and most of them are singing a similar tune. To them, this economic wobble is their chance to take over when a new order emerges. A government agency that looks after SMEs in Singapore recently told me that these businesses plan to invest MORE heavily in their brands over the course of 2009 than ever before.

I’m starting to think this downturn could be full of opportunity. It’s just a question of creating fittest mutation on the way things have been traditionally done. A nimble business model here, a flexible structure there, and the smartest people around all looking for something new. I know it could very well be a painful transition, but I really do think this is will take all of us to a better place. And for all the brave opportunists out there, I think 2009 is looking very much like a fantastic playground.

The Affirmation You’ve Been Looking For

Taxi Drivers Of Singapore Beg You Not To Become This Person

“Best way to go in Singapore is HDB. You don’t need to live in expat condo. Waste your money” said the taxi driver, beginning his big sell on government housing. “Mix with the locals. Eat hawker food. Learn Mandarin!”

I’ve noticed a secret campaign among taxi drivers to convince me to be less expat and more local and I’ve been flattered by every word of it. The government has a huge push to increase the population by bringing in educated foreigners and apparently the role of cabbies is to make sure they integrate into society.

They’ve pointed out their favorite hawker stalls, offered tips on learning mandarin, and made a big (however ineffective thus far) push for me to become a permanent resident (PR) and move into government housing. It’s good to feel welcome.

Singapore: More Interesting Than You Think

The following two quotes from Lee Kwan Yew’s memoir made me laugh and the third made me think this is a very interesting time to be in Singapore.

“My four years as a student in Britain after the war strengthened my determination to get rid of British colonial rule.”

“I told Keng Swee to proceed with the Israelis (to coach our military), but to keep it from becoming public knowledge (for fear of alienating muslim Singaporeans)… To disguise their presence, we called them ‘Mexicans’. They looked swarthy enough.”

“In material terms, we have left behind our Third world problems of poverty. However it will take another generation before our arts, culture and social standards can match the First World infrastructure we have installed.”

One look at what they’ve accomplished over the past 60 years makes me think their creative revolution is going to be worth watching. I’m thinking now is a very good time to be here.