In January, I went on a trip to India for a few weeks. (You can read all about it here.) Before I left, many people asked me the same question: Why India? Well, the answer is that I was invited to go; but there’s a little more to it then that. I have always been interested in India. I studied a lot about it in college and I taught about it when I was student teaching. Does this make me an expert? By no means – but because of this interest, going to India was one of the things I hoped to accomplish before I died. So when the opportunity came along I jumped at it. I realize that I am in the minority, as many people that I talked to still questioned my wanting to go.

I found this clip on TED.com that really explains the difference between our two cultures – well as best as one can in 20 minutes – and might shed some light on that famous Indian head bob. The Western World operates with the belief that we only have one life to live, that’s it. While in Indian culture, a person has many lives to get it right. As a result each culture has developed their business models around their respective cultural view. I believe that each view can learn from each other. Take a look:

And just for fun, here are some questions I thought of while watching this presentation. Leave a comment if you want. It’d be fun to start a discussion. (Can you tell I miss intellectual discussions?)

• What do you think would happen to the American business model if individual thought was valued over institutional thought? Or do you think that Americans value institutional thought over individual thought to begin with?
• Which cultural view do you identify with most? How does this influence your behavior?
• Based on what you know about Indian culture, what aspects of American business do you think would benefit their business model?
• Thinking about what Pattanaik said about how mythology impacts business; what parts of American mythology impact American business?
• How would having a Chief Belief Officer change the American Business model?

I hope, if you took the time to watch the video, you learned something. If you made it to the end of this entry, thanks for reading the first lesson I put together in a long time. I guess I’ve still got it!

Class dismissed!

This fact should come as no surprise to you. I love The Olympics so much that I started this tradition with some friends of mine where we cook the food of the host country during the Opening Ceremonies.

What may surprise you is why I’m such a fanatic.

I love the whole Olympic movement. I love that it is a GLOBAL event. I don’t know how many of you are aware, but during The Olympics all nations are supposed to call off all wars. This obviously isn’t the case any more, but I always thought that the idea was a great one. Furthermore, countries send their very best to compete in (mostly) honest competition. This are in many cases amateur athletes. Some have made it there by their own accord, others are part of a government program, but either way each one has a dream – to compete their best against the best for an Olympic medal. Maybe it’s the idealist in me, but there is just something so pure about it that I love.

Beyond that, I love seeing all of these sports that are not as well known in my neck of the woods – like curling. I mean I guess it’s sort of sweeping the nation now, but for the most part, I only get to see it during The Olympics. Then there’s bobsled, snowboard cross, speed skating, and that crazy skeleton. In the summer, it’s diving, all of the track events, and swimming. [Side Bar - I am one of the few that like the Winter Olympics more then the Summer Olympics. There's so much more danger involved. Also a lot of those sports involve a lot of speed. It's just more interesting to me.] The commentary for these sports is always great because it so unfiltered. The commentator is usually a past athlete who is very passionate about the sport; so it always amuses me to hear their reactions to things I don’t really know much about.

There only a few days left. I hope to catch as much coverage that I can.

Constantly improving on awesome. Learning everyday.

Yeah, I think that sums it up best.

What would yours be?

You can read about my international travel here: Marissa’s Trip to India

About the year older part of my year . . . I actually feel older this year, but in a good way. I feel more comfortable in my own skin. It’s kinda awesome. I feel like I am ready to take the bull by the horns and conquer the world. Well, maybe I’ll start with something smaller, but that’s the idea.

So that’s what’s up here. I’m going to try and post more this year. I feel like blogging again. We’ll see how it goes.

Every now and then, a year comes along that changes things and 2009 is one of those years. I didn’t get off to the best of starts, but in the end, this year shaped up to be a pretty awesome year. Here’s a list of things to remember about / things I’ve learned this year for me:

• Family can surprise you
• Friendships were made, lost, strengthened, reconnected or redefined
• Change can be scary but awesome at the same time
• Opportunities are made
• Summer was one of the best ever
• In the moment is a great place to live
• Photography rocks my world
• Good food was made and shared
• I saw two of my favorite bands in concert
• I’m pretty awesome – it is a pretty powerful realization
• Happiness comes from within, but is multiplied when shared with others
• Vacation time is a gift to be used up
• I 5K’d this year

Many of these things don’t mean much to you, but they do to me. And if you happen to have known me during this time. Thanks for being part of the journey.

