Sometimes, for a moment, a few minutes, or a sequence in time, the magical happens. Things come together, and it is hard to explain later what has happened unless you too were there. That occurred to me yesterday. I lay in bed, the last one in the family to get a mean virus, too tired
Silence and Restoration
After my mother became very ill when I was young, she decided to do something dramatic to re-center herself: she didn’t talk for a week. During that time, she did a lot of self-reflection and praying. It was a self-imposed “silent retreat”. She emerged from that week transformed. Yes, she was still sick, but she
Chinese New Year and ‘The Code’
Happy Chinese New Year! Last night, many Chinese households had a family reunion dinner, at which relatives gathered and ate traditional dishes such as fish, noodles and dumplings. Houses were swept clean, new clothes were bought, and now, it’s a time to enjoy family and fellowship. Growing up, Chinese New Year was a low-key affair.
Making Decisions at Crossroads
It’s been a week filled with many meetings, but I want to share two I had this morning at my favorite coffee shop in Cambridge. I met with a current Harvard b-school student who is looking for a job. I then met with a b-school alumnus, who is on his second start-up and was wondering
Our Family’s Immigrant Story
“So, are you Chinese or Indonesian?” one of my children asked me today. I paused a long time. My kids are Amer-Asian. They live in a nice town and go to amazing private schools. A branch of their mother’s family came over on the Mayflower. I’m not sure if they’re ready to hear the full
Sheila Marcelo of Care.com
I don’t know Sheila Marcelo, but I’m already cheering for her. Her company, Care.com, went public last week. Our family is a regular user of the Care.com site. The IPO is an enormous accomplishment for her, the employees, and the investors. But, for me, I think it’s cool that Sheila is a female Asian. It breaks