Indonesia: The Prelude
In about 15 hours, I'll be taking off to Hongkong and Shenzhen for the first four days, and Indonesia (Jakarta and Bali) for the rest of this 22-day trip. They're all familiar territory, except for Shenzhen, but it just has been a while. The last time I went home over...
My Right Brain
“I’m a left-brained girl,” is a phrase I have said often, particularly in reference to poetry. You know, being an engineer and all, I just don’t get poetry. You feed me a poem, and I would have no idea what it’s talking about. But I think there may be some changes to...
If I Lived Then
In the 2006 biopic Amazing Grace, my favorite monologue takes place in a scene where the movie’s hero, William Wilberforce, is compelling an elite class of society to come face to face with the horrid reality of slavery. During a lunch cruise, the luxurious reception...
Bird’s-eye View, Personal Secrets
The Story of Complex People: Part III. Read Part I and Part II. (cont'd) A human being is in a very questionable position to judge another's motives. After all is said and done, at the end of our lives, we only have our own complexity to understand, and perhaps not...
Which Mirror Tells The Truth?
The Story of Complex People: Part II. Read Part I here. Who can tell the truth about a person? An autobiography gives access to someone’s psyche and thought processes, but is there anyone who thinks unfavorably about himself and would put his own life story in...
I’m Complicated, And So Are You
I’m complicated, and so are you. This is the first of a three-part series on the complexity of being human.
Croissant, Degas, Chateau
How much butter is in a single piece of croissant? The answer: ignorance is bliss. Sitting in Paris' la Maison Angelina, the question is not 'to eat or not to eat'? It's how many do I eat? But the real treat of the visit is Angelina's hot chocolate, so rich, decadent,...
Human Strudel
It has been said of former President Bill Clinton that one of his marked qualities as a leader is the ability to give full and undivided attention to each conversation partner, and make each person feels like he is 100% interested in what they are saying.[1] It...
A Child of All Nations
Stolen from a book title by my favorite Indonesian author, the late Pramoedya Ananta Toer, the title of this blog post captures the essence of what I consider my life personal statement, to be a child of all nations. I consider the entire world as a classroom and...