Thanks 2009. You rock.

Anyway, I say, if you have a mac, give Chrome a shot. Even if you have a PC (which we can discuss later) give it a whirl.

What you accept, is what you are.

I found this online. I don’t know who said it, but I believe it to be true.

Simple love song for today. It is one of my favorites.

You say you want
Diamonds on a ring of gold
You say you want
Your story to remain untold
But all the promises we make
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you

You say you’ll give me
A highway with no one on it
Treasure just to look upon it
All the riches in the night

You say you’ll give me
Eyes in a moon of blindness
A river in a time of dryness
A harbour in the tempest
But all the promises we make
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you

You say you want
Your love to work out right
To last with me through the night

You say you want
Diamonds on a ring of gold
Your story to remain untold
Your love not to grow cold

All the promises we break
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you

You
All I want is…
You
All I want is…
You
All I want is…

This song has a lot of meaning for me. In college, I was going through a lot and this became my theme song. It is the pep talk I need every once in a while.

I’m not afraid
Of anything in this world
There’s nothing you can throw at me
That I haven’t already heard
I’m just trying to find
A decent melody
A song that I can sing
In my own company

I never thought you were a fool
But darling, look at you. Ooh.
You gotta stand up straight, carry your own weight
‘Cause tears are going nowhere baby

You’ve got to get yourself together
You’ve got stuck in a moment
And now you can’t get out of it
Don’t say that later will be better
Now you’re stuck in a moment
And you can’t get out of it

I will not forsake
The colors that you bring
The nights you filled with fireworks
They left you with nothing
I am still enchanted
By the light you brought to me
I listen through your ears
Through your eyes I can see

You are such a fool
To worry like you do.. Oh
I know it’s tough
And you can never get enough
Of what you don’t really need now
My, oh my

You’ve got to get yourself together
You’ve got stuck in a moment
And you can’t get out of it
Oh love, look at you now
You’ve got yourself stuck in a moment
And you can’t get out of it
Oh lord look at you now
You’ve got yourself stuck in a moment
And you cant gt out of it

I was unconscious, half asleep
The water is warm ’til you discover how deep
I wasn’t jumping, for me it was a fall
It’s a long way down to nothing at all

You’ve got to get yourself together
You’ve got stuck in a moment
And you can’t get out of it
Don’t say that later will be better
Now you’re stuck in a moment
And you can’t get out of it

And if the night runs over
And if the day won’t last
And if your way should falter
Along this stony pass

It’s just a moment
This time will pass

(photo found on flickr)

This was the first U2 song I have a memory from. I was at the Adler Planetarium and there was a laser show to U2 music. This song was the first song played. It was awesome.

Johnny take a walk
With your sister in the moon
Let her pale light in
To fill up your room
You’ve been living underground
Eating from a can
You’ve been running away
From what you don’t understand…
Look

She’s slipping
You’re sliding down
She’ll be there
When you
hit the ground

It’s all right, it’s all right, all right
She moves in mysterious ways
It’s all right, it’s all right, all right
She moves in mysterious ways
O-o-oh

Johnny take a dive
With your sister in the rain
Let her talk about the things
You can’t explain
To touch is to heal
To hurt is to steal
If you want to kiss the sky
Better learn how to kneel
On your knees boy

She’s the way – She turns the tide
She sees a man, inside the child
Yeah

It’s all right, it’s all right, all right
She moves in mysterious ways
It’s all right, it’s all right, all right
She moves in mysterious ways
Love
It’s all right, it’s all right, all right
lift my days, light up my nights
Love

One day you will look… back
And you’ll see… where
You were held… how
By this love… while
You could stand there
You could move on this moment
Follow this feeling

It’s all right, it’s all right, all right
She moves in mysterious ways
It’s all right, it’s all right, all right
She moves in mysterious ways
O-o-oh

Oh love
Oh love, lover
Move you
Spirit move
Baby love me
Move
Baby love me
Move you
Baby love me
Move with it
She moves with it

if my days, light up my nights