London Homecoming
Don’t wait until the next wedding, or the next funeral. We can always make the effort to meet each other, simply to show that we value the connection we have with one another. 👫
After four years away, this was by far the best of all London homecomings. I’m sure I wasn’t the only person in these photos who had been feeling nervous about seeing each other again. We’ve all become so adult, so independent. So concerned with our own family units, our own problems. But in the end it took just one afternoon to forget about the years apart, and to get back to making new memories together. 🥰
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My Rabbi Aaron
I want to introduce you all to my Rabbi in North-West London, Rabbi Aaron Goldstein. He generously made time for an impromptu coffee together while I’m here on a short visit.
He’s an amazing leader for the local community, as well as a tireless advocate for women, for the Jewish diaspora in Ukraine, for immigrants in the UK, for LGBT+ inclusion, for Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, for democracy in Israel, and for many more causes that a lot of us talk about but don’t know how to support. And on top of all that, he’s just… a nice guy.
We only had 20 minutes together, but just knowing that people like him exist makes me feel a bit better about this forsaken little planet. 🌍💙
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Fifteen Years of Nurture
For the last 15 years, I have nurtured a network of HR and Talent leaders around the world, but especially in Tokyo. My ethos was always simply to treat everyone as human beings, rather than to commoditise relationships by treating them as “clients” or “candidates.”
I’m not sure I was always successful in this endeavour. But now that I’ve retired as a headhunter, I’m happy that I can still count so many of them as friends. And I’m grateful that a handful of these special people were able to make some time for a meet-up in this special city.
過去15 年間、私は世界中、特に東京において人事および人材リーダーのネットワークを築いて来ました。私の理念は常に、すべての人を「顧客」や「候補者」として扱うことで関係性を商品化せず、人として関わることでした。
この取り組みで常に成功したかどうかはわかりません。しかし、ヘッドハンターとして引退した今でも、たくさんの人をまだ友人と呼べることに満足しています。そして、少数の特別な人たちと時間を共有し、この特別な都市で集まれたことに感謝しています。
これからもよろしきお願いします❣️
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Touchdown Tokyo!
東京にタッチダウン🗼‼️
Touchdown Tokyo!
I’m back in the country where my love affair with Asia first started back in 1999. 😳
And what better way to spend the day than people-watching in Shinagawa, kaiten-sushi in Shinjuku, scramble-crossing in Shibuya, and a coffee date in Akasaka with the beautiful Sonya Ito. 💜👫💜
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Three Tips for Visiting Singapore
It WAS NOT a mistake to spend the last two weeks in Singapore, reconnecting with a city that I love. 🇸🇬🥰
But it WAS a mistake to wait until the end of my trip to post photos. Thank you to everyone who could make it for a reunion. And sorry to those I missed, I physically couldn’t squeeze in one more thing!
3 key points I’m glad I remembered:
1️⃣ Don’t be in a rush. You’re on the equator.
2️⃣ Don’t eat spicy laksa wearing anything white.
3️⃣ Dry between your toes. This place is fecund.
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The Mosaic of China Podcast Enters its Third Season
Like many of us in Shanghai, I’ve been feeling thoroughly displeased for the last few months. But I’ve decided that it’s time to come out of mourning for ‘life before COVID-Zero’ and to start living again. Or at least to enjoy whatever window of freedom we have been granted for this moment.
Luckily, I found 200 people who felt the same way, and we gathered in Shanghai to celebrate the Season 03 launch of the Mosaic of China podcast. With a fantastic slate of 30 new guests coming up over the next 30 weeks, this season is the reminder we all needed that there are still some amazing people under our noses, representing 30 unique perspectives on what it’s like to live and work in China. A true Mosaic.
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The Christmas Entourage
We welcomed Christmas Cheer, but she then invited her friend Christmas Gluttony, who in turn brought along her cousins Christmas Shame and Regret. Those cousins didn’t think much of our home-made egg nog.
Now we need to meet up with Christmas Gym and Christmas Diet, those needy and pathetic acquaintances that we can never seem to shake off. 😤
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The Slump Behind The Smile
I’m not going to lie, I’ve been in a massive slump these last few weeks. Lethargy; brain-fog; inattentiveness: the works. 🌧😵💫
I wouldn’t say I’m out of the slump yet. But I’m grateful that the last few days coincided with Thanksgiving, an early Christmas dinner, and the first night of Chanukah. These three evenings allowed us to share the company of some lovely humans, and made me feel a little more reconnected. ❤️🦃🎅🕎
I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling this way. So rather than just share a bunch of happy photos, I wanted to be honest about my emotional state behind them. As we approach the end of the year, let me remind you to please take care of yourself, and - if you have the capacity - those around you. 👫👬👫
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Beijing Rocks!
I’ve always felt intimidated by Beijing. To me it’s always been a big, cold city where the power of government looms large. But just one evening with these warm and generous people has already helped to disabuse me of that hang-up. 😊
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