It's Friday again. I am working on a proposal at 6 am, and on Skype with Tokyo until 10. I call my friend in NY and pitch my company for business, emailing away and dealing with errands for the family in between. Finally, I roll downhill for lunch with my friends who fill me in on their lives. My start-up friend imparts wisdom on how to use Twitter and LinkedIn for business. He also explains that a widget is an API - whereas, he realizes the blank look on our faces, and drops the level a few notches for the audiences' benefit. As my other friend says she envies our adventures, we remind her that she gets a paycheck, which we envy.
I run a few more errands, and sink into the library arm chair waiting for my trombonist to be delivered by the yellow school bus. Back home, Julien, who is caught in the downpour calls for a ride. I say "no" since I have Skype in 2 minutes, then feel bad. So, leaving Maxime in charge, I drive downhill to pick Julien up. As we head back uphill with his friend in tow, Daniel's mom who had also said "no", calls to see where they, as she is waiting for him one street uphill. She and I get an "A" for trying. Mamma lions who push their cubs off the cliff. So much for tough love. Duration 2 minutes. Back home, Maxime has been entertaining my partners on Skype. Another couple hours on Skype strategizing, and all I can do is roll in bed at 9 exhausted.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Day 155 & 156: Just Ask
I have been socially active these past couple of days. Lunch with a friend/ex-colleague to catch up on activities. She encourages me to stay the course, as there is light at the other end of the tunnel. Evening Skype with partners followed by dinner with friends from Singapore and DC.
This morning, I drive down to San Jose in my batmobile, present to a company, and ask for business. I have decided to "just ask". When I was a worker bee employee, chores fell into my lap without asking and the paycheck would come whether you added value to the world or not. It's a different world out there now. I have decided to just ask. This takes getting used to - I grew up in an environment where outright asking is considered rather uncouth and vulgar. I don't particularly like rejection either. In addition to this, I don't like to impose. But, I believe in the value add that we can provide, I don't have the luxury of dreading "no", and besides, others don't seem to mind that I ask. What a surprise!
So, I come out of the meeting feeling really upbeat. I head off to Palo Alto for lunch with friends, which is always great. Afterwards, I pay homage to my dorm house in Escondido Village (111F to be exact). This is where it all started for me, when I had nothing. In fact, that year in EV was quite trying - classes in a foreign country surrounded by uber smart and aggressive classmates, separation, legal battles. But, somehow I knew I had to do what I had to do, and I knew I would be stronger and happier once the dust settled. It's nice to come push the "reset button" at my personal ground zero once in a while.
To reward myself for getting out there and asking away, I stop by my favorite $25 dollar foot massage place, and feel the tension of the past couple of weeks melting away.
Zooming home at high speed while seeking camoflage among other culprits, I feel the new me. This must be how bamboo shoots feel as they grow one node at a time.
Skype in the evening, followed by leftover galore and a few more "to do's" to do tonight.
This morning, I drive down to San Jose in my batmobile, present to a company, and ask for business. I have decided to "just ask". When I was a worker bee employee, chores fell into my lap without asking and the paycheck would come whether you added value to the world or not. It's a different world out there now. I have decided to just ask. This takes getting used to - I grew up in an environment where outright asking is considered rather uncouth and vulgar. I don't particularly like rejection either. In addition to this, I don't like to impose. But, I believe in the value add that we can provide, I don't have the luxury of dreading "no", and besides, others don't seem to mind that I ask. What a surprise!
So, I come out of the meeting feeling really upbeat. I head off to Palo Alto for lunch with friends, which is always great. Afterwards, I pay homage to my dorm house in Escondido Village (111F to be exact). This is where it all started for me, when I had nothing. In fact, that year in EV was quite trying - classes in a foreign country surrounded by uber smart and aggressive classmates, separation, legal battles. But, somehow I knew I had to do what I had to do, and I knew I would be stronger and happier once the dust settled. It's nice to come push the "reset button" at my personal ground zero once in a while.
To reward myself for getting out there and asking away, I stop by my favorite $25 dollar foot massage place, and feel the tension of the past couple of weeks melting away.
Zooming home at high speed while seeking camoflage among other culprits, I feel the new me. This must be how bamboo shoots feel as they grow one node at a time.
Skype in the evening, followed by leftover galore and a few more "to do's" to do tonight.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Day 154: Assertion
My partners in Japan are really using their relationships and talent to drum up business. This evening, I look at LinkedIn and see that many of my friends have hundreds of contacts, whereas I have a few dozen linked to me. I decide that it's time to open up to more people, and go through my contact list. So I invite those who are already on LinkedIn. If they are there, I imagine they don't mind being contacted for business unless they strongly dislike me.
Funny how this alone makes me feel like I have established something. When you are a start-up, you can't be shy about asking. They may say "no", but at least you have asked. It's not like the old days where you could sit at your desk and wait for someone to drop an assignment in your lap.
