Home Away From Home

Yesterday, in a day when we felt luck plays a bigger part in life than we would care to admit, the day was topped with the clear evidence of it. As we watched the final of the women ice hockey, with the US winning since 20 seconds of game, we saw the last 5 minutes bring a turnaround, with the Canadians scoring 57 seconds to the end, as the ball (I know it's called something else) deviating by hitting the leg of the US defender and going straight in from there. Luck? This was just the beginning. As Canadians are playing without a goalkeeper, and the ball is hit without anyone else to the Canadian goal, it magically hits the bar and keeps out. Really lucky. And then as the Canadians are hit by a penalty during golden goal stage, the US also gets an unexplainable one only 16 seconds later, and a more explainable one 1 minute later. And that's it, Canada scores and I can't help but feeling upset. I don't even care about who wins, not like I was rooting for the US, not that...

Stuck in the tube, friday 8.30am. Hqd planned to get in earlier but there is a train with no movement on the jubilee line. At least the driver is keeping us in a relatively good spirit and happy to spend Valentine's with us. 'I wish i got information to tell you' but at least he keeps sharing and trying to avoid bad mood and frustration. 'I hope the people staying on the platform can take the next train where I am sure people will be just equally beautiful and eagerly to take them as the people on this train." Anyway - I believe i am on a learning spree. First, baby sign language. And i am certainly impressed by it. I am impressed with so much of it! First, I am negatively impressed about how this is mot taught at school, allowing us to be truly more inclusive with one another. Furthermore, i am impressed about how sign language is not universal. I found out while I was researching courses for baby sign language that there is bsl and asl - and therr i was thinking ...

Yesterday I prayed for Peace. I do that a lot, probably every week by now (true, I lost the habit of praying daily, shame on me). But Peace not in the sense of world peace, peace as in inner peace. Don't get me wrong, it is not like I don't want world peace, I certainly do, and noises of a war threatening my dear children in Mozambique has shaken me but still, that is not what I prayed for.  I prayed to have light in my choices and peace to keep going in the certainty that they are the right ones. For me and B. Life does tend to question your faith some times. The first time that happened I was 22 and its resolution brought me as a volunteer to Mozambique, which on its own provoked one of the biggest changes in my life - the creation of a A Little Gesture. My faith has been more or less questioned at different points in time since then, most of the times through a feeling of unfairness seeing other people that are close to me suffering. True, sometimes I was also just frustrate...

The change (or lack thereof) in investor's interests and attitudes has an impact on entrepreneurs' incentives and ways of doing business and developing a startup. Indeed, the  entrepreneurs' mentality has also changed. While the VCs used to be willing to look for the next blockbuster idea as the best way to maxiize the return on their cash, it seems like now they rather build up a portfolio of mildly successfull startups, even if not life changjng. Now VCs want some sort of proven start ups, more late stage companies wanting to grow than early stage products in need of development. That means that entrepreneurs waning to get funding focus on existing ideas and try to improve them rather than change them radically. Who likes a contrarian? It is a hard sell! This has to bring me into rhe lean start up concept. The idea makes sense and it is rational, both from the investor and the entrepreneur's view.  Everyone is bound to lose less money if the product is better tested a...

Have people changed the way they look at incentives and are now more short term focused? It seems like people are still focused on making money as they always were. That is not an accusation, just a fact. Investor's ultimate goal was always a financial goal, whether that was measured by IRR, NPV, number of cars or else, a financial return is what it is. It is about making money. By nature capital is the end, not the means, therefore why would it care about second derivative outcomes. Why would money have to create jobs, new markets,breakthroughs? But if attitudes have not changed why are the outcomes different?   Transparency has increased people's visibility on how others make money and making a quick buck became more achievable but also more desirable.  Town heroes used be those supporting the village with jobs and businesses, not they are the billionaires.  Everyone would prefer to be a 'nice' billionaire but if not, a billionaire will do. Building s business used to...

My electronic electronic keys piano broke. I don't know why that makes me so upset as in fact I barely play other than for C.  And barely is definitely an overstatement. So in fact maybe I am just worked up by the fact that know I have to admit that I just do not play, I own no working piano and I threw away 15 years of love for the music. That was the immense sense of loss that I had after trying to connect it in different ways.  Part of me said "well deserved", why pretend I have a piano and play the piano? At least I donºt have to tell people that come over and ask me to play that I can't play for them.   Or maybe I am just upset for all that this specific Piano represented. Sorry T. this was our piano and for some reason it is dead. It was from a time when life was much easier and, no matter all the intensity of HBS I still had time to sit at the piano and practice. And when I could not, T would play for me. Those were the times when we were living together. It ...

A friend of mine told me last week 'it's like a domino, if one thing does not work, everything is out of place'.  He fully underestimated the impact of his words and every day since then I think about the analogy. His point was even, are you really living if you are just following the domino along?  I mean, I guess it is good if you got your system well figured out to do all the things you love but what if you need to add an extra piece?  My system has become very stable. 7.00 I get up, most of the times lucky that C had a restful night. Most of the times I still wake up dead tired, much of it thinkong ahead. Shower, clothes, bag and if C is sleeping I will just head out just after 7.30. Some days I prefer she does not wake up so I can dash and start work early or not have to say bye to those little eyes staring at me and knowing I am leaving. But most days i quite enjoy our little moment, I sit her in my bed and she babbles, smiles, claps, and gets me ready for the day. ...