Felices Fiestas 2015 / Happy Holidays 2015

At the Vatican (Vatican City)

Dear Friends & Family,

Another year has gone by, and it seemed to last forever while at the same time, being ever so brief. Where does time go? Maybe time is a question for physicists but nonetheless tis an issue that affects all of us. Here is the latest annual letter I have been publishing for the last 20 years.

to download in pdf, click here.

Overlooking Palestinian Territories from
Bezalel Academy (Jerusalem - Israel)

Turning 40
First things first: this year, I turned 40 years old. Time is not only an issue of physics. I began conjuring formulas to rethink this new stage in life and I got down to the following solution (and may I say rationalization): I have 2x more “intelligent-lives” now at 40.  Let me explain. First some basic assumptions:

• Assumption 1: Beings on average have a lifespan of 3x their sexual maturity age (this is a Kobi Ricther fact passed casually at end of lecture – which I have yet to check – let’s assume tis a fact).
• If we assume sexual maturity of ~15yrs old, it follows then that we should have a life span of approximately 45 yrs old. Coincidentally enough, this was the average life span of US males and females +/- a few years around the year 1900.

Orozco @ Museo de Arte Moderno (Mexico City)

• Assumption 2: Average lifespan today is at least 80 (lest some accident or injury forbids reaching that age – God forbid)
• In previous times, on average people had to do all types of processes: children / marriage / career by certain age, say ~20 or earlier. This was happened since 20 years later (say 40) they were but a few years away from death. So it was 20 years or less of the silliness period (being young, trying to learn life) and another 20-25 years of productive endeavors followed by “capitulation”.
• How does this all apply to my humble example?
• Lifespan stacks like this: 20 years of silliness (youth), 20 years of some productivity (I would like to give myself more credit re: productivity in the last 20 years, yet I have not yet flown to the moon – so it has been wanting). But here comes the final view:
• If I assume 80 as assumed capitulation date (being VERY conservative - lifespans today are much longer), then I have another two twenty year periods to run, accumulate knowledge, contribute to life AND crucially, without the original 20 years of silliness/youth!!  BINGO

Beyond Age: The Year Begins

Pedra da Prata (Mirantão - Brazil)

The year began in Brazil, in the ranch across the valley from Pedra da Prata (Silver Stone), which now has gained a name: Tlalli (which means in the in the Mexican language Nahuatl –Earth).  Overlooking the mountain, I went for early run on the first of the year in order to continue the precedent for the rest of year.  Running was a recurring theme. There seems to be every year infinite desires, new ideas that crop up and such a huge desire to make them happen. Dreams cannot stay in dreams and so there is a need to run – yet with the ever increasing speed of time (time seems to be truly accelerating!).  The mountain to me plays the role of the Tree in Shel Silverstein’s book “A Giving Tree” – however I hope to date and going forward to be more giving however than the child in the book.



Zooming In & Out
From this starting base however, the year took off. Places zoomed in and out for the next following months and until the closing of the year. At every stop, wishing to have a bit more time to spend exploring, understanding and not just getting in and out. Largely, It was not meant to be. Whether it was repeatedly going up north to Maraba (Para) or all around Brazil, or Rome followed by New York (SEO Gala!), Boston, Arizona, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Lima, Mexico City, Guatemala or Jerusalem. 

Plant Detail (Pará - Brazil)

Lago Atitlán (Atitlán - Guatemala)

At every point there seemed to be conflicting view (not necessarily opposing) between staying on point to get things done and a deep desire to take The Eye (my faithful 10 year-old Leica camera) and have some time to see, to draw, document what is “out there”. A constant internal conflict. There is a certain duality (at least two yes) in being human. At least one inner Rubicon that constantly is questioned and violated by this bifurcation of being. One more thing to resolve – or not – in the next 40yrs of life (hopefully). 



Carving out time to study...

