Sentimental Gifts

I forgot to take a horse out of the car when I swapped it over today. It was the same mistake I made last time I switched to another car. Two times is a bad thing.

I have never thought that gifts should be rated on the cost of the gift. However, I have considered that practical gifts are better than sentimental ones, due to my nature. I have realised that when the gift is more ornamental, I tend to forget about it, or not remember having it. I need things to be visible to me to keep it in mind.

What I do need to start to appreciate is that all gifts come from the heart, and anytime the giver sees that I'm not putting a value to it, or discarding it, it hurts. If I was in the same position, I would agree that would stop me from giving gifts!

So going forward, all gifts will be remembered and cherished (especially the mushroom :))

Living It Up In Vietnam

It's been 5 days into a 8 day holiday in Vietnam, and we've covered the country from bustling Ho chi Minh city to quaint Hanoi to relaxing Hoi An.

I'm glad I have come on this trip for several reasons. One is to relax and get away from work for a week (although sadly I still have been checking my email). Two is to spend some quality time with the boys (Boges, Anton and even the BJee in HCMC) before I head off to New York. But the third is that it forces me to read up and learn about a country. I have learnt more about Vietnam in the last 5 days than I have in my whole life. It reminded me once again what joy it is to travel to new destinations, meet new people and see that humanity is really not that different elsewhere.

Highlights have been many:

• The wonderful food that we have eaten all around the country, both pricey three course meals to hole-in-the-wall diners that charge $1.00 for a bowl of noodles. I don't remember having eaten this well for a while.
• The Remnants War Museum, it's a very confronting view of how the war has affected the Vietnamese, and the damage that continues on here. War is ugly, cruel and sad, period.
• Getting picked up by...yes, a gay French director...maybe that might be a lowlight
• Bespoke suits in Hoi An. I ordered mine yesterday for a grand total of US$350. I even upgraded the lining :)
• The flourishing art galleries around the country. There are a few dominant styles, with a thick dabbing paint style similar to a Monet (at least to my untrained eye)
• The ability of scooter drivers to SMS whilst on the road
• The general hospitality of the people
• Too many laughs to count!

It's been a great trip, now comes the difficult part of going back to work. I have a project review meeting on 12pm the day I come back (plane lands at 9:30am). Could be terrible. I'll remind myself not to have too many drinks on the flight back!

Giving Back

I just read Bill Gates' speech at Harvard, when he has been given an honorary degree. I have a lot of respect for the man, no matter what others say. The amount of charitable work he does, the dedication and resources he brings to it definitely is making a difference.
I remember reading once about the fact that previously Gates donates 1/3 of his total income to charitable causes. Granted, he earns bijillions a year, but 30% is a lot in anybody's earnings.

The speech was very inspiring, with two points that stood out. The "from those that much is given, much is expected", and the challenge to focus on one complex problem in the world.

We live in a privileged world, and it's very easy to get caught up in the material lifestyle and saving up for the next big thing to add to the house (42 inch LCD, here I come!). I do tell myself this from time to time, that we have to make the effort to give back, to contribute, to make the world a better place.

In most cases, the usual way to give back is through material means. But the challenge that Gates gives is this: you are not just privileged economically, but mentally, creatively and socially. So put those other facets into use by concentrating on one problem in the world and becoming a specialist in it, and try to solve that problem. Use all the abilities you have, and see how far it takes you.

I'm going to use my Vietnam trip to do some thinking. I hope you do too.

Project Management Learning

I had previously been trying to write once a day about project management for a while now, and what I have learnt from it. As I come to the conclusion of this project, I need to take some time to reflect on those things.

• Getting requirements from business reps is hard, hard work. No one ever knows what they really want until it's shown to them, so the key is to get as much prototyping done as early as possible
• Saying "no" to people just makes them angry. Deflect in other ways e.g. tell them to put it in the request list and we'll review.
• Writing snarky emails does not help, even if the business rep is saying something stupid! Never be negatively emotional on a business email, as it just looks unprofessional and you sound like a whinger.
• Tailor the information for the audience, focussing on the "what's in it for me" slant.
• Schedules are wrong the moment they are saved. However, milestones are a good way of focussing people on what needs to be done.
• If there are no business rules for a functionality, chances are that the functionality won't be used properly. Make sure someone can explain why people should do certain things.
• To become a good PM, you have to get out of the "one-project" mentality. Otherwise it's too easy to lose oneself in the detail
• People are never consistently poor, so it's wrong to expect the worse of someone all the time, even if they have stuffed up before.
• I still suck at estimating costs and schedules.
• Learn from those around you as much as you can! There is always an alternative to consider

That's probably the tip of the iceberg. As long as I keep writing and recording these things, surely something will stick! For any budding project managers out there, there is a book I thoroughly recommend called "The Art of Project Management" by Scott Berkun. It's gold!

