The 5 P's

People- Who have you met why are they meaningful to you, how have you grown because of them?

Emil Kang - Carolina Performing Arts Director and Legend of Memoral Hall, his facebook quote really is a statement about our friendship and amusment with music, travel, and people:

"If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done.”
-- Ludwig Wittgenstein (1899-1951)

Lux - My Bus Angel, A mainland student from Shanghai, Lux gave me 100HKD without asking when I sat next to her on the bus frantic because Morgan Stanley had called with my offer and my phone ran out of minutes and I was without funds to top-up my card. We met up later for lunch and discussed all sorts of things. She saved my life that day or at least my credibility. She taught me that trust and kindness are both felt on a human to human level, not necessarily discriinated against because of culture.

Jo - My Badminton Buddy, A mainland student from Xi'an, Jo and her friend Ivan came to play badminton with only one racquet. I had the other. So we played rotating turns for games for an hour one Monday night in United College. She gave me a wooden carving after playing - a simple gift but so unexpected and a wonderful memory. This taught me to appreciate the small things in life, such as a random badminton partner - without Jo I would not have been able to play.   By honoring others(strangers) in your presence, you receive joy exponentially - cultural sensitivity is key here and the reason why I travel so much. If I can understand the small things that make a person transcend cultural barriers then my social mobility and global mobility increases.  Dad - I see now why golf was so important to learn!

Preparation- Have you learned anything about preparation, either individually, or in a study group?

I've learned that there are several categories in life that help you reach success even if you are not mentally/financially/physically qualified.  And it's not cheating or bribery. It's culture.  Playing badminton or golf or knowing the top 10 DJs or national pop stars or cuisines or even recommendations for dessert - All help one transcend the immediate guard that humans put up when conflicting cultures meet. 

Example: I met a girl in Boracay, from Madagascar lives and studies in Paris and she was just talking to some Americans about music and they were not really following her and kind of confused, then I offered a name "MC Solar? Le belle et le bat-boy?" She shreek ecstatically! "You know him! Wow! I'm like WOW! How? How?" My "cool" points skyrocketed and gave me the opportunity to tell her that I studied abroad in Paris and learned about MC Solar, Raphael, Jeanne du Cheval, etc.  The French rapper may be nearly 10 years passe but the initial connection showed my interest in France and a familiar environment, which she had been away from since September. We are now friends at CUHK even if there are more differences than similarities in our ways.

It's the little steps that you take to show others that you care about their lifes not your own. And that is my reason to see the world and make connections with as many cultures as possible. I am not here to continually play defense (try not to offend as many people as possible) but I want to communicate with people on a level that is more productive than two strangers.  Although my path is a bit different, the term in Chinese is "Guan Xi" or Guan She for my phonetic spelling or 關係.

Courtesy of the LA Chinese Center: "The importance of "Guanxi"
"Regardless of business experiences in ones home country, in China it is the right "Guanxi" that makes all the difference in ensuring that business will be successful. By getting the right "Guanxi", the organization minimizes the risks, frustrations, and disappointments when doing business in China. Often it is acquiring the right "Guanxi" with the relevant authorities that will determine the competitive standing of an organization in the long run in China. And moreover, the inevitable risks, barriers, and set-ups you’ll encounter in China will be minimized when you have the right “Guanxi” network working for you. That is why the correct "Guanxi" is so vital to any successful business strategy in China."

Here is a link to a potential culturally wise role model: http://www.brassmagazine.com/article/sumaya-kazi-creating-culture-connections

 
Participation- Wha thave you done that required you to stretch yourself? or impacted who you are?

Prioritization- How are you prioritizing what is important vs. just being busy?

Places- What have you seen that changes how you think about life?

Top 5 Cities of the World (will be updated):
1. Singapore
2. Bruxelles/Paris
3. Hong Kong (could change)
4. Prague
5. Barcelona

Why?
1. Futuristic Architecture with Lush Foliage, Spices of the World incorporated into every morsel of cuisine, Areas within the City that make you forget where you are (i.e. Little India), Great music scene
2. French-speaking, winding streets filled with Chocolate shops and clever beer names, I got lost there and saw the city for myself at night and that was just majestic - actually that happened also in Paris, so add that there
3. City Pulse, Horse-racing, Big buildings, Big business, Great Fireworks... need to find some other reasons
4. Old Town Square - Charming to the maximum, almost like a museum, old buildings so well preserved, able to see the city by just following pretty buildings
5. Contrast of urbanity with beach pretty remarkable, I imagine its the Miami of Spain

Passion- What drives you to enjoy an experience and what unexpected force makes you cherish something?