Hebrew University Patio (Jerusalem - Israel)

However, despite the constant vagaries of business and life, I was able to carve out time. I tethered myself to Israel for a few months this summer – a lifelong desire fulfilled.  Ever since reading Lee Kwan Yew’s (RIP – he died this year in March) “From Third World to First”, I had a deep desire in understanding certain populations and countries – Israel had been one of them.  I prepared by speaking to people, reading more on the Halakhic discourse to try to distill a few of the key elements that make this such a successful population.  I ended up attending the Hebrew University in Jerusalem for about 10 weeks in the inaugural class of the TIP Program. 

I was in love. Truly enjoyed the everyday learning and felt like I was reading a great novel that you cannot put down until you finish. What privilege to be able to spend days and nights learning! But you may ask? So, was there a conclusion from all the learning on any of the points raised by LKY?









Driving down in Israel: from Jerusalem to the Negev

Overlooking Makhtesh Ramon (Negev - Israel)

I drove down the last week from Jerusalem to the Negev Desert across the land of Milk and Honey. Yet, I saw an infinite landscape of sand and stones and very little milk and honey. My mind kept going back to the abundance of northern Brazil where I had lived for the last year. Overflowing rivers of abundant Amazonian fish seem to weave endlessly until reaching the ocean.  In my view – and with no desire to offend anyone, tis not the land where the secret sauce lies.



A Conclusion?

View Near Masada unto Jordan (Negev - Israel)

Some kilometers before arriving to Ein Bokek – a town near the Dead Sea, there is Masada. This extraordinary historical town is set high up in a mountain overlooking the Dead Sea, the last Jewish holdout before finally succumbing to the Romans. I marveled at the architecture and in particular at the cisterns. In this hot, unforgiving climate, water is crucial. How to get it in a place so high up, potentially devoid of wells? The answer: dew cisterns that would capture the condensation overnight and transform it into drinking water! Genius.There is new film documenting people across the globe by the famed Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado. The name of it is “The Salt of Earth”. People through their ingenuity, infinite curiosity and problem solving are the Salt of the Earth. It is the people, not the land. 

Stairs to the Old City - Last Friday
before departure (Jerusalem - Israel)

Parting Thoughts...
I am fully cognizant of the many views on the current on-going conflict and every position that anyone seems to take for or against Israel / Palestine seems to be controversial. My view is still the same, the land is inconsequential, the solution will come from people. People making decisions, people living life and understanding past their differences.



















The Teams....
So much more, so much. Yet, had I to divide the day, 80% of it would be with the teams, ploughing along.   From our excellent team at TCP to the team at Plug, the wonderful team at TIP in Israel and the joyous people that I met while there from Tel-Aviv to Mitzpe Ramon, the team that keeps Tlalli in shape, the hosts in Rome at GDSS and the SEO family in NY and everywhere, the two editors working with me in the education book, the Intensify.Me team working on making the best lingerie in the world! Everyone working so hard to get things done – to make dreams happen.





People are the Salt of the Earth
Thank you further to my extended family of friends in Sao Paulo, California, New York, Portland, Israel, London, Paris, Hong Kong, South Africa, Mozambique, Mexico and elsewhere and everywhere that lighten up my day with emails, phone calls or even visits to Brazil from afar, or invitations for marriages in San Francisco, to family in Boston, Mexico, Brazil, France and now NY…and in particular to the new member of the family – Isabella - tiny as she is, full of potential and dream-making capability and lastly to….






Luna is “non-person”, but very salty indeed!… 
Luna – faithful companion of adventures – always elegantly tail-wagging and “smiling”. We climb mountains, traverse rivers, drive endlessly without complaints (and only a few bathroom breaks) -  Thank you.














Thank you for the patience to teach to me..
Thank you to all as always, you are the Salt of my Life, making it wondrous and joyful – a learning experience. Thank you always for making me less ignorant every year that passes.

Happy holidays and importantly have a wonderful 2016! Full of sense of awe, exploration and intellectual curiosity. I truly hope that we can meet somewhere, sometime in 2016.









WS from Guatemala / Mexico
+55 11 9 8779-3003
ws@tcp-latam.com





“Whoever makes the universe, hides messages, in transcendental numbers so they’ll be read fifteen billion years later when intelligent life finally evolves.
....You think God is a mathematician.....
....Something like that.”

- Carl Sagan “Contact: A Novel"