Family Independence

I met a taxi driver today who had just completed his masters of accounting in Adelaide. His parents (from Pakistan) sent him here to do his degree. What struck me was that his family is very well off in Pakistan, doing that import/export business (one day, I'll do that and get rich!) and had offered to pay for all his expenses here. But this guy was very adamant that he would make his own way here, that he wouldn't ask his parents for money. And so he works nights as a taxi driver, and studies during the day. It makes for some hard hours, and I asked him about his grades, but he believes (barring one subject) he's doing pretty good in general.

That rite of passage, to prove that one can live independently of one's family, is something most young adults do during those uni years. I remember my own episode in those uni years where I felt I had to prove to my dad that I was financially independent, that I didn't need his car or his place to live, that I could find my own way. It was a foolish quest, and it failed spectacularly (I didn't move out nor give up the car :)) but it must have somehow laid the foundations for my belief that my parents don't owe me anything, nor for me to be stuck in a position where I continue to depend on my parents.

I'm glad that I got a scholarship during uni, as it meant that I was able to spend my own money, and do what I wanted to do. I think that Asian families don't quite have that Western mentality of "you're 18 now, you're on your own", but some of that Western upbringing must have rubbed off on me.
Having moved out about 5 years ago, and now about to move overseas, I definitely feel that I am an independent young adult, making my own way in the world.

There may be a time when I will see my parents as equals, but not yet. I may have passed my rite of passage, but I'm still a kid in the family.

Africa & China

There has been significant investments from China to the African nations. In this article outlining the effects and impacts that Chinese investments have had, it has struck me that China is taking a much more global role. Whilst the majority of the efforts are for profit, much like the United States, it seeks to influence in other geographical and political areas outside of its direct control.

Where the difference lies is the lack of transparency and lack of accountability in the way these things are done, on both sides of the world. In China, the driving motive of profit has led to a very "no meddling" policy for the money that China provides, in return for the raw materials. This in turn has allowed many African rulers to funnel this money for their own uses, or to ignore rules placed on them from other Western donors.

It is like colonialism, but a much more hands-off model. Will China be able to influence the direction and course of Africa this way? In the global arena, having allies in the form of African nation votes would definitely balance out the US and European voting block.

But will this new type of "colonialism" be workable? I think the memories of previous colonists are still there in the minds of those people. Nothing comes for free...

It would be surprising if the African nations let it happen again.

The Art Of Negotiation

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a confrontational kind of guy. And hence it's always with trepidation that I went into my negotiations for the US transfer. What they had given me as the first offer was a bit light on the transfer allowance...actually super light on the transfer allowance.

I was planning to talk to my financial controller (who is the one arranging this transfer and he was the one who gave me the initial offer) but was pulled aside by my CIO to ask what's wrong with it.

The funny thing was that I had prepared all these answers, but in front of the CIO, they just didn't come out! What came out was putting numbers on the table, discussion of things that I was training myself not to talk about ie Bec's transfer. I'm just glad I didn't sign anything!

Still, all is not lost, and I subsequently had my meeting with the financial controller and have made my requests (without giving away all my numbers yet). Fingers crossed!

The things that I have learnt from this experience:

• It definitely takes practice. Things have the potential to get heated, and it takes a calm mind to argue logically through it and emphasise the points that I want to.
• I may not have been 100% with the arguments they were going to raise, but it was good to have gone through and thought out what objections I needed to be able to reply to.
• I suck in terms of standing up or not divulging information to my boss! I don't know if others have the same issue, but when he says "name the number", or "tell me what your partner will most likely get" it's very hard to not say anything concrete. Much like when he says "jump", I would say "how high?"
  
• The less numbers the better. Or rather, don't name a number until the other side has named one. Even then they may name another one first before you have to say anything.
• Clarify assumptions that they have made, or else they may be basing their offer on information that is incorrect.
• Silence is golden whilst looking people in the eye. It shows you mean business.
• Have a laugh once in a while! Negotiating should be an enjoyable exercise, because in the end, both parties should be happy.