Funny how this alone makes me feel like I have established something. When you are a start-up, you can't be shy about asking. They may say "no", but at least you have asked. It's not like the old days where you could sit at your desk and wait for someone to drop an assignment in your lap.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Day 153: Rainy Monday
The day starts with a midnight call for my partners in Japan. All through the morning and even in the early afternoon, I receive emails. As the night owls go off to sleep finally, another early bird starts chirping. With sleeping habits and the planet being round, we can virtually work 24/7 amongst us.
American schools have so many days off, today being one of them for our district. Since I need to clean the house, I incorporate child labor, and find that, in many ways, it's easier doing it myself. After a lunch of blue cheese alfredo with pasta and sausage, we roll downhill for pool, library, rugby and returning the Fawlty Towers DVD.
In the evening, I am back on Skype with my partners in Japan until they need to head out for a meeting midtown. In the kitchen, Aya has made excellent custard pudding with caramel and strawberries on top. We decide on an abbreviated supper with cheese and bread, artichokes, and the pudding. We all agree that the kids will be popular in college by virtue of their cuisinary talent.
American schools have so many days off, today being one of them for our district. Since I need to clean the house, I incorporate child labor, and find that, in many ways, it's easier doing it myself. After a lunch of blue cheese alfredo with pasta and sausage, we roll downhill for pool, library, rugby and returning the Fawlty Towers DVD.
In the evening, I am back on Skype with my partners in Japan until they need to head out for a meeting midtown. In the kitchen, Aya has made excellent custard pudding with caramel and strawberries on top. We decide on an abbreviated supper with cheese and bread, artichokes, and the pudding. We all agree that the kids will be popular in college by virtue of their cuisinary talent.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Day 151 & 152: Errands
This morning, I book tickets for a summer in France. At lunch, Julien says he sure would like to have a real French brie. I sense that food has a lot to do with being French.
My friend in Japan has decided to restrict wine to once a week at home, since she is concerned about the soil contamination that nurtured the grapes. I have many other things to worry about and put soil contamination on the backburner for now.
It rains on and off, but more off than on, this weekend. Grateful. My daughters and I dart off to Costco to load up on food. The whole weekend is a series of errands, and shuttling kids here and there.
We manage to go through our many, many bookcases, and donate bags of books to the library. As I stack books to donate, people come by to make sure I am not giving away their "special books". Books are transfered from the donation pile, to the keep forever pile. The stacks that make it to the library are lucky, too. It's nice to think that somebody will like these books.
My friend in Japan has decided to restrict wine to once a week at home, since she is concerned about the soil contamination that nurtured the grapes. I have many other things to worry about and put soil contamination on the backburner for now.
It rains on and off, but more off than on, this weekend. Grateful. My daughters and I dart off to Costco to load up on food. The whole weekend is a series of errands, and shuttling kids here and there.
We manage to go through our many, many bookcases, and donate bags of books to the library. As I stack books to donate, people come by to make sure I am not giving away their "special books". Books are transfered from the donation pile, to the keep forever pile. The stacks that make it to the library are lucky, too. It's nice to think that somebody will like these books.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Day 150: TGIFATSIO
That is "thank god it's friday and the sun is out" - I find myself humming "here comes the sun, doo doo do doo" while fixing myself a late breakfast. I hear that my kids "had nothing to eat for breakfast" as "all the bread was gone". Well, forewarned is forearmed. I fix myself some rice!
The rain has left emotional and physical damage. As I drive to pick Maxime up from his camp, I count three sail boats washed up along Tiburon Blvd. Every year, this happens, but I never get to see when the owners come pick them up. It must be pretty heart wrenching to see their pet boat on its keel.
For the first time this week, I go to the pool in the evening. Thanks go to Aya and Maxime. As I hyperventilate about life, they ask me while wolfing down bread (!) if I did anything for myself today. Technically speaking, the fact that I am starting my own business is 100% for myself. However, at times, it doesn't quite feel that way. It's nice that my children show consideration this way. I look back to when I was a child, and realize I never felt that my parents needed time to do something for themselves. It may have been because my parents actually had a life, and spent energy on time for themselves. In any event, it's nice that the kids have grown to an age where they can actually think about me.
The rain has left emotional and physical damage. As I drive to pick Maxime up from his camp, I count three sail boats washed up along Tiburon Blvd. Every year, this happens, but I never get to see when the owners come pick them up. It must be pretty heart wrenching to see their pet boat on its keel.
For the first time this week, I go to the pool in the evening. Thanks go to Aya and Maxime. As I hyperventilate about life, they ask me while wolfing down bread (!) if I did anything for myself today. Technically speaking, the fact that I am starting my own business is 100% for myself. However, at times, it doesn't quite feel that way. It's nice that my children show consideration this way. I look back to when I was a child, and realize I never felt that my parents needed time to do something for themselves. It may have been because my parents actually had a life, and spent energy on time for themselves. In any event, it's nice that the kids have grown to an age where they can actually think about me.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
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