2013: Felices Festas

Dear Friends & Family,

I only wrote a few times this year.  It was not for lack of inspiration, but rather lack of time to collect thoughts and sit down with a clear mind.  The year has gone by, quite eventfully, tense at the beginning, rushed midway and at the end. Our projects bring a torrent of thoughts that invade the mind, filling at almost every waking hour. Thankfully we have been successful at some them... here is how we fared...





…… at Thoreau (our turnaround business here in Brazil), we signed up a partnership with a US private equity fund in the last month of the year, which positions us well in the New Year. The team and I are continuing our weekly 6 hr commute to work on the turnaround of the business we are currently managing to Maraba, Para even as the rainy season approaches.  We have been fortunate to have very human experiences that complement the business side of our everyday… my partners Derek, Jorge, Leonardo, Fabio and Daiana get all the credit for having been instrumental and central in whatever success we may be having…

(Afternoon Riverside in Maraba, Para)

…… At AZLera (www.azlera.org), despite a few issues on the funding side mainly due to my own shortcomings, we are working on our second scholarship batch of students; the team and I are super proud.  The energy of the kids and in particular the potential, makes me dream of possibilities. These sensation of possibility is truly the fuel to the days’ travails. We have been fortunate to have wonderful managers in situ, led always by the indefatigable Freddie Brunt, and now Adam Peters and before that Jessica Barratt and Denny Newhouse, Joao and great help from Messias in Maputo.  It just shows how people make all the difference in any organization.


(Maquette of one of Project Ocean's Sponsored University Students)

……… Plug N’ Work (www.plug.ae ), we have been shifting new strategies and learning along the way. 2013 was a year of consolidation…who knew renting space was such hard work? (Alias, we knew. We always try to be humble on the fact that everything is hard work.. we have yet to figure out this 4 hour week “thing” – please if someone has come on a method share it!! Sincerely eager to try new things..)…

(Our new Plug logo and website => www.plug.ae.. constant re-invention)

[aside: maybe the answer to the super efficiency is to mimic “womanhood”…. I have been reading the NY Times on Hillary Clinton’s schedule and also Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s rhythm…  the question that pops up, is how they do it? “Women”- apologies for any offending generalizations, are amongst the most efficient beings on the planet relatively speaking).

Business has been at times overwhelming… Instances have come, when past thoughts of the steppe in Inner Mongolia, China rushed back violently, or the days running in Bonham road in Hong Kong come with heavy longing… or how to forget the wonderful journeys of wandering around aimlessly with only a camera and a water bottle around Tana in Madagascar photographing “crying” jacarandas around the Lac Anosy…. Or long runs around the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on those chilly winter mornings full of discovery and awe…

(Grafitti in NYC - Art that makes you dream)

(Grafitti in NYC - Art that makes you dream)

..  but new desires have crept in (and such is the realism of the images that a hard pressed saudade actually creeps in, maugre having never set foot in such places!)… such as the wish to fly to Papua New Guinea to finally see the Birds of Paradise or the infamous Penis Gourds… or to Uganda (after reading “Pays des Gorilles”), would love to see these wonderful beings… yet, truth be told in terms of Africa, have been dreaming of Western Africa, Cameroon, Mali, Mauritania, dreamt of masks and Ali Farka Toure’s guitar chords…. Yemen’s Socotra is never too far away, minutes away from shutting down for the night…

So many places tis true… but as many dreams that have been dreamt and incubated for long time ( I had the fortune of fulfilling many to date due to nothing more than pure obstinacy - not allowing the dreams to expire – Lao Tzu would be proud and serendipitous nuggets of luck and chance mixed with good fortune), so I will keep thinking of these places and little by little get there, huge cathexis…

And to assure that in 2014 “I get there”, I have started early to put my to-do list for 2014. Turned 38 this year and things cannot be put-off indefinitely!

And maybe the list has begun to be “crossed off” early before the New Year commences… I am heading off to Mexico for the end of the year ( I should be there by 21/12/13 til 3/1/14 in case any of you are around). My plan while in-country is to search for a suitable place for artists-engineers (to use R Buckminster Fuller terminology) to put down intellectual and actionable roots in the country (never one for misoneism.. searching for the unreachable “next”)…. A persistent question is how do you transform the country? Is Mexico like a huge “Detroit” that can be turned around / revitalized by innovation/belief at the local level?  Or tackling a problem of +100mm people intractable? Maybe the question here is not how to transform the country, but maybe focus on a “lower” unit - the state (a la Lee Kwan Yew’s Singapore) or maybe even more local - a city (a la M. Bloomberg’s NY – heard he is starting a consultancy to spread the knowledge)…. Those thoughts accompany as I embark on a visit to my country.




Included in the list as well in ‘14, is the need to learn a Mexican language – and it is not Spanish! Maybe Nahuatl? Tzotzil? Tojolabal? Probably the former, as tis more widely spread (who knew it used to be spoken as far south as El Salvador? [further proof of my abysmal ignorance – which I hope to remedy increasingly this year])…  Please if any of you are interested to partake let me know and we can share the knowledge. I was thinking of taking on-line lessons from Brazil..





But I digress. The root of this email is simple, to thank you: family, friends, partners.. I had been so fortunate to have seen some of you when passing a few days in NYC, in Spain and London, here in Sao Paulo or even while visiting El Salvador (to MariTere’s wonderfully fun wedding). 

(Waiting to be pronounced "wife-husband" in El Salvador ocean front)

(dancing away the night under volcanoes in El Salvador)

This year had many joyful moments at the personal level as my parents were able to come to Brazil (and help out in the land), I was able to see increasingly my two brothers.... 

(Brothers & partners overlooking the Cathedral / Templo Mayor in Mexico City) 

.......and even moved together with my dear Priscila Gomide (along w/Luna, whom has been gladly accepted).....

(Priscila & Luna - bonding)


(Priscila & Luna - abstract)

I am truly hoping to see each of you more in the New Year and I have put that down in my “to-do” list. Perhaps see some you here in Brazil? (to those interested in coming for World Cup – I am DELIGHTED TO HOST – despite my lackadaisical interest in football!).

Thank you always for all the teachings, you truly always make a positive difference in my life…


ws

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