And a point that was told to me: leave something at the table, because there is no doubt that you will have to deal with the other party again in the future.

Beauty And The Geek

It's been too long since i have watched Fox 8! There was this show called "Beauty and the Geek" that features 8 hot chicks paired up with 8 nerds. It's some quasi-Survivor type show, with people winning immunity from challenges.

But the main thrust of the show is to demonstrate the "other side of the coin" for those people who have not encountered such hotness/geekness before.

By far the best one from my intensive research (ie it was the only one I watched) was the first season. It was a strange thing, but I felt a certain sense of pride for those "geeks" that were willing to have a go at some reality TV show. They made it to the end, and from what I saw, they seemed like better people for it.

I remember doing a self assessment and one of my traits is "includer", and part of the descriptions was as follows:

Your accepting nature does not necessarily rest on the belief that each of us is different and that one should respect those differences. Rather, it rests on your conviction that fundamentally we are all the same.

In the interviews afterwards, the contestants were saying "oh, we had nothing to say when we first met, but we built up a rapport as we got to know each other". It has been my sincere belief that everyone can relate to each other, if you make the effort. There are no people out that that you cannot find some commonality with. It's good to see a show that demonstrates that (and have some random hot tub scenes with the 'beauties' :))

Is Technology A Saviour?

I'm a big fan of technology and am always amazed at how far we have come as a human race to rely on technology. Sadly that "digital divide" exists as much as the monetary divide in our world today.

Hence I've wanted to know how technology can help those people who need help the most.
Would providing computers such as those $100 laptops be what developing societies need to improve their standard of living?

Having pulled out an old Economist magazine (2005!) and reading one of its Technology Quarterly sections, it pointed out that for some really poor people, computers do not even rate on their radar of things. The sad part is that it is not that they are rejecting technology, it is that they are oblivious to it. They are more concerned with sanitation, land, health, things that matter to their very survival.
Of course, technology does help those who have that basic level of literacy, to assist them with crop prices, exam results (for the school kids) etc. This does mean that it is helping those that are well off become more well off.

It just seems that there is a cut-off from where it cannot directly assist. In those cases, the investments in technology may be better used in health. Other low cost options such as radios may already provide that communication link that many developing communities lack.

It could be in this area of communication that technology may be able to radically assist. Wireless communication could reduce the costs of transactions for all sorts of people. From this question and answer on what factors will affect developing countries using mobile phones as point of sales devices seems to have a bright future.

I am sure that going forward, there will be many more advances in technology to help developing countries, but until we get some of the basics worked out, it won't help those that really need it.

Money In A Brave New (Virtual) World

I admit that I enjoy the odd Guild Wars game once a week. It's a good chance to meet up with some overseas friends, take out some monsters and generally have a good time.

I earn Guild Wars gold from killing monsters and such, and use this gold to buy goodies such as better armour, better weapons, more skills, and other things. For me, though, I don't place any real-world value to this gold, except to get more stuff.

However, it seems that for others, a real world value can be found. Search Ebay for "World of Warcraft Gold", and there's a ton of guides. However, there are sites where you can see that the they list an exchange rate (currently it is $0.50 USD per 100 Gold)

There are now people who classify their "job" as making virtual money. They log in to World of Warcraft, and "earn" virtual money to exchange. Are they, in the words of Peter Drucker, just a new type of information worker? Do they do what we do in the real world ie transform information and add value?

Take a look at Second Life. It is a virtual world, where people can create and charge for their own creations. Last year there was $20m worth of transactions on the game itself, and $3m in currencies. Yes, this is a miniscule amount compared to the trillions that are traded on the normal currency exchange, but the mind boggles!

So what is the difference? Our current monetary system is not backed by gold anymore, so both Linden Labs (who own Second Life) and Zimbabwe can print as much money as they like (often with disastrous consequences). Our currencies are backed by the country's economic growth, inflation and productivity, as well as cross-border trading of actual financial assets. Can these be related to a game such as Second Life?

Will there be a day that people will hedge their currencies against a virtual one? Will traders work the arbitration between the virtual currencies to make a profit?

How regulated will these virtual currencies become? I think that the more people start getting into these until they sort out these other things such as intellectual rights, user rights within the system and ownership, it will continue to be something that is a anomaly, rather than a norm.